This is the first business meeting of public institutions that are starting to cooperate with in the Polish Development Fund Group (PFR). Among them there are: PAIiIZ, Export Credit Insurance Corporation (KUKE), BGK, PFR SA. They all also cooperate with public bank PKO BP. All institutions are currently working on a wide range of complementary instruments to support entrepreneurs. Those new tools will go along with the strategy of the Responsible Development announced by deputy prime minister and minister of economic development, Mateusz Morawiecki. Under the project, all institutions supervised by the Polish Development Fund will offer the same pro-business incentive system as a one-stock-shop.

Head of PAIiIZ Bart³omiej Pawlak and the Agency’s expert Aleksander Libera presenting the business support offer for the Ukrainian business

What is expected and what can be offered to Polish - Ukrainian companies and from other countries? Above all, Ukrainian companies are interested in access to fast and flexible approach to loans in Polish banks, enabling investment in building factories and upgrading machine parks, in Ukraine or Poland. The Ukrainian business would also like to gain funds to conduct R&D activity in Poland and then to use or sell the new technology in the European Union. The support for the purchase of equipment for those who register the business in Poland is offered by Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego (BGK). In this case, the Ukrainian company wishing to buy new machines for its headquarters in Ukraine, can benefit from the loan for the Polish exporters and foreign investors. In contrast, the company with foreign capital can be offered a loan for purchasing Polish equipment that will cover up to 100% of the contract value. For the largest companies, special investment funds has been prepared by the Polish Development Fund (PFR), who is interested in investing in such projects as a minority shareholder even during 25 years. Like any other private bodies, BGK or PFR accept a high risk of political and economic business projects.

More information: www.paiz.gov.pl/20160914/polish_governmental_institutions_with_a_new_offer_for_polish_ukrainian_business

“When transforming the Agency we have decided to use solutions that are common abroad. Just like our partners from other countries, new trade and investment agency will now develop two parallel lines of support for business” - explained the head of PAIiIZ Bart³omiej Pawlak during the meeting. He also added that the new agency will meet the needs of a growing group of Polish companies. “Today, many Polish exporters is also becoming foreign and local investors. Therefore they are interested in both types of incentives” - added Pawlak.

Pawlak: Investment is not extraterritorial project. We are looking for investors who are complementary to the Polish economy, and will not compete with local actors

More information: www.paiz.gov.pl/20160915/the_new_face_of_regional_cooperation

B2B meeting with Kenyan tea producers

According to Euromonitor International (EI), due to the change of eating habits of Poles, the sale of tea in Poland gradually increases and in 2020 will reached the level of PLN 2,387 billion. Kenya wants to take advantage of the tea boom in Poland.

More information: www.paiz.gov.pl/20160913/Kenyan_tea_manufacturers

B2B meeting with Kenyan tea producers

As the experts report, in 2015, the Chinese e-commerce market was worth $580 bn and still continues to grow. The Chinese consumer profile has been changing recently. Previously, Chinese were rather conservative and frugal in consumption decisions. Now, they tend to buy commodities boasting prestige.

People’s Square experts: “Implementing business habits from other markets often inadequate in the case of China”

What kind of products are sold on Chinese e-commerce market? They are buying clothing, prepaid cards, small home appliances, smart phones and tablets, everyday items and cosmetics.

To reach the Chinese consumers one should know their habits, but also invest in proper visual identification of products tailored to the Chinese taste. Also selecting the proper Chinese e-commerce platform that would fit the trade offer best, seems to be essential.

“It will be a completely new quality” - head of PAIiIZ, Bar³omiej Pawlak about new PAIiIZ offer in support of Polish exporters

During the meeting, Bart³omiej Pawlak the head of PAIiIZ, also spoke about the changes and the facilitation that are waiting for Polish entrepreneurs taking their first steps on foreign markets, including China. They will be able to count on a number of new and readily available export-oriented tools. (PAIiIZ)

More information: www.paiz.gov.pl/20160912/e-commerce_to_start_in_China

9 September, Stora Enso celebrated the inauguration of its completely modernised sawmill in Murów. The project was serviced by the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency.

Stora EnsoStora Enso has successfully completed the modernisation of its sawmill in Murów, Poland, investing EUR 28 million in its renewal to increase the mill’s capacity and improve its competitiveness.

According to the company, Murów is an ideal location for a modern sawmill for several reasons: close proximity to raw material sources and growing markets, excellent infrastructure and experienced and highly professional staff. (PAIiIZ)

City Plus forum is a meeting of the government representatives, autonomies, business and media. The leading discussion will concern cities and communities biggest development challenges.

Conference will take two days and is built of eleven blocks focusing particular challenges of autonomies such as integrity, society, management, openness, security and ecology.

More details: http://miasto.plus

The second edition of Asia Trade Know-How will be held on 22nd-24th of September 2016 at the Expo Mazury Trade Fair and Conference Centre in Ostróda, in Poland.

The second edition of Asia Trade Know-How is a unique trade & congress business event. Its purpose is to present new development possibilities for Polish enterprises and to provide complex knowledge and proven solutions in the area of initiating commercial relations with Asian countries.

Exhibitors will have the opportunity to participate in dedicated matchmaking meetings with owners of companies operating on Asian markets and to present their product offer to a wide group of prospective foreign business partners.

More information: www.asia-trade.pl

Warsaw Global Business Forum aims to present the achievements of companies in terms of international expansion of Polish products and services. Serve acquiring the necessary knowledge and established relationships in the internationalisation of the company.

More information: www.wgbforum.com

Speakers will present formal and legal issues related to the business activity in Pi³a, available support instruments and investment incentives and availability of properties prepared for investments. Also B2B talks will be organised, with local companies looking for suppliers from Germany.

List of companies and application form: https://germany.trade.gov.pl/pl/aktualnosci/208607,misja-gospodarcza-firm-z-miasta-pily-20-10-2016-rw-wphi-kolonia.html. (Trade and Cologne)

Conference on BSS sector, Katowice (PAIiIZ)

BSS is now the fastest growing and generating the most jobs area of the Polish economy. 14 locations including Katowice - the Górny ¦l±sk Agglomeration, are the cities hosting at least 10 BSS centres, each (it is 3 more cities than in previous year). Those are: Warsaw, Kraków, Wroc³aw, £ód¼, Katowice with Górny ¦l±sk Agglomeration, Tri-City, Poznañ, Bydgoszcz/Toruñ, Lublin, Rzeszów, Szczecin, Kielce, Bia³ystok and Olsztyn. These cities are at the same time the top locations of BSS activity in Poland.

Dolny ¦l±sk Area is most often chosen by American companies (15 centres) and German business (7 centres). The region also hosts BSS centres with English, Dutch (5 centres each) and French (4 centres) capital.

BSS centres in Poland

The advantage of Dolny ¦l±sk Agglomeration is that the region is an academic centre with almost 98,000 students and over 28,000 graduates. The vast majority of them all is fluent in English or in other languages.

More: www.paiz.gov.pl/20160912/bss_in_katowice

The sector with the biggest chance to conquered global market is Polish furniture industry. The foreign sales in this segment has been dynamically growing for many years. It is worth noting that Poland in is the 3rd biggest exporter of furniture in Europe and 5th in the world. In 2015, exports of furniture and accessories reached a value of PLN 42.2 bn and grew 9.6%.

The second most prospective category of Polish exports are processed as flour and milk. The survey reports a very high growth rate of foreign sales of these products (20.7% growth y/y). The third place is held by fur and artificial fur. Poland is a leading exporter of fur in Europe. In the past year, exports of fur products valued at nearly PLN 1.7 billion.

In the coming years export of machinery and electrical equipment is also said to strength the position. So will the exports of the automotive sector (now the 6th place), as well as the aviation and space industry (11th place). The bright future is also forecast by BZ WBK for cosmetics and cleaning products, as well as for: timber industry (7th place), footwear (9th place) and plastics (10th place).

TOP50 Export Ranking is a study prepared by the experts of Bank Zachodni WBK based on the index of export commodities. (BZ WBK)