Warsaw (Puls Biznesu) – Bumar would like to build a defense holding but the Agency of Industrial Development (ARP) is not eager to give it either military shipyards nor aerospace companies.
The Polish government is preparing a strategy for the defense sector.
“We expect it will be ready and approved by the cabinet in October”, Tomasz Wilczak, the deputy Minister of Economy said.
The ministry asked the defense companies to present their proposals. Bumar was the only firm to reply. The company would like to build one defense holding, comprising of, among others, the aerospace and electronic group which today is managed by ARP. The group consists of: PZL Mielec, Swidnik, Hydral or Radmor. ARP has totally different views.
“We will present our own plan at the end of August or in the first half of September. We believe, there are no reasons to merge the aerospace and electronic group with the holding. In the aerospace group, only 20 percent of production goes for the army”, Adam Stolarz, ARP deputy CEO said.
ARP would like to manage the group, look for partners for the companies, support in acquiring new technologies, and find strategic investors for these firms. Trade unions like the plan.
“The aerospace industry needs PLN 1 billion (EUR 258m) to have new products and another billion to get new technologies. Only a strategic investor is able to provide such funds. Merging with Bumar would last for years while aerospace companies cannot operate well without capital”, Marian Kokoszka, the deputy head of Solidarnosc trade union in PZL Mielec said.
U.S. Sikorsky Aircraft could be such an investor.
“Negotiations are going on concerning the cooperation of PZL Mielec and a U.S. company”, Adam Stolarz said.
ARP would not only like to keep the aerospace and electronic group but to merge other companies.
“We would like some defense aerospace companies to be commercialized and merged to the aerospace and electronic group”, Adam Stolarz said.
This is what ARP did with Stocznia Marynarki Wojennej, the defense shipyard. The agency injected PLN 80m in the shipyard. Bumar would also like to merge the shipyard to its group.
(PLN 1 = EUR 0.258)