Monika WOLARSKA
Accounting Manager at RSM Poland
According to the report of the EY consulting company entitled "Investment Attractiveness of Europe", in 2016 Poland was ranked in the top five European countries with the largest number of foreign direct investment (FDI). The United Kingdom, Germany and France stood on the podium, where 51% of new projects were located. Last year, the number of new FDI projects in Poland amounted to 256,
which means an increase by 21% as compared to 2015. European countries which most willingly invest in Poland include Germany, France, Spain and the United Kingdom. Germany is the largest foreign entrepreneur in Poland – it is estimated that over 6 thousand companies with German capital operating in our country employ nearly 300,000 people. Germany invests mainly in industrial processing, e.g. in the automotive and chemical sector.
What makes Poland such an attractive place for investment? Are German companies, from the perspective of time, satisfied with having invested their capital in Poland?
As arises from the Business Survey of the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK), as many as 95% of German companies declare that they would invest in Poland again. According to the report, Poland is the second best country in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of investment attractiveness (rating: 4.09 on a 6-point scale). Only the Czech Republic is ahead of us, with the score of 4.13.
German investors have assessed the investment attractiveness of Poland based on 21 factors. The research shows that our driving force, defining the high rank of Poland as compared to other countries in Central and Eastern Europe, is EU membership, quality and availability of local suppliers, qualifications of employees as well as their productivity and motivation. In comparison to the previous year, there has been an increase in the rating for the transparency of public procurement, labour costs, conditions for research and development, fight against corruption and crime, and public administration. At the same time, the availability of qualified personnel, the system of vocational education and legal security have been rated lower. All in all, it resulted in maintaining Poland's high ranking position.
The outcomes of the AHK survey are optimistic. We look forward to further strengthening the economic relations with our western neighbour and to the growth of the FDI in the coming years. And, consequently, to more orders for our German Desk Team :)
