# Polish Łukasiewicz Institute tunnel upgrade

> Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/polish-ukasiewicz-institute-tunnel-upgrade
> Updated: 2026-08-12T07:14:44.000Z. Sources: 11. Developments: 3.

In late July 2026, the Łukasiewicz Institute’s research centre in Warsaw’s Okęcie district opened a modernised aerodynamic tunnel (T-3). The renovation, costing approximately 105 million zł and financed via the National Recovery Plan (KPO), added a five-metre airflow diameter, a new nozzle, a safety screen, and a platform capable of bearing up to 20 tonnes. Minister of Science and Higher Education Marcin Kulasek stated the facility will boost Poland’s competitiveness in aerospace, space, and defence, reducing reliance on foreign testing infrastructure and supporting projects funded by the European Defence Fund and the European Space Agency. A contract is also being finalised with a leading European aircraft-engine producer for a research campaign.

On 1 August 2026, the institute marked its centennial. Director Cezary Szczepański highlighted the institute’s historic contributions to aircraft design and its ongoing role in aviation, rocket, and composite-material research. The upgraded T-3 tunnel, which can reach speeds up to 100 m/s, is now the largest of its type in Poland and Central-Eastern Europe.

In mid-August 2026, the modernization of the T-3 tunnel was discussed alongside other infrastructure developments within the Łukasiewicz Research Network. These discussions, involving public administration and industrial enterprises, focused on leveraging Polish expertise in microelectronics and photonics to support national security and industrial advancement, alongside the enhanced testing capabilities provided by the T-3 facility.

## Timeline

### 2026-08-12: Łukasiewicz Research Network expands Polish microelectronics and aviation infrastructure

The Łukasiewicz Research Network is expanding its technological infrastructure in Poland, focusing on microelectronics, photonics, and the modernization of the T-3 aerodynamic tunnel using KPO funding.

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ukasiewicz-research-network-expands-polish-microelectronics-and-aviation-infrastructure

### 2026-08-03: Łukasiewicz Institute marks centennial with modernized T‑3 aerodynamic tunnel

The Łukasiewicz Institute of Aviation celebrated its 100‑year anniversary and opened a 100 million‑zł modernized T‑3 aerodynamic tunnel in Warsaw, now the largest in Poland and Central‑Eastern Europe, to boost

2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/ukasiewicz-institute-marks-centennial-with-modernized-t3-aerodynamic-tunnel

### 2026-07-29: Poland's Łukasiewicz Institute opens modernised aerodynamic tunnel at Warsaw Okęcie

Poland’s Łukasiewicz Institute opened a modernised 105 million‑zł aerodynamic tunnel in Warsaw, funded by the National Recovery Plan to boost aerospace, defence and space research.

7 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/polands-ukasiewicz-institute-opens-modernised-aerodynamic-tunnel-at-warsaw-okcie

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Cite as: Polish Łukasiewicz Institute tunnel upgrade. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/polish-ukasiewicz-institute-tunnel-upgrade