Ukrainian design bureau Ivchenko-Progress will develop the state-of-the-art AI-04G turbojet engine for PZL Sędziszów. The next stage of the cooperation will involve preparing and launching serial production of the engine in Poland. The agreement was signed on 8 September 2026 during the International Defence Industry Exhibition MSPO 2026 in Kielce.
The project will be carried out as part of cooperation between Unimot S.A., PZL Defence S.A. and PZL Sędziszów S.A., combining the technological, industrial and business capabilities of these companies.
– The agreement we have signed is the culmination of many months of joint work. We have adopted a model in which we leverage the strongest capabilities of each partner: PZL Defence develops projects and technological capabilities in the defence sector, PZL Sędziszów provides industrial and manufacturing capabilities as well as the required licences, while Unimot contributes its experience and relationships in international markets. The turbojet engine project is the first practical example of this model, and we intend to apply it to further projects as well – says Adam Sikorski, President of the Management Board of Unimot S.A.
The project involves preparing the industrialisation process and launching serial production of the AI-04G engine in Poland, with the participation of Polish companies possessing relevant technological and manufacturing capabilities, including companies with roots in the automotive industry.
– Turbojet engines are used in both the civil and defence sectors. PZL Sędziszów has manufacturing facilities, experience in producing precision components, and the required licences. We want to use these capabilities to build serial engine production capacity in Poland while involving as broad a domestic supply chain as possible in the project – says Bogusław Satława, President of the Management Board of PZL Sędziszów S.A.
In July 2025, Unimot signed a letter of intent with PZL Sędziszów and PZL Defence concerning the development of cooperation and PZL Defence’s capabilities in the defence sector. The agreement between PZL Sędziszów and Ivchenko-Progress on the development and production of a turbojet engine in Poland is in line with the spirit of cooperation set out in the letter of intent and supports the development of the Unimot Group’s capabilities in the defence sector. Unimot provides the project with financial and business support, as well as its experience and relationships in international markets.
Unimot S.A. currently holds 100% of the shares in PZL Defence S.A. At the same time, Unimot maintains its intention to further increase its involvement in the defence sector, including through the potential acquisition of shares in PZL Sędziszów S.A., in line with the intention announced in July 2025. If this intention is implemented, PZL Defence S.A. will remain under the indirect control of the Unimot Group.
PZL Sędziszów licensed for military and police technologies
PZL Sędziszów holds a licence issued by the Ministry of the Interior and Administration covering, among other things, the manufacture and trade of products and technologies intended for military or police use, including unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as certain types of equipment and components. The licence provides a formal basis for the company’s activities in the defence and dual-use technology sectors.
PZL Sędziszów is a Polish industrial company based in Sędziszów Małopolski, with nearly 90 years of industrial experience, including experience in manufacturing components for the automotive and defence industries.
Development of PZL Defence’s capabilities
PZL Defence, a Unimot Group company, is developing a portfolio of dual-use technologies and solutions for the defence sector. At MSPO 2026, the company presented, among other solutions, the VELOR D600 long-range unmanned strike system, the BERNI ONE observation and reconnaissance platform, the ROSA electric two-wheeler, FPV drones developed jointly with the Military Institute of Weapons Technology, and the BLUEWATER water filtration system.
The AI-04G engine project is another element in the development of industrial and technological capabilities being built in cooperation with Unimot and PZL Sędziszów.
About Ivchenko-Progress
JSC Ivchenko-Progress is a renowned Ukrainian design bureau specialising in the development of aircraft engines. The Ukrainian partner’s portfolio includes propulsion systems developed for numerous types of aircraft, including the world’s largest transport aircraft, the An-225 Mriya and An-124 Ruslan.
