Podlaskie: Poland's 'green lung' aims to become an investment and innovation hub
From wood and construction to the agri-food sector, the Polish region of Podlaskie has ambitious plans to become a hub for international investment and innovation.
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00:00 Hello and welcome to Podlasie in northeastern Poland, a place bursting with natural beauty
00:13 and culture, but also a region increasingly to do business.
00:24 Situated at the crossroads of European and Asian trading routes, Podlasie wants to drive
00:30 up investment in key sectors, including tech, IT, life sciences and construction.
00:37 Home to plentiful forests, wood is a big focus too.
00:42 Sweden's IKEA is already here in the village of Orla.
00:52 Employing 250 workers, this production facility makes high-density fibreboard, or HDF, used
00:59 in furniture items sold globally.
01:02 Connectivity and the availability of raw materials influenced the choice of location.
01:08 "This decision was taken by means of good infrastructure in this region, and the road
01:17 and the railway and the nearest forest resources from state forests."
01:25 IKEA says sustainability runs through the production here, from this facility using
01:31 wind and solar power to the responsible sourcing of wood.
01:37 "We take all our wood from the state forest.
01:41 That means that wood came from sustainable resources and replanted.
01:48 This process is internationally certified, meaning that we can be sure that all of our
01:55 materials are sustainable."
02:00 Poland has become a major EU economy, attracting foreign direct investment.
02:05 Incoming investment reached a record high of more than 23.5 billion euros in 2021, compared
02:12 to just over 13 billion euros the previous year.
02:17 Now Podlaskie is looking to get a bigger slice of the cake, generating more homegrown businesses
02:23 and making a mark globally.
02:25 "There were positive signals from all over the world, especially from Asia.
02:30 People were interested in cooperation, but Covid and the war in Ukraine and the situation
02:38 in Belarus scared potential investors away.
02:42 It's important that businesses know that it's safe here, but also that the future will be
02:47 safe, because only then will they want to locate here."
02:53 This company in the town of Kolno customises controllers for gaming devices, set up by
02:59 Maciej after returning from the UK to his hometown.
03:03 It's now family run and sells globally.
03:07 "We do have a branch in Poland, we do have a branch in the United States.
03:12 That covers parts of Canada, the United States, Mexico and as well as Europe here.
03:17 We are planning on expanding also to China, Japan, Singapore."
03:22 Wojciech, who's 26, designs covers for the game controllers.
03:27 "I've been interested in computer graphics and games since I was a kid.
03:32 I started learning, developing and that's how I became a graphic designer.
03:37 If I didn't have a job, I would be forced to move out."
03:44 Podlaska, known as the Green Lungs of Poland, also wants to become an investment and innovation
03:50 hub for the agri-food sector, sharing its knowledge and experience to help drive up
03:56 efficiency and sustainability through the adoption of tech.
04:05 This company, which makes food products from grains sourced locally, is already investing
04:10 in its own smart future.
04:12 "We have a full automation process.
04:15 The whole process is monitored by computers.
04:19 We also have packaging robots, cleaning machines.
04:22 We can see that Podlasie companies are developing very well."
04:29 As it looks to the future, Podlaska hopes to become an alternative market for investors,
04:35 including for those looking to do business closer to home.
04:39 "The problems that we've had with COVID, with transport and distribution, it turned
04:45 out that it's worth having resources close to home.
04:47 Therefore, Podlasie, as a region that is so untouched, is a great place to invest."
04:54 -Podlasie.com
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