Eastern Europe Tech 2025 – 2026: UiPath, Rimac, Asseco, ORLEN & Škoda – tech moves and business outlook
Eastern Europe is no longer just a low-cost manufacturing backyard. Over 2024 – 2025 the region produced globally competitive technology and industrial champions that are scaling software, electrification, energy projects and advanced manufacturing — and they’re doing it with measurable results. This article examines five representative players (UiPath, Rimac, Asseco, ORLEN, Škoda/Wolfsburg-backed Czech operations and Wizz Air from Hungary), the technologies they deploy, recent performance data, and what their trajectories imply for 2026.
Quick takeaways
- Software and automation continue to be the highest-value export from Eastern Europe (UiPath, Asseco).
- Advanced-manufacturing leaders (Rimac, Škoda) are investing heavily in batteries, e-powertrains and digital twins to capture supplier roles in EV value chains.
- Energy and industrial groups (ORLEN) are using scale investments – from renewables to CCS and small modular reactors – to reframe long-term industrial competitiveness.
Inside Europe’s most advanced automated factories — visual context for Eastern-European industrial evolution
UiPath – RPA, AI and platformisation (Romanian origin; global footprint)
What they do: Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platform, increasingly AI-native automation and low-code tools for enterprise workflows.
Recent evidence (2025): UiPath remains a central example of Eastern European-born software scaling globally; institutional interest has surged and the company continues to add AI capabilities to its platform. Institutional filings and investment interest through late 2025 point to renewed confidence in automation as infrastructure, not just cost play.
Tech & business moves: Embedding NLP and improved computer-vision into bots; pushing “automation as infrastructure” sales motion (platform contracts with finance, government and telco customers). UiPath’s business model shift — from one-off automations to platform subscriptions and AI-enabled pipelines — increases ARR predictability and upsells (training, orchestration, governance).
2026 outlook: Expect UiPath to deepen native AI (LLM + vision) integrations, move more aggressively into the edge/endpoint automation use cases, and sign larger multi-year enterprise deals in Europe (public sector and financial services).
Rimac Technology (Croatia) – from hypercars to tier-1 supplier
What they do: High-performance battery systems, e-axles and power electronics; supplies to premium OEMs and operates large R&D/manufacturing campus in Croatia.
Recent evidence (2025): Rimac unveiled next-generation battery and powertrain tech at IAA Mobility 2025 and continues to expand production capacity at its €200m campus — signalling a move from boutique hypercar tech to tier-1 supplier status.
Tech & business moves: Investing in solid-state R&D roadmaps, modular e-axles, and vertically integrated battery manufacturing. Rimac’s commercialisation strategy: transform IP from boutique projects into scalable modules for other OEMs (e.g., e-axles, battery packs and control software).
2026 outlook: Rimac should accelerate contract wins with European OEMs seeking 800V systems and high-power e-axles. If capacity ramps as planned, 2026 will be the year Rimac’s revenue mix shifts substantially towards tier-1 supply rather than one-off vehicles.
Asseco Group (Poland) – scaling software & services across CEE
What they do: One of Europe’s largest IT vendors, offering enterprise software, payment systems, cloud and industry-specific solutions across public and private sectors.
Recent evidence (H1 2025): Asseco reported strong H1 2025 revenues (PLN ~9.0bn / ~€2.1bn) and double-digit profit growth, with a large portion coming from proprietary products and services — a sign that Eastern European software houses are monetising IP at scale.
Tech & business moves: Aggressive M&A and regional acquisitions to build cross-border scale; productising industry solutions (banking, healthcare, utilities) and migrating customers to managed-service/cloud consumption models.
2026 outlook: Asseco is likely to keep expanding via bolt-on acquisitions and will prioritise recurring revenue conversion (SaaS / managed services). Expect steady margin improvement as legacy on-prem clients migrate to cloud subscriptions.
ORLEN Group (Poland) – energy firm becoming an industrial tech champion
What they do: Major refiner and energy company moving into renewables, biofuels, CCS and even SMR nuclear projects — repositioning as an integrated energy & chemicals industrial group.
Recent evidence (2025): ORLEN reported record investments and operating profit in 2025 and public projects with partners (e.g., Equinor for CCS). The group announced major investments in biofuels, EV infrastructure, and is planning small modular reactor projects as part of long-term decarbonisation.
Tech & business moves: Building value chains (renewable feedstocks → biofuel production), investing in CCS and hydrogen value chains, deploying industrial digitalisation across refineries for efficiency gains.
2026 outlook: ORLEN’s 2026 will centre on execution — converting pipeline investments into operational capacity (biofuels, CCS pilots). Successful deployment will make ORLEN a model for energy-industrial transformation in the region and create demand for industrial automation, control systems and digital twins.
Škoda Auto & Czech industrial cluster – EVs, digital twins and flexible plants
What they do: Vehicle OEM and regional manufacturing champion; big moves into EVs, modular platforms and smart production.
Recent evidence (2025): Škoda reported strong H1 2025 results and expanded deliveries, underscoring the Central/Eastern cluster’s manufacturing resilience. The company is pushing EV concepts and digital production concepts (Vision O concept, digital twin usage).
Tech & business moves: Converting plants to multi-energy and multi-powertrain production lines, virtual commissioning via digital twins, and supplier co-development for EV subsystems.
2026 outlook: Škoda’s 2026 path will focus on scaling EV models while optimising plant flexibility. Suppliers in suspension, batteries, and power electronics will see increased RFQs; expect higher automation content and more regional sourcing.
Wizz Air (Hungary) – tech-first low-cost carrier
What they do: LCC with strong Central/Eastern European roots; heavy investments in digital operations and passenger experience tech.
Recent evidence (2025): Wizz Air announced a multi-year transformation plan with significant investment (See Here) and reported growth in network and digital initiatives. The airline is investing in operational tech to improve punctuality and better balance growth with emissions targets.
Tech & business moves: Investing in operations research, predictive maintenance, fuel optimisation tools and digital customer touchpoints to shrink unit costs and improve load factors.
2026 outlook: Expect Wizz Air to continue network growth while adding tech that reduces turnaround time and fuel burn; digital ops improvements will be a competitive differentiator for Central/Eastern hubs.
Cross-cutting themes across Eastern Europe
- Platform-ification of hardware vendors. Companies born in hardware are packaging software and services to capture recurring revenue. (UiPath → automation platform; Rimac → e-powertrain modules; Asseco → SaaS).
- Electrification & energy transition are industrial priorities. From Rimac batteries to ORLEN’s CCS and SMR projects, firms are aligning portfolios with decarbonisation.
- Automation + digital twin = faster scale. Digital commissioning, predictive maintenance and edge analytics are common investments to accelerate capacity build-out with fewer errors.
- M&A & partnerships accelerate capability build. Strategic deals (ORLEN/Equinor, Rheinmetall/Anduril parallels) and regional acquisitions are a dominant route to fill capability gaps quickly.
Risks to monitor
- Geopolitical & policy risk. Energy and defence contracts, export controls and procurement cycles can swing revenue.
- Supply-chain stress. Semiconductor shortages and raw-material price swings still affect EV and battery plans.
- Execution risk on scaling manufacturing. Ramping capacity is hard – digital tools help, but skilled labour and integration remain constraints.
2026 – what success looks like for Eastern European leaders
- Higher recurring revenue share in software and services (UiPath, Asseco).
- Commercialised advanced components (Rimac e-axles/batteries) in multiple OEM platforms.
- ORLEN turning green projects into operating assets (biofuels, CCS pilots), lowering carbon intensity and creating industrial demand for automation.
- Škoda and regional OEMs running higher-mix, higher-automation plants for EV production.
- Wizz Air and transport operators using digital ops to lower unit costs and emissions.
Sources (selected, load-bearing)
UiPath / institutional interest and platform developments.
Rimac Technology – product announcements and capacity expansion (IAA Mobility 2025, Rimac press).
Asseco Group H1 2025 results and growth.
ORLEN Group 2025 investments, CCS and SMR plans.
Škoda Auto H1/9M 2025 results and Vision O / digital twin references.
