thrives in the new normal

The COVID-19 outbreak has presented a challenge for everyone, including Lithuania’s GBS sector that employs almost 20,000 specialists. But what could have been a story of mass layoffs, actually turned out to be a story of growth and resilience. Thanks to careful planning and agile processes, the country’s GBS centres have adapted to ‘the new normal’ exceptionally quickly, and continue to deliver tangible value for their clients and partners.

According to Eurostat, Lithuania is among the top countries in the EU for the share of young people with digital skills, with more than 90% of young Lithuanians having digital competencies. The potential for digitization is also evident in the fact that as much as 40% of jobs in Lithuania can go digital – the highest percentage among OECD members.

Author:

Head of GBS & ICT Team, Invest Lithuania

Bydgoszcz has been striving for the right climate for the development of economy and creation of entrepreneurship for years. Subsequent industry reports and rankings confirm the strong position of the City on the Polish map of the most attractive business locations. How does Bydgoszcz attract new investments from the BPO/SSC sector? What support from the City can the investor count on? We are discussing these and other topics in an interview with Edyta Wiwatowska – the President of the Management Board of the Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency (BARR).

Edyta Wiwatowska, the President of the Management Board of the Byd goszcz Regional Development Agency (BARR): For several years, Bydgoszcz has been consistently implementing the policy of a "city open to outsourcing" and has been striving to create the best possible conditions for investors from the BPO/ SSC sector to develop their businesses here. As a result of these activities, the sector of modern business services is recording spectacular development in the City. Bydgoszcz relatively quickly became the headquarters of approx. 60 BPO, SSC, IT, and R&D services centres, and the number of jobs created dynamically increased from 1.000 in 2010 to over 11.000 today. Currently, experts rank Bydgoszcz as one of the leading cities that are important for the development of the BPO/SSC market in the country. Many major global companies, such as Atos, Nokia or Cybercom, have chosen this location and are successfully implementing projects for the largest global IT, telecommunications, insurance, and automotive companies, running them from our City.

Thanks to the companies from the IT industry investing here, we have managed to develop a strong local specialization that distinguishes Bydgoszcz. According to last year's report prepared by the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL), the share of IT services in the employment structure of BPO, SSC, IT and R&D centres in Bydgoszcz is the highest in comparison to other centres in Poland (in our City they generate over 80% of workplaces in the sector). Financial and accounting centres and contact centres are also developing more and more dynamically here. In addition to IT services, it is in the F&A industry that we see great potential for further development of the local BPO/SSC sector – especially as the largest number of students and graduates in the region do specialize in finance and accounting.

The local market of modern office space also swiftly reacted to such a dynamic growth of the BPO/SSC industry in Bydgoszcz. Thanks to the investments, the current office area equals to over 108.000 m2, and another 82.000 m2 is currently being built or is at the planning stage. Special exemption from property tax is an additional incentive from the City to invest in modern office properties. The new office buildings offer a high standard, a convenient location in the city centre, easy access to public transport and public services, as well as numerous technological improvements and the possibility of arranging space according to individual needs. Such advantages of the location of the office increase the comfort and attractiveness of the job offers.

We also see that the development of the business services market in Bydgoszcz also increases the demand for coworking offices, enabling flexible selection of space for smaller projects that do not generate a significant number of jobs in the first phase, but are usually based on a few or more employees. This solution becomes an excellent alternative to remote work, thus providing employees with access to modern infrastructure with conference and social facilities, while not having to be associated with a long-term lease. In view of this trend and seeing the increasing

demand for coworking areas, representatives of the City have started discussions with national and international suppliers of such solutions, as a result of which soon their offer will be available also to investors in Bydgoszcz.

Bydgoszcz offers a stable business environment and access to human resources. It also creates a good climate for new investments and the development of existing business. The attractiveness to investors and an appropriate city strategy aimed at openness and ensuring the best possible conditions for entrepreneurs are among the reasons why Bydgoszcz has received international and business awards such as the first place in the World Bank ranking "Doing Business in Poland 2015", was twice awarded the title "Emerging City of the Year" in the CEE Shared Services and Outsourcing Award in 2016 and 2019, or received awards in other prestigious plebiscites of the real estate industry such as CIJ Awards Poland and Eurobuild Awards.

The attracting factor for investment in Bydgoszcz is certainly the potential of local human capital and the possibility of training staff adapted to the needs of investors. About half of students from all over the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship are educated at universities located in our City, and local universities cooperate with business and respond to reported staffing needs by creating courses in consultation with entrepreneurs. In order to ensure that the teaching profile is best adapted to the needs of the local economy, already at the level of secondary schools, the City has focused on the strong, technical nature of Bydgoszcz institutions, which can be an additional advantage for the investor when choosing a location for the development of his business.

Investors also pay attention to the convenient transport location of Bydgoszcz, as well as the availability of modern office parks and investment areas, located within the administrative boundaries of the City. What is also significant for them is the cost competitiveness of this location, not only in terms of the expenses necessary to acquire an employee, but also in the rental of modern office space or the purchase of land. In addition, investors can benefit from a number of investment incentives in our City, such as property tax relief and exemptions or reimbursement of costs

Bydgoszcz relatively quickly became the headquarters of approx. 60 BPO, SSC, IT, and R&D services centres, and the number of jobs created dynamically increased from 1.000 in 2010 to over 11.000 today. Currently, experts rank Bydgoszcz as one of the leading cities that are important for the development of the BPO/SSC market in the country.

Bydgoszcz is one of the greenest cities in Poland, has a rich offer of cultural, entertainment, sports and recreation events, continues to invest to improve urban infrastructure and revitalize the city centre in service to residents and entrepreneurs and constantly improves the quality of public services.

related to equipping new jobs. The City also focuses on efficient and professional investor service. For this purpose, two dedicated city companies operate here: the Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency and the Bydgoszcz Industrial and Technological Park, which continue to seek further investments.

Moreover, what entrepreneurs and their employees are looking for – and they find in our City – is the work-life balance. Bydgoszcz is a city that dynamically develops, and at the same time makes sure to be a place friendly to live and to pursue passions. We are one of the greenest cities in Poland, we have a rich offer of cultural, entertainment, sports and recreation events, we continue to invest to improve urban infrastructure and revitalize the city centre in service to residents and entrepreneurs, we constantly improve the quality of public services. All this makes Bydgoszcz today not only a strong economic centre, but also an attractive and friendly place to live in, develop a career, or for a tourist trip for the weekend.

We provide comprehensive support for investment processes in our City. We offer professional investment services in the one stop shop formula, as well as assistance in the framework of so-called post-investment care. In addition, our activities also include supporting and stimulating entrepreneurship in the region, as well as the broad economic promotion of Bydgoszcz. At BARR we give priority to investors. We offer support from a dedicated coordinator who listens to the needs of entrepreneurs and individually supports them on every stage of the investment process. These activities include aiming to find the optimal solutions for the investors, assistance in finding suitable land or built-up space for the investment and obtaining the necessary permits, support during the recruitment process or when applying for investment incentives available in the City, e.g. in the form of real estate tax exemptions. It is worth mentioning that the activities of our Agency have been particularly specialized in handling investments from the BPO/SSC industry. We also encourage investors to take advantage of BARR's online database of investment offers (www.invest.barr. pl/region/Bydgoszcz), which currently contains more than 150 hectares of land and facilities for a wide range of purposes. An important element of BARR's offer is also the so-called post-investment care, in which entrepreneurs receive assistance in applying for available funds for the development of their activities, participate in cooperative exchanges, or benefit from numerous trainings and business workshops. The Agency also supports entrepreneurs in the field of researching the potential of the local market or establishing

cooperation with universities. The appointment of BARR as a municipal company by the Bydgoszcz authorities in 2013 has made us more flexible and much more efficient in the field of comprehensive service of investment projects in the City. Investors in Bydgoszcz are our partners and have our support in all possible areas. Such a targeted strategy brings results, both in the form of further investment inquiries that we receive, as well as international awards to Bydgoszcz as the most investor-friendly city.

Thank you for the interview.

More information:

4C Unii Lubelskiej Street 85-059 Bydgoszcz Phone: +48 52 585 88 23 e-mail: barr@barr.pl www.barr.pl

An original dome with skylights, collision-free traffic, original Ćmielów porcelain on the walls - these are the elements characteristic for the Kielce bus station. Although it was made in the grayest period of the People's Republic of Poland, it looks like an element of a science fiction film set. Its unique and unusual form results from practical premises. It is the architectural showpiece of Kielce. After renovation that lasted almost two years, on August 27, the cosmic bus station in Kielce was reopened for passengers. The aim of the renovation of the bus station was to adapt the usefulness of the facility designed in the 1970s to modern standards and to increase its aesthetic qualities.

The building was put into use on July 22, 1984 and immediately became the glory and symbol of Kielce. Engineer Mieczysław Kubala created the, then surprising, concept of the station with one continuous platform, delineated in a circle. The circular platform greatly improved the traffic of buses that were coming to the designated sectors and departed smoothly after picking up the passengers. This obvious solution allowed architect Edward Modrzejewski, the main designer of the building, and constructor Jerzy Radkiewicz to "hide" the station building inside a circular platform. The project, at that time, was innovative, as it assumed the use of collision-free communication solutions. In Poland it was speculated that it would become a typical model for other cities. Due to the excellent and, most of all, original functionality of the station, the Kielce designers obtained a patent for the collision-free communication solutions used. In the "Informatory", published on the occasion of the opening of the bus station in 1984, we read: "Due to the small area limited by the existing streets, a decision to build a circular station was made. The floor plan of the station building has a diameter of 35 meters. It is

made of a steel structure with a domeshaped roof. The interior design is made of aluminum sections, glass, washed terrazzo, marble and prefabricated porcelain elements.” During the construction of the station, problems with the availability of materials, especially finishing

Location: Kielce, Czarnowska 12 Street

Investor: Public Transport Authority in Kielce

Architectural design: Kamiński Bojarowicz Architekci Contractor: Budimex

Construction site area: 31,730 sq m Footprint area: 1 404 sq m Usable floor area of the station building: 3 577 sq m Cubage: 18 225 cu m Building height: 22.5 m Reconstruction design: 2016 (architectural competition) Realization: 2018–2020

Investment value: approx. PLN 70 million gross

materials, were common and forced to look for original solutions. One of them was the wall cladding made of cullet, imported from the factories in Ćmielów and Chodzież. In the middle of the building, a wide staircase has been designed leading from the lower level to the main floor, located at the platform level. On the mezzanine that runs along the entirety, there were waiting rooms for mothers with children, afterschool clubs, cloakrooms, toilets and a large eating place. Six twin doors led to the platform, leading to twelve departure stations, covered by a wide roof. Above it, the structure of the station hall emerged with the most characteristic element – an openwork dome full of circular spherical skylights.

The splendor of the Kielce saucer did not last long. With the advent of 1990, the situation of a large state-owned enterprise changed – it was divided into hundreds of smaller private and state entities. Many of them, unable to meet the challenges of the free market, went bankrupt and sold their assets. The facility was registered into the list of monuments in 2013, but two years later the new owner presented the concept of transforming the station into a shopping mall. Hardly anyone shared the investor's enthusiasm at that time – both the residents and the authorities were dissatisfied. After the protests, the city bought the station in 2016. Soon afterwards, in a cooperation with the Association of Polish Architects, the City of Kielce announced an architectural competition for the modernization of the station with the necessary condition of preserving the entire original structure. Out of 9 works that entered the competition, the work by Marcin Kamiński and Bartosz Bojarowicz from Kielce turned out to be the best. The authors presented a concept in which, thanks to the use of modern materials and technologies, managed to preserve the spirit of the 1970s.

In September 2018, the reconstruction of the station began. The area at Czar nowska Street was handed over to constructor – Budimex. The Communication Center in Kielce was reopened on August 27, 2020. Thanks to the investment, more than 36 years after its construction, the bus station building in Kielce got a second life, and the city's inhabitants gained a modern and functional transport hub.

– The developed bus station in Kielce is a modern, integrated communication center. It was built anew, but with its characteristic shape, which makes it unique not only in Poland, but also in

Ceramic set PKS Bus Station in Kielce, author: Marta Dachowska, Design Institute in Kielce. Photo: Paula Dulnik.

Europe. It is again the "pearl" of our city. The interiors are modernized appropriate for the 21st century and the newly arranged surroundings meet the expectations of passengers while devoiding of architectural barriers. Certainly, a facility of this class will affect the transport accessibility of Kielce, the quality of travel, and the image of the city. The added value will be the translation of these advantages into the development of tourism or economic activity – emphasizes the Mayor of Kielce, Bogdan Wenta.

The reopening of the revitalized station and redirection of communication here will increase the city's income thanks to carriers using the station's space and leasing space for commercial and service activities. The unique shape of the new Communication Center has a significant impact on the increase in the image attractiveness of the city. A modernly arranged space, also on the outside of the building, a stylish fountain in the fog and the omnipresent greenery make this place one of the points for organization of interesting urban zones.

Additionally, thanks to the redirection of some bus lines and numerous facilities for disabled people, the number of public transport users will increase, also among this social group. In the newly opened building there is also a city promotion room, where the investment support offer is presented, among others, by Kielce Technology Park or Investor Assistance Center.

The building, which is the symbol of Kielce, does not lack innovative technological solutions – one of them is special glass forming the walls of the station, which will darken depending on the conditions outside.

The Communication Center has three levels. On level 0 there are entrances to tunnels from the street level, on level 1 – departure platforms and on level 2 there is a mezzanine with a multimedia library, the Poczytalnia na dVoRcu (Reading Room) – a place where tradition meets modernity and everyone will find something for themselves. Mediateka is a branch of the Municipal Public Library in Kielce. Its offer includes books in traditional form, magazines, audiobooks, but also board games available on-site. The inhabitants of Kielce, tourists and travelers can take advantage of many publications donated by the Regional Tourist Organizations from various parts of Poland and the municipalities of the Świętokrzyskie Region. For those eager for some unforgettable experiences, a virtual reality zone has been created. Eleven stations equipped with the most advanced devices, such as: HTC VIVE PRO, Oculus Quest and Oculus GO, provide access to countless games and applications. Cyclical workshops called "Virtual Reality Academy of the Future" will be organized, where thanks to technological possibilities, participants will be able to walk along the Chinese Wall, move to a virtual laboratory, visit museums or a space station. One of the main assumptions of Mediateka is to create a reader-friendly space for the exchange of thoughts, views, deepening interests and passions. The atmosphere of this place will be maintained in a club atmosphere, emphasized not only by the exclusive interior, but also by meetings with exceptional guests. The plans include the organization of events, exhibitions of works by artists from Świętokrzyskie Province and presentations of regional "pearls" of culture and tourism.

More information:

Strycharska 6 Street, 25-659 Kielce Phone: +48 41 36 76 571, 41 36 76 557 e-mail: coi@um.kielce.pl www.invest.kielce.pl/en www.mapa.invest.kielce.pl/en

Częstochowa is the fourth most recognizable Polish city in the world and the thirteenth-largest. A city with a strong academic traditionand industrial focuses on the development of the economy which meets the expectations of investors. However, attractive investment areas and efficient investor service are not everything. Thorough training of the workforce and creating human resources for business is a priority – currently, around 15,000 students study in the city.

In Częstochowa, despite the pandemic, the number of business entities remains at a constant level, and the number of business entities has been increasing in recent years.

In 2013, the City Council adopted the "Program for Supporting Entrepreneurship and Creating New Jobs". One of the development priorities indicated in this program is: "effective cooperation of city authorities, entrepreneurs, universities and other institutions...". A continuation of the program created in close cooperation with entrepreneurs is the current presidential program Better Job Now, under which the system of subsidies and promotion of Częstochowa universities operates: "Akademicka Częstochowa" ("Academic Częstochowa").

According to government data, the fields of study that work best on the labour market are IT, construction, mechanics and machine construction, automation and robotics, and environmental engineering. In addition to specialist technical knowledge, foreign languages, especially English, as well as cognitive and problem-solving skills are essential. The possibility of studying technical faculties in English is provided by the Częstochowa University of Technology, which, as part of the European Faculty of Engineering, offers inter-faculty engineering studies in English.

The studies are conducted by experienced lecturers from the Częstochowa University of Technology as well as lecturers from foreign partner universities.

Students can choose four specializations: Computer Modeling and Simulation, Biotechnology for Environmental Protection, Intelligent Energy and Business and Technology.

The studies are distinguished by a multidisciplinary educational program and individual approach to the student. Classes are conducted in small, international groups with the use of modern teaching methods.

The energy sector has developed rapidly in recent times, especially because of the dwindling resources of conventional energy sources. More and more funds are allocated to supporting research and implementation of the latest technologies in this sector, especially in the field of renewable energy sources.

It is anticipated that soon, specialists from the energy sector, especially those with professional experience, will be in request on the labour market. To meet the expectations of entrepreneurs, the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology of the Częstochowa University of Technology has created the so-called practical profile – Energy. Contrary to the general academic profile, a graduate of practical studies, apart from knowledge, skills and social competences, acquire professional experience already during the studies. Students of energetics spend one day a week at their employers, carrying out practical classes.

Moreover, one semester of studies is dedicated to an internship with an entrepreneur. The Faculty's partners in education are the largest companies in the region related to the energy sector and broadly understood environmental engineering, including: Fortum Power and Heat Polska Sp. z o.o., Tauron Dystrybucja S.A. branch in Częstochowa, TRW Polska, Sunningwell

To meet the expectations of entrepreneurs, the Faculty of Environmental Engineering and Biotechnology of the Częstochowa University of Technology has created the so-called practical profile – Energy. A graduate of this studies, apart from knowledge, skills and social competences, acquire professional experience already during the studies. Students of energetics spend one day a week at their employers, carrying out practical classes.

(ISD Huta Częstochowa), Górnośląska Spółka Gazownictwa, Przedsiębiorstwo Wodociągów i Kanalizacji Okręgu Częstochowskiego S.A., Oczyszczalnia Ścieków "WARTA" S.A. in Częstochowa, Polontex, Częstochowskie Przedsiębiorstwo Komunalne Sp. z o.o. or the Regional Development Agency.

Entrepreneurs from the automotive industry and modern glassworks feel particularly comfortable in the city. The city is becoming more and more attractive for centres of modern business services and has been indicated by Cushman & Wakefield as an alternative for investors from this sector.

Work in this sector is a source of jobs for qualified graduates of Częstochowa universities.

For this reason, the Department of Management in the Częstochowa University of Technology, majoring in accounting, has launched a specialization in "Accounting in Shared Service Centers". The Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the Częstochowa University of Technology, in turn, started cooperation with the Engineering Center TRW, and the Faculty of Metal Processing created glass engineering. The prestige of the university is increasing: Akademia im. Jana Długosza was transformed into the University, and the Częstochowa University of Technology triumphs, for example, at the international competition of Mars rovers in the USA, where, in 2018, we were the best. Establishing the University is a very important argument of the city in terms of investment. The equipment of new laboratories at the Częstochowa University of Technology and the Jan Długosz University is often subsidized under the "Academic Częstochowa" program – the condition is the business justification for the establishment of such a laboratory and documented cooperation with companies from the city. Every year, about PLN 200,000 is spent from the city budget for this purpose.

Author: A. Tymoshenko

Translation: M. Wytrzymała

More information:

Investor Assistance Center Department of European Funds and Development City Hall of Częstochowa Waszyngtona 5 Street, 42-217 Częstochowa Phone: +48 34 3707 212, +48 34 3707 213 e-mail: coi@czestochowa.um.gov.pl, fer@czestochowa.um.gov.pl www.czestochowa.pl

Two years ago, Kuba Midel started his career on YouTube with the question: “Are the streets paved with gold?”. The resident of Łódź claims that, at the age of 30, he reached the level of passive income allowing him to live off property investments. The main area of his business in recent years has been the property rental market in Łódź (including flats). The YouTube channel on which Midel shares his experience has over 123,000 followers. And it’s no wonder, who would not like to work just for pleasure in their thirties? Let’s take a closer at the market, which – as demonstrated by this live example – creates opportunities to achieve it.

Mzuri, the largest company in Poland specialising in the management of rentals of flats, houses and luxury apartments, notes that Łódź is becoming more and more popular among investors interested in allocating their capital in flats for rent. In the last decade, the company have assisted in the investment purchases of approximately 1,500 such housing units. It is estimated that 30-40% of them were properties situated in Łódź (and it should be noted that Mzuri assists investors in 15 cities in Poland). What speaks in favour of Łódź?

Mzuri points out three major factors. The first is the relatively high profitability of the investment. The report ‘Flat rental market in Łódź’, prepared in cooperation with Mzuri and the City of Łódź Office, compared the changes in the profitability of flat investments over the last five years. The analysis included Warsaw, Kraków, Gdańsk, Katowice and Łódź. In 2015, the ratio of rent to the purchase price of a flat was worse in Łódź than in Katowice, and it was at the same level as in Gdańsk. In 2020, Łódź has become the profitability leader among these large cities. The hypothetical profitability of the flat rental investments in Łódź is estimated by Mzuri to be 6.3%. This result is worse (by 0.5%) than five years ago; however, the drop in profitability in Łódź is lower than in most of the biggest Polish cities. Given that, at the same time, the interest rates decreased by approximately 1.5%, it turns out that investing in flats for rent – in Łódź in particular – is still today a better alternative than a deposit compared to five years ago.

The second reason for the significant interest of investors in the flat rental market in Łódź is the required investment value, which is relatively low. The cost of purchasing a flat in Łódź is still considerably lower than in some of the other largest Polish cities (excluding Silesia). In Warsaw, a similar flat costs up to twice as much and, in other municipalities, up to several dozen per cent more. The average price per square metre for a flat in the secondary market in Łódź is PLN 5,011, PLN 5,106 in Katowice, PLN 7,766 in Kraków, PLN 8,347 in Gdańsk and PLN 9,705 in Warsaw.

The third reason for the prevalence of Łódź among investors seeking flats for rent mentioned by Mzuri is the dynamic growth of the city. The company points out that the perspectives are very promising in this area.

Therefore, institutional investors also look at Łódź more and more often. Although admittedly it is not as popular as Warsaw or Kraków, its importance on the investment map of Poland is growing systematically. The following companies have already invested in Łódź: Resi4Rent, Arche

and Vantage Development. Additionally, new institutional investors have declared their interest in buying flats for rent in this city. In its report, Mzuri indicated that the upcoming years will definitely expand the list of funds owning properties in Łódź.

The city already is one of the key locations for group investments (crowdfunding/crowdinvesting) in Poland. It was Łódź where the first entity of this type was established in Poland – Mzuri CFI 1. They thoroughly renovated a tenement house located on Targowa Street (Number 55) and sold the flats in the building to investors and built a new property, with housing units next to it, for rent. Currently, Mzuri CFI Łódź has over 70 flats for rent in Łódź in its portfolio. Also, Revisit Home – a company that helps private investors participate in large property development projects – has its operations in the city too. It runs three parallel investments in Łódź.

We have already mentioned the issue of a favourable relation between property purchase prices and rent in Łódź. Let’s now have a look at the potential impact. In the past five years, the average rent in Łódź has increased by 39%. As the increase was lower than in most large cities in Poland, the gap between Łódź and other metropolises was reduced. The average rent of flats in Łódź in the first quarter of 2020 was PLN 1,103. It is more than in Katowice but still less than in Kraków (PLN 1,499), Gdańsk (PLN 1,700) and Warsaw (PLN 1,891).

According to the data (as of the 31st of May 2020), the monthly net rent (the part of the fee that goes to flat owners after deducting administrative costs, media etc.) was: PLN 533 for a room, PLN 936 for a studio, PLN 1,175 for a two-room flat and PLN 1,358 for a three-room flat. This data refers to the coronavirus pandemic and include drops caused by the crisis (the biggest drop concerned rooms in which tenants consisted mostly of students). The report from Mzuri and the City Hall of Łodź points out that: in May 2020, the decreases relating to the pandemic and the resulting crisis have not yet wiped out the increases noted in the last 12 months. The authors of the report emphasise that it is still too early to clearly assess the impact of the pandemic on the flat rental market. The initial conclusions, however, seem to be optimistic for the investors. The report states that the beginning of the lockdown brought a freeze in new transactions across the whole country, although the situation is now improving. According to the data from June 2020, neither rent nor flat prices decreased significantly, meaning that the return on investments has not changed markedly.

A moderately mild impact of the pandemic on the market in Łódź is proven by a lower percentage of vacancies (properties available for immediate rent) compared to the largest cities in Poland. At the end of the first quarter, their percentage was: 8.7% for studios (10.4% in Poland), 3.3% for two-room flats (7.5%), 5.6% for threeroom flats (6.6%) and 13.9% for rooms (13.0%).

The flat rental market in Łódź has (today) approximately 50,000 housing units, which is approximately 14% of the entire housing resources. A significant part of them – which also distinguishes the market in Łódź from most Polish cities – is situated in tenement houses. The recent years have recorded a growth in the market and the improved quality of rented units (also thanks to the refurbishment of tenement houses). The perspectives for the future seem to be good. In addition to the factors that support the flat rental market in the whole country, Łódź has its own characteristics which are promising.

The next ten years should bring significant change. The anticipated trends are the improvement of the quality of what is on offer, the increasing role of institutional investors, the greater importance of tenement houses and post-industrial buildings, and the emergence of more (and less) attractive districts for investors allocating funds to flats for rent. Despite an increase in property prices, Łódź remains one of the most attractive Polish cities for investors who buy flats to rent. There are signs that this will not change in the coming years. We can expect that this trend will be maintained.

The article was written based on the report ‘Flat rental market in Łódź’, prepared in cooperation of Mzuri and the City of Łódź Office.

More information:

Piotrkowska 104a Street, 90-926 Lodz Phone: +48 42 638 59 39 Fax: +48 42 638 59 40 e-mail: boi@uml.lodz.pl

There are many factors responsible for the success of the modern business services sector, and human capital is one of the most important ones. The City of Lublin is actively engaged in building good relations and links between local businesses and higher education institutions. For many years, the universities have been providing human resources to companies in the BSS sector, helping them to develop their personnel and to co-create specific technological solutions. Let’s find out what the new reality of this collaboration looks like and how Lublin’s students drive business.

Although it has only just begun, new academic year 2020/2021 has already brought many changes. Even though the second semester of the previous year started at the university, distance learning has already begun, and this trend is now continuing – all Lublin universities have chosen a hybrid organization of courses, combining distance learning with a traditional form of education. Only courses that require the physical presence of students are conducted in the traditional form. Freshmen who are already present in Lublin and study in the traditional form are an exception.

This year is special not only because of the teaching form, but also the investments completed by universities, which are expanding their facilities to even better meet the needs of business, develop innovation, and commercialize research. Students and staff of the Faculty of Political Sciences and Journalism, and the Institute of Psychology of the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University began the academic year at the modern Western Campus. The complex of three buildings of more than 11,000 sqm cost almost PLN 84 million. As part of the campus, construction of the new Institute of Pedagogy is also underway – the building is expected to be operational by the end of 2021. The Lublin University of Technology has also started the new academic year with a new building. The Centre for Information Technologies and Technical Linguistics was built at Nadbystrzycka Street. The complex houses modern teaching rooms and laboratories, including an audio-video room dedicated to IT students who want to develop their skills related to film and TV production. Thanks to investments like these, students have better conditions to acquire competences required on the labour market. It has practically become a standard that already in the 1st year of the Master's degree, IT students become employees of the Lublin-based companies and thus ambassadors of the local universities.

Apart from innovations and development of their facilities, Lublin universities focus on adapting their educational offer to the real needs of the businesses. Thus, academic year 2020/2021 saw first students of International and European Union Law, Public Relations or Information Management. However, new courses related to data analysis may prove to be absolute hits, namely Business Analytics at UMCS and Data Engineering and Analysis launched at the Lublin University of Technology. Business Analytics programme is of interdisciplinary nature and combines topics from different scientific fields – computer science, mathematics, statistics, economics, law or management, and enables students to acquire skills such as the application of IT tools for the automation of processes of data acquisition, processing and visualization. The course

Kampus Zachodni UMCS. Fot. Marcin Wiechnik. West Campus, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University. Photo: Marcin Wiechnik.

students 60,315

internationalisation 11.12%

graduates 14,522

business, law, administration 11,335

languages 2,415

IT & ICT 4,545

technical 5,139

opens up employment opportunities with companies, the financial sector or consulting firms in positions such as business analyst, distribution analyst, supply chain analyst, SAP market analyst, business decision analyst or planning specialist. Similarly, the challenges of modern businesses are met by the Lublin University of Technology – big data, data processing, programming languages or administration of computer networks are some of the key elements of the curriculum of Data Engineering and Analysis course.

Where does the need for investments and development of Lublin universities come from? The answer to this question is quite simple. Almost every sixth person living in Lublin is a student – it’s really difficult to imagine the city without students. There are 60,315 of them at 9 universities in Lublin, and if they disappeared, it is as if the town of Zamość would be erased from the map of Lubelskie Region. It is worth mentioning that each year the ratio of foreign students increases. In academic year 2012/2013 the proportion of foreigners at Lublin's universities was 3.05%, while now it is more than three times higher (11.12%). This puts Lublin in the first place among the metropolises in terms of the internationalisation of students. However, the 6,707 international students from 106 countries studying in Lublin not only represent the academic potential of the city, but also create opportunities for companies in the business services sector to attract employees. Their language skills contribute to the development of international service centres in Lublin, which work for clients from all over the world. In view of this potential, Lublin's universities place a strong emphasis on developing the offer of foreign language teaching, focusing on practical language skills, which are then applied in business. Including language courses, students in Lublin study at 171 faculties. The greatest number of them study computer science (3,272), medicine (3,099), law (2,880), nursing (2,575), psychology (2,303), management (2,024), finance and accounting (1,915), internal security (1,607), administration (1,561) and economics (1,540).

Ukraine Belarus

Taiwan

Zimbabwe

USA

Thailand

India

Norway

Nigeria

Kazakhstan

Lublin was the first city in Poland to include the academic sector in its development strategy. This step helped to establish cooperation between the Lublin self-government, universities and entrepreneurs based in Lublin. The strategy of merging academic institutions with entrepreneurs has been developed for several years and is visible at various levels.

For example, last year the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University together with the Lublin branch of Billennium IT company launched an innovative research and development project that is expected to lead to the creation of a system for early detection of brain cancer. The system will also support the treatment of patients with cancer by identifying the most effective treatment methods. Using new technologies like artificial intelligence, machine learning or data analysis, students from the Institute of Computer Science and employees of Billennium are working together to save human lives. This project is a milestone in the early detection and treatment of brain cancer. The already mentioned COVID-19 pandemic has changed the way we function day by day, therefore Lublin universities together with local companies initiated projects aimed at combating coronavirus. The University of Life Sciences in Lublin in cooperation with Lublin-based company NOYEN and Mobile Industrial Robots developed a disinfection robot suitable for disinfecting various surfaces, and thanks to its ability to avoid obstacles, it is also suitable for working among people. The designed solution allows to maintain the cleanliness and sterility of work surfaces, thanks to which businesses can adapt their facilities to the applicable sanitary regime standards and ensure the safety of their clients and employees, while maintaining the continuity of work and projects. Another excellent example of cooperation between universities and the business community is a joint effort by the Medical University of Lublin and Biomed. As part of the collaboration the world's first drug for COVID-19 was developed, the composition of which is based on the recovery plasma, which was successfully used for the first time in March this year to treat COVID-19 patients, nota bene in a hospital in Lublin. Currently, the drug is in the phase of clinical trials and will be brought to the market after the successful completion of these trials. The company declares that the drug could be widely used to treat coronavirus as early as the beginning of 2021.

The growth of a company requires human capital, space to carry out its activities, soft and hard skills to achieve the goals of the organisation. The cooperation of Lublin’s universities with business provides necessary elements for this growth, both for the city, academic milieus and companies. Besides the high quality of education and openness of local universities and colleges for different forms of partnership, also their flexibility and ability to quickly react to evolving needs of modern businesses make up the growing potential of academic Lublin.

More information:

Director of Investor Relations Office Lublin City Hall Phone: +48 81 466 25 42 e-mail: lukasz.gos@lublin.eu

Poznan is gaining in importance on the European business and technology map. The investment in the extension of the Data Center campus announced by Beyond.pl provides an opportunity for the City to become one of the top emerging data processing centres in Europe. And to attract even more companies from the new technology sector.

Four kilometres away from the A2 motor way connecting Berlin and Warsaw a giant data centre campus is under construction. It is to become one of Europe’s largest facilities of the kind in terms of space and capacity offered – 45,000 sq. m and 42MW (megawatts), respectively. This new investment will promote Poznan to the league of major Central European data centre locations.

– It is no longer news that the mature FLAP-D market, comprised of Frankfurt, London, Amsterdam, Paris and Dublin, is more and more saturated with regards to access to property and energy for the development of data centers. In consequence, service prices in these markets are increasing. As a result, the significance of so-called secondary data center markets is rising. One of the recently published reports on data centre markets forecasts that Reykjavik, Oslo, Zurich and Warsaw will become important data centre locations. In my opinion, however, due to the dynamic growth in demand for data processing, the need for such secondary centres is even greater. And therefore Poznan, likewise, is an example of an emerging location for data centres which is ideally positioned to provide services to customers in Central Europe, including Germany – says Beyond.pl’s CEO Wojciech Stramski.

15 years ago, the company decided to locate its first data centre in Poznan, the capital of the Wielkopolska Region. A few years ago, it built another facility that at present is the only data centre in the European Union with the highest Rated 4 Certificate issued by the international organisation ANSI/TIA-942 auditing data processing facilities. The highest level of security in several fields is one of the attributes that has made Beyond.pl’s facilities a viable alternative to those located in Warsaw. In August this year, the company decided to go one step further – to extend its campus to meet the growing demand of customers and allow it to compete not only with Polish, but also with Western data centres.

According to Wojciech Stramski, foreign companies looking for a basic or backup data centre will see the proximity of Poznan to the western market as a very attractive offering. The city’s location in the heart of Europe also translates into technological advantages. – Latency from Poznan to Warsaw and from Poznan to Berlin is only 4 milliseconds, to Frankfurt – 10 milliseconds. Based on these arguments, Beyond.pl decided to locate its next investment project in Poznan – he indicates.

The scale of Beyond.pl’s investment is best reflected by the total capacity of the campus that will increase by as much as 34MW. In proportion, it will grow more than the campus space because the data centre infrastructure is being prepared to provide capacity for high-density colocation needs. Future customers may count on up to 20kW capacity per server rack, with very high energy efficiency. This is very relevant, because, combined with the target capacity of 42MW, it will allow Beyond.pl to meet infrastructure needs of the most demanding customers, both from Poland and abroad.

– Demand for state-of-the-art server space is growing dynamically. On the one hand, it is required by more and more Polish companies that have accelerated or are launching digitisation projects due to the pandemic. On the other hand, we have cloud service providers entering Central European markets, companies offering SaaS solutions, and large corporations searching for providers outside Western Europe. Beyond.pl already acts as a basic and backup data centre for some global

brands. Ensuring similar, and often even higher, service levels in terms of physical and infrastructure security and continuity of service as facilities operating in mature markets, we are an attractive partner for these actors. Furthermore, our offer is significantly more competitive thanks to lower energy and labour costs compared to Western markets – Beyond.pl CEO Wojciech Stramski points out.

And he provides an example to support his opinion. A few years ago, Beyond.pl was contacted by representatives of a global financial company. Until then this company had used server colocation services in a few locations dispersed across Western and Central Europe. The business goal of their new project was to centralise dispersed EU infrastructure resources into one external data centre.

CAR BOMB AND RAT POISON

Due to the sensitive data processing requirements and the stringent need to ensure continuity of service, Beyond.pl’s campus was subject to various analyses. The financial player attached great importance to security. Before the cooperation commenced, the facility’s capacity and level of physical and infrastructure security was verified in great detail over a 2 month period. A few reference visits had been organised for representatives of the customer responsible for physical security and data centre management at the Global corporate headquarters. Issues related to facility security and emergency response were checked with the utmost diligence. These included the a simulated car bomb explosion or frequency of rodent poison replacement! Other important aspects taken into account by the the customer included among others energy security, redundant power supply, and high energy efficiency.

And, finally, the financial giant chose Poznan and Beyond.pl’s Data Center

campus.

Demand for state-of-the-art server space is growing dynamically. On the one hand, it is required by more and more Polish companies that have accelerated or are launching digitisation projects due to the pandemic. On the other hand, we have cloud service providers entering Central European markets, companies offering SaaS solutions, and large corporations searching for providers outside Western Europe.

This financial corporation is just one of many companies that have chosen Poznan as a place to do business. Microsoft, Lumen Technologies, Capgemini – Poznan has attracted companies for years, in particular from the new technology industry. International corporations as well as Polish enterprises decide to develop their businesses in Poznan. According to Statistics Poland’s (GUS) data, there are almost 13,000 ICT companies operating in the Wielkopolska Region. Of which over 9,000 in the Poznan Agglomeration. Interestingly, the number of IT service providers is growing rapidly. Within a year it has increased by over 1,000. Startups are another fast-growing segment. It is estimated that about 200 young technology companies operate in Poznan. Some names worth mentioning are Jakdojadę, Qpony, Legimi or Dice, have achieved international success.

– Poznan is a very good location for running an IT business, as identified by last year’s report prepared by ManpowerGroup’s Experis experts. As many as 84% surveyed companies admitted that Poznan was good for running an IT company, and 80% positively assessed high skills and effectiveness of IT employees. This certainly speaks volumes about the competencies of Poznan specialists, and was additionally confirmed by the Outsourcing Star award in the City category, granted by the Pro Progressio foundation – Katja Lożina, Head of the Investor Relations Department at Poznan City Hall, explains. – Furthermore, the Investor Relations Department’s initiatives support and integrate the IT community in Poznan. We cooperate with local universities on a daily basis and co-organise many industry events. In 2019, we supported several events, and this year we are present at online conferences, too. Since last year, we have also organised, together with a group of Poznan employers, the pozitive technologies conference for IT specialists – adds K. Lożina.

The technological potential of Poznan has been recognised by Western analysts as well. In CBRE’s EMEA Tech Cities ranking that analyses the biggest technology clusters across Europe, the Middle East and Africa, Poznan counts among the most technologically advanced cities in the region and has been indicated as a growing centre – Growth Cluster. According to research, the city has noted a 64% increase in employment in this sector over the last 10 years. What has made Poznan one of the most important new technology development centres in just a few years?

– The city’s investment potential is multidimensional. Poznan is an important academic centre with a network of public and private higher education institutions, educating 110,000 students annually. In terms of the number of students, Poznan ranks 4th in Poland, and Poznan University of Technology is one of the best Polish technical universities, ensuring continuous access to highly skilled IT personnel. For us, this aspect is very important, as competencies are what contributes to Poland’s lead as a digital valley in Central Europe – Beyond.pl CEO Wojciech Stramski emphasises.

Beyond.pl’s ongoing investment project means not only new jobs for IT specialists, but also an opportunity to attract

new investors to the City. Among them – technology companies looking for colocation space in Europe. Does it mean that Poznan will host servers and data of giants such as Microsoft, Amazon or Google? It is not impossible, because Beyond.pl’s investment is designed to meet hyperscalers’ expectations. For Western companies, another argument in favour of choosing the Poznan campus, apart from its geographical location, may also be the fact that Beyond.pl is powered by fully by renewable energy.

– Taking measures to limit the negative environmental impact of data centres is necessary. What is important and what pleases me personally, is that more and more customers make the reduction of CO2 emissions part of their corporate values and are more willing to choose partners operating in accordance with the principles of sustainable development – Wojciech Stramski points out.

Indeed, the giants tend to use server colocation services provided by data centres that meet requirements regarding low CO2 emissions. This is best illustrated by initiatives undertaken by cloud service providers. Google had pledged to use only carbon-free energy by 2030. And Microsoft is testing hydrogen technology as a power source for its data centre and for two years has successfully implemented its Project Natick. Placing data centres underwater in steel cylinders has resulted in 8 times less server breakdown than on dry land. The experiment conclusions may form the basis for the sustainable development of data centres.

Beyond.pl follows this path as well. Its Data Center 2 is already one of the most energy efficient facilities in Poland. Using its full capacity it reaches a PUE (power usage effectiveness) level of 1.2 while in the Polish market this metric is at present between 1.4 and 1.6 on average.

– The mere use of thermal energy from a server room to heat our office and technical building or adiabatic cooling of the data centre bring tangible benefits, while these form only part of solutions we apply at the moment – explains Michał Grzybkowski, Founder and Executive VP Technology at Beyond.pl. In practice, technological solutions implemented at Beyond.pl’s campus enable its customers to reduce their carbon footprint and achieve significant energy savings, which translates to a great extent into reduced IT infrastructure maintenance budgets.

The expansion of of Beyond.pl’s campus is the third largest investment announced in the Polish data centre market, after Google’s and Microsoft’s projects with a total value of USD 3 billion. Not just customers, but also Poznan will benefit from it. – The extension of our DC campus to 42MW will allow the city to gain a stable position on the map of European emerging markets and rank among TOP3 local centres – summarises Wojciech Stramski.

More information:

Za Bramką 1 Street, 61-842 Poznan Phone: +48 61 878 54 28 e-mail: inwestor@um.poznan.pl www.poznan.pl/invest

The pandemic has shocked the world, bringing it to its knees. But on the other hand, it has accelerated transformation like never before. Working together has taken on a whole new dimension, especially for the aviation industry.

Airlines, airports, and service providers have had to adopt technological solutions to achieve greater operational efficiency, apply new safety requirements, and anticipate and respond to the latest uncertainties related to air operations.

Pomerania has a valuable place in the aerospace industry in Poland. While the rest of Poland has been associated with the production of parts and spares for global aircraft manufacturers, Pomerania develops the brains and is a leader in data processing, security, and development of technological solutions in Aviation.

Recognizing this, Invest in Pomerania has bought together all the players in the Pomerania aviation sector under the umbrella of the Aviation Hub, Pomerania! The aviation industry in the region employs more than 1,700 people and is characterized by cross-company cooperation and transfer of knowledge and experts in the field of navigation, avionics, and ground operations.

The Pomeranian Aviation Hub was established by regional institutional partners, namely Invest in Pomerania, the Gdańsk Economic Development Agency, the Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport, and corporate partners like Boeing Global Services and Smart4Aviation with their operational and technological experience.

Joint efforts made to promote and share knowledge are already showing results in building awareness of highclass aviation products and services created and developed in Pomerania. Currently, the business key area of many companies from the region, especially from the 3cITy, is software development, important for the automation and optimization of work and processes in all branches of the aviation industry. The software developed in 3cITy assists pilots and aircrew, but also airport service teams, ground staff, administration staff, mechanics, and air traffic controllers, etc.

Furthermore, rapid growth in the number of travellers at the Gdańsk Lech Wałęsa Airport shows the need to seek more effective and automated solutions to competitively manage the passenger traffic. In 2019, the Gdańsk airport handled a record number of 5.37 million passengers, thereby becoming one of the most important airports in Poland, and perhaps in the entire Baltic Sea basin. Hence it is the need of the hour to create a common space for aviation companies and a communication platform for industry specialists.

As mentioned earlier, Pomerania’s speciality is in the area of developing software and solutions that not only power the aircraft but also ensure its safety. At one of our partners, i.e. Boeing Global Services, there are two main teams. One deals with navigation data, while the other with software tools and products for customers.

Both these groups are integrated and hence aviation specialists train the personnel, especially technicians without aviation education, and help them gain a perspective of a pilot or an airline manager. In return, software specialists show the latest achievements and solutions and explain how they use navigation data to plan flights or carry out physical maintenance of aircraft.

Our other partner, Smart4Aviation, a manufacturer of software for the aviation industry operating on the market for 20 years, offers the best product in its class thanks to dozens of product deployments in airlines around the world. S4A Smart LOAD application helps significantly reduce fuel consumption costs and at the same time, ensures compliance with the weight and balance limits.

The aviation industry in Pomerania employs more than 1,700 people and is characterized by cross-company cooperation and transfer of knowledge and experts in the field of navigation, avionics, and ground operations.

It goes without saying that despite the current crisis, or perhaps because of it, there is a great demand for specialized aviation staff. The task of Aviation Hub is also to encourage IT guys to develop their passion for aviation, thereby developing the variety and quality of services offered.

The Gdańsk University of Technology, the University of Gdańsk, and the Maritime University offer interesting courses in fields like spatial management, navigation, oceanography, cartography, and others that provide students with knowledge and tools to work in the aviation industry.

In May 2020, Boeing Global Servies launched Aviation Solutions (AS), which showcases how a given solution affects the aviation industry development and what product development looks like with specialists from various departments, such as GNS (Global Navigation Services) or SD (Software Development). It is a great example of how operations and development are conducted by two extremely different departments and how they affect each other, thus creating a product for a target user.

Setting the course, altitude, and the correct route, Aviation Hub Pomerania organized an online aviation conference titled “New Trends and Technological Solutions on the Aviation and Passenger Market: A Perspective for the Aviation Industry", held on October 13–14 this year.

The attention of participants of this two-day on-line event was focused on solutions for airlines and passenger service. The conference featured experts from Pomerania as well as from other parts of Poland. The participants not only got to listen to the expert, but they also got to network with them and participate in Ask Me Anything session, where they got to ask their questions. The first edition of this conference was a hit and Aviation Hub plans to make it an annual event. Not only that, Aviation Hub will also be hosting frequent smaller online and perhaps later offline meetups and webinars.

The Aviation Hub is the springboard to start exchanging knowledge and experiences between aviation experts and enthusiasts. The development of global aviation solutions in the 3cITy reaffirms the region’s aspiration to be one of the best places to run a business.

There is nothing left to do but to triumphantly quote the former Minister of National Defence and President of Poland Bronisław Komorowski: “There is a saying that a Polish aviator will even fly on the barn door if necessary. Thus, ladies and gentlemen, I derive great satisfaction from telling you that this is no longer an option." Author: Bartosz Wojtasiak The paper was drafted in cooperation with: Paulina Kalisz and Honorata Hencel from Boeing Global Services Adam Sadowski and Katarzyna Gadomska from Smart4Aviation

More on: aviationhub.investinpomerania.pl

More information:

al. Grunwaldzka 472 D Olivia Business Centre – Olivia Six 80-309 Gdańsk Phone: 58 32 33 256 e-mail: office@investinpomerania.pl bartosz.wojtasiak@investinpomerania.pl www.investinpomerania.pl

Digital Teammates, a company that offers comprehensive rental of software robots (Robotic Process Automation), has gained a new team member. Business Development Manager Karol Smoliński is tasked with establishing and maintaining relationships with new and current clients as well as promoting the automation of routine business processes.

Karol has ten years of experience in B2B Sales and Business Development in various areas – from employee benefits to consulting and IT. In the last two years he has been specialising in Robotic Process Automation.

Adaptive Group Team is getting bigger! We are pleased to announce that lately several new faces have joined Adaptive Group Team to help bring even better results in our work!

Below a short snapshot of our new colleagues. Definitely, it is going to be successfull and productive cooperation with a lot of innovative ideas and substantial contribution to our business.

Edyta Krzemińska, Marketing & PR Lead Adaptive SAG – over 12 years of overall business experience in Marketing & Advertising, with a solid expertise in Public Relations, media planning & buying and internal communication. A marketing practitioner with a demonstrated history of working in the financial industry as well as healthcare and beauty area. Graduate of Lodz University, with master’s degree in Sociology, specialization in Methods and Techniques of Social Research. She is fluent in English and basic French speaker.

Aleksandra Krajewska, Program Manager, Senior Consultant Adaptive SAG – over 16 years of work experience in finance and accounting in the BPO and SSC/GBS environment at Philips Royal Electronics and Infosys BPM Poland comprising, 12 years in various operational & leadership roles, 4 years in various Transition & Solution Design roles comprising 2 years as a Transition Manager and 2 years as a Solution Design & Implementation Consultant, 0,5 year as a Project Manager at Philips Royal Electronics Commercial & Productivity: co-creating a global campaign dedicated to local management sales teams towards hitting sales targets, program planning, defining key process performance measures, creating deployment communication framework.

Monika Ciupińska, Program Manager, Senior Consultant Adaptive SAG – Over 14,5 years of relevant business experience comprising 3,5 in people services Citi Bank, Travel Agency, 5 years as Manager Shared Service in at Solar Polska, 2 years as a Team Leader at Fujitsu Technology Solutions SSC. Graduated from Lodz University, B.A of Marketing and Management and Warsaw School of Economics, M.A. of People Management. Monika has broad experience in managing end-to-end transition, people and project management, implementation of tools, processes and improvements. She is very open and devoted person, focused on the task.

Agnieszka Łuczak previously Project Leader, is now on the position of Project Manager. She has been a part of Adaptive Group Team since of 2017. Agnieszka is professional with over 18 years of experience in SSC, BPO and Banking sector. She is expert in Controlling and Reporting Processes with hands-on experience in finance reporting and customer service. Agnieszka has excellent organizational skills and ability to build and keep very good relationship with Clients.

Agata Opłatowska previously Consultant, has been promoted to the role of Project Leader. She has been a part of Adaptive Group Team since the beginning of 2017. She has a lot of experience in HR and Finance & Accounting processes, in particular, for Shared Services & Outsourcing centers. Agata is creative, open and precise about her work, flexible when it comes to projects involving business trips which require going abroad for longer periods of time. She has an eye for detail and is appreciated for her mature approach and composure.

Katarzyna Ciupa previously Process Officer, is now on the position of Process Expert Adaptive Group. She has been working with us since December 2019. Katarzyna has excellent communication skills and experience in cooperating with muticultural teams, which she developed during her study years in the Netherlands. She took part in multiple projects, which required analytical skills, extensive problem solving as well as ability to reach a consensus. She is a dedicated employee with a proactive attitude and ability to adapt to constantly changing needs of contemporary business environment. Aleksandra Stablewska previously Board assistant / Administration Specialist, has been promoted to the role of Administration Lead / Board Assistant. She has been a part of Adaptive Group Team Since June 2018 . Aleksandra is a communicative and responsible person who is characterized by very good organizational and interpersonal skills. Ola cooperates perfectly with the team and is involved in the performance of the tasks entrusted to her.

Dominika Jóźwiak-Bąk previously Consultant, is now on the position of Project Leader. Since beginning of 2018 she has been a part of Adaptive Group Team. She is Professional with over 15 years of experience in BPO, Construction Industry, Accountancy sector.Expert in F&A, Procurement and Supply Chain processes with experience in people management, accounting and payroll processes and finance reporting. Dominika is task-orientated, has strong analytical and organizational skills.

The international community has proved completely unprepared to fight against the coronavirus, even though every business owner had come into contact with other, less dangerous viruses in the past. Even seasonal flu, too often underestimated or even ignored, turned out to be dangerous and exposed companies to various costs. We are confronted more and more frequently with the question whether employers know how to effectively take care of workers’ health and safety in the new reality?

Driven by curiosity, I looked through several websites, including the website presenting the reports published by the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS). The image I saw does not fill me with optimism. The data provided by the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) indicate that between January and April 2019, the total of 9.2 million medical certificates of temporary inability to work were issued. Majority of such certificates, i.e. 60%, were issued for 1 to 10 sick days, and 33% were issued for 11 to 30 sick days. This means that in 93% of cases, the costs of employees’ illness were borne by the employer.

Only in the first quarter of 2019, the number of paid sick days reached 102.9 million, of which the total of 85,800,000 sick days were taken due to workers' own illness. The analysts from the Polish Social Insurance Institution (ZUS) calculated that 17% of these 85.8 million sick days were caused by respiratory diseases, which gives us the total of 14,500,000 sick days due to the common cold, seasonal flu, pneumonia and other even more dangerous diseases (please note that last year, we did not even mention coronavirus yet). Taking into account the fact that this is the statistics for the first quarter of 2019 and not specifically targeting the increase in respiratory diseases in spring and autumn, we will multiply the number of sick days by 3 to get the annual total. What is the result? 43,500,000 sick days due to illness. If we divide this figure by 252 working days per year, this gives us the total of 172,620 people who did not work for the entire year. I wonder how many companies from the list of Poland’s 100 largest companies would be able to stay dormant for an entire year?

PKN Orlen employing about 21 thousand employees, PGNiG with about 25 thousand employees, LOTOS Group with 5.1 thousand employees, PGE with about 42 thousand employees, PZU with about 42 thousand employees, KGHM with 34 thousand employees – all these entities would not see a single employee in their workplace for an entire year. The six largest organisations in Poland would cease to operate, and there would be thousands of petrol stations closed down, there would be lack of electricity supply, there would be problems with gas supply... The situation would also be critical if it affected other companies with which we are cooperating on a daily basis. Let's divide the total of 172,000 absentees from work for a year into the locations we visited every day before the coronavirus pandemic: Biedronka (the largest private employer in Poland) employs 67 thousand people, Lidl – about 18 thousand, Dino – 16.5 thousand, Carrefour – 16 thousand, Auchan – 22 thousand, Eurocash – 21 thousand, Tesco – about 15 thousand. This already gives us 175.5 thousand people. Can you imagine such a void within the Polish economy? The coronavirus pandemic will leave a lasting imprint on the world we have known so far, causing permanent changes. Since the seasonal flu or common cold can expose organisations to such significant costs, the pandemic risk becomes not only a social factor but also a business one. Here comes the change: and here we have a sparkling bon mot for this occasion: the Chinese word for “change” is composed of two Chinese characters, one of which signifies “opportunity” and the other “threat”. It is worth keeping this in mind when preparing to build new strategies that take into account new threats. The time of crisis that the coronavirus pandemic will trigger will be a test for both managers and employees. The supervisory boards will take a critical look at how effectively the executive boards responded to the imminent clash with reality. The executive boards, in turn, will assess the managerial staff – how efficiently they shifted from brick-and-mortar to selling online and how quickly and safely they transitioned to a virtual workforce (wherever it was possible). The managers, on the other hand, will have to make adjustments to the number of teams and will leave those who will be able to manage teams in a more difficult economic period and will be able to achieve their goals. We will have to deal with all this in a short (hopefully) period of time. Long-term lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic are more important – can we afford to pay for 93% of paid sick days? The problem is certainly not a new one, but there are new ways of reducing the negative impact of sickness absence on the organisations. Environment, health and safety (EHS) experts, doctors and paramedics who fought the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic in Poland, Lombardy and the USA, as well as labour market experts from Antal have jointly developed a Healthcare Audit service according to the EVIPER System based on the current recom-

mendations of Poland’s Chief Sanitary Inspectorate and the WHO. The EVIPER System, once implemented and properly maintained: • will help protect workers from infection in the future through appropriate preventive measures, • will enable the identification of “clean” and at-risk zones, • will indicate the security measures implemented within the organisation, • will help choose personal and collective protective equipment, and most importantly, • will help the employer formulate procedures to minimise the risk of infection and the spread of the virus in the working environment.

Such security systems in the new postCOVID-19 world, which we will get to know shortly, will not only guarantee the company’s survival and sustainable growth, but may prove to be a very important element of competitive advantage in the era of fighting for the best human resources. After all nothing is more valuable than one’s own life and health.

Author:

V-ce President, Antal