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TABLE OF CONTENTS NEWS
INVESTMENTS IN POLAND
FROM THE REGIONS
ANALYSES AND REPORTS
DID YOU KNOW...?
FROM THE EDITOR Dear Readers, This week we inform about another Toyota factory in Poland which is about to start producing modern gearboxes in the Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone and about a new furniture plant built by a Swedish company from the IKEA group. Moreover, we present a report according to which Poland again confirms its leader position as a BPO investment destination. We also recommend you to get to know what is the Warsaw Economic School famous for and why is the city of Zamość prone to gain a status similar to the one Krynica has been enjoying over the last years. Pleasant reading! PAIiIZ’s editorial team NEWS PAIiIZ on the Automechanika Trade Fair in Frankfurt Between September 16th and 21st Frankfurt upon Main hosted the International Trade Fair For The Automotive Industry Automechanika. Taking advantage of the biggest world event in the automotive sector, the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency presented Poland as an attractive place to invest in automotive projects.
The fairs have been organised every two years, since 1971. This year’s edition of Automechanika gathered round 4.7 thousand exhibitors from 80 countries and 166 thousand visitors from all over the world, a large part of them comprised of senior management representatives. The prestigious event was a perfect occasion to present Poland as an investment-friendly destination for foreign undertakings from the automotive sector. The Polish Consulate’s Trade and Investment Promotion Section (WPHiI) in Cologne in co-operation with PAIiIZ organised and managed an information stand presenting materials from the Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Treasury, PAIiIZ, the Polish Chamber of Automotive Industry, Polish Tourist Organization as well as offers of the Polish special economic zones, technological parks and investment possibilities in Polish communes. The materials presented enjoyed a considerable interest mainly on the part of companies form Asia, the Middle East and the USA. The event contributed to the establishment of many useful contacts with potential investors interested in Poland. (PAIiIZ) Go to top...
First agreements on subsidising innovative economy The Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP) has signed first agreements on financing project in the frame of Innovative Economy Operational Programme 2007-2013.
The first to take advantage of the financial aid to support their companies’ development are the entrepreneurs who applied for grants in the frame of the measure “R&D activity stimulation in enterprises and industrial design support.” Between May 12th and June 27th 94 projects applying for subsidies and worth jointly 261.5 million PLN were submitted at PARP. 55 of the projects were finally selected and will receive financial grants jointly accounting for 147 million PLN. The first contracts regarding the allocated subsidies worth 35 million PLN were signed at PARP on September 30th. There are two types of projects liable to receive financial aid in the frame of the above mentioned measure. The first type of projects may either be granted to an entity already active in the field of R&D or an entity planning to start operating in the field. The second type relates to initiatives concerning applied art and industrial design. The total budget earmarked for the measure “R&D activity stimulation in enterprises and industrial design support.” for the years 2007-2013 accounts for 186 million EUR, out of which 50 million EUR is to be distributed for projects’ realisation in 2008. Further applications in the frame of the programme may be submitted in the 1st Q 2009. (Ministry of Regional Development) INVESTMENTS IN POLAND Wałbrzych Toyota factory produces modern six gear boxes On September 29th Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland officially opened a gearbox factory in Walbrzych following an investment of EUR124 million. The modern gearboxes will be installed in Toyota Avensis, Auris, Corolla Verso and Yaris. Estimated annual production is to account for 120 thousand.
The new 6 gear gearbox produced by Toyota will allow to reduce oil consumption and is bound to secure a more dynamic driving. The recently constructed Wałbrzych-based plant measures 21 thousand sq m. This is a second Toyota investment in the Wałbrzych SEZ thanks to which the total area of the factory reached 96 thousand sq m. Three production lines and round 400 machines will be engaged in the production process of the new product. In order to curb energy consumption and CO2 emission as well as the amount of waste resulting from the production process, already at the stage of designing a modern heat recovery ventilation allowing to reduce gas usage by over 30% has been implemented. Toyota has been present in Poland for some time now and beside the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland (TMMP) factories in Wałbrzych it also manages the Toyota Motor Industries Poland plant situated in Jelcz-Laskowice. TMMP has been producing gearboxes since 2002 and petrol engines since 2005. the opening ceremony in Wałbrzych was attended by Mr Waldemar Pawlak, Minister of Economy and Mr Rafał Baniak, Undersecretary at the Ministry of Economy. Toyota was represented by Mr Kenji Manabe, President of Toyota Motor Manufacturing Poland and Mr Hiroyuki Ochiai, Deputy President of Toyota Motor Europe. The plant was constructed within the Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone. The SEZ “INVEST-PARK” issued 33 permits for business activity his year which allow for the creation of over 4 thousand new workplaces and are estimated to be worth round 2.5 billion PLN. (Toyota, the Wałbrzych SEZ) New Swedish furniture from Wielbark Swedwood, a Swedish company from the IKEA group built a factory in Wielbark near Szczytno. The plant will produce round 2 million wood furniture a year.
It took nearly a year to construct the plant, measuring 55 thousand sq m. At the moment the company hires 500 people but there are plans to increase the staff number to 900. The Wiebark-based division is the Swedwood’s 13th factory in Poland. The opening ceremony was attended by Bruno Winborg, President of the Swedwood Management Board; Grzegorz Zapadka, the Szczytno commune representative and the factory’s staff. The Szczytno representative said that the factory stands a good chance to effectively contribute to the region’s socio-economic development by means of new jobs creation, living standards’ improvement and due to the promotional aspect of the enterprise and its future products. Swedwood Poland forms part of the Swedwood Group, an industrial IKEA group. The company was established in 1991 and to date manages nearly 50 factories, offering employment to 17 thousand employees in 12 countries, mainly in central Europe. By the end of 2008 the company wants to invest in Poland PLN 2.5 billion and the production value this year is expected to reach PLN3 billion. (Swedwood Poland) Americans invest in the Cracow SEZ The Cracow SEZ has just issued its 65th business activity permit. This time the permission goes to Woodward Governor, an American company. The investor will construct an R&D centre and an engineered facility for the corporation.
The Woodward investment will be realised within the Cracow Special Economic Zone (KSSE). In Niepołomice the investor plans to build an engineering-production facility and an R&D centre to render services for the whole Woodward corporation. According to the investors declarations 150 people will find employment in the facilities by the end of 2010. Woodward Governor Company (WGC) manages mainly the designing, producing and solution servicing in the field of controlling and energy usage optimising in aircraft engine, industrial turbines and electrical and energetic equipment. Among the company’s clients there are General Electric, Caterpillar, Cummins and Rolls-Royce. The permit issued to the WGC results to be the 65th permission awarded in the SEZ where investors have already declared realise investment jointly worth PLN1.1 billion. (Cracow SEZ) MACROECONOMIC POLAND
Source: www.nbp.pl FROM THE REGIONS Exporters’ Forum EXEAST 2008 The first International Exporters and Foreign Investors Conference EXEAST took place in Zamość on September 25-26th.
The event was thought as a platform aiming at consolidating economic contacts through experience sharing in the field of running business or political activities in an international environment. The event offers a possibility to explore the nature of investing and the specific demand of Eastern markets e.g. the Ukraine, Kazakhstan or Belarus. Marcin Zamoyski, the former Zamość president, acted as a host of the conference and recalled the city’s role in the past when Zamość was a real commercial centre with traders from Eastern Europe, Turkey and Armenia playing an important role in the development of the place. Mr Rafał Baniak, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economy, and Mr Oleksand Motyk, Ukraine’s ambassador both mentioned the effective trade co-operation and further trade development perspectives between Poland and the Ukraine. The Ukraine’s Ambassador focused also on the regulatory shortcomings in regard of the travel regulations between the countries currently regulated by visa directives and the need of more border crossings what could effectively improve business relations between the neighbouring countries. Mr Andrzej Arendarski, President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce, focused on the very same idea of organising and promoting the yearly business meetings in Zamość.
The second edition of the event has already been announced and is bound to take place in May/June 2009. EXEAST 2008 was organised by the Polish Institute of Media Support, the city of Zamość and Foreign Markets weekly magazine in co-operation with, among other, the Polish Chamber of Commerce, PAIiIZ, the embassies of the Ukraine and Kazakhstan as well as with the contribution of the Polish-German and Polish-Kazakh chambers of commerce. The event enjoyed media patronage form onet.pl, PAP, Polsat, “Rzeczpospolita” and “Wprost”. (Roztocze online, KIG, Rynki Zagraniczne weekly) Koszalin to have a technology park On Monday, October 6th a letter of intention concerning the creation of a technology park was signed in Koszalin.
The agreement was signed by four project partners i.e. by the Zachodniopomorskie voivodship‘s Marshall, Mr Władysław Husejka; Rector of the Koszalin Technology University, Mr Tomasz Krzyżyński; Koszalin’s President, Mr Mirosław Mikietyński and the REC company President, Ms Urszula Kulińska. “The agreement sums up and finalises a several year strive for the Technology Park project realisation in Koszalin. The successful co-operation with Research & Engineering Center (REC) I hope for an inflow of people and companies dealing with newest technologies.”, emphasized Koszalin’s President. The project will be financed from the Regional Operational Programme and the Park will be installed in the buildings of the Koszalin Technology University (Partyzantów Str.). The REC company representatives declared to create round 70 jobs, mainly for IT specialists who will deal with programmes improving domestic facilities functioning, advanced medical appliances and equipment for the automotive industry. Professor Tomasz Krzyżyński, Rector of the Koszalin Technology University, informed that although the park will form part of the university’s structure, it is meant to create jobs for the school’s graduates. All the project’s partner share the opinion that the investment does stand a good chance to effectively contribute to the city’s development in the field of advance technology. (Koszalin City Council) ANALYSES AND REPORTS Poland a European leader in outsourcing According to a ranking, describing BPO directed investment inflow tendencies prepared by Outsource Sri Lanka, Poland clearly stands out in the CEE region. Among the most attractive destination Cracow classified 5th.
The report “50 outsourcing cities” confirms that Poland ranks 1st in Europe and 5th in the world in terms of outsourcing investment attractiveness. The criteria on which the ranking was based regarded the quality and amount of human resources, education, costs of running a business activity, business-related risks, investment climate, infrastructure and the quality of life. Two Polish cities, Cracow and Warsaw, ranked high in the ranking. Cracow classified on the 5th position (in 2007 the city ranked 16th) and Warsaw on the 28th. Interestingly enough, Cracow outflanked all cities from the CEE region included in the ranking. By comparison, the Czech Prague ranked 14th, Budapest - 25th, Bratislava - 35th, Bucharest - 38th, Sofia - 40th and Tallinn 46th. Poland owes it leader position in the field to over 10 thousand specialist employed in the sector, the group comprised mainly of accountants, economists, IT specialists, personnel managers and logistics specialists. In fact, investors do appreciate the quality of Polish human resources and also emphasize the country’s attractive location in the centre of Europe as well as the availability of scientific aid on the part of Polish academic centres. Poland is the only country with two cities classified among the first 30 BPO investment locations. Cracow’s exceptional performance is to a large extend connected with the city’s excellent reputation as a big academic centre constitution a scientific support for possible investors. Not only is the seat of the oldest Polish university and a place gathering over 180 thousand students but the city and it agglomeration as well as the region’s special economic zone are strongly oriented towards service sector development. It is worth emphasising that there are many other cities liable to attract BPO investments in the country e.g. Poznań, Katowice, Gdańsk or Łódź. This kind of investment create workplaces for highly-qualified employees which do generate added value for the Polish economy. This kind of initiatives rank high also among the projects managed by PAIiIZ, the India ZenSar’s EUR1.8 million worth investment in Gdańsk (350 employees) or the German MAN’s project worth EUR560 thousand in Poznań (360 to be employed) to mention only a few. In the first half of 2008 out of the 32 finalized project 9 were from the BPO sector. As of the end of September this year another 12 have been opened. (PAIiIZ) DID YOU KNOW...? Warsaw School of Economics among the best in Europe In the latest edition of the “Top 50 Masters in Management programmes”, a ranking organised by the Financial Times, the Warsaw School of Economics (SGH) again ranks the highest from among the schools in the region.
This year the Warsaw SGH went up in the ranking from the 31st position and classified 24th. It is the Paris-based HEC that has been the leader of the Financial Times ranking. It is worth emphasising that the Warsaw School of Economics has been co-operating with the ranking’s Paris leader for years in two educational programmes i.e. HEC/SGH Executive Master in Business (in English) and Master International de Management et d’Economie (in French). Moreover, the third position in this year’s ranking was taken by an international Masters in Management CEMS programme in which SGH, being the only Polish member of the Community of European Management Schools and International Companies, also takes part. (SGH)
 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 98, e-mail: redakcja@paiz.gov.pl | ||||||||||||||
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