Poznań is second in Poland in the ranking of cities with the highest investment potential

The capital of Wielkopolska took second place among the most attractive cities for business in the country according to the Business Environment Assessment Study. The aspects such as the quality of life, educational potential and employment potential were given the highest marks.

The latest, 3rd edition of the Business Environment Assessment Study, carried out by Antal, Cushman & Wakefield and Vastint, presents an assessment of the business environment in Poznań by decision-makers of Polish companies. It allows you to look at the Polish market from the business perspective and indicate the main trends in the economic development of the organization. The study analyzed seven factors that influence the attractiveness of cities and encourage investment. These are: infrastructure, office space, public administration support, educational potential, employment potential, business potential and the assessment of location as a place to live. The project is under the patronage of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency and Pro Progressio.

Stabilization despite the pandemic

Poznań is developing dynamically in every respect - it is confirmed, among others, by the title of "The most dynamically developing city". Despite the pandemic, 87% of companies plan to increase employment and the level of office space has exceeded the ceiling of 600,000 m2. This year, we acquired 9 new investors from Poznań's priority industries. The city is also constantly working to raise the standard of living. We are currently implementing five large infrastructure projects, including the extension of the tram route to Naramowice. We are glad that Poznań obtained such a high mark in this year's edition of BEAS - says Bartosz Guss, Deputy Mayor of the City of Poznań.

In the third edition of the BEAS survey, Poznań was ranked high. The average city rating is 7.1 points on a 10-point scale (an increase of 0.2 points compared to 2019). This places the capital of Wielkopolska in second place (ex aequo with the Tri-City) among other Polish cities studied. The highest scores were awarded to such aspects as location as a place to live (7.7 p), educational potential (7.4 p) and employment potential (7.2 p).

Poznań has been at the forefront of the most attractive cities in terms of investment for many years. Every year we look at new entrepreneurs who decide to develop their business here. The sector of modern services is developing dynamically, companies from Poznań serve clients from all over the world. A huge advantage of the market is also a large number of IT specialists - says Marieta Brzykcy, Team Leader, Antal Engineering & Operations.

Every fifth out of 532 thousand of Poznań residents is a student (GUS, 2020). For this reason, priority sectors for Poznań are dynamically developing: IT industry, Business Process Outsourcing (BPO), Shared Services Center (SSC), research and development (R&D) or technologically advanced production, offering attractive employment and development conditions.

Poznań is a very innovative city open to new investors. This is confirmed by the fact that every year at least a few new BPO / SSC or IT investments appear in the capital of Wielkopolska. The city undertakes many initiatives aimed at developing the business services sector or supporting recruitment processes. This is where the technological heart of Poland beats and here such technological giants as Allegro or Beyond have their headquarters - explains Wiktor Doktór, President of Pro Progressio.

The power of changes in infrastructure

The magnet that attracts investors to Poznań is the fact that this city is an important junction of 7 roads of interregional and international importance. Road transport in this area was the indicator with the highest value, amounting to 8.3 points on a ten-point scale in 2021. The added value for the investment potential in Poznań is also the high availability of office space - over 63,800 m2 under construction. The total stock of modern office space in the capital of Wielkopolska is currently 582,900 m2. The assessment of infrastructure slightly decreased from 7.1 p in 2019 to 7.0 p on a ten-point scale in 2021. Poznań ranks 5th among the examined cities in terms of the increase in office space resources over the last 10 years.

Poznań has a very efficient and effective public transport and a modern international airport. The city is also very well connected by road and rail with the rest of Poland, which makes it a very important logistics center on the map of the country. All this means that the level of satisfaction with life in Poznań remains consistently high, which was confirmed by the published Forbes ranking, which placed Poznań on the list of 20 cities where Americans live the best life - says Grzegorz Bobrowski, Manager of Poznań Office, Cushman & Wakefield . Companies planning their development in Poznań appreciate, above all, the stability and predictability of this market. The BPO / SSC sector has been developing here for a long time, mainly in the F&A, IT and call / service center segments - adds Bobrowski.

Growing educational potential

Twenty-four universities, including the largest state university in Wielkopolska, guarantee a wide range of competences. Poznań has almost 113 thousand. students. Most of them specialize in finance (18.5 thousand), then in engineering (15.7 thousand), and then in the linguistic area (10 thousand). Human capital was assessed at 7.2 points on a ten-point scale. Compared to 2019, this is an increase by as much as 0.7 pp.

The great potential of the city is the large number of IT specialists. At least 7 universities offer courses related to IT. The sector of companies offering IT services is developing dynamically, providing high quality services. The largest group of students study engineering. The R&D industries and the technologically advanced production sector offer attractive career opportunities, including for graduates of Poznań universities. Students, thanks to the cooperation of universities with business, finish their education already having internships in international organizations and experience in the implementation of innovative projects on a global scale. So prepared to start their professional career, they become specialists supporting new investors - comments Artur Skiba, President of the Antal Management Board.

Development of the Poznań labor market

The strengths of Poznań are staff in the area of engineering competences, which is appreciated by employers from the manufacturing industry, as well as the presence of specialists and managers in the IT area. The highest rates of staff availability assessment were noted among employees with linguistic and sales competences, as well as specialists and managers in the area of administration and HR. Such potential of human capital influences the fact that the Poznań agglomeration is the second fastest growing center of external business services in the country, especially in the field of F&A and ITO services.

The capital of Greater Poland is developing very dynamically and attracts young, talented people with its attractiveness. The city's strength is also the great synergy between science and business as well as the local community, which works to promote tolerance and diversity. The driving force behind business development is the high quality of life in the city. According to the Central Statistical Office (GUS) data, the average gross salary of a Poznań resident is also growing dynamically. Despite the difficult times and the pandemic, the city does not lose its investment attractiveness. The capital of Wielkopolska has a wide range of modern office space and offers stable rental rates. Certainly, these are important assets that can attract new investors as well as encourage those who are present to stay in this city - says Dominik Pekról, Regional Manager, Antal Engineering & Operations.