Polish Cyber and IT Powerhouse Reaps Fruits of Israeli Investment

Polish Cyber and IT Powerhouse Reaps Fruits of Israeli Investment

cyber security

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Asseco Poland is the biggest start-up in Poland, the 6th largest software developer in Europe and has been a leading force in the industry for over 25 years. The company’s main interest is software and IT in multiple sectors – healthcare, banks, telecommunication and much more.

Currently, the company is operating in 55 countries with over 22,000 employees.    

Artur Wiza, the company’s corporate communications director, explained Asseco’s interest in Israel during a conference regarding IT innovation and cybersecurity trends in Tel Aviv during the 6-7 of June, 2017. When the company invested in Formula Systems (an Israeli development), some eyebrows were raised. However, in a brief timespan, the Poland-based company came to learn that Israel’s economy is based on innovation, thus making it a good location to develop software and IT.

The company has 8,000 employees in Israel in Formula systems, which is built of 3 main firms – Matrix IT, Magic Software and Sapiens International. Wiza also emphasized the company’s managing approach concerning foreign companies which are acquired: “We look to work in a federation structure, not one that shows authority or general policy dictated by HQ. Instead, we look to learn from the foreign companies while they look to learn from us. This enables mutual learning, innovation and sets us apart from our competitors”.

Ewa Kryj, the company’s spokesperson, said the Israeli cyber security model is one that should be taken as an example: “It’s all part of a good national cyber strategy and you can already notice that Israel has been collecting the dividends of this effort”.

Kryj added that among the key factors and traits that Poland should try to imitate from the proven Israeli model are the key role that the government plays in the Cyber security sector, and the fact that it gives talented individuals high level training, in the Israeli case the training comes in form of the IDF’s intelligence units.