Krakow is an important business centre and a popular choice for investors; it is also the destination of choice for scientific and research hubs, which can dynamically develop thanks to the potential of Krakow as a scientific centre and thanks to its well-educated, ambitious and creative graduates and specialists. The city provides an appropriate infrastructural and organisational environment, attracting investments from financial institutions, high-tech and life science companies, as well as thriving start-ups.
One of the city’s strategic goals, specified in Krakow’s policy documents, is to develop a knowledge-based economy. This approach refers to an economic transition, with knowledge, information, innovation and human skills becoming the main sources of growth and competitiveness. In such an economy, such aspects as highly skilled workers and experts, research, infrastructure facilitating technological development, and creativity are all crucial elements. This is all possible in Krakow thanks to the commitment of top-quality research and business personnel, as well as the continuously expanding availability of science facilities. Intersectoral cooperation between science, business and the local government, as well as the promotion of innovation, are accompanied by a well-profiled education system. The city, in turn, offers residents a high quality of life, providing rich cultural, educational, sports and recreational opportunities, and ensuring a strong sense of security.
The above-mentioned intersectoral cooperation enables Krakow to continuously develop its capacity to exploit the potential of digitisation and modern technologies: digital education (educational programmes for residents, from the youngest to the elderly), cybersecurity (as a field of study at several universities), digitisation of public services (implemented consistently by the local government), development of digital infrastructure (investing in fast and reliable Internet connections and information management tools), promotion of innovation (also in the public sector: the city is developing, for example, smart systems for transport, water supply and waste processing, and implementing many smart city solutions).
Krakow is one of the main centres for tech and innovation companies in Poland: many companies from this sector have their headquarters or branches here, contributing to the dynamic economic development of the city. A number of large tech companies (both international and local) have been operating in Krakow for many years, including: Motorola Solutions, IBM, Google, Cisco Systems, EPAM Systems and Comarch to name but a few. When it comes to the life science sector, encompassing, for example, biomedical and pharmaceutical research, Selvita S.A. serves as the best example. As one of the largest biotech companies in Poland, with its head office in Krakow, it co-creates the Life Science Cluster, which provides an excellent platform for cooperation and knowledge exchange, together with other companies and institutions from this sector. Moreover, technology transfer centres function at all of Krakow’s major universities, and many of the universities and research institutes generate innovative ideas and technologies, in addition to providing a highly skilled workforce for the technology sector.
Start-ups are another form of business activity that find Krakow an attractive location, due to its well-developed ecosystem supporting entrepreneurship, availability of financing, cooperation with scientific institutions, and international business connections, with some of the best examples being Estimote, Brainly, Callpage, Synerise or Silvair, which are already widely known. Krakow is also home to thriving institutions that support the formation and development of start-ups, including the Technology Incubator at the Krakow Technology Park, #OMGKRK and Krakow City of Startups Foundation.
A business innovation of the city is the Socio-Economic Innovation Cluster ZABŁOCIE 20.22, which, dedicated to the activity of various players: start-ups, entrepreneurs, NGOs, residents and local communities, provides a space for cooperation and specific actions for, among other things, social entrepreneurship, networking, and building partnerships between the public sector, business, science, residents, informal groups and NGOs.
The business attractiveness of Krakow is shown by data from MOTIFE’s latest report ‘Krakow IT Market Map’. Over the past decade, Krakow has become a leading technology centre in Europe, and a central location for global corporations from the business services and technology sectors. The analysis covered 320 companies in Krakow employing a total of around 100,000 people, including 43,500 IT professionals. The statistics provided in the report show that:
- Krakow has become a leading technology centre in Europe and a top choice for new investments;
- there are about 55,000 professionals working in Krakow’s IT market;
- the 30 largest IT employers in Krakow, the capital of the Małopolska region, employ a total of 28,100 professionals;
- 63 new companies, employing more than 10 IT professionals each, moved to Krakow in the past five years;
- 38% of IT professionals in Krakow work for U.S. companies, 17% – for Polish companies, and 11% – for EU companies (excluding Poland);
- the three largest industries employing IT professionals are as follows: IT Consulting & Services (27% of employment), finance (16%) and software (15%).
The above data shows that Krakow is an important centre for tech and innovation companies, attracting both local and international technology players. In a highly competitive global market, Krakow attracts young people and professionals, offering them the opportunity to develop their talents, with a wide range of development and career opportunities offered by many global corporations, start-ups and local Polish companies. Krakow is a modern metropolis of international importance, developing through innovation and new technologies, which not only stimulate the economy but also translate into a high quality of life.
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