BIP
Wroclaw - key player on the European investment map. BEAS survey confirms the city's potential
For years, the capital of Lower Silesia has been recognized as one of the most dynamic investment locations in Central Europe. This is confirmed once again by the results of the latest BEAS survey. Wroclaw ranked second in the ranking of investment potential of Polish cities with a score of 7.9/10. Education, access to qualified personnel and conditions for business development were particularly appreciated.
This is the fourth edition of the Business Environment Assessment Study (BEAS), prepared by Antal and Cushman & Wakefield in cooperation with Baker McKenzie, PAIH, Employers of Poland, Pro Progressio and Vastint, which reveals the investment plans of the heads of companies operating in Polish cities for the years 2023 - 2025. It turns out that Wroclaw has been maintaining and strengthening its leading position in the attraction of investments, including foreign ones, for a long time now.
The great potential of the city has been confirmed
Such reports are very important for the city, according to Jakub Mazur, the Deputy Mayor of Wroclaw. Especially since they are prepared by external institutions.
Recent years have shown that Wroclaw is very well positioned in the business, socio-economic and development structure and, most importantly, that it has great potential. It turns out that we are extremely appreciated in several categories. This confirms the excellent conditions for business development, access to labor and education. These are the three most important growth factors for business.
Jakub Mazur
The high position of the Lower Silesian capital is also confirmed by Paulina Szewczyk, Managing Consultant at Antal.
Wroclaw scores very well in the overall assessment of employment potential, education, quality of life and business development. The city ranked second here, which is a great result.
Paulina Szewczyk
Students choose Wroclaw
Wroclaw is also a strong academic center, educating 105,000 students annually. The average rating of the city's educational potential in the latest edition of the BEAS survey was as high as 7.9/10, the highest of all the cities surveyed. It is strongly influenced by modern laboratories, advanced technological infrastructure and top scientific personnel. This also makes the city the country's most popular location for R&D and knowledge process outsourcing centers.
This year's university applicants had a wide range of choices. They could apply for 202 full-time and 84 part-time undergraduate programs. The offer was provided by nine public universities, 15 private universities and two ecclesiastical universities.
Katarzyna Slawinska, Antal Engineering & Operations Team Manager
Modern technologies thrive here
There is no shortage of talent in Wroclaw, especially in the IT, engineering and modern business services sectors, which further increases the investment attractiveness of the city. According to the Antal Salary Report, professionals in these industries can expect competitive salaries. For example, full-stack developers earn PLN 19-23 thousand gross per month, production engineers can earn PLN 7.5-13 thousand gross, and logistics managers PLN 11-18 thousand gross.
At present, the attractiveness of the region is further enhanced by the presence in the city of a large number of well-educated workers from the countries on the eastern border.
Joanna Wrobel, Team Manager at Antal IT Services
Lower Silesia - Poland's Silicon Valley
The latest study by Antal and Akces NCBR, "Acceleration Market in Poland", also shows that Wroclaw is the Polish leader in terms of young technology companies. The region is home to 28 percent of Poland's start-ups, surpassing even Warsaw, which boasts 19 percent of them.
According to Anika Jablonska, Senior Recruitment Consultant at Antal IT Services, this result underscores Wroclaw's attractiveness for young, innovative companies, especially those operating in technology industries such as software, medtech, AI, hardware and deep tech.
Wroclaw's state-of-the-art laboratories, advanced technological infrastructure and close cooperation between business and academic centers create ideal conditions for R&D development and knowledge process outsourcing.
Anika Jablonska
Second largest regional office market
It turns out that in the first half of 2023, the Wroclaw office market had one of the highest levels of activity among regional markets, both from tenants and developers. 150,000 sqm of office space is still under construction and will enter the market in the coming years. This demonstrates the dynamic growth and continued interest in Wroclaw as a key business center in the region.
According to Marcin Siewierski, Associate, Regional Head, Western Poland Office Department, Cushman& Wakefield, the capital of Lower Silesia maintains its position as the second largest regional center in Poland, offering attractive conditions for developers and companies looking for modern office space.
We should also remember that the market faces many challenges. Looking ahead to 2024 and 2025, we can expect a significantly lower supply of new office space, rising operating costs and the cost of financing new office investments, while at the same time the need to seek savings - both on the part of tenants and owners of office buildings.
Marcin Siewierski
The Business Environment Assessment Study (BEAS) was conducted in July and August among nearly 1,300 decision-makers from Polish companies.