Conference Description
Key Takeaways
- Annual Polish congress addressing organisational security, critical infrastructure protection, and crisis management
- Focus on recent legislative changes including the ZK and OLiOC acts governing civil protection systems
- Examination of hybrid threats encompassing sabotage, drone incursions, disinformation, and cyber attacks
- Dual-track format combining strategic congress sessions with hands-on crisis response workshops
- Designed for C-level executives, security leaders, public administrators, and civil protection authorities
Introduction
SAFE PLACE Congress 2026 convenes security professionals, public administrators, and business leaders in Poland to address the evolving landscape of organisational resilience and critical infrastructure protection. The event responds to a period of significant regulatory change and heightened threat awareness across Central Europe, where hybrid warfare tactics and sophisticated cyber operations have moved from theoretical concerns to operational realities. For organisations responsible for protecting people, assets, and essential services, the congress offers a concentrated forum for examining both strategic frameworks and practical implementation approaches.
About This Event
The congress operates across two parallel tracks designed to serve different learning objectives. The main congress track delivers strategic content on organisational and facility security, bringing together perspectives from administration, business, and academic research. Simultaneously, a dedicated workshop track provides hands-on crisis response training, including exercises utilising virtual reality technology to simulate emergency scenarios. This dual structure allows participants to engage with high-level policy discussions while also developing practical competencies applicable to their operational environments.
Beyond the formal programme, the event incorporates networking opportunities, an innovation contest showcasing emerging security technologies, and a gala evening. Participants receive certification upon completion, recognising their engagement with the professional development content.
Legislative Changes and Civil Protection Reform
A central theme of the 2026 edition concerns recent amendments to Polish security legislation, particularly the ZK and OLiOC acts that reshape civil protection obligations and organisational security requirements. These regulatory developments impose new responsibilities on both public institutions and private enterprises operating critical infrastructure, requiring updated risk assessment methodologies and revised continuity planning frameworks.
The congress examines how organisations can transition from compliance-focused approaches to genuinely risk-based security system design. This shift reflects broader European trends toward outcome-oriented regulation, where demonstrating effective protection measures matters more than simply documenting procedural adherence. For facility managers overseeing schools, hospitals, cultural venues, shopping centres, and industrial sites, understanding these legislative nuances carries direct operational implications.
Hybrid Threats and Emerging Technology Risks
The threat landscape addressed by SAFE PLACE Congress extends well beyond traditional physical security concerns. Sessions examine hybrid threat vectors including coordinated sabotage operations, unauthorised drone activity, disinformation campaigns targeting organisational reputation, and cyber attacks designed to disrupt operational continuity. These threats rarely operate in isolation; modern adversaries frequently combine multiple vectors to exploit gaps between organisational silos.
The programme also explores how emerging technologies create both vulnerabilities and defensive capabilities. Artificial intelligence applications in security operations, cybersecurity architecture for operational technology environments, and drone detection and countermeasures all feature within the discussion topics. The integration challenge—ensuring these technologies work coherently within existing security frameworks rather than creating additional complexity—represents a recurring practical concern for security leaders.
Who Should Attend
The congress serves professionals carrying responsibility for organisational protection and continuity across both public and private sectors. This includes chief security officers, crisis management directors, and board members with governance oversight of risk functions. Public sector attendees typically include mayors, city presidents, and heads of civil protection authorities responsible for community resilience planning.
Facility managers operating venues with significant public attendance or critical operational functions—healthcare institutions, educational establishments, retail complexes, and industrial facilities—will find particular relevance in sessions addressing site-specific security challenges. Government agency representatives engaged in policy development or regulatory enforcement also constitute a significant portion of the participant community.
Industry Context
The security and resilience sector in Poland operates within a broader European context shaped by geopolitical instability and accelerating technological change. Critical infrastructure operators face mounting pressure to demonstrate robust protection measures while managing constrained budgets and competing operational priorities. The convergence of physical security, cybersecurity, and business continuity disciplines—once treated as separate professional domains—now demands integrated approaches and cross-functional expertise.
SAFE PLACE Congress positions itself within this environment as a forum where practitioners can examine peer experiences, evaluate emerging solutions, and develop professional networks that extend beyond the event itself. The involvement of organisations including CNBOP-PIB, Orlen Ochrona, Atlantic Council, Polski Instytut Ochrony, and Polska Izba Systemów Bezzałogowych reflects the breadth of stakeholder interest in these discussions.