Record-high FDI in 2006 had hi-tech, oriental flavor

This was the highest result in history, reported the National Bank of Poland. Regardless of the fact that three-quarters of FDI is still coming from the EU, a substantial share of investment originated from the Far East last year. Economists are not only particularly pleased with the value of investments, but also their quality, as most of the FDI was allocated in electronics and high-tech. "The choice of Poland was made due to its perfect location, the proximity to the markets of Central and Eastern Europe. The availability of young and well-educated Poles was also extremely important, as well as our good experience with Poles working for us in Dublin and Limerick," said Sean Corkery, Dell's deputy president for the EMEA region.He admitted, however, that another factor was the substantially lower cost of labor. Economic forecasts for 2007 are equally favorable and economists believe that it could be possible to attract as many foreign investments as last year. (Rzeczpospolita, pp. A1, B1) M.M.