Voivodship Capital |
Wrocław |
Area (km2) |
19,948 |
Number of citizens |
2,884,200 |
Dolny Śląsk is located in the South-Western corner of Poland and shares borders with the Czech Rep. and Germany. The particular climate, the beauty of the mountain scenery and the mineral water spas means that there are excellent conditions for rest and relaxation. It is also the most heavily urbanized voivodship in the whole country, with a population density 20% higher than elsewhere. The basis for the successful economic development of Dolny Śląsk isn’t only its natural environment, but also the dynamically growing economy, which is geared towards close inter-European cooperation. Within Dolny Śląsk, there operate 300 thousand business entities, of which 5.8 thousand are businesses partly owned by foreign capital. Dolny Śląsk is an important economic, scientific and cultural centre, the activities of which reach far beyond the boundaries of the voivodship.
The Race of the Piasts (Bieg Piastów), which is located on the Jakuszycka Field, in the Izerskie Mountains, is the largest skiing event in Poland and attracts competitors from all across the world. Two of the cultural happenings of Dolny Śląsk are the international festival Wratislavia Cantans and the International Chopin Festival, in Duszniki Zdrój. Another interesting event is the annual reconstruction of the battle of Kaczawa of 1813; at which military enthusiasts gather from all over Europe at Warmątowice.
Dolny Śląsk offers both work and recuperation.
Investment opportunities
High-Tech
The voivodship has specialised scientific and technical resources and higher educational centres. Within the region there can be found 1/3 of the nation’s manufacturing and services for the IT industry. There is a large supply of well qualified personnel and a tradition flowing from its history of technical achievements, that has resulted in the region being perceived as very attractive for companies from the High-Tech sector.
The electro-mechanical industry
The voivodship also has a great tradition linked to the electro-mechanical industry. The investment opportunities for companies from this sector are increased by the large numbers of potential business partners and sub-contractors.
An additional advantage aiding development of this branch of industry is the voivodship’s location on the main communication routes: there are good national and international road connections, the A4 motorway; a well developer rail network including links to Germany and the Ukraine and additional links to the maritime ports of Szczecin and Świnoujście; the Odra water route via the ports in Szczecin and Świnoujście provides links with the countries of Southern Europe, and also by utilising the rivers and canals to many European regions.
The availability of a well qualified workforce is also significant.
The automotive industry
The access to highly qualified engineering personnel and the educational profile in technical schools, provides the guarantee of dynamic growth in this sphere of industry.
The investment opportunities for companies from this sector are increased by the large numbers of potential business partners and sub-contractors. The existing communications infrastructure together with the capital invested for the further development of the sector are of great significance.