POLISH INFOMATION AND FOREIGN INVESTMENT AGENCY
NEWSLETTER
 May 20th, 2016,
 Issue 486

NEWS

EEC Katowice: More Japan in Polish economy
“We are glad to see a big revival of Polish - Japanese economic relations” - said deputy minister of development Radosław Domagalski-Łabędzki welcoming the guests of the Poland - Japan Forum, arranged within the European Economic Congress in Katowice.

VIII European Economic Congress in Katowice

“Japan is an important partner for Poland. Currently, there are 300 Japanese companies in our country”, Domagalski said. “We strive to ensure that the Polish economy attracts more Japanese partners and this is already happening. Japan has jumped to the first league of foreign investors in Poland”, argued PAIiIZ president Sławomir Majman, who moderated the forum. Investments from Japan hold the third place among all FDI projects supported by PAIiIZ, just behind the US and German projects.


Participants of the Forum

Japanese investments in Poland are usually associated with large corporations in the automotive sector and electronics, but in reality, a large part of them consists of small and medium-sized enterprises, employing up to 30 people. In total, they generate a very high employment in Poland, reminded Majman. “Japan is the 8th biggest employer in Poland. We encourage Japanese investors to create more R&D centres, BSS centres as well as to invest in pharmaceutical projects, added the head of PAIiIZ. Recently, Japanese are increasingly interested in the energy sector. Mitsubishi - Hitachi is building a power plant in Kozienice and Turów. The similar ongoing project in located near Poznań. Companies from Japan are also curious about infrastructure investments, especially when they can obtaining financing from EU funds for such projects.

More information: www.paiz.gov.pl/20160519/EEC_Katowice_more_Japan_in_Polish_economy

Developing cooperation with Armenia
The exchange of business experience during the 5th Poland - Armenia Intergovernmental Committee Meeting and business forum were the main highlights of the recent missions to Armenia. PAIiIZ and Ministry of Development took Polish business there on 17 and 16 May. The mission was headed by deputy minister Radosław Domagalski.

During the business forum, PAIiIZ signed Signing a Memorandum of Cooperation with Development Foundation of Armenia (DFA). It strengthens the bilateral economic cooperation between Poland and Armenia. Under the agreement, both parties shall provide the exchange of the economic information regarding investment opportunities in their countries and support cooperation with business organizations from Poland and Armenia. They also declared a will to promote mutually beneficial investments and create a friendly climate to investments.


Ministers of both countries during the meeting of the 5th Poland - Armenia Intergovernmental Committee

More information: www.paiz.gov.pl/20160517/developing_cooperation_with_armenia

From Yiwu to Katowice
Polish delegation of 22 entrepreneurs had just returned from the China YIWU Imported Commodities Fair. The offer of Poland presented during the Day of Polish products met with great interest of Chinese consumers, while the Polish national pavilion received an award for an excellent presentation. The growing curiosity of China regarding Poland was discussed by the guests invited by the head of PAIiIZ Sławomir Majman at  the 5th Europe-China Economic Cooperation Forum held in Katowice, under the European Economic Congress.


B2B Talks in Yiwu

China and Poland are now experiencing a very of Polish foreign policy. China becomes very attractive for Polish business as the middle class of this country grows and increases the demand for high-quality imported products. These items has just been presented by Polish entrepreneurs, who participated in the mission organized by PAIiIZ to YIWU Imported Commodities Fair, that is said to be one of the largest Chinese exhibitions. This week, on Wednesday, Polish business returned from Yiwu trade show with signed contracts and letters of intent, after sucessfulpresentations and B2B meetings with leading Chinese companies in the food sector, cosmetics and jewellery.


Polish national stand at Yiwu

Both, Polish business and government expect to benefit also from taking part in large industrial and transport projects run under the global initiative called One Belt One Road (OBOR), initiated by China. It will be the largest infrastructure investment in the history of the world. The New Silk Road that is the part of the project runs through Poland.


PAIiIZ team and the organizers of Yiwu fair

During the panel discussions speakers of the 5th Europe-China Economic Cooperation Forum tried to answer the question if the Sleeping Giant" - as Napoleon once called China - is just waking up to shake the global economy? They also talked about Poland’s position a year after the accession of Poland as a member- state of to the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank that focuses on the development of OBOR infrastructure projects. (PAIiIZ)

INVESTMENTS IN POLAND

Kotrak - a year after debut in UK
Polish IT company Kotrak is summing up its first year of presence as a foreign investor in Great Britain. Kotrak’s debut in UK has been supported by Polish Foreign Investments Section in PAIiIZ.

Exactly a year ago, in May 2015, operating for over 25 years, Katowice-based IT company Kotrak has opened its overseas office in London. The company decided to do it as a result of numerous orders implementation of IT systems for customers in the UK.  The company was supported by PAIiIZ experts throughout the process of creating a new unit. The Agency provided Kotrak with information on the legal environment in the UK, advised regarding employment process and regarding selection of a suitable location for the office. PAIiIZ also supported investor in the development of a trading strategy for the British market and consulted Kortrak’s participation in trade fairs and business event.


© iQoncept - fotolia.com

"The opening of a branch in London gives us many more opportunities to interact with foreign customers in comparison to what we can achieve from Katowice. With the experience from the UK, it will be easier for us to expand into other markets", says Jakub Imosa, Member of the Board of Kotrak Group.

Kotrak employs 190 people, including 90 developers in seven offices. The company works for customers in Europe, South America, South Africa and Asia. In the UK, it currently leads a large implementation of software for construction companies. It is also preparing a software for the retail trade. (KOTRAK / PAIiIZ)

WEGA enters Legnica SEZ
Italian based company WEGA is entering Legnica SEZ. The investor will built a production hall in Środa Śląska subzone that will have 4300m2. By the 2020, the company is planning to employ at least 17 new members of staff. Moreover, in the incoming years, Wega will double the size of the production hall.


Marco Ponzellini, president of WEGA Polska reciving the business permit by Witold Lech Idczak, head of Legnica SEZ (Source: LSEE)

PAIiIZ observes the increasing interest of Italian companies in investing in Poland since successful EXPO 2015 in Milan. (LSEZ/PAIiIZ)

EVENTS

Time for Poland - promoting pro-export activity
Czas dla Polski
“Czas dla Polski” (Time for Poland) is the slogan of the set of events promoting pro-export activity pf Small and Medium-Sized companies in Poland. One of them is a cycle of incoming invest that will be held in Dusseldorf in June.

On 1 June we invite you to the Economic Forum in the Chamber of Crafts of Dusseldorf, and the next day to the conference "Active in Europe" the world's biggest trade fair DRUPA 2016 in Dusseldorf. The Chamber of Crafts Dusseldorf is expecting over 200 guests from Poland and Germany during the event. Among the speakers from the German side there will be: Andreas Ehlert - president of the Chamber of Crafts in Dusseldorf; Thorsten Klute - Secretary of State in the German Ministry of Labour, Integration and Social Affairs of North Rhine-Westphalia, Stephanus Lintker. The Polish side will be represented by representatives of the Ministry of Development, and of Polish Parliament.

For more information on the project "Time for Polish" you can get in the office of Polish Brotherhood of Gutenberg (mail: kancelaria@bractwogutenberga.pl; tel: +48 22 652 19 33).

Poland-Portugal-Angola-Brazil and Mozambique Forum
Poland-Portugal-Angola-Brazil and Mozambique Forum is dedicated to Polish companies interested in investment and trade with Portugal-language countries. The meeting will be held on 17 June in the Ministry of Development in Warsaw.

Forum Polska-Portugalia- Angola-Brazylia - MozambikThe event will focus on Portugal-Angola-Brazil and Mozambique markets and their business opportunities for Polish companies that will be able to meet those of their colleagues that has already benefited from trade cooperation with those countries.

The Forum will be arranged together by Polish - Portuguese Chamber of Commerce (PPCC), the embassies of Portugal and Angola in Poland and the Embassy of Mozambique in Berlin. PAIiIZ, KiG as well as Ministry of Development took the patronage over the event.

If you wish to participate in the event, please confirm your presence until 13th June 2016 to Mrs. Małgorzata Goreń by e-mail: gosia@ppcc.pl or phone: +48 22 322 7667 or to Wojciech Baczyński. PPCC Managing Director. wb@ppcc.pl; tel: +48 22 322 76 67

THE GOLDEN SITE CONTEST

Last day to apply in the contest Golden Site Contest
20 May is the deadline for Polish local authorities to apply in the ther7th Grunt na Medal Contest/ Golden Site Contest for the best investment plots in Poland. The competition is addressed to every community in Poland that is looking for new investors. The contest is worth a challenge. According to PAIiIZ data, over half of the recent winners have already attracted significant investment projects.

Once every two years, “Grunt na Medal / The Golden Site Contest is arranged by PAIiIZ together with the Marshall Offices of sixteen Polish provinces and Investor Service Centres (COI) under the patronage of the Polish government. The contest has been designed to select sixteen best greenfield plots in Poland - one per every 16 provinces. The investment areas should be prepared for industrial issues and cover at least 2 hectares of ground.

“Grunt na Medal / The Golden Site Contest” is really worth a challenge. Every community invited to the final stage of the contest can be sure that it offers good quality investment plots and a first class service for investors. Moreover, winning the contest significantly increases the chance to win an investment contract. Since 2005, 53 out of 96 recent winners of Grunt na Medal has welcomed new investors.

Września is one of the communities that benefited from taking part in the contest. In 2015 it won the edition in Wielkopolska province and few year later manages to attract one of the biggest global automotive player, Volkswagen that created there a Crafter factory for over €800m.

More: www.paiz.gov.pl/regiony/grunt_na_medal. (PAIiIZ)

More information:

DID YOU KNOW...?

ArtSherlock - searching the Polish lost art
The real breakthrough in identifying lost pieces of art! With ArtSherlock - a mobile application anyone can check whether a painting or graphic he or she admires has been (or not) stolen in Poland during World War II. Application was presented by Minister of Culture and National Heritage Piotr Gliński.

ArtSherlock has been designed in Poland by the Foundation Communi Hereditate in cooperation with the Ministry of Culture and National Heritage and funded by the Kronenberg Foundation at Citi Handlowy Bank.

This is the first project of its kind, which will change the  process of lost and stolen art works' identification. With this application one can automatically identify the object only making a photo by a smartphone and using the ArtSherlock. Everyone can use ArtSherlock free of charge.


© sippakorn - fotolia.com

The device is connected to database of war casualties that covers over 63,000 positions. Minister Gliński, expects that the highest effectivity of ArtSherlock can be achieved only when cooperating with Polish communities abroad. (Ministry of Culture)


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Polish Infomation and Foreign Investment Agency www.paiz.gov.pl