H.E. Karol Nawrocki, President of the Republic of Poland, headlined the opening of the 5th Annual Poland-Philippines IT Business Summit at iACADEMY in Makati City, where he delivered the summit’s Opening Address and met with the iACADEMY community, representatives from private institutions and government agencies, including the Department of Information and Communications Technology (DICT), under the leadership of Secretary Henry R. Aguda; representatives of the Local Government of Makati, including Makati City Mayor Hon. Nancy Binay; and participants of the Poland-Philippines Smart Cities Hackathon.
President Nawrocki’s visit marked the first State Visit to the Philippines by a Polish Head of State and aimed to further strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries. His engagements with Philippine government officials focused on expanding cooperation in key areas, including defense and security, trade and investment, agriculture, science and technology, information and communications technology, legal cooperation, tourism, and people-to-people exchanges.
As cities worldwide became increasingly dependent on digital technologies, governments and industries faced the challenge of turning innovations in artificial intelligence, data, cybersecurity, digital infrastructure, and smart mobility into solutions that could improve everyday urban life. The summit addressed these challenges by focusing on practical applications of technology in smart urban development and infrastructure, mobility and integrated city services, and the use of data and cybersecurity.
Organized by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) in cooperation with the Embassy of Poland in Manila and Spiderhook Inc., the summit provided a platform for Polish and Philippine stakeholders to exchange expertise and explore opportunities for technological and business cooperation. As the first Philippine academic partner and host for a Polish Head of State during his State Visit, iACADEMY served as a venue where international diplomacy, industry collaboration, and technology education converged.
At the center of the summit’s student component was the Poland-Philippines Smart Cities Hackathon, organized in cooperation with iACADEMY.
“Despite the geographic distance between Warsaw and Manila, we share an important ambition to build modern, competitive economies that create opportunities for our citizens and are ready to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing global environment. This is why the time has come to give our economic relationship a new dimension, with technology and innovation at its center. Today's summit is an important step in that direction, and I want to thank the organizers for bringing together the people and institutions that can turn this ambition into concrete cooperation.” said H.E. Karol Nawrocki, President of the Republic of Poland, during the opening of the 5th Poland-Philippines IT Business Summit at iACADEMY.
For iACADEMY, the partnership demonstrated the value of an education model that connected students with real-world industry challenges and international opportunities. Rather than limiting technology education to classroom instruction, the institution provided platforms where students could build, collaborate, test ideas, and present solutions to stakeholders beyond the academe. Through the hackathon, iACADEMY reinforced its commitment to developing technology professionals prepared to contribute to an increasingly digital economy.
The summit underscored that building smarter cities required more than advanced technologies, it required people capable of transforming technology into practical solutions. By bringing together international leaders, technology stakeholders, and student innovators, the Poland-Philippines IT Business Summit created a space where collaboration could turn ideas into meaningful impact. For iACADEMY, the event provided another opportunity to put students at the center of innovation, preparing them not only for the future of technology but also to help shape it.
