China has added Wroclaw University of Science and Technology (PWr) in Poland to its export control list, marking a significant escalation in its response to recent European Union sanctions. The inclusion places the university alongside defense contractors and other entities linked to the European security sector, according to an announcement by China’s Ministry of Commerce on Friday.
The move came as China imposed new restrictions on 14 EU entities in retaliation for the EU’s sanctions targeting 14 companies in Mainland China and Hong Kong over alleged connections to Russia. The restrictions are effective immediately.
Wroclaw University of Science and Technology has yet to receive official confirmation from Chinese authorities regarding its designation. In a statement on Friday, the university said it was unable to comment until it had verified the information.
While the Chinese government has not publicly explained the rationale behind placing PWr on the export control list, observers point to the institution’s involvement in defense-related research and its collaborations with Chinese academic partners. The university is known for its engagement in projects tied to military technology and artificial intelligence in operational contexts.
Public records indicate that PWr participates in multiple European Defence Fund initiatives, including two announced this year with a combined budget of nearly €11 million. One project, known as U-Harrier, focuses on developing a heavy-lift military drone capable of carrying payloads around 300 kilograms and operating in contested environments. It also studies ballistic protection and electromagnetic interference resilience, among other capabilities.
The second project, Dialog-AI, led by Airbus Defence and Space, explores the application of generative artificial intelligence, large language models, and dialogue systems in military operational scenarios.
Beyond drone and AI projects, PWr has conducted research on protecting military electronic systems against high-power microwave pulses and developing pulsed electromagnetic devices intended to disrupt radar, communications, and navigation systems. Many of these defense-related efforts, funded by Poland’s National Centre for Research and Development, were completed between 2020 and 2023.
Simultaneously, the university maintains academic partnerships with Chinese institutions. Most recently, in December, it announced a collaboration with Shanghai Jiao Tong University to investigate semiconductor interfaces involving two-dimensional materials and elements such as silicon, germanium, and gallium nitride. The project targets basic research aimed at advancing nanoelectronic device development and has not been publicly linked to military applications.
However, the newly imposed Chinese export controls could affect the university’s access to experimental materials, test wafers, lasers, and semiconductor components required for research. The restrictions may also disrupt the transfer of research samples between PWr and its Chinese collaborators, potentially leading to suspension of cooperation due to compliance concerns.
Wroclaw University of Science and Technology is ranked fourth among Poland’s technical universities and is a prominent contributor to the country’s scientific and defense research sectors. The Chinese export control designation marks an unusual step in Beijing’s expanding list of countermeasures against European sanctions and underscores growing tensions surrounding technological and military research cooperation.