Although Warsaw has the third biggest office district in Europe, second only to London's Canary Wharf and Paris's La Défense, the further deindustrialization of the city poses a major economic risk – warn ESPON analysts. According to them, the Polish capital's authorities should follow the example of Wrocław or Tricity, among others, and strengthen cooperation with neighboring communes to rebuild the industrial sector.

“In recent years housing has become a priority for property developers. This trend has been driven by the long-term undersupply of housing and the booming service sector in the capital city, which has the biggest office district in Central and Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, little concern has been given to diversifying the local economy of the city and its surrounding area,” the ESPON report reads.

The authors of the study suggest that the authorities of Warsaw and nearby districts should come up with a comprehensive program to reindustrialize the region. Clearly, what they mean is not bringing back the smoking factory stacks, but launching modern, innovative, and climate-neutral production in pharmaceutical, aviation & aerospace, and electronics industries. Poland's capital city can offer these industries access to a well-qualified workforce and major academic institutions, allowing cooperation with the world of science, which is currently essential for the high-tech industry to grow, as exemplified by other European metropolitan cities, such as Stuttgart and Helsinki.

(PAP MediaRoom)