At Taiwan Expo in Europe 2026 in Warsaw on June 22, Polish and Taiwanese officials unveiled plans for Taiwan to help revive two of Poland’s stalled industrial ambitions: its long-delayed electric vehicle project, originally expected to be developed with Chinese partners, and the semiconductor plans left behind by Intel’s abandoned site.
A technology park backed by Taiwanese companies associated with TEEMA (Taiwan Electrical and Electronic Manufacturers’ Association) would be built in Miękinia in Lower Silesia – the same site near Wrocław where Intel had previously planned a major semiconductor facility.
In other words, Taiwan is filling the space left by both China and the United States in Poland’s industrial strategy.
Warsaw had originally pursued two separate flagship projects: a semiconductor investment tied to Intel and a national electric car project linked to ElectroMobility Poland. Both ran into trouble.
ElectroMobility Poland was created in 2016, under the influence of then-Finance Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, with the goal of building a Polish national electric car brand. In 2022, the company announced that China’s Geely would become the project’s technology partner, with the Izera EV to be built on Geely’s SEA platform, also used by the Volvo EX30.
But after Donald Tusk’s coalition came to power, enthusiasm for the Geely-linked model faded. The project drew criticism for its dependence on Chinese components and repeated delays. Although Geely reportedly lobbied the Polish government in 2024 to continue the project, the partnership was never finalized in a politically durable form. This year, Taiwan replaced China as the key external partner in Poland’s EV ambitions.
A similar story unfolded in semiconductors. In June 2023, Intel announced plans to invest $4.6 billion in a semiconductor integration and testing facility near Wrocław. The project became a major talking point in Poland’s 2023 parliamentary election campaign and was presented by the then-ruling Law and Justice (PiS) government as a flagship industrial investment. Intel’s later withdrawal left a politically and economically significant gap – the 400-hectare site in Miękinia, along with infrastructure prepared for the investment, was left unused – creating an opening for a new investor.
Reports have suggested that the scale of the Taiwanese plans could exceed Intel’s original proposal and eventually create as many as 40,000 jobs, although such figures remain speculative at this stage.
Whether Warsaw and Taipei can fully deliver both projects remains to be seen. But the direction is already clear: Poland is trying to turn Taiwan into a strategic industrial partner.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk confirmed in mid-June that Poland was working with Taiwan’s Foxconn on two fronts. The first is the planned EV manufacturing and R&D hub in Jaworzno, being developed together with ElectroMobility Poland (EMP). The second is a semiconductor project in Lower Silesia.
Tusk said EMP ultimately aims to produce up to 400,000 cars annually, while financing for the Jaworzno project – worth 4.5 billion zloty (around $1.2 billion) – is expected to come from debt instruments under the EU’s post-pandemic recovery framework. The project is expected to include three midsize SUV models for the European market, with the first Polish electric car scheduled to roll off the line in 2029. EMP head Cyprian Gronkiewicz told the Polish parliament on June 10 that construction of the Jaworzno plant is expected to begin in spring 2027.
Foxconn’s role in Poland is expected to rest on three pillars: AI servers, with Poland envisioned as Foxconn’s European assembly hub; electromobility, through technology support for Poland’s long-delayed domestic electric car project; and smart city solutions, including advanced connectivity systems for urban infrastructure.
Speaking at Taiwan Expo, Deputy Development and Technology Minister Michał Jaros said several European countries – including Czechia, Germany, and France – had competed for Taiwanese investment, but that Poland had built particularly dense and multilayered ties with Taiwan in recent years.
That broader context matters. According to a CEIAS report, between 2019 and 2024, the number of mutual visits between Taiwanese and European representatives increased more than sixfold, while Poland has emerged as one of the most active European countries in developing subnational ties with Taiwan. With seven city-to-city partnerships, Poland has become a leading player in the local-government dimension of Europe-Taiwan relations.
The current investment push also fits into a wider Taiwanese strategy toward Europe’s ICT and manufacturing sectors, including the concept of a Polish “ICT Triangle” centered on Wrocław, Katowice, and Łódź. Polish business media reported that TEEMA had identified Poland as a particularly promising location for expansion, a message Taiwanese officials reiterated during Poland’s economic mission to Taiwan in June 2025.
The political dimension of the relationship was underscored this week by the visit of Taiwanese Foreign Minister Lin Chia-lung. During his time in Poland, Lin on June 23 highlighted growing Poland-Taiwan ties at a reception in Warsaw hosted by the Poland-Taiwan Parliamentary Group. Lin described Poland and Taiwan as like-minded partners, welcomed signs of closer cooperation, and said the government plans to open a Taiwan Language Center in Warsaw to enhance understanding of Taiwanese culture and language among the Polish public.
