64 BUSINESS
Polish-Belgian Business Forum highlights investment opportunities
The Polish-Belgian Business Forum on Investments, held in Warsaw in April, gave entrepreneurs and officials from Belgium and Poland the opportunity to exchange views and experiences about investing in both countries. The forum was divided into two parts: Investment Opportunities in Belgium and Opportunities for Belgian Companies in Poland. The forum was a joint project of the Ministry of Economy of Poland and the Embassy of Belgium in Poland, along with the Brussels, Flemish and Walloon Regions in co-operation with the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency (PAIiIZ) and the Belgian Business Chamber. “Poland has already become an active player in the market of investments abroad,” said PAIiIZ president Sławomir Majman. “For now, the cumulative amount of Polish investments is only €50bn. But over the last four years, there has been a five-fold increase [in Polish investments abroad], and Belgium is sixth on the list of countries attracting Polish investments.” Later in the day, Deputy Economy Minister Jerzy Pietrewicz stressed that Belgium is an important economic partner for Poland. “With turnover in 2013 of around €7bn, you have to think about possibilities of further cooperation, to identify common opportunities for conducting business – even collaborations in third markets – that can be based on trust built over the years,” he said.
Chambers of commerce
Poland outshines CEE neighbours in AHK survey
Once again Poland managed to outshine its Central and Eastern European neighbours in terms of investment attractiveness. The German-Polish Chamber of Industry and Commerce (AHK), with the participation of the International Group of Chambers of Commerce (IGCC), presented the results of their 2014 ‘Poland in the eyes of foreign investors survey’ in Warsaw in April. Overall the results of the ninth edition of the survey were optimistic compared with previous years. Among the assets that investors found most attractive were EU membership and HRrelated factors, such as worker qualifications, higher education, motivation and performance. Also topping the list was the availability of subcontractors and skilled workers, as well as the stable political climate. Infrastructure (including IT, communication, energy, and transport) moved up significantly in the ratings as compared with last year. However, down from 2013 were the predictability of economic policies and adequacy of vocational training. Tax administration, public administration, and the transparency of open tenders remained at the bottom of the list. Some of the more interesting points from the survey include a significant fall in the number of respondents favouring adoption of the euro (53% now, down from 60.1% in 2013) and a dramatic rise in respondents predicting growth in the exports of goods and services (40% now versus 26.2% in 2013). The number of respondents rating the economic situation in Poland as “good” also jumped 11.5% from last year to 35%. The survey, which was carried out with a total of 142 respondents throughout Poland in February 2014, calculated investment attractiveness based on 21 factors driving the inflow of foreign capital into the country.
British-Polish defence forum: strong interest in closer ties
The British-Polish Chamber of Commerce (BPCC), along with the Department of Trade and Investment Promotion at the Polish Embassy in London, as well as trade organisation Aerospace, Defence and Security, held the third in a series of British-Polish defence forums at the Polish Embassy in London at the end of March. The latest event focused on the current consolidation of Poland’s state-owned defence industries and the possibilities of cooperation in research and development. Polish Ambassador to Britain Witold Sobków and BPCC chairman Antoni Reczek officially opened the event. Marek Matraszek, founding partner of CEC, followed with a presentation on changes in Poland’s military structure, consolidation of state-owned defence firms and strategic trends in defence commitments. He also commented on Poland’s defence ministry’s intentions to modernize the country’s military hardware by 2022, 70% of which currently comprises leftover equipment from the Soviet era. There was also a panel discussion in which topics ranged from the tendency to focus on immediate prices over whole-life costs in procurement decisions, as well as the overuse of various provisions of the Lisbon Treaty as a way to circumvent procurement procedures specified in directives by the European Commission.
Exploring Portugal’s finest gastronomy
Since 2010, the Polish-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce (PPCC) has hosted an annual weeklong promotion called Flavours of Portugal, celebrating the wonders of the Iberian nation. The fifth edition will be held May 26-31, 2014 at Warsaw’s InterContinental Hotel, where guests will get to sample the best of Portuguese cuisine, wines, tourism, culture and products. Each evening, PPCC will present a diverse range of Portuguese delicacies, with wine and product tasting from 6:30 pm until 8 pm, followed by dinner prepared by renowned culinary experts, including chef Carla Costa and sous-chef Bruna Matias from Hotel Altis Lisbon, chef Miguel Vaz from Herdade do Esporão and the InterContinental’s own chef Mariusz Jeznach. Some of the regional dishes that can be expected range from duck rice from the region of Douro, codfish croquettes from the Ribatejo region, and fillet of pork with white clam from Alentejo. Not to be outdone by the food, Flavours of Portugal will also feature traditional fado music and live performances each night by singer Ana Pinhal. The last day of the event will offer a family brunch. Salivating yet? Contact the InterContinental for availability (downtown@ihg.com).
CSR à la française For many years, corporate social responsibility (CSR) has been a priority of French companies, which strive to create programmes and individual actions geared towards having a positive affect on the environment, customers, and local communities. Capitalising on the wealth of experience of French companies, the French Chamber of Commerce in Poland (CCIFP) has become involved in a number of initiatives to promote CSR in the country. One of these is the creation of a Standing Committee on CSR, which meets bimonthly to
present CSR best practices as well as to provide guidance on implementing similar activities in Poland. CCIFP members are also encouraged to sign the Declaration of Responsible Business, which encourages voluntary integration of CSR activities into business operations. So far, the declaration has been signed by 43 companies. At the beginning of April, CCIFP affiliates presented at the fifth annual CSR Fair organized by the Responsible Business Forum (Forum Odpowiedzialnego Biznesu) held at the National Stadium in Warsaw. The CSR Fair gave visitors the chance to learn more about the CSR programmes in place at a variety of companies including French powerhouses Carrefour, Orbis, Karmar and Human to Business, among many others. CCIFP is also set to publish a CSR guide, out in May, which will study actions implemented by companies in the areas of strategy development, diversity, reporting activities, cooperation with NGOs, business ethics, environmental protection, and social dialogue. The release of the guide will be accompanied by a presentation of a study carried out by French investors in Poland on the involvement of companies in CSR projects.
PHIG elects new board for 2014-2016
The Polish-Spanish Chamber of Commerce (PHIG) held a board meeting at the end of March which was attended by Spanish Ambassador to Poland Agustín Núñez Martínez, the commercial counsellor of the Spanish embassy Rocío Frutos, and the counsellor of the commerce and investment promotion department of the Polish Embassy in Madrid, Mirosław Węglarczyk. Representatives of PHIG member companies also elected new board members for the 2014-2016 period. Stefan Bekir Assanowicz from Rubau Poland, will be among the five new members joining the board, alongside six returning board members. That same evening, PHIG’s monthly meeting, Tarde de Sabores, also took place in Warsaw. However, this time it had the double aim of not only bringing together Polish and Spanish businesspeople to meet and network, but also of turning awareness to the larger worldwide issue of water shortages. In recognition of Worldwide Water Day, Roca, a strategic partner of the Polish-Spanish Chamber of Commerce, took advantage of the event to promote its foundation, We Are The Water, and the activities it initiates to reduce water consumption and waste.
India-Poland cooperation prospects explored in Gdańsk
The Polish-Indian Chamber of Commerce (PIIG) held the latest edition of its ‘Poland-India. Business cooperation prospects. Expectations, opportunities and challenges for the development of economic relations’ conference in Gdańsk in mid-April at the AmberExpo Convention Centre. This latest instalment, co-organized by the Gdańsk Regional Development Agency and the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP), was developed in order to acquaint interested businesses in the potential opportunities in India, as well as reduce the level of uncertainty associated with approaching this culturally unique market. The conference featured speakers including the Ministry of Economy’s promotion and bilateral cooperation specialist Lucyna Jaremczuk, director of the Gdańsk branch of language school Berlitz Bartosz Jurkiewicz, and legal advisor from Von Zanthier & Schulz Joanna Witkiewicz.