WARSAW — Poland has launched a long-term national programme to identify domestic sources of critical raw materials considered essential for modern industry, energy technologies, digital infrastructure and defence.

The Polish government approved the National Programme for the Exploration of Critical Raw Materials as part of an effort to strengthen the country’s resource security and reduce dependence on supplies from outside the European Union.

The programme is designed to improve knowledge of Poland’s geological resources and identify potential new deposits of materials needed for strategically important industries. These include resources used in batteries, electronics, electric vehicles, renewable-energy equipment, medical technologies and advanced military systems.

Government officials say stronger domestic knowledge of critical-mineral deposits could help Poland reduce vulnerabilities in international supply chains. Dependence on a limited number of foreign suppliers has become an increasing concern for European economies, particularly for materials required by fast-growing technology and clean-energy industries.

The initiative is also connected with the European Union’s Critical Raw Materials Act, under which EU member states are expected to establish national exploration programmes aimed at improving access to strategically important resources.

Poland’s programme will involve geological research and the assessment of existing information about potentially valuable deposits. The government expects the initiative to provide a stronger basis for future decisions concerning exploration, investment and development of domestic resources.

Critical raw materials have become increasingly important because they are used across several strategic sectors simultaneously. Batteries, renewable-energy systems, advanced electronics, medical equipment and modern defence technologies all depend on specialised minerals and metals.

Warsaw says improving domestic resource knowledge could also support the country’s broader industrial ambitions. Better information about potential deposits may encourage future investment in processing, manufacturing and other parts of the raw-material supply chain.

The government has linked the programme to three major areas of national development: energy transformation, digitalisation and defence. All three sectors are expected to require increasing quantities of strategically important materials in the coming years.

The initiative could also contribute to wider European supply security. Poland says identifying additional sources within the EU could help diversify supply chains and reduce the risk of disruptions caused by geopolitical tensions, trade restrictions or unexpected interruptions in international markets.

Officials emphasised that the programme is a long-term project rather than an immediate solution to raw-material shortages. Geological exploration can take years, and discovering a deposit does not automatically mean that commercial extraction will follow.

Nevertheless, the government considers the programme an important first step toward building a more reliable domestic resource base.

By improving knowledge of its own geological potential, Poland aims to strengthen economic resilience, support strategic industries and contribute to Europe’s efforts to secure supplies of materials that are becoming increasingly important to the modern economy.