WBJ April 2018

WHEN I ARRIVED IN POLAND back in 1997, the country was experiencing unprecedented growth of over 6 percent and opportunities seemed boundless. In the fall of 1998, I met Marcin Piatkowski, an economist with an already impressive resumé. I remember turning and saying to my wife, “This man can make a difference for Poland.” Now, 20 years later, Marcin Piatkowski has just published a book, describing and documenting Poland’s successes over the last quarter-century. We met Marcin and asked him about the background for his book and the reasons for the continued economic growth Poland has enjoyed for the past 26 years (read more on pp. 36-39). Having lived in Poland for almost two decades, I myself have witnessed Poland’s constant growth over the years. While there have been bumps in the road, including political ups and downs, business here has proven to be strong, resilient, and able to persevere. In these recent times, as Poland’s international political reputation seems to be declining, we have decided to focus on the many other positive signs in the Polish business world and devote this issue to the continuing story of Poland’s success. Poland has been making great strides towards closing the wealth gap and reducing the risk of poverty throughout the previous few years. Its construction and logistics industries are growing faster than ever. And although some see clouds on the horizon like increasing construction costs and the rise of economic patriotism, we believe there is still plenty of room for growth and plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the future. The biggest real estate event in the region, CEEQA, is celebrating its 15th anniversary; a great success story in and of itself. Entrepreneurship, high demand products, and an eagerness to connect important market influencers has driven the CEEQA team, spearheaded by Richard Hallward, to continuously improve and always deliver the best industry awards possible, hosting an outstanding event that is always talked about long after the ceremony comes to a close. Once again, as part of WBJ, we are proud to publish this year’s CEEQA Report, full of exciting insights, interviews and opinions from the top minds and movers of the real estate market. Enjoy the read. MORTEN LINDHOLM You can download the issue here.