By: Grzegorz Morawski, CEOWORLD Magazine
The following Interview is brought to you by CEOWORLD Magazine.
Grzegorz Morawski- Construction of a sporting arena, a building of the philharmonic, a school in Warszewo and the next stretch of the ringroad around the city center are the main investments funded with the loan from the Council of Europe Development Bank. Aside Szczecin, only Warsaw and Kraków received money. This is a cheap loan (the interest rate being at only 2 percent a year) and the city only obtained it thanks to the favorable rating of Szczecin’s finance. According to the current regulations cities can only take loans worth up to 60% of their incomes and the capital of Western Pomerania is still below 50 percent. However, this leads to the question: will this policy not harm the region’s future?
Piotr Krzystek- We are in the elite group of Polish cities, which have their financial situation stable enough to qualify for the cheapest loan on the market offered by the Council of Europe Development Bank. This is a proof that the chosen direction was the right one and that it has given desired results. The terms of the loan agreement are very favorable, the only loan security being maintaining the current city rating at BBB+. The loan makes it possible to create good infrastructure, which is fundamental for city’s development and attracting new investors. I am convinced that in the long term this policy will yield profits to the city, rise the living standard of the citizens and make the city more attractive for investors. We have never reached the limit of safe city debt and we are not going to in the future.
Grzegorz Morawski- The Szczecin-Goleniów Airport has received 38 mln zlotys from the EU airport modernization program, there are also plans to expand its surface and connect it with railway. Equally important is the construction of the ringroad around the city center. What is your opinion about the communication infrastructure of Szczecin and its geographical localization in terms of foreign investment?
Piotr Krzystek- Szczecin boasts of a unique geographical situation. We are the most westward city in Poland. The city lies on the crossing of all transport tracks: waterways, railways, airways and roads. This is a huge advantage for companies from the logistics branch. The well developed sea branch is a good example. Besides, thanks to A6 we are connected with the European highway net. Modernization of the Szczecin Goleniów Airport will allow further development of the connection net and will assure high security level. The neighborhood of Berlin allows us to use three international airports. This way Szczecin disposes of airplane connections to cities all over the world. This is a great convenience for the citizens, tourists and investors. The vicinity of the border influences the development of the so called “weekend tourism”. Tourists from Germany and Scandinavia not only hold the beautiful natural environment in high regard but they also come to shop and eagerly use all kinds of medical and beauty services.
Grzegorz Morawski- During the next two years the International Hereditary Cancer Center of the Pomeranian Medical University will be constructed. It will cost 74 mln zlotys and will be the only such center in Poland, using some of the most up-to-date technology in Europe. Can it become the showpiece of the Polish cancrology?
Piotr Krzystek- We can firmly state, that the Center is already such showpiece for the Polish medicine. Professor Lubiński’s team was the first in the world to positively verify the hypothesis that all cancers are rooted in genetic conditions. This was a milestone for cancrology and a world-scale success. Prof. Lubiński gets invited to international conferences to present the results of his research and the efforts of his team are monitored in international science periodicals like “Breast Cancer Research and Treatment”.
Grzegorz Morawski- The Ministry of Science and Higher Education has granted the West Pomeranian University of Technology 42 mln zlotys for building the Nanotechnology Didactic and Research Center. The money from the EU will be a part of the Operational Programme Infrastructure and Environment. Dozens of new research laboratories, training facilities and a lecture hall for 500 students. How can this project help in attracting foreign investment to the region?
Piotr Krzystek- This is an exceptional project. Next year the University plans to create a new nanotechnology major. Nanotechnology is a science, in which new materials, structures and devices the size of a millionth of a milimeter are researched. Investing in developing nanotechnology has become a strategic priority of many a governments. A new global race is on, which can be only compared to the space race between the USA and the USSR. Local research and development organizations all over the world collaborate with clients on creating products which fulfill the requirements in a given country. In my opinion nanotechnologies can generate a strong impulse for a new industrial revolution which will change the face of the current century. The development of nanotechnology will allow us to approach potential investors with an offer of new novel solutions. Such actions are cohesive with the City Development Strategy, in which we define Szczecin anew, as a city of modern technologies, among other things.
Grzegorz Morawski- 12 million zlotys from the EU and 2.1 mln zlotys from the state budget were dedicated to building the Interschool Sport Center Euroregion Center of Water and Seafaring Education. The Seafaring Center on the lake Dąbie may announce tender. Completion of the investment is planned for the end of 2011. How can the new Center be used to promote the region?
Piotr Krzystek- The development of seafaring is one of the city’s priorities. Apart from the modern marina in Dąbię, in the near future the city will be constructing a new yacht port on the Łasztownia island. We host the yacht rally in 2013, so we have to be well prepared. The rally in 2007 was a great success on an international scale. The water and the nature are some of our chief assets, which we want to show off to the world. Please look a the the map of Szczecin, there aren’t many cities in the world, where 30% is water and 30% is greenness. With the completion of the project a new object attractive for tourists will be constructed, making it possible to offer all essential elements which enable comfortable conditions for water tourism. This will directly influence the attractiveness of Szczecin Metropolitan Area. The environment alone dictates the direction of city promotion. The new center will also promote seafaring among the citizens.
Grzegorz Morawski- What other investments can rise Szczecin’s investment attractiveness?
Piotr Krzystek- Construction investments and building modern office space are key elements for attracting investors from the business process outsourcing sector. The lack of office buildings is a problem in whole Poland. In Szczecin, despite the crisis on the global real estate markets, we have a harbringer of the upcoming investments: the Oxygen building with office space of 14 thousand square meters. Such companies Koncepta, Eko Park, Real Kapital, Inter Ikea, CDI, Jw. Construction and SGI have announced building office space of around 140,000 square meters. Attracting outsourcing centers to Szczecin is one of the city’s strategic goals. First of all these are jobs. In November of 2008 Colliers International called Szczecin a rising Star of the BPO market in the report “BPO Perspectives in Poland”. In 2009 we proved that experts weren’t wrong, because out 1 of 3 such investments in Poland took place in Szczecin. But to make it happen, however, we had to work hard for it. Of utmost importance are also investments which influence citizens’ life quality. A few of such projects are currently in development: the Szczecin Philharmonic, the Olimpic Swimming Pool, the Sport Hall and the already finished “Pleciuga” doll theater.
Grzegorz Morawski- Which foreign companies have already branched out to Szczecin?
Piotr Krzystek- There are various ways in which you can look at foreign investment. First of all, we are happy that the potential of our local companies is big enough that they become an interesting discovery for international combines. TIETO (Poland) and Konsberg Shipmedics companies are an example of such investments. Secondly, thanks to the ubiquity of talented workers on our market, in 2009 we opened two international two international financial centers: one belonging to the Italian Unicredit financial group, the other to the Danish medical company Coloplast. In the next two years these two companies will create around one thousand jobs in Szczecin. Thirdly, we are proud of the logistic and production investments which are to be found in the industrial parks of Szczecin Metropolitan Area. I am happy to inform you that one of such companies, Cargotec Poland, won the “biggest investment of 2009″ category, awarded by Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency.
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