| POLISH INFOMATION AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT AGENCY | |||||||||||
NEWSLETTER October 15th, 2009, Number 144 | |||||||||||
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TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
FROM THE REGIONS
ANALYSES AND REPORTS
DID YOU KNOW...?
NEWS Favourable FDI data for Poland The National Bank of Poland revised FDI data for the first eight months of the year. While after the first seven months FDI inflow to Poland was estimated at less than EUR 1 bn, at the moment data shows that by August 2009 Poland attracted over EUR 4.5 bn in FDI i.e. 68.6% of the FDI inflow estimates for the same period last year.
August saw FDI inflow estimated at EUR 890 mln, i.e. higher than last year. It is important to stress that almost half of the sum comes from reinvested profits. Revision showed that it was only negative in July (EUR -43 bn) and not, as it was previously reported, in five months of the year. Discrepancies in the reports on FDI presented by the National Bank of Poland confirm the fact that forecasting FDI inflow in 2009 has been exceptionally difficult. Earlier this year forecasts provided by PAIiIZ, according to which FDI inflow to Poland was expected to stay at a relatively decent level, seemed hardly reliable. After only one month FDI estimates changed considerably. Due to the fact that PAIiIZ has been helping manage mainly greenfield investment, it may provide best estimates concerning this segment. Yet general FDI statistics comprise also of other elements, such as intra-corporation credits which are impossible to predict by external experts. (PAIiIZ) Conference “Foreign investment in Poland’s economic transformation - trade and services” The conference will take place on October 19th, at 10 a.m. in the Hotel Hyatt Regency at 23 Belwederska Str. The event is organised by the Institute for Market, Consumption and Business Cycles Research (IBRKK ), the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency and the Polish Trade and Distribution Organisation.
The conference will aim to present the influence foreign investment in the trade and services sector exerts on changes in the Polish economy. The meeting will be chaired by professor Urszula Kłosiewicz - Górecka from IBRKK, professor Witold Orłowski - from PWC and Maciej Grelowski - from the Business Center Club. Discussion sessions planned to take place during the conference will be attended by representatives from the Institute for Market, Consumption and Business Cycles Research (IBRKK), the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency and the Institute for Market and Opinion Research, research workers from the Poznań and Łódź Universities of Economics, the University of Warsaw, presidents of the shop chains LEWIATAN and BOMI and representatives of foreign companies' who have been operating in Poland for years now, such as Tesco, Alma Market and JMD. Also delegates from the Ministry of Economy and parliamentarians are expected to appear at the meeting and take part in discussion on the way foreign chains of supermarkets influence local market development. In order to provide all the conference participants with the most comfortable work conditions, only accredited journalists with a valid press pass will be admitted. To confirm your participation contact Karolina Dresler at karolina.dresler@paiz.gov.pl (PAIiIZ) Representatives of Belorussian administration visited Warsaw A group of Belorussian administration representatives visited Warsaw between October 11-17, 2009. The visit was devoted to issues connected with state enterprise privatisation process.
The internship forms part of a democratic standards implementation programme geared towards Belorussian administration and run by the Polish Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency. The project covers all former Soviet Republics.
Visitors from Belarus took part in numerous meetings with representatives of Polish financial institutions, ministries and PAIiIZ and thus got an insight into the workings of national company privatisation process. The internship was thought as a preparation for their future work on Belorussian company privatisation strategy. Participants had the opportunity to attend lectures provided by former ministers and local government officials as well as economists and visited, among others, bank PKO BP, the Polish Financial Supervision Authority (PFSA), PZU S.A, the Industrial Development Agency, PKP SA, the Ministry of Treasury and the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Guests had also the possibility to see the Warsaw old town. (PAIiIZ) Go to top...
Central European Economic Forum Between November 4th and 5th, 2009 Warsaw will host the 4th Central European Economic Forum - an important event geared towards entrepreneurs and chambers of commerce interested in international co-operation development and new business contacts.
Preliminary schedule of the meeting, containing details on planned discussions and debates is available at www .opendays.pl. During the forum entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to take part in trade meetings, study tours, product presentations, press conferences and other type of meetings. The event creates opportunities to establish concrete, working contacts and discuss co-operation possibilities between chambers of commerce, professional organisations and entrepreneurs. This is the first time the event takes place in the Warsaw International Expocentre at Prądzyńskiego Str. The event consists of three parallel streams: the Central European Economic Forum, the Central & Eastern Europe Business Tourism Fair and the Event and Incentive Fair, ANDRENALINA. The ambitious programme looks at the short-term and long-term business implications of the financial crisis. The fairs and the forum aim at enhancing the image of Poland as the leader of the region of Central Europe and promote Warsaw as a perfect meeting point for partners from all over the world who are interested in establishing contacts in this part of Europe. The Economic Forum will be attended by Polish and foreign experts, representatives of central and local authorities in Poland and a number of organisations and private entrepreneurs. Sessions organised during the forum concern economic issues, international promotion, co-operation among cities and regions, marketing and communication issues and human resource management. The event enjoys the patronage of the Minister of Economy - Waldemar Pawlak and the Marshal of the Mazovia Region - Adam Struzik. The Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency is the event’s Programme Partner and the Agency for the Development of Mazovia acts as the event’s Strategic Partner. The event was organised with the support of the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, the Warsaw and Mazovia Employers Associations „Lewiatan”, Warsaw Business Chamber, Warsaw Chamber of Commerce, Polish Ukrainian, Polish Russian and Spanish Polish Chamber of Commerce, as well as Polish Tourist Organisation and VisitDenmark. Other partners include the business press, numerous international chambers of commerce and other professional organisations. To find out more visit: www.meetingspoland.pl MACROECONOMIC POLAND Trade after August Commercial exchange data published by the National Bank of Poland (NBP) shows export dynamics in August weakened.
August this year saw export dynamics 22% lower than in the same period last year, import fell by 28%. Despite that foreign trade structure continues good for Polish producers. This year he biggest part of Polish exported goods goes to Germany (26.1%) i.e. 1% more than last year. (PAP, Rzeczpospolita)
Source: www.nbp.pl FROM THE REGIONS Trade mission from the Kraków SEZ to India The mission, organised in the frame of the programme “Invest in Małopolska”, ended on October 11th, 2009.
The visit to India turned out very beneficial for the representatives of the Kraków Technology Park. The visit’s intensive schedule covered meetings with a number of companies and institutions with a special focus on companies active in the sectors of IT, BPO and Shared Services Centres. The seminar “Poland your partner in the UE” organized during the visit was attended by 40 Indian companies representing the chemical, accounting and audit services industries as well as engineering companies, financial institutions and insurance, IT, trade, consulting and pharmaceutical entities. The mission served also as an opportunity to organize business meetings during which investment possibilities in the region of Małopolska were presented and opportunities of technical co-operation establishment with Kraków-based universities were discussed. Polish delegation visited technology parks in Hyderabad. Moroever, representatives of the Kraków Technology Park and the Małopolskie region visited the Indian company HCL which has already been operating in the Kraków Special Economic Zone. During the visit Polish representatives handed over a thank-you letter expressing satisfaction with the to date co-operation and discussed further development prospects. In turn, delegates form the region’s authorities presented the offer of the “Kraków Film Commission“ concerning possible film projects co-financing and presenting the region as a possible film location. (Karków Technology Park) Szczecin starts to construct its silicon valley Szczecin Technology Park began the construction of the Pomerania Park.
The complex is to comprise of an innovation centre, an enterprise incubator and a computer and training centre. The incubator will be located in a revitalised old school at the Niemierzyńskiej Str. After the building has undergone renovation, 12,000 sq m will be available for use what in turn will enable new companies to create between 500 and 6000 new workplaces. Modernisation outlay is expected to account for PLN 5 mln, out of which PLN 4.5 mln comes from the budget of the Szczecin commune and the rest will be covered by the Szczecin Technology Park. Mid 2010 should see the other two components of the Pomerania Park under construction.
The Pomerania Park will offer over 100,000 sq m of, among others, A and A+ class office and laboratory space. The project envisages creation of between 3,000 to 4,000 new workplaces in the field of advanced technologies and around 1,000 jobs which would help run the new facility. The complex in planned to be finished by 2013. Investment outlays hover at PLN 100 mln. 60% of the w sum will be invested by the city of Szczecin which owns the Szczecin Science -Technology Park. The rest comes from the Regional Operational Programme. (PAP) ANALYSES AND REPORTS Top 50 Emerging Global Outsourcing Cities In the latest Tholon’s ranking indicating the top 50 emerging global outsourcing cities Kraków classified 2nd and Poland, as a country, ranked on 10th position.
The most numerous group of the best outsourcing destinations is located in the Central and Eastern Europe (26%). 14% is situated in East Asia and South America, 10% in the cities of the Middle East and further 10% in South-East Asia. This year Kraków was particularly successful, as the city classified on the 4th position among world cities and came first from among cities situated in the CEE region. The city improved its position from last year’s ranking (in 2008 it ranked 5th, in 2007 16th) and outperformed Prague and Budapest (on the 12th and 22nd position respectively). In the ranking of BPO friendly-countries Poland classified on the 10th position. Authors of the report emphasised that Poland is a perfect place for service companies which plan to target clients in the West of Europe and in Scandinavia. Due to well-developed net of good office space, the wide spectrum of service types provided in a number of languages, Poland became the strongest BPO centre in the Central and Eastern Europe. Moreover, the report highlights the world-class quality of the Polish educational system. This year Tholons published its 4th edition of the ranking. (Tholons.com) Poland ranked 41st in the HDI ranking published by the UN The ranking classifies countries according to the Human Development Index. Poland ranked 41st and came, among others, before Slovakia.
The Human Development Index combines normalized measures of life expectancy, educational attainment, and GDP per capita, foreign investment, capital flows, political situation, poverty level and immigrants' living conditions for countries worldwide. The ranking draws on data for 2007 i.e. compiled in the period before the economic crisis. Poland classifies between Estonia and Slovakia. The ranking covers 182 countries worldwide. According to the report, live expectancy in Poland hovers around 75.5, 99.3% of the population above 15 years of age is literate and the GDP per capita accounts for USD 15.987. (PAP) DID YOU KNOW...? Gogolin - the most Internet-friendly commune in Poland The whole area of the Gogolin commune will be covered by free Internet hot-spot.
Gogolin's mayor, Joachim Wojtała informed that the free hot spot creating devices have been installed at the area of the whole commune. By the end of this October the commune’s residents and visitors will be able to enjoy free access to the Internet. Construction of the net began last year when Gogolin installed seven aerials enabling its residents to access the Internet. The programme was then joined by other parts of the commune and finally covered the entire commune. The initiative is expected to cost PLN 125,000 and includes a separate Internet domains for each of the commune’s administrative entities thanks to which they will now be able to maintain Internet websites. (PAP) 
Editorial office: Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, 00-585 Warsaw, Bagatela Street 12 Economic Promotion Department, tel: (+48 22) 334 98 15, fax: (+48 22) 334 99 99, e-mail: redakcja@paiz.gov.pl | |||||||||||
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