Investments in Poland - investments in success

The inflow of the foreign direct investments (FDI) reflects the economic situation in the world. It rises in the times of economic prosperity and falls in the time of crisis. But even in the time of global economic slowdown Poland maintained the leading position in terms of investment attractiveness.

In the years 2007-2010 the inflow of foreign direct investments to Poland was in all these years positive. Despite the global crisis, Poland remained one of the most attractive investment locations and according to UNCTAD it has improved its position among the largest EU countries receiving FDI: from the 11th position in 2007 rising to 8th in 2010.

In term of the FDI inflow structure in the years 2007-2010, only in 2008 reinvested profits were negative. As a result of the economic crisis foreign companies did not reinvest their profits in the business in Poland but they allocated the savings in the parent companies operating in the markets more affected by the crisis. In 2009 the situation has returned to the state before the economic turmoil - reinvested profits accounted to 42% of the total inflow (40% in 2007). Recently the National Bank of Poland (NBP) again pointed to the trend of transferring profits earned by investors abroad.

During a conference at PAIiIZ Poland's Deputy Prime Minister Mr Pawlak, PAIiIZ President Mr Majman, President of Pilkington Automotive Poland Mr Jania and President of Indesit Poland Mr Melone discussed the current condition of investments in Poland

Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency, however, has not noted fall in investment project. In the first ten months of 2011 the Agency closed already 45 investments worth over 1 billion euros, which will create almost 9 thousand new jobs. The value of the new projects already exceeds the result achieved throughout the whole 2010. In the last 3 years 131 foreign companies supported by PAIiIZ opted for investments worth a total of 2.6 billion euros and employed over 28 thousand people. Among the investors, the Americans, Swedes and French were dominating. The most popular sector was the BPO and R&D, automotive and machinery. 24,5% of the investment value closed by PAIiIZ went to the Lower Silesia voivodeship, 14,5% to Mazovia and 10% to the Wielkopolska region. Over 1/3 of all the investors located their investments in the special economic zones.

PAIiIZ’s participation in the investment project in Poland in the years 2009-2011 was 14%. The Agency supported companies such as: Cargotec, Ikea, Pilkington, Goodrich, MTU, Indesit, 3M, Cadbury, ABN Amro, Nordea, HP and Geoban.

Currently the Agency services 150 investment projects with a total value of 5,9 billion euros which declare over 45 800 new jobs. The dominated investors come from the USA, Great Britain and China and from the BPO, automotive and machinery sector.

UNCTAD predicts that FDI inflow in the world will return to the pre-crisis level in 2011. Meanwhile, the investors are looking for locations burdened with the lowest risk. In the forefront of these countries is Poland. In the latest UNCTAD report Poland took 6th place in the world in terms of investment attractiveness. (PAIiIZ)