They actively operated on the territory of the Second Polish Republic, and the government in Warsaw was unable to effectively control them.
The agency provided information and opinion about enterprises operating in Poland, especially those which cooperated with the Army.
In a 1937 analysis, PAIH experts emphasized several negative situations in the Polish economy, especially in those enterprises which belonged to the foreign capital.
In comparison to German industrial espionage agencies (Sonderdienst Nuntia, which in 1930 was incorporated into the Abwehr, and Sicherheitsdienst IG Farben Leverkusen, owned by the IG Farben), the activities of the PAIH were much more limited, due to better organization of German agencies.
Furthermore, Minister Jozef Beck did not want to spoil Polish-German relations, and restrained the PAIH, to the advantage of the Germans.