Looking forward

Poland has come a long way over the last century, but there is room for improvement and although foreseeable challenges lie ahead,there is hope for the future.
In a Poland which consistently pushes boundaries in business, creative production and development, the nature of the country’s future certainly appears to be a rich one, bolstered by ever-growing innovation and international cooperation. In the year of the 100th anniversary of Polish independence, Poland Today spoke with a variety of opinion-formers and leading industry representatives for their take on where the country is headed over the next ten years, and whether recent progress will continue. Poland’s economic development is often, and quite rightly, emphasised in international media, which has exploded across the European stage. For the first 20 years after 1989, Poland’s economic growth was the largest of all nations which had belonged to the former Soviet bloc. This was a development which stood the country in good stead to navigate the tumultuous financial crisis of 2008: Poland was the only country in the EU which avoided recession. Dr Marcin Piatkowski, the author of Europe’s Growth Champion: Insights from the Economic Rise of Poland, sees in the nation a unique financial model in Europe: “Over the last more than a quarter of a century, Poland has become Europe’s growth champion and the fastest growing middle-high income economy in the world, beating even the Asian Tigers. There are no major reasons to believe that this remarkable performance will stop anytime soon. I am convinced that Poland will continue to grow at a respectable pace and by 2030 achieve a level of income per capita close to 80% of the level in Western Europe.”
Strength and unity is a must
Poland’s development over the last decades is undeniable, but it raises questions of what the country must do next to sustain its progress. Kamil Pakosz, Business Development Director at retail and leisure investment company PFI Future and head of start-up tourism business Hello Poland, reiterated how far Poland had come since 1989, but warned that the future for the country was more complex. “There are many internal and external threats that can disrupt the fragile balance that we have been trying to achieve for the last 29 years. Our ability to win those fights depends on how strong and integral we are as a country. My concerns are that without hard work on building a strong and unified society we could lose.” Most notably, interviewees stressed Poland’s recent tumultuous relations with the EU as a cause for concern. Poland joined the EU in 2004, catalysing the growth of a modernised society: the country received L56bn in development funds between 2007 and 2013, which were invested in infrastructure, and its GDP soared from $255bn in 2004 to an estimated $614bn this year. However, all has not been rosy. Artur Kazienko, CEO of Kazar Footwear, believes a lot more could be done to support the nation: “I hope that Poland will use the potential of the EU in the coming decade. Strengthening the role of our country in the international arena, as a valued member of the European community, would bring tangible results not only in terms of business or politics, but also for society and the economy.”
Common sense is a challenge
For David Dolhomut, an acting trade commissioner in Warsaw, the issues are more specific: “As Poland keeps growing as a nation there will be a couple of challenges in the coming 10 years. Since Poland’s entry into the EU , it has been the largest recipient of EU funds. After 2020, the country will have to start thinking on how to sustain itself.” With sustainability in mind, Dolhomut also raised concerns about Poland’s development in terms of energy sources, stressing that the country needs to move away from Russian gas and local coal. An extension of this idea came from Piotr Sawicki, an architect, planner and consultant in the real estate market since 2003, and co-designer of the Warsaw Royal Route redevelopment. “Sustainable transport, bike use, electric cars, high energy efficiency, use of renewable energy sources or wise water treatment and smart city concepts are starting to gain some real interest and wide use in Poland. However political decisions may change this and ruin it if we keep on financing the coal plants and paying the ensuing fees to the EU budget. It’s a challenge to make the economy and common-sense fit with ideology.”
The best designers are here
Sustainability has been trickling into Poland for the last few years, a trend particularly seen in production industries such as fashion. Daria Lesniewska, Head of Online Marketing and PR at homegrown fashion brand RIS K, stressed that current advancements promised a bright future: “Poland is a remarkable production base; the best designers, such as Chanel, Isabel Marant, Marc Jacobs and many Scandinavian brands have been and will continue to base their production in Poland. The growing sustainable fashion trend is causing production to migrate from China mainly to Poland, which is a major chance for our development.” Yet she admits to concerns that such progress may be damaged by increasing polarisation in society, an opinion echoed by Jakub Luboński, the CEO and one of the cofounders of Bin-e, which offers IoT based smart waste bins. His prioritisation of international cooperation across industries is one which would involve a national effort to unwrap opportunities: “I am afraid that we will keep closing up to other cultures in the future. Some countries already consider us as a nation which rejects international collaboration. If we do not change our approach it will block our development.”
Art investment as a norm
Though Poland has been making progress to achieve EU green targets over the last year, most recently improving recycling quotas and embracing renewable energy, the lack of consistent transnational cooperation threatens any permanent progress. Indeed, individuals overwhelmingly suggested that technological advancement on an international scale should be promoted to a greater extent; a message which stretched across varying industries. For Beata Niemczuk, partner of Aurabilia – a firm of contemporary art business consultants – technology is a central medium through which Polish art can expand its potential: “Investment in art as a class asset will become a norm in Poland just like in mature markets. Social media like Instagram, Snapchat and technology-driven solutions and services (like blockchain or cryptocurrency) will do a major job of democratising art among the younger generations.”
In other creative industries, like startups, similar ideas were suggested. Karol Nowalski, Chief Product Officer of two Polish tech startups, believes that Poland is increasing its potential: “Many influencers in tech industries are already looking at Poland as a potential European hub of new business development. As long as we manage to keep this up, it’s going to become a fountain of opportunities.” However, Bartosz Dobrowolski, a Member of the RICS Advisory Board and Founder of Proptech Poland – a network of professionals who aim to digitally transform the property industry in Poland through innovation – warned: “While in the financial services industry Poland is one of the most innovative, compared to the UK, US A or even Western Europe we are still a few steps behind when it comes to real estate digital transformation.”
International Polish brands needed
Jarosław Bator, CEO of co-working provider Business Link, and Wiktor Doktór, CEO of Pro Progressio, an organisation which supports entrepreneurial growth, particularly in the business services sector, agreed that a focus on the foundations of development needed to occur before Poland could reach its potential, suggesting investment in local areas to promote a better quality of life for business trailblazers was of paramount importance. The idea that Poland is en route to a more mature development is undeniable, but the country remains stuttering towards progress, and complications were cited as being principally the result of the nation’s inward-looking attitude. Hermann Simon, founder and Honorary Chairman of business consultancy Simon-Kucher & Partners, and the only German in the Thinkers50 list of the most influential international management thinkers in the world, suggested that the Polish state should promote itself to a far greater extent: “A big challenge is branding. There is not a single Polish brand among the global 100.” A similar sentiment was relayed by Joanna Plaisant, Country Manager for international real estate standards organisation RICS, who suggested that the central development needed was in Poland’s international renown – a factor which has the potential to open up the country’s progress ever-further: “We are strong in terms of economic growth, but for investors the reputation of the country is equally, if not more important. The FTSE Russell index has reclassified Poland from Advanced Emerging to Developed market status from September 2018. We strongly hope that this will help in terms of how we are perceived.” Plaisant also stressed that Poland still required outside investment, even down to human capital – following the nation’s accession to the EU , around two million Poles went abroad, draining the country of talent and labour. Plaisant suggested that Poland now needs to encourage trends to reverse: “The biggest concern currently is human resources. We need to think of a way to bring workers to the market, including from abroad.” For Katy Carr, an award-winning British-Polish recording artist, such development should begin with history, building a brighter future on a reliable past: “Poland is still a young country and has to continue to celebrate the richness of her culture and history. I hope that Poland stays strong to her identity, heritage and creativity without losing her traditions.”
Despite being a young nation, Poland has demonstrated considerable growth over the past number of years, cementing its position in the EU and globally with increased development and innovation. The world’s key players in business and economics, among others, acknowledge Poland’s progress and emergence on the global stage. There is still a way to go, but, as Dobrowolski maintained, the country remains “the bridge between the East and the West.” The extent to which Poland capitalises on these connections in the years ahead will reveal just how bountiful the country’s development can become.
Poland Today reached out to professionals and opinion formers from a variety of sectors about their thoughts on Poland’s future and the main challenges, opportunities that are in store, as well as their personal hopes and concerns for the country in the next 10 years.











