It was in Poznań that the Artificial Intelligence Factory - PIAST-AI, one of six European AI centres created as part of an international strategy to support digital transformation, was established. In addition, many investors from the IT and modern services sectors have found their place in the heart of Wielkopolska. Local authorities are keen to support initiatives that bring together the worlds of science, business and administration. As a result, Poznań is increasingly becoming a place for meetings, exchange of experience and knowledge, and cooperation between local activists, the city and business, which is bearing fruit.
Sometimes, in the jungle of information, many industry events that are important for experienced IT specialists or scientists can be overlooked. It is therefore worth taking a look at a few of them that originated or became established in the capital of Wielkopolska.
Pozitive Techweek - the result of cooperation between the City and IT companies
The City of Poznań is open to the needs of investors and eager to engage in dialogue with them. This is how the Pozitive Technologies initiative was born, which will be held for the seventh time in the capital of Wielkopolska at the end of November. Its origins date back to discussions with companies from the IT and modern services sector. They felt that Poznań lacked a major event aimed at experienced programmers. The city enthusiastically accepted the role of organiser of Pozitive Technologies, which has now developed into the Techweek concept. This year's theme is perfectly in line with current trends and is entitled: "From code to impact. AI & Digital Transformation". The stage will feature top speakers, including the renowned physicist and science populariser Prof. Dragan, who captivates crowds with his unconventional approach to knowledge transfer. In addition, entrepreneur and lawyer Prof. Michał Jackowski, Leader of International Cooperation in the AI Working Group at the Ministry of Digital Affairs, who is keen to address the topic of AI from a legal perspective, will also be speaking. The Poznań business accent will be provided by experienced entrepreneur Lucyna Michniewicz-Śląska, CIO of the legendary VOX Capital Group. All week leading up to the final event on 27 November, partner companies will invite participants to their offices for meetups, workshops, networking events, and other smaller initiatives that might be interesting for people who are into the industry. You can find more info at pozitive.tech.
After 11 years, Directions EMEA returns to Poznań!
We are delighted that Poznań's potential is also appreciated by the private sector, which is actively involved in local IT promotion activities. The growing importance of the city on the European technology map is clearly confirmed by the large-scale Directions EMEA conference, which will take place on 4-6 November 2025. It will return to the capital of Greater Poland after 11 years. It is an excellent opportunity to showcase the region's potential on the international stage and strengthen the position of local companies as key Microsoft partners.
It is the largest European event dedicated to Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, which we owe to an invitation from IT.integro, the leader in these implementations in Poland with over 30 years of experience. During this year's edition, the company will present its proprietary Electronic Banking solution - an application that extends the functionality of electronic banking in Business Central.
This year, Directions EMEA will attract 3,200 representatives of 650 companies from around the world, including cloud service providers (CSPs), independent software vendors (ISVs), developers, consultants and business leaders.
The conference programme includes over 300 sessions led by leading Microsoft experts from the headquarters in Redmond and Vedbæk, Microsoft MVPs and leaders of partner companies. Particular emphasis will be placed on the role of artificial intelligence in business, with the focus on Copilot - a virtual AI assistant that increases productivity and automates key business processes.
Official event website: https://www.directionsforpartners.com/
AI in healthcare and science - Poznań becomes a hub for discussions on the future of pharmacy.
Another important event on Poznań's technology calendar is AI in Pharma - a three-day conference devoted to the use of artificial intelligence in the pharmaceutical and life science industries.
Its third edition will take place in November, bringing together experts from companies such as GSK, Microsoft, Polpharma, Roche, eConsulting, Molecule One and Databricks. Participants will be able to listen to specialist lectures, take part in workshops and watch a student hackathon, the winning project of which will be presented on the last day of the conference.
For more information, visit: https://aiinpharma.pl/program-2025/
Active involvement of local IT communities
When discussing IT events in Poznań, it is impossible to overlook the active and passionate involvement of local technology communities. For years, they have been co-creating an inspiring platform for knowledge exchange by organising interesting meetings. It is worth mentioning a few of them.
One of the oldest and largest communities of this type in Poland is Poznań JUG - the Poznań Java User Group. It has been operating continuously since 2004. It brings together students, academics, experienced programmers and system architects. Its goal is to exchange ideas and experiences, which it achieves through free seminars, workshops and conferences dedicated to the Java language.
Another active group is Poznań Data Horizon, which focuses on sharing knowledge about data processing - from artificial intelligence, machine learning and statistical analysis, through business aspects, to data engineering and MLOps issues.
PyrData Poznań pursues the mission of strengthening the local Data & ML community, especially in the context of the creation of the AI Factory in Poznań. It brings together enthusiasts, professionals and scientists fascinated by the power of combining data with machine learning. It creates a space for cooperation between PCSS, companies, universities and local industry specialists.
GDG Poznań (Google Developers Group), a group of developers interested in Google technologies, also undertakes extensive activities in Poznań. It regularly organises workshops, conferences and hackathons, promoting the development of IT skills and the idea of equality in technology. It places particular emphasis on supporting women in the industry, encouraging them to actively participate in events and projects.
Poznań boasts a significantly larger number of active IT communities, whose initiatives sometimes get lost in the flood of information. To avoid this, an industry events calendar has been created to make it easier to track and plan participation in meetings. It can be found at:
https://luma.com/calendar/manage/cal-IpF6Xwj5tLJ6ITp
or in the city calendar in the Poznań IT category.
Thanks to this potential, cooperation between scientific, business and local government circles, and openness to innovation, Poznań can confidently compete with the largest technology centres in Europe.
Today, the heart of Greater Poland beats to the rhythm of technology - intelligent, responsible and open to the future.
Maria Przybecka
