Poznan

Poznań is an important hub for 7 interregional and international routes. The A2 motorway, which will eventually connect the Polish-German and Polish-Belarusian borders, runs to the south of the city. Poznań-Ławica International Airport is located within the city limits, just 15 minutes from the city centre, serving over 2.25 million passengers per year and offering connections to major European hubs. The airport is located on the route to the city’s main points of interest – the Poznań International Fairs and the railway station, as well as the exit route to Berlin and Warsaw.

Poznań wins over other major Polish cities when it comes to ‘compactness’. The city is investing in public transport and developing the tram network, making the quality of life in the city really high.

Zuzanna Krech

Associate, Regional Director Central Poland, Cushman & Wakefield

Expert commentary

Poznań stands out from other major Polish cities due to its location between Warsaw and Berlin and its compactness. The city is easily accessible by all means of transport. There is an international airport with connections to major European cities. Travelling by rail and road is also efficient, given the city’s location at an important junction of international and inter-regional roads. Such an attractive location positions the capital of Greater Poland as an important business centre.

The city is consistently investing in efficient and modern public transport and cycling, expanding its cultural offer and boasting an abundance of green spaces, as a high quality of life and resident satisfaction are among the priorities of the local authorities.

Poznanians enjoy visiting cinemas, theatres, galleries, restaurants and cafés, as well as attending sporting events and music festivals. The city’s positive image is also enhanced by its close cooperation with universities and investors, its activity on social media and its ongoing dialogue with residents and students. This, in turn, is attracting not only new investment to the city, but also people moving here from other regions of Poland.

Grzegorz Bobrowski

Manager, Cushman & Wakefield

Expert commentary

Despite the growing importance of the hybrid working model, Poznań’s office market continues to grow at a stable, moderate rate. Comparing Poznań with other major regional cities, stable development seems to be much more important than high growth dynamics. This is confirmed by one of the lowest vacancy rates in Poland, currently at 12.7%. Tenant decisions here are very well thought out and cautious. Only 8 per cent of our respondents expressed a desire to expand their current stock, and almost half (45 per cent) expect to occupy the office space they currently occupy. The stability of the market is also confirmed by the balanced growth in supply over the years. Recently, new supply amounted to 32.4 thousand square metres, bringing the total stock of modern office space to 654.3 thousand square metres. Meanwhile, another 62.5 thousand sqm is under construction. The Poznań office market has weathered the turbulence of the past few years, including the pandemic, changes in working patterns, the war in Ukraine and a sharp rise in costs (both utilities and general construction costs), and remains in good shape.

The Investor Service Centre at the Poznań City Hall is a group of outstanding experts who are well acquainted with the needs and requirements of investors in the BSS sector. The unit is engaged in activities aimed at stimulating economic activity in the city and promoting Poznań as a convenient and attractive location for business and investment activities, as well as providing direct support and assistance to investors wishing to locate their investments in Poznań. The institution offers, among other things:

• providing information and data required by the investor
• organising visits of investors to Poznań
• organising meetings with the Mayor of Poznań, representatives of various authorities in Poznań, explaining the role of individual
authorities, facilitating contacts with public administration offices and institutions in the City of Poznań and the Poznań agglomeration
• assistance in establishing contacts with companies and organisations in Poznań.

The city also has the Wielkopolskie Centrum Wspierania Inwestycji (Greater Poland Investment Support Centre), which aims to develop entrepreneurship in the city of Poznań, including the operation of the Poznań Technological and Industrial Park.

Poznań is a major academic and scientific centre, one of the best in Poland. Almost 120,000 students study at Poznań’s 26 universities, and almost 30,000 graduates enter the local labour market each year.

Poznań’s universities are happy to cooperate with businesses as part of their educational offering. Take Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, for example. cooperates with the following companies: Santander, Sonalake, Cognifide, Beyond.pl, Kinguin, Komputronik Biznes and Mobica. In order to meet the expectations of entrepreneurs willing to cooperate with the University, the Poznań University of Economics established the UEP Special Purpose Company. It employs talented students and academic staff to implement commercial projects.

The academic activities of the universities are complemented by dozens of research and development institutions. The most popular subjects studied in Poznań are Computer Science, Psychology, Management, Law and Economics.

Marieta Brzykcy

Team Leader, Engineering & Operations, Antal

Expert commentary

There is a strong tendency to consider the city of Poznań as one of the most important centres of knowledge. In Poznań, we have been observing for years the expansion of universities, which in their development strategies have as one of their main objectives the improvement of the quality and innovation of education, which will allow them to attract the largest possible number of students and develop cooperation between the scientific and business communities.

Poznań is a city that ensures that students can study at prestigious universities with a high degree of internationalisation, scientific potential or very good facilities for students, which is a particularly important resource for the city’s development.

Universities are adapting their programmes to the needs of the economy and students by introducing new, specialised courses. This is a response to the changing needs of further development. Twenty-six universities, including Adam Mickiewicz University, the Poznań University of Technology, Poznań School of Banking and the University of Economics provide a rich base of expertise.

The high degree of openness to cooperation between academia and business means that by the end of their studies, students have already completed internships, often in organisations with an international profile, thanks to which they enter the labour market with a bagful of interesting skills.

Poznań is one of the Polish cities with the highest level of investment incentives. The city is included in prestigious rankings and surveys, such as the Investment Attractiveness Index of the Gdańsk Institute of Market Economics, which ranks the Poznañ sub-region as one of the most attractive for high-tech, service and industrial activities, and the ABSL survey, which shows that the Poznañ agglomeration is one of the fastest growing centres of external business services, especially F&A and ITO services.

Undoubtedly, one of the factors influencing the positive assessment of the city is the potential of its human capital. The availability of language and sales skills, as well as human resources, administration and finance were highly rated by the entrepreneurs surveyed. The availability of people with engineering skills was also rated highly, which is an asset in the eyes of SSC/BPO employers.

Marta Kikulska

Managing Consultant, SSC/BPO Antal

Expert commentary

The capital of Greater Poland has for years been one of the most important business centres in the country. In the past year, Poznań faced numerous challenges and changes within the workforce, which included every sector. The movements we observed in the global IT market also had an impact on our Poznan market – the industry, after intense growth, began to evaluate and stabilize its demand for employees. Similar trends could be observed in the SSC/BPO, R&D or manufacturing sectors.

The employment potential was also influenced by the gradual shift from a fully remote work model to a hybrid one – this was most evident in the SSC/BPO sector. More and more employers decided to move back to the office, and this was also one of the reasons employees gave for changing jobs.

Despite these challenges, Poznań continues to maintain its status as an attractive place with employment potential. The persistently low unemployment rate and access to a skilled workforce are prompting companies to make new investments – expanding their operations or relocating new processes to Poznan. The city invests in infrastructure, a growing technology sector and deploying initiatives to support entrepreneurship. This creates new opportunities for companies. However, both employers and employees should demonstrate flexibility and a willingness to learn to continue to thrive in the changing economic environment.

Michael Smolin

Head of Poznań Office, Sigma Software

Expert commentary

Poznań plays an important role as a strategic hub between East and West Europe, which was key in our relocation process from Ukraine. The city government provided valuable support on crucial issues, including choosing the right office. The academic nature of the city allowed us to attract specialized staff.

Poznan’s infrastructure not only serves companies but also creates comfortable conditions for their employees. The city is family-friendly, offering many kindergartens, schools and care facilities. In turn, excellent transportation links allow easy travel to other parts of the country and abroad. These are elements that are important not only in our work but also in our daily lives.

Tim Oldenburg

Country Manager, Conectys Poland Sp. z o.o.

Expert commentary

As an employer in the BPO sector, we are in constant need of a rich and diverse talent pool. Thanks to a wide range of universities and colleges, in recent years, we have attracted not only Poles but also people from all over the world. For these highly qualified young people, Poznań is becoming a new home, and they are eager to stay for a longer period of time as long as they find suitable jobs.

This helps Poznań strengthen its strong position in the outsourcing market and creates a WIN-WIN-WIN situation for everyone: the sector, the city of Poznań and, of course, the talent starting their careers.

Poznań is one of the largest and most dynamically developing cities in Poland. The city has over 600,000 inhabitants, including many students and foreigners. One of Poznań’s advantages, which is definitely recognised by entrepreneurs, is its location as a place to live.

Poznań is characterised by a large number of green and recreational areas (the Warta River area, the Citadel Park and many others), as well as many sports facilities (cycling and jogging tracks, swimming pools). Residents can enjoy active recreation in facilities such as the Malta Regatta Course, the Poznań Race Course and the Malta Thermal Baths.

The cultural life of Poznań is also becoming increasingly interesting. The Musical Theatre in Poznań presents world-class musicals.
The restaurant offer is equally important. In the opinion of many, Poznań is the culinary capital of Poland.

Poznan in numbers
• Almost 1.4 million – the number of overnight stays.
• 807 thousand – Number of tourists staying in tourist accommodation.
• 96 thousand – Number of visitors to the National Museum in Poznań in 2022.
• 182 – the number of mass events held in Poznań in 2022.
• 20 museums and 7 theatres.