POLSKA POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND NEWSLETTER th 28 of August 2008, number 86

NEWS

FROM THE EDITOR an attractive place to invest in automotive projects. contacts with prospective investors but will offer an Dear Readers! The fairs have been organised every two years, opportunity to learn about the latest worldwide We are pleased to inform that the Polish Information starting from 1971. In 2006 the 19th edition of the trends in the sector. and Foreign Investment Agency will take part in the event attracted over 4600 exhibitors, 1500 For more information please contact Bronisław international trade fair “Automechanika” in journalists and an astounding number of 160 000 Jaworski form the Consulate General in Cologne Frankfurt. At the event PAIiIZ will take the advantage visitors, executives from a variety of sectors forming a Tel: 0049-221-349929, to inform about and promote investment possibilities substantial part of them, from all over the world. This e-mail: [email protected], Piotr in Poland for the automotive industry projects. Visit year’s edition is estimated to gather at least the same Sołowiec from PAIiIZ, Warsaw, Tel: 022-3349878, the News section on our website to keep informed number of exhibitors and guests. Poland is to be e-mail: [email protected] or Artur Terlecki about the event. Moreover, in this week’s issue we represented by 86 entrepreneurs. The prestigious from PAIiIZ, Warsaw, Tel: 022-3349917, e-mail: write about new foreign investments in the Łódź and event is a perfect occasion to present Poland as an [email protected] (PAIiIZ) SEZs. We also provide data proving that investment-friendly destination for foreign Polish airports continue to perform successfully and undertakings from the automotive sector. The Polish that generally more and more take to flying. Consulate’s Trade and Investment Promotion Section Pleasant reading! (WPHiI) in Cologne in co-operation with PAIiIZ will organise and manage an information stand PAIiIZ ON THE INTERNATIONAL TRADE presenting materials form the Ministry of Economy, FAIR IN FRANKFURT Ministry of Treasury, PAIiIZ, the Polish Chamber of Frankfurt upon Main will host the International Automotive Industry, Polish Tourist Organization as Trade Fair for the Automotive Industry well as offers of the Polish special economic zones, “Automechanika”(September 16th-21st). Taking technological parks and investment possibilities in advantage of the biggest world event in the Polish communes. The PAIiIZ’s participation in the automotive sector, the Polish Information and fairs will not only enable the Agency to establish new Foreign Investment Agency will present Poland as

INVESTMENTS IN POLAND

LENOVO TO PRODUCE COMPUTERS IN part of an international Danfoss Group. The LEGNICA company, which manufactures heat pumps, heating Lenovo, one of the biggest computer manufac- and air conditioning systems, obtained the business turers in the word, is about to construct a factory activity permit to operate in the Łódź SEZ in and an order processing centre in the Legnica November 2007 and as of June 2007 it has already Special Economic Zone. The first Lenovo European invested round 40 million PLN and hired 150 company’s production capacity is estimated to employees. In fact, the Danish investor developed an reach 1.7 million computers a year. already existing factory by constructing production The Chinese investor constructs its factory in and storage premises. Now the production facility Legnickie Pole (Lower ). Having received the which measures 6500 sq m and is equipped with activity permit in January 2008, Lenovo Poland modern production lines is estimated to produce decided to construct in the Legnica SEZ its first around 30 thousand heat pumps a year, 95% if European desktop computers factory. The 30,000 which is destined for EU markets. Both parts of the Legnica Special Economic Zone sq m factory will have an annual capacity of 1.7 project, the Łódź SEZ’s management and Danfoss, million entities. Lenovo will invest 4.1 billion EUR in are satisfied with the way the co-operation has been new production lines and office equipment. The developing to date. The company declares further company wants to hire around 1300 people and investments that may reach 65 million PLN by 2012, LEGNICA SEZ TO HOST AN INVESTMENTS will look for both highly-qualified specialists and wants to boost the factory’s capacity and create at WORTH 101 MILLION PLN production workers. In order to be able to start least 250 new jobs. (ŁSEZ, Danfoss) In the 1st half of 2008 the Legnica SEZ issued more production in December this year, the company has business activity permits than during the entire already began the recruitment process and has also 2007. Jointly new investors declared to create declared its willingness to enter into co-operation 1. 776 new workplaces. with local service providers. The Legnica SEZ On the area of 25 ha new investors plan to realise openly endorses the co-operation and supports the investments worth 101 million PLN. Thanks to the investment which together with the Volkswagen latest declarations the outlook for the Legnica-based investment constitutes the SEZ’s flagship SEZ seems quite bright and provides scope for SEZ’s undertaking. performance improvement both in terms of sales and profits gained by the SEZ management partnership. DANFOSS OPENS A FACTORY IN THE At the end of July and the beginning of August the GRODZISK SUB-ZONE OF THE ŁÓDŹ SEZ SEZ issued two new permits, this time for Polish SMEs Danfoss, a Danish producer of heating and air companies. The Polish investors who are active in the conditioning systems wants to invest 65 million service and storage-packaging sectors will invest 5 PLN and plans to create 250 workplaces. million PLN and offer employment to over 50 workers Danfoss, a partnership with Danish capital, forms Production line in the new Danfoss plant in the Bolesławiec county. (LSEZ)

Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency www.paiz.gov.pl POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND POLSKA POLAND MACROECONOMIC POLAND POLES TAKE TO FLYING million. “Gazeta Wyborcza” got to estimates Over 6.2 million people in Poland opted for air prepared by the Ministry of Economy according to transport last year i.e. over 16% more than in 2006, which in two years’ time the factories in “Rzeczpospolita” daily informs. 280 million chose will have been producing 77% of all the LCD TV sets travelling by rail and 720 million by car. in Europe. Due to the fact that several electronic (Rzeczpospolita) concerns from Asia, among others, Toshiba and LG, invested in assembly plants located in the region of 9.6 MILLION PASSENGERS ATTENDED IN Lower Silesia and thanks to many subcontractors and THE 1ST HALF OF 2008 partners operating in the region, Poland became a In the 1st half of 2008 Polish airports attended 9.6 leading producer of TV sets for the whole of Europe. million passengers i.e. over 14% more than in the 1st According to “Gazeta Wyborcza” the current half of 2007. The Warsaw-based Okęcie airport annual production capacity amounting to 20 million continues to be the leader with an overall number of The Warsaw Airport. Source: LOT sets may reach 35 million in 2010. As many as 32 4.5 million customers attended in the 1st half of the A 14.3% INCREASE IN RETAIL million of the sets will be equipped with LCD panels year, i.e. 440 thousand more than in the same SALES IN JULY and only 3 million of the whole production is to be period of 2007, informs PAP citing data provided by According to the Central Statistical Office retail sales comprised of the kinescope type TV sets.(Gazeta the Civil Aviation Office. Nevertheless, the capital in Poland rose by 14.3% in July y-o-y, and in Wyborcza) airport’s share in the aviation market in Poland fell comparison to June this year by 1.8%. In June 2008 Exchange rates (as of 28.08.2008) slightly in the last year from 49% to 47%, to the the retail sales increased by 14.2% y-o-y. In July the benefit of other dynamically developing regional greatest increase were noted in sales of fibre, Buy Sell airports. Poland has 12 airports entitled to an garment and footwear. (PAP) USD 2,2429 2,2883 international passenger flow attendance. Among EUR 3,3029 3,3697 those that reach the highest rates of new client 77% OF TV SETS IN EUROPE WILL BE acquisition the top three are Poznań with a 60% PRODUCED IN POLAND Source: www.nbp.pl increase in customer flow, Bydgoszcz – 47% rise LCD panel production in the LG Display factories in and Katowice – 36% followed by Kraków and Biskupice near Wrocław have already reached 5 Gdańsk. (PAP)

FROM THE REGIONS

SHENYANG AND KATOWICE – TWIN and the Katowice Special Economic Zone. The car and chemical sectors. The city itself, which under TOWNS booming Chinese economy and the impressive the reign of the Qing dynasty was the country’s Chinese Shenyang and Polish Katowice have volume of investments taking place in the country capital, is nowadays the Northeast China’s cultural, been maintaining commercial relationships for the may serve as a rich set of experiences that may research and educational hub. last eight years. Now the relations may expand on prove useful in the face of the upcoming realisation „Contacts between the cities do contribute to an new fields and explore new possibilities. of the Katowice city centre rebuilding, esp. increased interest among Chinese entrepreneurs in While contacts between the cities date back to experience in road connection construction as well investing in the region of Katowice in different sectors 1999, the efforts aiming at establishing official as in sport and office facilities design. During the last as the market does offer big investment relations began in 2005. That year “Polish Days”, visit of the city of Katowice and the Silesia possibilities.”, Katarzyna Włodarczyk from the an event promoting Silesian mining companies, was voviodship’s representatives in Shenyang the Polish Katowice Promotion Office told the PAIiIZ organised in Shenyang. It turned out that economic visitors initiated talks on expanding the cities’ co- Newsletter. “The city of Katowice is interested in exchange within exactly this sector is of vital interest operating also to the fields of culture and academic developing the co-operation with Shenyang. New to both parties. Polish Embassy in Beijing took up the education. The city of Shenyang is the capital of the exchange possibilities concerning not only role of a mediator and since 2007 the cities Liaoning province with a population of over 5 million commercial exchange within mining and mechanical officially co-operate within the so called town people. The province is one of the most important industry but also in the field of culture have been twinning scheme. The official status of the co- and most dynamically developing industrial centres outlined. We hope for successful co-operation also operation provides a better basis for economic in China concentrating activities from the mining, on this ground.”, said Katarzyna Włodarczyk contacts with special attention to the mining industry energetic, mechanical, pharmaceutical, electronic, (Katowice City Hall).

ANALYSIS AND REPORTS

POLES PROVE MORE AND MORE 86% was made by private companies. It should not ENTERPRISING. be forgotten that from 2003 the foreign trade The Ministry of Economy published a report turnover has been growing steadily and in 2007 the “Enterprise in Poland” which proves that Poles are export value exceeded 100 billion EUR, 80% of ever eager to set up private businesses. 2007 saw which was destined for the EU markets. At the same 300 thousand new businesses established in time the value of import accounted for 77.3 billion Poland. EUR. The foreign trade commodities structure has According to this year’s report by the Ministry of been changing and Polish export has been displaying a clear tendency for high and medium- Economy the positive link between the enterprise- Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency oriented activity level, the economic growth and the high technologically advanced products. 00-585 Warsaw, ul. Bagatela 12 situation on the labour market may easily be According to ministerial experts in order to maintain tel. (+48 22) 334 98 15, fax (+48 22) 334 99 90 observed in Poland. The GDP increase in 2007 by the positive tendency the Polish enterprise needs the e-mail: [email protected] 6.6% reflects the good condition of Polish red tape slashing, the initial business-connected companies. In fact, the annual accounting profit of costs cuts as well as the tax system and the investment private companies, hiring more than 9 persons, in process simplification. The first report “Enterprise in Public Relations Division Economic Promotion Department 2007 rose by 26% y-o-y and accounted for over Poland” was published in 2003. The yearly 127 million PLN. Also in 2007 private undertakings publication is prepared by the Ministry of Economy experienced the highest in decade profit rate and and aims at presenting Polish companies’ economic intensified the employment dynamics by 5%. From condition against the macroeconomic situation of the overall sum of investment costs incurred by Polish the country, examines their overall performance and companies, 126 billion PLN i.e. a 27% increase y-o- pinpoints areas in need of improvement. (Ministry of y, and from the 2 000 billion PLN in form of profits, Economy) Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency www.paiz.gov.pl