A good address
According to the Gdańsk Institute for Market Economics (IBnGR), Lower Silesia stands as one of Poland's top voivodships in terms of investment attractiveness. Thanks to the hands-on approach of the local authorities, good road infrastructure, high human resource potential and the presence of investors, the region ranks near the top of the list of prospective investment destinations.
"[Wrocław] has many assets, such as its geographical location in the center of the continent, its position as a cultural and educational center with about 135,000 students, its industrial traditions, and most of all, its logistical solutions. We have good references from previous investors," says Rafał Dutkiewicz, Mayor of Wrocław.
With over twenty institutions of higher education, the number of academics, young professionals and students in the city is already high. However, Wrocław City Hall has not stopped looking for ways to bring in more. Last year in cooperation with HP, Siemens and Volvo, the city organized the 'Teraz Wrocław' (Now Wrocław) campaign to attract the best students and young professionals to live and work in the city. The University of Wrocław and the Wrocław Technical University adapt their curricula to meet the needs of investors, and plan new courses to educate and train prospective employees.
The city is also benefiting from the positive experience of a number of companies which already operate successfully in th region. "There is a conviction that these companies do not come first but rather allow others to check the investment conditions in a particular region. There's a group of investors, who, seeing that the Japanese are here, make a decision to come to Poland," says Zbigniew Sebastian, president of the Lower Silesian Chamber of Commerce (DIG).
Paweł Wróblewski, Marshal of the Lower Silesia voivodship, points to the authorities' efforts to offer investors the convenience of a territory on which an investor can begin doing business as soon as possible. By 2004, the Lower Silesia voivodship had prepared 65 locations for launching an immediate investment.
The importance of quality logistical solutions also cannot be underestimated. Wrocław will be one of the first Polish cities to have a direct connection to the network of European highways. "This matters a lot because there are many logistics investments in Wrocław and the city has a highway towards the west and the east. There are also plans to build a road to Prague and Vienna," says DIG's Sebastian.
"It's a good time for the city, which can be seen by the growing level of optimism and satisfaction among its inhabitants. Wrocław used to be a neglected city, only in 1990 did the city begin to make up for lost time," says Dutkiewicz.
