Lublin

A dynamically developing infrastructure is one of the factors attracting investors. The city’s accessibility has improved in recent years, and the international airport is the city’s show-piece. The airport provides quick access to the most important cities and transport hubs in Europe (Warsaw, Dublin, London), and the city is also well connected to the network of international roads, expressways and railways.

Lublin is one of the most dynamic cities in terms of investment and has been one of the most active applicants for European funds for many years. The construction of the ring road, access roads and the revitalisation of the city’s public transport system are all contributing to infrastructure growth and strengthening the city’s position on the map of Poland and Europe. It is a crossroads of important international transport routes. The constantly improving transport infrastructure provides convenient road and rail connections to central and southern Poland.

Agnieszka Gułaś

Senior Negotiator, Cushman & Wakefield

Expert commentary

Lublin is considered the capital of eastern Poland and the largest transport hub in this part of the country. In recent years, the S17 road has been completed, providing a fast link to Warsaw, as well as a section of the S19 (Via Carpatia) between Lublin and Rzeszów, which forms part of the trans-European corridor from Lithuania to Greece. Work is underway on another section of the S19, which will link Lublin to Białystok. Sections of the S17 through Zamość to the Hrebenne border crossing and the S12 through Chełm to the Dorohusk border crossing are also under construction. The development of the road infrastructure heralds an influx of new business.

Construction of the Metropolitan Railway Station is underway and is expected to last until Q4 2023. The region’s new transport hub, located adjacent to the Central Station, will integrate the city’s internal transport with regional and long-distance transport.

In March 2023, Port Lotniczy Lublin SA applied for permission to build a cargo terminal – the new hall is expected to be operational in 2024. Air freight is the fastest and safest mode of transport, which will not only provide Lublin companies with a wide range of export opportunities, but will also allow them to import essential goods.

Michał Grabowiecki

Senior Negotiator, Cushman & Wakefield

Expert commentary

Lublin is the seventh office market on the regional map of Poland, with a stock of more than 200,000 sqm, reaching as much as 223,400 sqm in 2022. It is the largest and most mature market in eastern Poland.
One of the reasons for such a large increase was the launch- of three office projects , which were delayed by the pandemic: CZ Office Park D (15,000 sqm), G3 Inter Office (12,000 sqm) and Wojciechowska 9B (6,000 sqm).

An important development was the opening of the third serviced office on the local market in H2 2022. LoftMill, located in the CZ Office Park D office building, offered 240 workspaces on 1,600 sqm.

Average rents in Grade A office buildings remained at €11-12.50/sq m. Despite the increase in supply, the vacancy rate has been falling steadily and stood at 13.1% in the second quarter. This is due to high demand, which amounted to more than 10,000 sqm in Q1 2023.
Several developments are currently in the planning stage, the most important of which are the next phase of the CZ Office Park and Gęsia projects and a new office building by local developer Orion planned for the roundabout named after the Honorary Blood Donors. The implementation of these projects seems to effectively reduce the risk of a supply gap in the Lublin market.

The City of Lublin offers the support of a professional Investor Services Team at every stage of the investment process.

The Investor Services Team is a team of specialists whose task is to provide reliable information, direct support for companies planning to invest in the city and post-investment support. In the Lublin City Hall they have their own project manager, i.e. a supervisor and at the same time an expert in a particular sector. Each manager has specific skills and builds appropriate relationships, supporting and advising investors. A number of tools used by the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship, such as a special website biznes.lublin.eu or social media channels, help to provide investors with the necessary accurate information.

The possibility of using the support of labour market institutions is an advantage. They ensure that employers and their needs are properly communicated to job seekers. The websites of the Provincial Labour Office, the City Labour Office and the District Labour Office in Lublin provide useful information on the programmes introduced by these institutions.

Special incentives have been prepared for investors interested in subsidising employment costs. Labour offices regularly publish reports on the current state of the labour market in Lublin and the region.

Lublin is one of the most dynamic academic centres in Poland. It promotes education with a wide range of fields of study, excellent academic staff and measures to support students, including scholarships and awards. Nearly 60,000 students study in Lublin each year, and in 2021/22, 8,300 foreign students will be studying there.

One of the best universities in Lublin is the Medical University of Lublin, ranked 10th in the 2023 ranking of medical universities by Perspektywy magazine.

In Lublin, there is an upward trend in the number of students enrolled in ICT and service-related studies. This is mainly due to the fact that in the last decade Lublin has become one of the largest IT centres in the country and one of the most promising Polish cities for IT and modern business services. The universities, in turn, have adapted their educational programmes to the needs and future prospects of the local labour market.

Dominik Kalinowski

Head of Outsourcing, IT Services, Antal

Expert commentary

Lublin is one of Poland’s leading academic centres. Almost 60,000 students study in the city, including about 40,000 at public universities. The city offers a wide range of educational opportunities, including first, second and third level studies, postgraduate studies and doctoral studies.

Lublin’s educational potential is highly rated by experts. In the 2023 “Perspektywy” ranking, Lublin was placed 5th among Polish cities in terms of academic potential. The city stood out especially in the “Innovation” category.

In terms of educational potential, Lublin is an attractive place for investors. The city offers employers a number of advantages due to the large number of specialists entering the labour market every year, which facilitates access to qualified staff and reduces recruitment costs.
In conclusion, Lublin is an important academic centre in Poland. The city offers a wide range of educational opportunities and attractive living conditions, as well as access to a skilled workforce, which can translate into increased competitiveness.

The strengths of Lublin are middle and senior managers with language skills. Lublin’s labour market is also characterised by the high availability of IT and sales professionals. The investment climate in the city and the rapidly developing market for office space are conducive to the growth of the modern services and IT sectors. Knowledge-based services are one of the industries that significantly support the development of Lublin’s economy – many BPO companies are locating their capital in the city.

More and more companies are choosing Lublin as a location for future investments due to the very high quality of education, the huge scientific potential, innovation and the constant availability of skilled personnel. Entrepreneurs in Lublin are happy to cooperate with universities, which has a very positive impact on employment and the development of industry and services.

Aleksandra Kurasiewicz

Senior Client & Team Manager , Engineering & Operations, Antal 

Expert commentary

Lublin and the Lubelskie Province have for many years been a region frequently considered and chosen by companies looking for a favourable location for their business.

An undoubted advantage of the city is its high academic base – 9 higher education institutions, which produce between 15,000 and 20,000 graduates every year. This is an impressive figure. This creates an excellent environment for managing the talent available. It is therefore not surprising that entrepreneurs and foreign investors are showing great interest in the region and choosing to locate here. An advantage of the Lublin labour market is the diverse availability of specialists, experts with IT, sales, accounting, finance, administration or language skills.

Over the past four years, there has been an upturn in the number of manufacturing companies being set up, providing jobs for production workers as well as specialists, engineers and managers. In the last few years alone, investments have been made by, among others, the German company Data Modul, which opened its doors in Felin in Lublin, the French company Varroc Lighting Systems (now Plastic Omnium) in Germany, the Turck company and the latest investment by Trilux, which chose Świdnik for its production and research project. The attractiveness of the Lublin region was undoubtedly increased by the opening of the S17 road, and when we talk about transport and Świdnik, we should also mention the investment of DB Schenker, which opened a branch in the Świdnik Economic Activity Zone.

The investment climate in the city and the rapidly developing market for office space are contributing to the growing interest in Lublin as an attractive location for business development.

The city’s investment climate and vibrant office space market are encouraging the growth of modern services and information technology sectors. A team of analysts from the Financial Times Group ranked Lublin as one of the most attractive cities in Poland for foreign direct investment.

Lublin’s economic traditions and the geographical conditions of the region contribute to the development of the automotive industry, logistics, biotechnology and food processing. The activity of modern business services and IT companies has increased over the years. Currently, there are several dozen BPO/ SSC/ IT centres operating in the city, employing over 8,000 people in Lublin. The average employment in the business sector in the Lublin region in March 2022 was 203.5 thousand people. Investors in the modern business services sector find in Lublin a solid foundation for their companies in the form of academic potential and a developing office infrastructure.

Lublin is a leader in Poland when it comes to cooperation with Eastern partners. This includes official contacts at the level of authorities and offices, as well as direct relations between many institutions, companies and non-governmental organisations. The proximity of Lublin makes it the first choice location for experienced workers from the East, especially in the IT sector, who then find employment in Lublin companies.

Paweł Fałkowski

CEO, ALTO 

Expert commentary

Lublin’s business potential is the result of many factors, some of which have been at a high level for years, and some of which are – and I predict will continue to be – in an upward phase.

On the highly competitive market of investor locations, Lublin is consistently pursuing its strategy of attracting companies from the IT and BPO / SSC sectors. The increasing number of companies from these sectors investing in Lublin confirms that this is the right direction. Growing competition – even if it increases the cost of labour – should generally benefit all companies operating on the Lublin market – increasing the supply of not only educated, but also experienced employees.

From the perspective of a company investing in Lublin, I can say that a large supply of well-educated graduates with foreign language skills is always an advantage for this city. The level of support for business from the public administration is also very high, not only nationally but also in Europe, which is confirmed by Lublin’s high rankings in the prestigious FDI Intelligence ranking.

Until recently, Lublin’s location and the relative level of development of its transport infrastructure made it difficult to compete with other cities for investors. The investments that have been made, as well as the prospect of deeper integration with the countries of the European Union, are opening up new development opportunities for Lublin.

Maciej Dudkowski

Manager, PwC

Expert commentary

As the largest urban centre on the eastern side of the Vistula River, Lublin creates an environment conducive to new investments. The city has enormous human potential, mainly due to its numerous public and private universities. Graduates are a group of ambitious people with good language skills and a desire to develop careers in Lublin.

Another of the city’s strengths is the very high level of local government involvement. Initiatives related to raising the competence of local residents and building and deepening cooperation between the business and academic communities support and facilitate investment development. They allow potential candidates to find out what work in companies operating in the city is all about, and to learn about employers’ expectations of employees.

In recent years, Lublin’s attractiveness among residents of other cities has increased, resulting in an increasing number of people seeking to find employment here. The city should strive for the emergence of more investments, especially in the modern business services market, which will have a positive impact on wages, thereby raising the standard of living of residents. For PwC, the priority is to create more than 300 jobs here within two years.

Known as the capital of eastern Poland, Lublin is the largest and fastest developing city on the right bank of the Vistula River. As the capital of the Lublin Province, it is also the economic and cultural centre of the region.

Lublin’s seven centuries of history, rich architecture and numerous historical monuments give the city a unique atmosphere. Lublin lies on the northern edge of the Lublin Upland. The Bystrzyca River valley divides the city into two distinct parts: the left bank, with its varied terrain, deep valleys and ancient loess ravines, and the right bank, which is part of the Świdnik Plateau.

Renowned international conferences, theatre, music and contemporary art festivals are held here. The city’s theatres, galleries and student clubs also offer a wide range of cultural activities. The hosted concerts, performances, festivals and exhibitions only add to the charm of the city. Some of the most popular cultural events include: the Sztuk-Mistrzów Carnival, the Other Sounds Festival, the Night of Culture, the Jagiellonian Fair, “Neighbours” – the Central European Theatre Festival, the Theatre Confrontations Festival and the European Taste Festival.

• 411,000 tourists visited Lublin in 2022
• First place in the Europolis Report – Green Cities, prepared by the Robert Schuman Foundation of Poland
• 625 city bicycles are available in 129 stations
• 11% of Lublin’s surface area is covered by forest