The Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute will create a cybersecurity shield for Poland's raw materials sector in Silesia. Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek, Director of PGI-NRI, speaks about the importance of this initiative.

The world is currently grappling with supply chain disruptions and geopolitical tensions. What measures is the State Geological Institute taking in the context of the country's raw material security?

Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek (KSz): Critical raw materials, including rare earth elements (REE), are today the foundation of the energy and digital transformation. Unfortunately, their availability depends on global geopolitics, which results in supply disruptions. China, which accounts for over 80% of REE production, controls virtually the entire global market. That is why it is so important to become independent from external suppliers.

At PGI-NRI, we are intensifying both our own work on the exploration of domestic strategic raw material resources and our efforts under the government's planned National Programme for the Exploration of Critical Raw Materials. One of the elements of the system will be the establishment of a Geoinformation and Geologic Data Cybersecurity Center in our Upper Silesia Branch.

You are announcing a breakthrough in the digitisation of geology. What exactly does this transformation involve?

Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek: It is about more than just digitising source documents. We are committed to modernity. The digitisation of geological data is not only a necessity, but also one of the prerequisites for ensuring and maintaining an adequate level of national security. Our plan includes the creation of the eGeologia platform – an advanced e-service tool that will provide simple, intuitive access to geological and hydrogeological data for everyone: citizens, businesses and the administration. Using artificial intelligence technology, the platform will enable the generation of reports, analysis and full electronic handling of administrative procedures.

I would like to emphasise that the vision of the digital transformation of the Polish Geological Institute – National Research Institute that I am presenting would not have been possible without the strong impetus provided by the Chief Geologist of Poland, Professor Krzysztof Galos. It is on his initiative that a new digital strategy for the Institute is currently being developed, including the construction of the Geoinformation and Geologic Data Cybersecurity Center at the Upper Silesian Branch, and activities are being intensified in the field of integration, sharing and protection of geological data, including ensuring their availability. His vision of a modern, digital geological service has already found its first reflection in an agreement signed at the end of April this year by PGI-NRI and the Warsaw University of Technology. In my opinion, this agreement paves the way for the joint development of geological e-services and the implementation of data security system components.

The Upper Silesian Center is to become a cybersecurity shield for Poland's raw materials sector. What does this mean in practice?

Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek: Geological data is now an element of a country's economic security. In the age of cyber threats, we must protect it. That is why we are in talks with the Ministry of Digital Affairs regarding the creation, together with the Mineral and Energy Economy Research Institute of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Kraków, of ISAC SIG, the Information Sharing and Analysis Center for Raw Materials and Geodiversity. This Center will be the foundation of future cybersecurity infrastructure in the raw materials sector. We would like to invite the largest state-owned companies, such as KGHM, Jastrzębska Spółka Węglowa and ORLEN, to cooperate in developing a cyber defence policy.

Ultimately, ISAC SIG will be transformed into a Security Operations Center responding to ICT security incidents at the Polish Geological Institute (Security Operations Center PGI-NRI). This will provide support not only for the industrial sector, but also for local government and geological administration. In the future, we intend to cooperate in this area with the Cyberspace Defence Forces, the Internal Security Agency and the Intelligence Agency, because we believe that only by working together can we effectively protect data that is crucial for the security of the country.

Why did you choose Silesia as the location for the Center?

Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek: This choice is not only rational, but also symbolic. Silesia was and remains the heart of Polish raw materials industry. The region is undergoing a process of transformation. We want our Center to support local authorities and communities by providing tools for geological risk analysis, spatial planning and post-mining water management.

At the Upper Silesian Branch of PGI-NRI, we plan to launch the largest regional branch of the Central Geological Archive – a digital repository of documentation, including surveying and geological documentation, created in cooperation with the Higher Mining Office. Instead of being sent to Warsaw, this documentation will remain in the region, organised and available online. This will enable, among other things, support for local governments in spatial planning and counteracting the problems faced today by municipalities following the closure of mining and metallurgical plants. This is not just an investment in IT. It is an investment in security, transparency and a new quality of public services. I believe that our Geoinformation and Geologic Data Cybersecurity Center will become a benchmark for modern digital administration.

Will the Center also be a source of knowledge for the public?

Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek: Of course – this is one of our key objectives. The Geoinformation and Geologic Data Cybersecurity Center is intended to be not only an institution processing data for the needs of administration and industry, but also an open platform for knowledge and cooperation. We want the public, especially residents of regions such as Silesia, to have real access to information that was previously difficult to obtain or scattered. This is particularly important in the era of digital transformation, where spatial and raw material data are becoming the basis for decisions, including local, municipal and investment ones.

So, we're not just planning to launch digital e-services, but also to create a space for dialogue and education. The Center will be open to cooperation with universities, technical schools, research institutes and social organisations. Our ambition is for it to become a place where science meets practice – where students can learn from real data and local communities can better understand the resources hidden in the areas they inhabit, literally beneath their cities.

A modern raw materials economy is not just about exploitation. It is primarily about information management – intelligent planning, recycling, urban mining, AI-assisted data processing and geohazard risk analysis. Today's geological imaging and 3D modelling technologies allow us to look at ‘depleted’ resources in a completely new way – as potential that can be recovered or safely exploited. In establishing the Center in Silesia, we attach great importance to inter-institutional cooperation. We believe that its success depends on close partnership with key entities such as the Higher Mining Authority, the State Water Holding Polish Waters and the General Directorate for Environmental Protection. Together, we can not only safely process geological documentation and counteract threats, but also build public understanding of the challenges and opportunities that the transformation of the raw materials sector brings.

What does this initiative mean for the residents of Silesia?

Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek: First and foremost – concrete benefits. We are talking about real support in building a new, sustainable raw materials economy, in which Silesia will not merely be a backdrop for transformation, but will become its main beneficiary. This is a region with enormous potential – with modern infrastructure, a strong scientific base and deep industrial traditions.

We do not want it to be seen only through the prism of closed mines. We want it to be a space for new economic activity. In practice, this means new jobs, investments in digital technologies and the intelligent use of resources – both those still available in the ground and those that can be recovered through modern urban mining technologies. We are thinking, among other things, of using geothermal energy, the potential of mine water and the recovery of secondary raw materials. These are not just slogans – they are specific projects that we want to implement.

Silesia has a chance for a second raw material revolution – this time based on data, spatial analysis, artificial intelligence and secure access to geological knowledge. Thanks to the development of AI-based technologies, we will be able to predict environmental threats even more accurately and thus better protect the region's inhabitants and infrastructure. That is why we attach so much importance to the digitisation of geological data and the creation of a branch of the Central Geological Archive in Silesia, so that this knowledge will be available to local governments, district geologists and residents. This is not only the future of geology – it is the foundation for the safe development of Silesia.

How would you summarise these activities?

Prof. Krzysztof Szamałek: Investments in digitisation, data security and modern technologies are part of Poland's raison d'état. The PGI-NRI Geoinformation and Geologic Data Cybersecurity Center shall become the digital pillar of the state's new raw materials policy. We want Poland not only to respond efficiently to dynamic global changes, but also to set new directions for action and development. And I believe that Silesia will be the place where this change will begin.