Wroclaw Named Most Innovative City in Poland

The capital of Lower Silesia also received high marks in categories such as business development and educational potential. The results confirm that Wrocław is the best place for ambitious and modern investments—such as the planned European Space Agency Technology Centre.

A City of Innovation

Gdańsk, Łódź, Katowice, Kraków, Poznań, and Wrocław were evaluated by 1,000 respondents in a survey conducted in March. Participants assessed innovation, business development, educational potential, and research and development capacity in these six cities, all of which are competing to host the future European Space Agency Technology Centre in Poland.

The study was conducted on a representative sample of 1,000 adult respondents. The sample was selected using a quota-random method based on gender, age, education, and place of residence (according to Poland’s Central Statistical Office data).

The results confirm what we in Wrocław have long known—development and innovation are embedded in the DNA of our city.
Jacek Sutryk, Mayor of Wrocław

“As many as 23% of Polish startups choose Lower Silesia as their base for development, and Wrocław ranks among the leading cities attracting the highest number of students—we currently have around 110,000” added Mayor Sutryk. “We are particularly pleased that the strengths of our city are recognized by residents of other regions of Poland, and not for the first time.”

Wrocław’s innovation is also recognized by groups that directly influence the economy and administration: nearly 41% of business owners and 44% of public sector employees indicated Wrocław in the study.

Top Rankings Across All Categories

Respondents also evaluated Wrocław’s research and development potential compared to other large Polish cities.

The results are very positive—52.13% of respondents rated this potential as “rather higher” or “definitely higher,” while only 8.11% considered it lower. This strengthens Wrocław’s image as an environment capable of delivering ambitious and cutting-edge projects, including those related to space technologies—an important factor in its bid to host the European Space Agency Technology Centre.

The study also examined the educational potential of cities.

Kraków ranked first in this category, reflecting its long and rich academic tradition (40.18%). However, over one-fifth of respondents (22.72%) pointed to Wrocław, placing it second. Gdańsk followed with 12.63%.

A City Chosen by the Young

Notably, among respondents aged 18–29, Wrocław was most frequently selected (28.38%) as the city with the greatest educational potential. This signals that younger generations—who value the practical application of knowledge in creating innovative solutions and technologies—recognize the growing importance of Wrocław’s academic environment.

Kraków remains the preferred choice among the oldest respondents (70+).

“In the business development category, we outperform Kraków, taking first place” the mayor noted.

Wrocław as a city for new business:

He also pointed out that in another study (“Wrocław Image – October 2025” by IBIMS), Wrocław was the city most frequently indicated by Poles as a potential place to live.

About the “Potential of Cities” Study

The “Potential of Cities” survey was conducted by the Nationwide Research Group (OGB) on behalf of Łukasiewicz – PORT.

Respondents identified Wrocław as the most innovative city, with 34.37% of votes—nearly twice as many as second-place Gdańsk (18.95%). The remaining results were: Katowice (14.11%), Kraków (13.99%), Poznań (11.61%), and Łódź (6.97%).

Wrocław is widely recognized as a leader in innovation, driven by strong synergy between science, business, and local government. The latest results confirm previous studies conducted by organizations such as Oxford Economics, fDi Intelligence, IBIMS, and startup communities, all of which have similarly highlighted Wrocław’s growth potential.

Wrocław as a city for established businesses:

Rapid Growth Continues

“We do not intend to stop here” emphasized Radosław Michalski. “Our priority remains the consistent development of a friendly city, built on the potential of its residents and everyone who wants to connect their future, whether personal or business, with Wrocław.”

Analysts from Oxford Economics identified Wrocław as one of the three fastest-growing European cities between 2010 and 2025, alongside Dublin and Valletta.

In the fDi Intelligence ranking “European Cities & Regions of the Future 2025,” Wrocław placed first in three categories: mid-sized European city, business-friendly location, and city with the greatest human capital potential and best place to live.

Download the Report HERE