Katowice is not only the biggest city in Upper Silesia, but also the capital of the province and the central city of the most densely populated metropolitan area (GZM) in Poland. Probably no other city in Poland has undergone such a rapid and spectacular transformation in the last 20 years - from an industrial center, an icon of heavy industry, to a vibrant metropolis developing towards modern technologies and services. One of the biggest advantages of Katowice is its excellent transport infrastructure - the city is located by two freeways: A1 and A4 motorways and has easy access to the two closest international airports: Katowice Airport and Kraków Airport. And these are not the only conditions that make Katowice one of the most attractive locations in Poland for business development, especially in the business services sector.
The following figures speak of Katowice's potential:
- 2,3 M inhabitants of the Metropolis
- 1,701 people/sqm in Katowice & 839 people/sqm – population density for Metropolis – significantly higher than the average for Poland (122 people/sqm)
- 19 higher education institutions with 90,000 students and 22,000 graduates annually
- 135 BPO, SSC/GBS, IT, and R&D centers with 32,000 employees
- 748,500 sqm of existing office space and 68,600 sqm under construction
- Nearly 50% of the city are green areas
Business services sector
Katowice is one of the biggest business hubs in Poland. The strength of Katowice's economic potential is noticed by a growing number of investors from diverse sectors within the whole economy. Business services sector is the growth sector in Katowice which offers excellent potential for these type of investments. Within Katowice and the Metropolis, there are 136 services centers (BPO, SSC/GBS, IT and R&D) with 32 000 headcount (H1 2023).
The majority of the jobs are created by companies from the USA, France, Germany, the UK and Netherlands which jointly account for over 50% of them. It is worth noting that in this sector in Katowice almost 50% of companies provide IT services, and during COVID-19 time we observed even higher activity of investors planning their investments related to these processes.
Except the newest investors, in Katowice are also companies that decided to invest in Katowice some time ago: Accenture Advanced Technology Centre, Alstom, Altium, Arvato Financial Solutions, Capgemini, Diebold Nixdorf, Fujitsu Technology Solutions, Guardian, Honeywell, Kyndryl, ING TECH Poland, ista, JCommerce Group Inetum, Keywords Studios, Knauf IT Services, Siemens EDA, PwC Service Delivery Center, Rockwell Automation, Sii, Sopra Steria, SGS Global Business Services Europe, Teleperformance Polska, realyr, TÜV Rheinland, Unilever and Adverity, Aebi Schmidt, Ammega, Genpact, GlobalLogic, Guess, Infobip, LKQ, Nexi Digital, SD Worx, TMF Group, Vaillant, Cellnex Telecom.
Investors Assistance Department (IAD)/Katowice City Hall
For those listed above and potential investors support at every investment stage is provided by the Investors Assistance Department of the Katowice City Hall. Our team provides solutions dedicated to each investment profile.
Our strategy is based on attracting new investors as well as comprehensive support for investors who have already invested in our city. For this purpose, it was created a dedicated structure within Katowice City Hall providing one-stop shop assistance based upon each specific investor’s expectations and requirements – Investors Assistance Department (IAD). There are a dozen people employed in the structure of the Investor Assistance Department, four are dedicated to BSS investor service.
Dedicated Project Manager
Every investor is taken care of by an employee of the Investors Assistance Department. A dedicated Project Manager provides support from the very outset of the investment.
Providing market analysis
IAD is able to deliver market analysis about: workforce availability and cost, quality of infrastructure,
stock of modern office space and other useful data.
Site visits and meetings
IAD in a professional way organizes investors’ site visits and holds meetings with the local and regional authorities, universities, etc.
Marketing support
Katowice offers assistance in organizing a marketing campaign about investments in Katowice using city advertising media, such as outdoor, social media and press advertisements. The city of Katowice can provide a support in organizing press conferences by making conference spaces available, inviting members of the media and distributing promotional materials.
Access to the network of institutions & coordinating cooperation with the biggest Silesian universities
IAD cooperates with organizations such as: Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice (RIG), ABSL, US-Polish Trade Council, Poviat Labour Office, as well as the representatives of business services sector in Katowice and University of Silesia in Katowice, Silesian University of Technology or University of Economics in Katowice.
Supports activities related to CSR projects.
IAD enables access and participation in structural educational projects supporting the development of talents in the city, such as: P-TECH, Corporate Readiness Certificate (CRC), Katowice City of Professionals.
Contact information
Investors Assistance Department
Katowice City Hall
Rynek 1
40-003 Katowice
T: +48 32 259 38 26
E: oi@katowice.eu
www.invest.katowice.eu
www.linkedin.com/company/invest-in-katowice
