INSIGHTS
Why Poland is becoming the worlds latest Tech Hub
- November 08, 2022
Poland is amid a period of economic growth and stability, the likes of which it has not experienced before, and Tech is at the heart of that growth.
The country now boasts 60,000 technology companies and ten unicorns (privately held start-up companies with a value of over $1 billion). Predicted figures suggest that the ICT market in Poland will reach or even exceed $13 billion by the end of 2025.
The background
Since joining the EU in 2004, Poland has seen an increase in the standard of living while at the same time maintaining low tariffs. Its central location within continental Europe makes the country a convenient base for businesses, strengthened further by Brexit, which has helped cement Poland's position as a hub for Europe within the EU, all of which has attracted foreign investment and talent.
Meanwhile, 'Google for Start-ups' opened a campus in Warsaw in 2015 and has since welcomed around 100,000 start-ups and community members, contributing to and driving innovation in the tech sector.
In addition to foreign investment, Poland has two public institutions providing tech companies with grants and funding since 2016; NCBR (The National Centre for Research and Development) and PFR (The Polish Development Fund). They have invested around $5 billion into the tech ecosystem, with an additional $250 million ringfenced for deployment over the next two years.
How Big Tech is getting in on the act
With Poland firmly established as a significant technology hub, Big Tech companies have unveiled their plans to move in. Microsoft announced in 2020 that it would invest $1 billion in a data centre outside Warsaw, including access to local cloud services. In October 2021, Google committed to building a $2 billion Cloud Data Hub in the Polish capital, the most significant development centre on the continent.
Intel, which already has the most extensive research and development centre in the EU based in Poland, employs over 3000 people, is reportedly considering the idea of building a brand new €80 billion semiconductor factory somewhere within the European Union, and Poland is on the shortlist.
The snowball effect
As many successful tech start-ups and Big Tech firms continue to grow their operations in Poland, the country is becoming renowned as a new global tech hub. This, in turn, attracts more tech businesses to the area along with top tech talent who want to be where the action, and perhaps more importantly, some of the highest tech salaries can be found with predicted salary increases for tech professionals working in Poland of between 15% for Java and PHP experts to up to 34% Ruby and Kotlin specialists.
With this recognition as 'the place to be' for all things Tech, events organisers are now choosing Poland as their preferred choice for holding large-scale events too, such as Polish Tech Day, which was held in June this year in Warsaw, London and Paris and the Big Data Technology Warsaw Summit which will take place in March 2023.
The more Poland is recognised as a global tech hub, the more tech events and companies will be attracted to the location, growing the country's profile further as a dynamic and innovative workplace. This can also be seen in infrastructure improvements, with the world-famous Foster & Partners completing work on Varso Tower in Warsaw. This brand-new skyscraper now claims the crown of the tallest building in the EU, 14 floors of which will be occupied by Google. The tower, located directly adjacent to Warsaw Central Station, boasts a selection of offices, restaurants, retail spaces and even a sky garden.
So, with improved infrastructure and living standards, top tech companies and some of the most successful start-ups in the world based in Polish locations, Poland is making a name for itself as a global tech hub and could fast become the location of choice for tech professionals from across the globe.
If you are looking for a new tech role in Poland or a Polish tech company looking for some top talent, contact our local expert recruiters at McGregor Boyall Warsaw today and find out how we can help you
