4th Family Business Congress “Business Succession 2026”

  • 03.06.2026
  • Bez kategorii

The 4th Family Business Congress “Business Succession 2026” was held on 21–22 May 2026 in Kraków. The event was organized by the UEK Family Business Center in cooperation with the Małopolska Region and the District Chamber of Legal Advisors in Kraków.

The Congress served as a platform for the exchange of knowledge and experience among representatives of family businesses, academia, public institutions, local governments, and legal, tax, and succession advisors. The discussions focused on succession, family foundations, management professionalization, internationalization, and the continuity of family businesses across generations.

The event was structured into three thematic blocks:

  • Day I (21 May) — main Congress session;
  • Day II (22 May) — debate “Family businesses: the power of cooperation for global development” combined with a meeting of the Małopolska Council for Succession and Business Transfer;
  • Day II (22 May) — Legal Day organized by the District Chamber of Legal Advisors in Kraków (on-site and online).

This year’s edition, organized in both on-site and online formats, became an important space for a two-day dialogue between business, the legal community, academia, public administration, and representatives of family enterprises. The event brought together outstanding experts, business practitioners, opinion leaders, founders (nestors), and successors of family businesses, creating a forum for exchanging experiences, inspiration, and best practices related to the development of family entrepreneurship in Poland.

The Congress in Numbers

  • 2 days of inspiring debates, expert discussions, and meetings;
  • over 250 on-site participants;
  • over 90 online participants;
  • 9 discussion and expert panels addressing key challenges of family businesses;
  • 67 speakers and panelists, including representatives of family businesses, founders, successors, and experts sharing experience, business practice, and succession perspectives.

Day I – 21 May 2026

The first day took place at DoubleTree by Hilton Kraków and lasted from 9:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. Following registration, the Congress was officially opened with welcoming remarks from representatives of the Cracow University of Economics, regional and city authorities, and employers’ organizations.

On behalf of the Cracow University of Economics, the opening ceremony was conducted by Prof. Sławomir Śmiech, Vice-Rector for Research, and Prof. Aleksander Surdej, Head of the UEK Family Business Center.

The substantive part began with a keynote by Prof. Wojciech Czakon (Jagiellonian University) on external succession and the professionalization of family firms. Subsequent presentations and panels addressed, among others, the functioning of family foundations after three years of the Act in force, experiences of multi-generational businesses, and the role of symbolic capital (with speakers from Italy).

In the afternoon, five parallel panel sessions were held across three rooms, including:

  • A1: Compensation policies in family businesses (co-organized with Małopolska Lewiatan Confederation);
  • A2: Capital across generations: managing succession, assets, and investments (PKO Bank Polski);
  • A3: Succession advisory as an integrated support system (PwC and Martyniec Succession Law Firm);
  • B1: Succession from the perspective of women (Lewiatan & PwC);
  • B2: External succession as a strategy for business continuity (PwC).

The day concluded with a gala dinner and networking event, during which Honorary Distinctions of the Małopolska Region (Małopolska Cross) were awarded, followed by an artistic recital by Renata Przemyk.

The Małopolska Cross is a prestigious distinction awarded to individuals contributing to the social and economic development of the region, including those supporting family businesses and responsible business initiatives.

By decision of the Małopolska Regional Board, the following family business founders were awarded the Gold Małopolska Cross:

  • Ms. Zofia Drohomirecka
  • Mr. Jan Krupnik
  • Mr. Piotr Wąsik

The awards recognized their long-standing contributions to local communities, entrepreneurship development, and building lasting relationships based on responsibility, trust, and cooperation.

Day II – 22 May 2026

Debate and Council Meeting

The second day featured a debate titled “Family businesses: the power of cooperation for global development”, combined with a meeting of the Małopolska Council for Succession and Business Transfer. The session included expert presentations, a roundtable discussion on cooperation with local governments, and a panel on internationalization. The special guest was Prof. Peter Jaśkiewicz (Family Enterprise Legacy Institute, Canada).

The debate resulted in conclusions on supporting the development of family businesses in Poland as a durable foundation of local entrepreneurship.

Legal Day

In parallel, the Legal Day took place at the District Chamber of Legal Advisors in Kraków and online. It was opened by the Dean of the Chamber, attorney Piotr Lato. The program included expert presentations on legislative developments related to family foundations, the Succession Advisory System, succession tools, notarial perspectives, and the use of artificial intelligence in succession advisory and legal practice management.

Speakers and Participants

A total of 67 experts—speakers, moderators, panelists, and invited guests—participated in the Congress. They represented academia (including the Cracow University of Economics, Jagiellonian University, University of Łódź, SGH Warsaw School of Economics, and international institutions), public institutions, local governments, the financial sector, and advisory firms.

Family businesses were also strongly represented, with founders and successors sharing their experiences in business management, sustainability, and intergenerational succession.

Participating companies included: Pożegnanie z Afryką, Protech, Dr Irena Eris, Farmona, SMAY, Grupa Łapaj, “U Jędrusia”, Hotel Antica, Hotel Klimek SPA, Jantar, MARKIZETA Solarscy, BRYKSY, and Test Systemy Uszczelniające.

Partners

The Congress was supported by 28 partner institutions.

The Main Partner was PKO Bank Polski, actively contributing to discussions on the future of family businesses and succession challenges. A well-received panel titled “Capital across generations” focused on succession planning, asset management, and long-term business continuity.

Strategic partners included: the City of Kraków, Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, PwC, Małopolska Lewiatan Confederation, Sobiesław Zasada Automotive, FAKRO, and Kraków Airport.

Other partners included legal firms, business institutions, regional organizations, and the Italian Cultural Institute in Kraków.

The event was held under the honorary patronage of national and regional authorities, including the Ministry of Development and Technology and the Rector of the Cracow University of Economics. Media patronage was provided by Kraków.pl, eGospodarka, TVP3 Kraków, and TVP Info.

Summary and Conclusions

The 4th Family Business Congress confirmed the growing importance of succession and continuity in family enterprises within the Polish economy. By combining academic perspectives, business practice, legal advisory expertise, and public sector engagement, the event enabled a comprehensive discussion of key challenges—from family foundations and tax issues to management professionalization and internationalization.

The strong participation of family businesses and both domestic and international experts reaffirmed the Congress’s position as one of the leading events dedicated to family entrepreneurship in Poland.

The Congress created a valuable space for exchanging knowledge, experiences, and best practices among academia, business, and institutional stakeholders. In particular, contributions from founders and successors provided practical insights into managing businesses and transferring them across generations.

The discussions and networking opportunities fostered new relationships, inspiration, and collaboration between academia and business practice.

The organizers express their sincere gratitude to all participants, speakers, partners, and contributors for their role in the success of this year’s edition.

Photo gallery:

IV Kongres Przedsiębiorstw Rodzinnych