Editorial office
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF: Dymitr Doktór
| dymitr.doktor@proprogressio.pl
MANAGING EDITOR:
Elwira Przybylska
| elwira.przybylska@proprogressio.pl
DTP: Iwona Księżopolska
ADVERTISING: reklama@proprogressio.pl
PUBLISHED BY:
Pro Progressio spółka z ograniczoną odpowiedzialnością spółka komandytowa
Dziekońskiego Street 1, 00-728 Warsaw www.proprogressio.pl
EDITORIAL OFFICE ADDRESS: Dziekońskiego Street 1, 00-728 Warsaw
We are in the middle of the second quarter of 2023, which is a year of challenges for the services sector, especially in software development companies. On the one hand, there is still a visible lack of an appropriate number of staff, on the other hand, layoffs at technological giants, and on the other one, a slowdown in the area of new projects for software development companies.
Our online platform provide daily updates on the latest trends, challenges, and news from the modern business services industry. In FOCUS ON Business bi-monthly magazine, we have carefully selected several current and compelling topics to share with you. In the legal section, we explore work-life balance and transparency directives as well as trademark registration, which are key determinants of the competitive edge held by small and medium-sized enterprises.
From the shared services center sector, we present insightful articles, including a discussion on change management led by Łukasz Kozicki, IT Director at Elekta Business Services, and the role of automation in promoting the development of SSC structures, as elucidated by Paweł Płocki from TRUMPF Shared Services.
Leadership needs to adopt a truly holistic approach – this is the topic of Barry Winkless’ – CSO Cpl Group & Head of Future of Work Institute's keynote lecture during the 7th edition of The BSS Forum, which took place in Warsaw in April 2023. In addition to his insightful remarks and advice, Barry shared his expertise in an exclusive interview featured in this edition.
The issue is a rich source of business content from both Poland and around the globe, and we invite you to peruse its pages.
Editor in ChiefSelected photos come from stock.adobe.com.
An electronic version of the Magazine see the website www.focusonbusiness.eu.
All rights reserved. No copying, reproduction or photocopying allowed without written consent of the publisher. The views expressed in this publication as well as the content of the adverts are not necessarily those of the editor.
LEGAL SUPPORT: Chudzik i Wspólnicy
PRINT: Drukarnia Jantar
CIRCULATION: 3000 copies
PLACE AND DATE OF ISSUE: Warsaw, 12.05.2023
AUTHORS:
Magdalena Chochowska • Marcin Witkowski
• Łukasz Kozicki • Piotr Pawłowski • Mark Angus • Patrycja Dębska • Greg Albrecht
• Paweł Płocki • Tomasz Chomicki • Kamil
Grondys • Barry Winkless • Łukasz Nelken-Żbik • Agata Materna • Katarzyna Prętnicka
• Michał Missan • Małgorzata Polzenius • Anna Ryman-Czarnecka • Agnieszka Kupiec
8
14
18
20
24
26
30
34
36
40
44
48
Follow The Leaders – the BSS industry day in Warsaw
Nearly 400 participants took part in this year's events, encompassing both the Forum and he 10th edition of the Outsourcing Stars Gala.
The Work-Life Balance and Transparency Directive finally passed New obligations of employers and rights of employees.
Registered trademark as a source of competitive advantage for SMEs
Only 10% of the surveyed micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have registered intellectual property rights – reads the Intellectual Property SME Scoreboard 2022 report.
Lesson on change management
Interview with Łukasz Kozicki, IT Director, Digital Transformation, Elekta Business Services.
Internet of Things in industry, logistics, and smart cities – the future, or already the present? We don't realize it on a daily basis, but we live our lives surrounded by IoT devices.
Enhancing CX through the Gig Workforce
As contact center executives know, understanding and meeting customer expectations is a critical factor in the success of any business.
Acoustic conditions in office space: how to improve them?
The popularity of open space and hot-desk offices, co-works and multi-functional working spaces is rapidly growing. They are associated with a significant challenge, that is their soundproofing.
How can I help? The importance of intention in building relationships between organisations
Nothing is as demotivating as spending money and investing in overtime, only to end up with a failed project. The intentions and ideas were beautiful, noble, and ambitious.
So good they can’t ignore you. What makes a business stand out?
Interview with Greg Albrecht, board advisor, executive coach and mentor, founder of Albrecht&Partners.
SSC LIONS
Automation enables a focus on strategic initiatives
Interview with Paweł Płocki, Head of TRUMPF Shared Services Centre in Warsaw.
Safe on the Internet. How to protect yourself from cyber threats?
Interview with Tomasz Chomicki, Business Development Director and Kamil Grondys, Senior Solutions Architect at Samsung Electronics Poland.
MAIN INTERVIEW
Leadership needs to adopt a truly holistic approach
Interview with Barry Winkless, CSO Cpl Group & Head of Future of Work Institute.
56
58
Office for tough times – what do occupiers expect?
2022 was a challenging year for the commercial property sector as a whole.
Development of the housing market in Poland
Macroeconomic situation.
Łódź creates new opportunities for young technology companies
The best managers, trainers, experts with practical knowledge and experience are involved in supporting each project.
64
68
70
72
76
78
82
84
86
90
92
96
Bydgoszcz feels the green climate of change
We are moving towards a green transition and investors are increasingly focusing on the ESG, taking into account environmental, social and corporate governance issues in their investments.
Kielce encourages investors with tax exemptions
The City Council of Kielce adopted another resolution allowing exemption from property tax for new enterprises creating jobs.
Mental health at work. Still taboo, but changes are coming
According to data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), in 2022, medics in Poland issued 1.3 million sick notes due to mental and behavioural disorders.
On the road to sustainability
Digital transformation and ESG solutions in Poznań.
New 30/2/1 initiative is about how people talk about difficult social issues in Częstochowa
As part of the BETTER JOB NOW programme, the cooperation of high schools with business in the city results in many interesting and surprising projects.
New investments drive the economic development of Elbląg Interview with Michał Missan, Vice President of Elbląg.
Challenge in Katowice
As part of a new project, the City of Katowice invites investors to share their opinions on the perception of the city, their associations related to it, and observations.
Wroclaw among the leaders of the European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023 ranking Traditionally, the ceremony for the European Cities and Regions of the Future awards was held in Cannes, France, during the MIPIM International Real Estate Fair.
Startups get support for their development in Bielsko-Biała
Bielsko-Biała is a city of entrepreneurial people who are willing to fulfill their dreams of having their own company.
HR NEWS
HR Genius 4.0 – conscious development of the organisation Interview with Hutchinson Institute experts: Małgorzata Polzenius, Anna Ryman-Czarnecka and Agnieszka Kupiec.
According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, Twitter and Facebook, two highly influential social media platforms, have been targeted by governments worldwide for their role in facilitating communication and mobilization. Protests and active conflicts were the primary triggers of the internet shutdowns.
Governments restricted access to Twitter 13 times in 2022. As of February 2022, Twitter has been inaccessible in China, Iran, Myanmar, North Korea, Russia, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan due to government restrictions. Also, countries such as Turkey and Sri Lanka temporarily suspended Twitter services last year following protests or explosions.
blocked Twitter, Uganda's president banned Facebook in January 2021. As a result, many Ugandans turned to virtual private network (VPN) applications to access Facebook.
Governments enforced limitations on Instagram's and WhatsApp’s accessibility, with each social media app being blocked 10 times. VPN usage in Russia skyrocketed by 10,000% following the Instagram ban in March. In addition, Iran restricted access to Instagram and WhatsApp in September due to increasing protests.
Google Services were blocked 9 times by governments last year. Furthermore, governments imposed restrictions on Telegram 8 times. Signal experienced governmental restrictions on access 5 times, while TikTok faced 4 instances
of such limitations. IMO messenger, WeChat, and Clubhouse were each restricted 2 times.
Source: Atlas VPN
Last year, Facebook's access was also limited by governments on 13 occasions. Besides the usual suspects who Softwareact, a software development company, has officially become a partner of Aidar Solutions, a pioneering company specializing in mixed reality solutions for businesses.
Aidar's core focus is on creating immersive VR training solutions for
pro duction and process companies, allowing them to build comprehensive knowledge bases that can be accessed from anywhere in the world. Their solutions also enable remote support for production, maintenance, and service employees, providing real-time assistance and troubleshooting. Aidar's innovative approach is paving the way for the industrial metaverse, a new category of solutions that integrate IoT platforms, are self-service, multilingual, and independent of any VR/AR hardware vendors. Softwareact, with its expertise in software development and technology integration, by partnering with Aidar will further enhance and expand their mixed reality solutions. This partnership brings together the strengths of both companies to create innovative and impactful solutions that will benefit businesses across various industries.
– We are thrilled to join forces with Aidar – said Pawel Sawicki, Managing Director of Softwareact. – Their focus on immersive knowledge retention and transfer through VR training aligns perfectly with our vision of utilizing technology to improve businesses. Together, we can create transformative solutions that empower companies to operate more efficiently, safely, and globally.
The partnership between Softwareact and Aidar is expected to drive rapid innovation in the field of mixed reality solutions, with a focus on creating tangible results for businesses. Clients can look forward to seamless integration with existing IoT platforms, self-service solutions, multilingual support, and hardware-agnostic solutions that can be easily implemented in their operations.
Source: Softwareact
Updated research by Interact Analysis shows that the current economic turbulence will continue to have a dampening effect on the global manufacturing industry.
Previously, a global slowdown in manufacturing was forecast for 2026, but having considered the current economic landscape, it is likely that this constriction of manufacturing output will occur in 2024, much sooner than originally predicted. Overall, the APAC region is performing particularly well and is ‘propping up’ the rest of the world. As a result of rising oil and energy prices, strikes and the continued conflict in Ukraine, Europe is likely to suffer most over the next few years, with a significant fall in total manufacturing output predicted.
The Americas region fared well in terms of manufacturing growth due to a strong year in 2022 and in 2023 the region’s manufacturing output value is set to grow by $250 Billion. The US government is attempting to combat inflationary
pressures through interest rate hikes. For those products which are seeing high price inflation, such as foods and beverages, and raw materials; government intervention is expected to bring down prices. As with previous updates to their manufacturing industry output report, Interact Analysis found labor shortages continue to be a problem for US manufacturing, with companies struggling to fill vacant positions.
On the other hand, the APAC region, in particular China, is performing well as it emerges from COVID-19 restrictions. In 2023, China's manufacturing output growth is set to increase by 3.7%. Between 2023 and 2027 moderate growth is expected to continue but the region will still suffer some of the effects of what is expected to happen globally in 2024. Despite this, the impact on China is anticipated to be less than that of the pandemic and lockdown measures that were put in place in 2020. From an industry perspective, chemicals and pharmaceuticals
manufacturing will enjoy the highest growth rate in China, reaching 4.7% in 2023.
Overall, the landscape for European manufacturing looks bleak. In 2022, UK manufacturing shrank by 4.3% and is expected to reduce by a further 1.2% in 2023. This is a result of trade union strikes, inflationary pressures and the high cost of living. In the long term, between 2022 and 2027 the UK manufacturing sector is forecast to grow by a CAGR of 1.5%, the lowest of all European countries. Germany is in a similar position, with inflation skyrocketing to a current level of 8.7%. In 2022, Germany’s manufacturing growth shrank to 2.2% but it is forecast to grow slightly by 1.8% in 2023. Italy and France’s manufacturing sectors are also feeling the pressure from rising energy prices, high raw material costs and labor crises.
Source: Interact Analysis
method – all exercises are embedded in a business context, including: Human Resources, Customer Service, Business Meetings, Presentations, Negotiations, Business Trips, and Motivation.
What is distinctive about the product is the unique interactive exercises based on authentic case studies of modern corporations, audio and video materials with native speakers, and pdfs.
Hutchinson Institute has introduced an innovative online course called the Master of Business English Self Study to its offerings. It was designed with the aim of combining a dose of subject knowledge and support for language skills. It is dedicated to people who use English in an international environment but who want to develop their vocabulary and business skills.
This patented programme contains ten thematic modules and is based on the methodology of the proprietary MBE Master of Business English by the Hutchinson Institute. A set of interactive resources on the e-platform supports people who are active in business and value the ability to learn from anywhere at any time, and at their own pace. What is important is the practice-oriented
The innovation of the MBE SS lies in the fact that the product combines many aspects. It supports international environments in business (regardless of country of origin), combines factual knowledge with the development of language skills, is a great bonus for employees and influences well-being through better orientation in the global business space – which translates into greater self-esteem and daily effectiveness. The interactive materials provided on the e-platform support individuals actively engaged in business who appreciate the ability to learn from anywhere, at any time, and at their own pace.
Source: Hutchinson Institute
On April 20, 2023, Pro Progressio, an organization supporting the development of modern business services, organized the 7th edition of The BSS Forum at the Sheraton Grand hotel in Warsaw. Nearly 400 participants took part in this year's events, encompassing both the Forum and the 10th edition of the Outsourcing Stars Gala.
The BSS Forum is an international event aimed at analyzing and discussing the most important business trends and challenges in sectors such as BPO, SSC, GBS, and IT. The theme of this year's edition was "Follow the Leaders". According to the theme, leaders from multiple companies and public organizations were present at the four stages of The BSS Forum, as well as among the invited guests. The forum brought together nearly 400 participants from 15 different countries. There were 55 experts in such areas as law, management, communication,
finance, HR, business process automation, and IT among the speakers.
The BSS Forum was also for the first time a platform for discussions for startup communities. In collaboration with Level2 Ventures Fund, Pro Progressio organized nine startup presentations and three Power Speech presentations aimed at showing areas worth exploring to representatives of startups during the evolution of their projects.
Pro Progressio placed two strong international accents during the opening and closing of the Forum. The first was
a speech by Barry Winkless – CSO at Cpl Group, who presented a vision of the future of work and leadership, and the second was an international panel discussion, led by Peter Ryan from Ryan Strategic Advisory, dedicated to global locations for BPO/SSC/GBS-type operational centers. Peter Ryan also presented the results of the latest research on offshore location preferences, in which Poland ranked fourth. Our country was surpassed by the Philippines, South Africa, and India.
Rolana Rashwan (Simon-Kucher), Indu Badlani (Staffing Expert) and Peter Ryan (Ryan Strategic Advisory).
Mariusz Pietrzak (PKP Energetyka CUW), Michał Kasprzyk (Alcon), Joanna Porębska-Matysiak (SAIO).
Konstantin Vasyuk (IT Ukraine Association) and Łukasz Olechnowicz (Infopulse).
After a full day of deliberations, the guests reconvened at Studio Tęcza for the 10th Outsourcing Stars Gala. The Outsourcing Stars Gala every year is a celebration of the modern business services sector. During the official part of the Gala, the long-awaited finals of the Outsourcing
Stars competition took place. This year, a total of 14 statuettes were presented. This year's special guest at the Gala was Konstantin Vasyuk – the President of IT Ukraine Association, who emphasized the active role of the Ukrainian IT sector, continuing its development both in Ukraine and Europe.
Barry Winkless (Cpl Group).
Radosław Pituch (Polish Investment and Trade Agency).
AMONG THE WINNERS OF THE OUTSOURCING STARS 2023 COMPETITION WERE:
BPO: INFOSYS
CALL CONTACT CENTRE: FOUNDEVER
HR / PERMANENT RECRUITMENT: MANPOWERGROUP
IT CONTRACTING: ASTEK
RPA: SAIO
HR / EMPLOYEE LEASING: LEASINGTEAM GROUP
IT SOFTWARE DEVELOPMENT: INFOPULSE
INNOVATIVE BUSINESS SOLUTION: REVDEBUG
STARTUPS AWARDED FOR THE BEST PRESENTATIONS DURING
HEARME
ACCOUNTING, HR, PAYROLL: ACS
DEVELOPER: TORUS
For several years now, it has been a tradition that on the eve of The BSS Forum, Pro Progressio organizes a so-called Before Night, a networking meeting during which both guests and speakers of the Forum can meet and establish relationships in an informal atmosphere and in an unusual place. This year's Before Night took place at the NINE's restaurant in Browary Warszawskie and brought together over 200 participants.
As is tradition, the City Tour – a coach trip that includes visits to the most interesting office investments in the city – was organized on the day preceding The BSS Forum. The partner of City Tour Warsaw was Cushman & Wakefield. This time, the participants visited five Warsaw office buildings: The Park, Business Garden, P 180, LIXA and Upper One.
The Platinum Sponsor of The BSS Forum, The Outsourcing Stars Gala and accompanying events was Cpl Poland. The Gold Sponsors were the companies: KPMG, Nowy Styl, Loftmill, and ServiceNow. The City Partner was the Invest in Pomerania agency. The honorary patronage of the event was taken by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
The photo and movie gallery of The BSS Forum, Outsourcing Stars Gala, and The Before Night is available on the event's website: bssforum.com/en/galeria .♦
Management Board of Pro Progressio would like to thank all Sponsors and Partners of BSS Forum: Follow the Leaders & Outsourcing Stars Gala
After months of work, the Polish Parliament adopted an amendment to the Labor Code, which implements two EU directives, namely Directive No. 2019/1152 of 20 June 2019 on transparent and predictable working conditions in the European Union1 (so called Transparency Directive) and Directive No. 2019/1158 of 20 June 2019 on work-life balance for parents and carers2 (so called Work-Life Balance Directive). Taking into account the 3-week long vacatio legis, the new regulations take effect in late April.
In the case of the Transparency Directive, the aim of the EU legislator was to improve working conditions by promoting more transparent and predictable employment conditions, which is reflected primarily in the expansion of information obligations and the creation of a kind of communication platform between employers and employees to improve employment conditions and the possibility of implementing employee development plans in the companies.
In turn, at the core of the Work-Life Balance Directive was the need to establish minimum requirements to achieve equal opportunities for women and men in the labor market and to encourage more equal sharing of caregiving responsibilities between women and men.
Although the most significant and most frequently commented on change concerns parental leave, it should not be forgotten that the amendment introduces a number of other changes that are equally important, from the perspective of employees and employers.
Take, for example, new information obligations imposed on employers. In addition to the information provided so far at the beginning of employment (such as
working time standards, the amount of leave an employee is entitled to, or applicable notice periods), employers will have to inform employees about a number of other issues, including working hours, breaks and rest time, overtime rules, salary components not mentioned in the employment agreement, or trainings.
If the workplace does not have work regulations, the above information will be expanded to include rules for payment of remuneration, confirmation of attendance and information on night time.
In addition, the employer will be required to provide employees with information on where their social security contributions are paid and what additional forms of social security the employer offers (e.g. Employee Pension Plans, Employee Capital Plans). With regard to most of the indicated information, the provision allows the employee to be informed by indicating the relevant laws. That’s not all as throughout the period of employment employers, in accordance with the principles of transparency, will have to keep employees informed of:
• change of address;
• the possibility of full-time or part-time employment;
• opportunities for promotion;
• vacancies.
In turn, employees who have been employed for at least six months will gain the right to request a change in the type of agreement to an indefinite term agreement or full-time employment. The employer will have to respond to such a request within a statutory period, and if the request is not granted, the employer will have to indicate the reason therefor. An important novelty also concerns the issue of concurrent employment. The employer will not be able to prohibit an employee from additional employment, regardless of its basis, unless it is for a competitor, and the parties enter into a relevant non-competition agreement.
Following the entry into force of the new regulations, it will be possible to conclude agreements for a trial period as before for a maximum period of up to 3 months, with their term depending on the planned duration of employment thereafter.
If an employer wishes to enter into a fixed-term agreement with an employee for less than 1 year after the trial period, the maximum duration of the trial period may not exceed 1 or 2 months. In some cases, the agreement for a trial period can be extended by one month.
The regulations also introduce new rules for termination of fixed-term agreements. The Polish legislator decided to regulate this issue, as it had been unclear for a long time, due to a judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU1. According to the Court’s decision, the provision differentiating the treatment in terms of the conditions of termination of employment agreements of employees with fixed-term agreements compared to those employed based on indefinite-term agreements is discriminatory. Currently, fixed-term agreements are terminated quite easily, as there is no obligation to indicate the reason for termination. It is also not necessary to notify the company trade union organization representing the employee about the intention to terminate the agreement. After the amendment comes into force this will change and, as a result, the termination of a fixed-term employment agreement will in principle be equal to the termination of an indefinite-term agreement.
1 Judgment of the Court of Justice of the EU of 12 March 2014, Case C-38/13 (Nierodzik), ECLI:EU:C:2014:152.
At the core of the Work-Life Balance Directive
need
Combined with the current break provision, this makes a total of 30 minutes of break time. In cases of working more than 16 hours a day, the employee will be entitled to another 15-minute break, receiving a total of 45 minutes of paid break included in working time.
Secondly, employees will gain a new type of employee leave unrelated to parenthood, known as care leave. The purpose is to provide the employees with the opportunity to care for family members or cohabitants who require support for serious medical reasons. This will provide up to 5 days of unpaid work leave per year.
Third, in force majeure emergencies for urgent family matters caused by illness or accident, employees will be able to ask their employer for additional leave for 2 days or 16 hours. Employees will receive half pay for this time.
The main and most significant changes introduced by the Work-Life Balance Directive are those concerning new parental rights.
The first to be mentioned are longer periods of parental leave. Employees who are parents will be entitled to take care of their children for 9 more weeks, that is:
• up to 41 weeks in the case of giving birth to one child
• up to 43 weeks in the case of giving birth to more than one child in a single birth.
It is worth noting that this right will also be available to parents whose children were born before the new regulations came into force. This right will extend to all those parents who would have already earned the right to parental leave or part thereof on 2 August 2022 (that is, the date on which the deadline to implement the Directive passed).
Listing the changes adopted by the amendment, one cannot forget about the additional breaks and exemptions from work to which employees will be entitled. First, any employee who performs work for more than 9 hours a day will be entitled to an additional paid 15-minute break included in working time.
In accordance with the purpose of the Directive, the new regulations provide that each employee who is a parent will be have an exclusive right to 9 weeks of parental leave. This means that in a situation where parental leave is taken by one parent (as a rule, the mother), the amount of leave will not increase, and only the other parent (the father) will be able to take an additional 9 weeks. This regulation was intended to encourage equal sharing of caregiving responsibilities between men and women, as in practice fathers rarely use parental leave.
was the
to establish minimum requirements to achieve equal opportunities for women and men in the labor market and to encourage more equal sharing of caregiving responsibilities between women and men.
The amount of maternity benefit during maternity and parental leave will also change. As a rule, the monthly benefit for the period of parental leave, will be 70% of the benefit base. However, the new regulations provide that the employee who is the mother will have the opportunity to choose the amount of maternity benefit for the period of parental leave. She can decide that she will receive a benefit amounting to 100% of the benefit base for the entire period of maternity leave, while for the period of parental leave both parents will be entitled to a benefit amounting to 70% of the benefit base. The second option she may opt for will be to request that she be paid 81.5% of the maternity benefit for the period of maternity leave and parental leave, with the father of the child always being entitled to a maternity benefit of 70% of the benefit base for the 9-week non-transferable portion of parental leave.
Given the significant differences in the level of wages between men and women, the economic impact of women being on parental leave is often less severe on the family’s financial situation than if the father took the leave. Hence, the new regulation raises some doubt as to whether it is attractive enough to encourage employees who are fathers to make use of the new entitlements.
Another entitlement that the Work-Life Balance Directive offers to employees who are parents as part of their adaptation to the labor market is the possibility to use flexible work arrangements. An employee who raises a child up to the age of 8 can apply to his or her employer for one of the forms of flexible work arrangements, which include:
• remote work;
• intermittent working time system;
• a shortened work week system;
• weekend work system;
• flexible working hours;
• individual work schedule;
• reduction of full-time employment.
In the event of a refusal, the employer will have to provide reasons for its decision within 7 days of the request.
Both directives contain some protection mechanisms against unfavorable treatment of employees who will exercise their new rights. In the case of employees who are parents, the employer will not only be unable to terminate the employment agreement, but will also not be able to prepare to terminate the employment relationship with a pregnant employee or an employee who applies for one of the parental leaves. Accordingly, an employee who exercises rights under the Transparency Directive (e.g., requests information from the employer, receives training, or remains employed in another entity) will not be able to be dismissed for this reason.♦
Magdalena Chochowska Senior Associate, Baker McKenzie
An employee who raises a child up to the age of 8 can apply to his or her employer for one of the forms of flexible work arrangements.
Only 10% of the surveyed micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) have registered intellectual property rights – reads the Intellectual Property SME Scoreboard 2022 report by the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO). Entrepreneurs most often decided to register national trademarks (6.4%) and EU trademarks (4.2%). Patents for inventions were only ranked third (3.6%). Significantly, as many as 93% of the SMEs that registered at least one of the intellectual property rights believe the registration has benefited their businesses.
A trademark's primary function is distinguishing the entrepreneur's goods or services from those of other businesses. It is a symbol intended to easily and quickly draw the customers' attention
to the goods or services the entrepreneur sells.
A trademark can take many forms. The most common types in the market are those consisting of words (word marks), graphic elements (figurative marks)
and marks that include both verbal and graphic elements (semi-figurative marks). Sound marks should also be mentioned (the famous MGM film studio lion's roar) or 3-dimensional marks (e.g. the goods' or packaging's shape, store décor).
According to the EUIPO’s report, most SMEs do not decide to register trademarks. The report shows that most respondents point to the lack of benefits of registration.
There are unregistered and registered trademarks throughout businesses. It should be noted that trademark registration is not mandatory and only depends on the entrepreneur's decision. According to the EUIPO's report, most SMEs do not decide to register trademarks. The reasons for that are complex. The EUIPO report shows that most respondents point to the lack of benefits of registration. So, is registering a trademark worthwhile?
In simple terms, registering a trademark is based on entering it in the register kept by the competent industrial property office. In Poland, trademarks are registered by the Patent Office of the Republic of Poland in Warsaw. European Union trademarks can be registered with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) in Alicante (Spain).
The registration gives the exclusive right to use the trademark in a business in a given country or countries (national or regional trademarks, respectively) for the goods and services stipulated in the registration application. This right can be compared to the ownership right of things, hence the ‘intellectual property right’ term. Just like the owner enjoys exclusivity in availing themselves of an object, the trademark registrant is the only authorised entity to use the registered trademark. For example, the Microsoft trademark owner has the sole right to use it in relation to operating systems. Without the trademark owner's consent, other entrepreneurs must not use the trademark. If they decide to infringe on the trademark owner's monopoly, they may be reckoned with civil and criminal liability. An unregistered trademark does not provide such exclusivity, and pursuing rights related to its infringement is more complex and uncertain.
Therefore, the question posed at the outset must be answered in the affirmative. Yes, registering a trademark is most beneficial and can significantly con tribute to the development of SME businesses.
In order to register a trademark, an application must be submitted to the competent industrial property office. If it
satisfies the formal criteria, information about the application is published in the official journal. Within three months of the publication, other parties may object to the registration based on their rights (e.g. earlier trademark, logo copyright). However, if everything goes smoothly, the office will issue a decision to register the trademark.
Finally, we should also mention a vital initiative of the European Commission, i.e. the ‘Ideas Powered for business’ fund. It is a financial support programme for SMEs seated in the European Union. Monies from this fund can be spent, among others, on paying trademark registration fees.
Monopoly on using a registered trademark lasts for ten years from the date of submitting the registration application. However, the protection can practically be extended indefinitely for successive 10-year periods.
Both in the case of trademarks registered in Poland and EU trademarks, the monopoly on using a registered trademark lasts for ten years from the date of submitting the registration application. However, the protection can practically be extended indefinitely for successive 10-year periods. It should be borne in mind that the trademark registration and the subsequent renewal of protection are subject to official fees.
In January 2023, the third edition of the programme was launched.
Many entrepreneurs from the SME sector, especially those just starting their businesses, do not register trademarks because of the expensive registration fees. We do hope the European Commission's initiative will contribute to changing the situation. It is all the more important that intellectual property is of fundamental significance in a knowledge-based economy.♦
Marcin Witkowski | attorney-at-law,
i Wspólnicy Radcowie Prawni
FOCUS ON Business: Elekta has already implemented Coupa – the advanced purchasing system. What was the reason to implement such tool?
Łukasz Kozicki, Elekta Business Services: The idea to implement an advanced purchasing system came with the need to improve the way how we managed non-production expenditures (so-called Indirect spend). Until now, these purchases were the responsibility of the business owners (global or local), buying independently and, due to the lack of synergies, we could not take advantage of the various purchasing leverages. In addition, the newly created Global Indirect Procurement team aimed to improve these efficiencies, exploiting synergies by centralising parts of purchasing and increasing control over expenditure.
To achieve this, we needed a real procurement transformation to change our approach to purchasing at the time. We wanted to work on purchase orders rather than invoices, so that the budget holder could make decisions about commitments to the supplier at an early enough stage, rather than often accepting an invoice after the fact.
To carry out this transformation, we needed a system that would handle our processes, provide a high level of control, but also be very simple for the end user, because we saw the simplicity is the key to success. Therefore, we decided to implement Coupa.
What scale of involvement was required for the company that operates in over 40 countries and sells its products in more than 120 countries around the world?
Let me start by saying that the project was initially planned for 14 months with an initial roll-out in our 3 main divisions after 7 months, followed by the rollout in the remaining countries. We still had a buffer of 4 months (in case of unplanned situations), but due to the scheduled shutdown of the old system we had little margin for manoeuvre. We simply had to implement the system on time.
the purchasing process achieved saved us a lot of time when launching the system in other countries, so that we finally completed the implementation after 16 months (if it had not been for COVID we would have reached the original target of 14 months). The joint workshops also allowed many people to get involved in the project, who then helped us to adapt the system in local divisions.
In retrospect, I judge that the biggest challenge was working with multiple cultures. This was evident from the very beginning of the project, in the more-or-less conservative approach to workshop engagement. However, cultural differences were evident throughout the project.
The timeline presented in this way played a key role in the approach to implementation and the organisation's commitment to the success of the project. Above all, we knew that we could not afford an individual approach for each country. We needed to agree on one global process standard that would be adopted by all. In the end, we allowed for minor local deviations, but these were mainly due to the needs of the local regulations in each country. We started the implementation with a 6-week workshop to which we invited representation from every region of the world, both decision-makers and people involved in operations, so that we could jointly develop a standard that was suitable for all. The workshop was divided into thematic sessions and a total of nearly 200 persons attended.
Organising the workshop was a big challenge, but the global standard of
In retrospect, I judge that the biggest challenge was working with multiple cultures. This was evident from the very beginning of the project, in the more-or-less conservative approach to workshop engagement. However, cultural differences were evident throughout the project, especially during the system rollout in Asian countries. This challenge is related to the change management process, which by definition is not simple. And our resources were limited. We had realistically 1.5 person (0.5 being me) responsible for user training. We decided to build a training page with short instructions and online training dates that anyone could sign up for on one of many dates. It was risky, but Coupa is a very intuitive system, so actually a one-page instruction was enough to do the order correctly. Today I estimate that it was a slam dunk.
It was undoubtedly a major challenge to reach a consensus on the final shape of the purchasing process. On the one hand, we were aiming for a standard, while on the other hand there were a lot of expectations from the business. We had to find a balance that would allow us to simplify the processes, but also allow us to manage and control expenditure appropriately.
change people's attitudes to purchasing itself, give approvers the ability to manage budgets and Purchasing department the ability to react before we decide to commit to a supplier. But it has not been a simple task. It was a two-year process that, without the involvement of the procurement area and finance (in particular our Global Accounts Payable team in Warsaw), would never have succeeded.
In terms of implementation itself, I think we were very successful in having global workshops to agree on a single standard. Consensus is always key to be able to make sustainable changes. Also, I am very happy with our approach to training and user adoption.
Another challenge was the pandemic – as it was for everyone. In our case, the pandemic found us in the middle of system roll-out in North America. Fortunately, we were already past the system design verification phase (we always reviewed the final process with each region and discussed potential deviations), but we had to change our approach to user training and design it remotely.
The more difficult situation was in Asia. The pandemic forced us to change our whole approach to the project and work remotely – user training at 4am (our time) is still remembered today.
The overriding objective was to increase control over indirect procurement spend, better reporting and cost efficiency resulting from purchasing synergies. On this basis, we defined the following project objectives:
• First and foremost, we wanted to increase the invoice coverage with orders (so-called PO compliance). Before the project, we were at 25%. The project target is to achieve min. 85%. Two years after the project, we reached 90%, after which we introduced the 'no PO, no pay' principle, which allowed us to reach 99% 'PO compliance'. In my opinion, this is the biggest success of the project, because it not only means purchasing is compliant with the process, but also that we have managed to
• In addition, we wanted to make it easier for users to create orders. During the implementation, we planned to build at least three integrations with external e-commerce platforms (so-called Punch-outs). In the end, we built 20 such integrations, and currently have more than 30. In addition, we are continuously expanding our database of internal catalogues, so that users can select a product from the database and send it for approval. Actually, it can take less than a minute to create a request and send it for approval.
• Other goals include implementing a sourcing module for the procurement area, streamlining the approval process so that it can be done from any device, and better reporting.
What lessons have you learnt from this project? What approach and actions worked well, and which of the initial assumptions needed to be modified?
I think it is extremely important to understand that procurement transformation is not just about the system. It's not about changing the tool, it's about changing the approach, user behaviour and perspective. In our case, we talked about transformation from day one of the project, which increased the 'validity' of the project in people's eyes and therefore encouraged them to get involved more. I see this as one of the successes and I am glad that I had some part in creating the communication.
I am convinced that one of the key factors in the success of the implementation, although sometimes underestimated, is the existence of Elekta Business Services (EBS) – Elekta's Global Shared Service Centre. By locating the implementation team, the global Accounts Payable team and IT experts in EBS, we were able to work very closely together and respond quickly to various issues. This was particularly evident after the initial launch of the system, where such close cooperation allowed us to quickly identify and fix technical issues, leading to the smooth unloading of the queue of pending invoices.
Of course, there were also things I would try to avoid in the future. One of them is the decision to run the system remotely in Asia and to do the implementation at night. On the other hand, COVID didn't ask us when it was going to go live and we had a deadline for implementation, so we would certainly have planned it differently under different circumstances.
Thank you for the interview.
It was undoubtedly a major challenge to reach a consensus on the final shape of the purchasing process. On the one hand, we were aiming for a standard, while on the other hand there were a lot of expectations from the business.
I think it is extremely important to understand that procurement transformation is not just about the system. It's not about changing the tool, it's about changing the approach, user behaviour and perspective.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is made up of electronic devices and sensors connected to each other via a network. We don't realize it on a daily basis, but we live our lives surrounded by IoT devices: we use our smartphone to adjust the temperature and brightness of the lighting in a room, receive data from a weather station, turn on the dishwasher remotely or set the laundry program in our washing machine.
But these examples are home appliances, working on a single wi-fi network. And what does it look like in more serious applications, namely industry, logistics, or modern cities? To take a look closer at this issue, I chose a young Polish company called CTHINGS, which provides IoT solutions based on 5G networks.
Before we go any further, let's review the key components of IoT solutions. Following the principle that in order to change something, we must first measure it, let's start with sensors. These are small devices, consuming a minimal amount of energy, that measure quantities of interest to us: location in space, sudden movement, power consumption, temperature, distance from the water table,
etc. Today we can measure virtually anything, so let's focus on three key aspects that should characterize a good IoT sensor: resistance to outdoor conditions, low power consumption, and the ability to transmit data in the technology of choice.
Another component of the industrial IoT infrastructure is the Gateway, a type of router that collects data from distributed IoT sensors and transmits it to the cloud. For this to be possible, we need a wireless network that will enable fast, secure, and lag-free data transfer. And this is where 5G technology comes in, which offers tremendous opportunities in building distributed data networks, due to the very high bandwidth of the network and, importantly, minimal latency in it. For data transmission in the 5G band, we can use the generally available network of a mobile operator, or – if security is a priority for us –build our own campus 5G network, to become a local operator for our organization. And coming back to the Gateway – we refer to it as an edge device, which bridges the gap between the sensors and the extensive data network and the cloud.
So the quantities of interest have already been measured and sent over the network without delay. Well, yes, but where? Mostly we will hear the answer: "to the cloud", which means to a database located in the cloud. Depending on how this cloud is designed, it could be located in the data center of some global cloud service provider, or, for example, in the server room of the company that owns the data. The most important thing, however, is that through the Internet or a dedicated data transmission network, we can access, process, and analyze the data. Mostly, this is done through specialized software that allows us to visualize the results of data analysis as required by specific industries or specific clients.
We have already learned the basic terms related to IoT, namely IoT Sensor, Gateway, Edge, Data Transmission Network, and Cloud. Then we can move from theory to practice and talk about what is truly unique about the solution developed by CTHINGS. Well, this company has developed a complete platform that combines IoT devices, gateways, 5G data transmission and management, analysis, and visualization of results through dedicated software. It consists of two components: Orchestra Cloud Platform and Edge Computing Infrastructure which at the moment stands probably the only such comprehensive and secure industrial IoT solution in the world. It was supposed to be practice, so let's see how it works using 2 case studies.
Imagine a large city that has an extensive sewer system. You can see how large this network is by the number of sewer manholes we encounter every day on the roads and sidewalks. Now imagine that the water level in a large river that flows through the city suddenly rises.
Immediately the water level in the city's sewer system rises, and the relevant services need to know how high it is so that they can react, because in a few hours, it will be too late, and the city will be dealing with local flooding and critical infrastructure failures. Today, more often than not, an army of people heads into town to lift heavy cast-iron covers and measure water levels.
What about replacing cast iron covers with epoxy (enabling signal transmission!) with built-in water level sensors, from which real-time data via a 5G network is sent to a system that immediately visualizes flood-prone areas? Such solutions developed by CTHINGS called Smart Radar are already in operation in many Scandinavian cities.
Another solution for the Smart Utilities sector is Smart Alarm, which checks the readiness of each hydrant in realtime. Because – as it turns out – non-functioning hydrants are a statistically frequent and dangerous phenomenon in most cities, regardless of their size.
The previous solutions dealt with Smart City, let's move on to industry, or rather, to a large industrial warehouse with thousands of steel structure components and other building components. Of course, it is possible to find everything in it, but this sometimes requires a really long time. Unless, of course, we tag each item with a small IoT sensor, connect them over the network to Orchestra's platform, and see the exact location of each item we're looking for on a tablet screen. Simple, facilitating, inexpensive solution.
In general, IoTs are made for industrial and logistics solutions. From sensors to detect a worker's fall, to analyze the movement of robotic trucks, the power consumption of machines, vibration sensors to detect failure early, etc. The field for use here is high if we have a solution with all the required components: sensors, the ability to use the available network, and a software platform for data analysis and visualization.
We live and work in a time when the most expensive and imperfect component of many processes has become human. It is already apparent that the recently made public Open AI / ChatGPT model will change many processes related to data processing, software writing, or content creation. IoT devices will play a similar role in industrial processes, logistics, and modern cities. All the components required for this change are already available, the 5G infrastructure is expanding, and comprehensive solutions such as those provided by CTHINGS are dramatically shortening the process of deployment and market adoption. So it looks like tomorrow really begins today.♦
Author Piotr Pawłowski Managing Partner, Level2 Ventures
As contact center executives know, understanding and meeting customer expectations is a critical factor in the success of any business. But with ever-changing consumer demands, it’s becoming harder to keep up.
To stay competitive and ensure exceptional customer experience (CX), many companies are turning to the gig workforce through a phenomenon known as GigCX – an increasingly popular way of sourcing on-demand customer service labor. By leveraging this talented pool of digital nomads anytime you need them, your organization can benefit from their specialized skills without requiring a fulltime staff commitment – but this does come with some challenges.
GigCX is a new model of customer support that leverages knowledgeable on-demand CX workers through a central platform to handle customer enquiries and support tasks across the entire customer lifecycle. As such, customers receive a more authentic, personalized experience, whereby enquiries are dealt with more rapidly, translating to higher satisfaction levels.
The model’s versatility has resulted in notable growth gains in the global GigCX market over the last five years. In 2017, the GigCX market (including both captive/ in-house and outsourced contact centers) was estimated to be valued of US$845 million, expanding to US$2,79 billion in 2022.
Increasing rates of digitization and the acceptance of WFA working models among contact centers will stoke GigCX market expansion to an estimated US$4,19 billion by the end of this year and rising sharply to US12,98 billion by 2025. It is projected that GigCX adoption rates will plateau from 2025 until 2027, resting on an estimated US15,42 billion valuation.
GigCX is a new model of customer support that leverages knowledgeable on-demand CX workers through a central platform to handle customer inquiries and support tasks across the entire customer lifecycle.
81% of surveyed
said they would more likely buy a product after engaging with a GigCX expert.
A variety of factors are at play behind the exceptional growth and the strong business case for GigCX; however, there are five that have been identified as the most significant.
The virtual nature of GigCX enables contact center organizations to tap into a much broader pool of qualified workers in the global market possessing specialized experience in niche areas that are often difficult to find in the local market. This has unlocked access to a new kind of customer service specialist – brand advocates or ‘super users’ who are expert customers of a particular brand’s products and services. Expert customers assisting other customers can be more relatable, providing a personalized CX.
In fact, 81% of surveyed customers said they would more likely buy a product after engaging with a GigCX expert.1
Globalized recruitment offered by GigCX allows contact centers to draw skilled CX talent from regions with competitive 1 Limitless 2022 GigCX Report.
salaries. These would not only include offshore locations, such as India and the Philippines, but also emerging locations across Eastern Europe, notably Poland, Czechia, Croatia, Bulgaria and Slovenia.
In addition, the GigCX model is based on a variable ‘pay-as-you-go’ or cost per ticket pricing structure, as opposed to cost per head. There is a dual benefit to this – costs are directly correlated to output and there is a degree of guarantee from the GigCX worker to successfully resolve a customer query.
More rapid onboarding processes and customer enquiry resolutions enable contact centers to scale using less time and resources. By leveraging a distributed workforce model, contact centers can meet client requests to install large numbers of seats within a limited timeframe, speeding the time-to-market. For instance, National Express and Daily Mail managed to quadruple their CX workforces using GigCX workers in response to unplanned demand peaks and operational expansions2
2 2022 CxOutsourcers Leveraging the Gig Economy for CX Delivery Roundtable.The virtual nature of GigCX enables contact center organizations to tap into a much broader pool of qualified workers in the global market possessing specialized experience in niche areas that are often difficult to find in the local market.
The elasticity of the GigCX model allows contact centers to adapt their workforce size according to the ebb-and-flow of customer service volumes and changing market dynamics.
On the one hand, contact centers can rapidly onboard new workers and increase their agent complement in a short time frame to precisely match customer service volumes. On the other hand, contact centers can seamlessly reduce their headcount during customer service lulls. For this reason, many CX leaders cite the ability to have a flexible workforce as a major driver of adopting GigCX within their operations.
In the US, the UK and Australia, security is viewed as the most prominent GigCX limitation, while legislation is seen as the leading inhibitor of GigCX by enterprises in Spain, France and Canada. The rising trend of Bring Your Own Devices (BYOD) among virtual workforces adds further complexity to GigCX adoption.
However, there are robust BYOD best-practices implemented by GigCX platforms to prevent data leakages and other cyber security risks, including:
• Implementing a BYOD security policy;
• Mandating passwords on all devices;
• Banning specified apps;
• Training personnel about protection measures;
• Necessitating periodic maintenance updates.
Additionally, key international data protection legislation, such as General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), can be applied to the endpoint of devices for WFA GigCX workers.
Brand consistency
The proven scalability, flexibility and profitability of the GigCX model – resulting in happier customers and workforces – means that businesses can keep up with high demands for customer support while still ensuring quality of service. In addition, contact centers can now rapidly scale and have a variable workforce that shifts with seasonal customer call volumes.
Although GigCX is unchartered territory, most CX leaders should ensure that their organizations have robust processes in place for data security and providing a consistent brand image across their contractor base. With improved technology and greater collaboration between industry experts, we can expect the way people interact with contact centers to evolve even more in the coming years.♦
Contact centers are able to implement diversity and inclusion into their workforces through flexible, cross-border hiring structures offered by GigCX platforms, bringing in fresh ideas and alternative ways of thinking.
Notably, CX executives using GigCX platforms have reported that up to 30% of their GigCX agents come from communities of diversity and inclusion. Moreover, 42% of these diverse GigCX workers speak more than one language, enabling contact centers to tap into multilingual pools of talent.3
However, as a newly emerging trend, GigCX does not come without its challenges, particularly around data security and brand consistency and quality.
Approximately 77% of global enterprise buyers view security and legislation as a major hinderance to GigCX adoption.
3 Limitless 2022 GigCX Report.
Another concern is the adherence to brand guidelines and standards, potentially resulting in inconsistent and compromised customer service delivery. To mitigate this, GigCX platforms have deployed stringent peer review processes augmented by algorithm-based agent assessments to monitor and evaluate performance. A constant feedback loop is developed, where tickets are fed to top performers, creating a natural selection of query allocation. GigCX workers struggling to meet brand expectations either go through a re-learning initiative or fall off the platform completely.
Author Mark Angus CEO of market research consultancy, Genesis Global Business Services and Founding Partner of The World Source Marketplace for Global Business Services (GBS.World)
Approximately 77% of global enterprise buyers view security and legislation as a major hinderance to GigCX adoption.
With improved technology and greater collaboration between industry experts, we can expect the way people interact with contact centers to evolve even more in the coming years.
The popularity of open space and hot-desk offices, co-works and multi-functional working spaces is rapidly growing. They are associated with a significant challenge, that is their soundproofing.
Meetings and discussions, telephone calls, office devices, steps of the bypassing people, and even sounds from the outside –together they generate a high level of noise. 50 dB negatively impacts the productivity and health of the employees1, and the decrease in work quality caused by noise has already been researched in the last century2. Polish standards PN-N01307:1994 and PN-87/B-02151/02 indicate 353 to 654 dB (based on the type of work) as the acceptable noise level for offices. It is crucial to provide optimal acoustic conditions in the office – and this can be done in a few ways. The easiest and most reliable one is to include such solutions during the arrangement and finishing works in the interior, introducing sound-insulated walls and ceilings, soft materials such as carpets and a lot of plants. It is important to identify how people work in the space to effectively soundproof it. Does focused work at the computer dominate the office? Or are those rather telephone calls and meetings? The identified activities should be divided into functional zones, to separate the ones that generate noise from the ones that need silence and concentration – most important to locate lounge zones and meeting rooms away from the working stations.
1 Szubert M., Akustyka biur w nowej polskiej normie, in: „Zawód architekt – ogólnopolski magazyn izby architektów RP” No. 45, 2015, p. 68-69.
2 Tang S. K., Chan J. W. C., Some characteristics of noise in air-conditioned landscaped offices, 1996.
3 Norma PN-B-02151-2:2018 Akustyka budowlana
– Ochrona przed hałasem w budynkach – Część
2: Wymagania dotyczące dopuszczalnego poziomu dźwięku w pomieszczeniach.
4 Norma PN-N-01307:1994 Dopuszczalne wartości poziomu dźwięku na stanowisku pracy.
Most often however, there is no possibility to change more than just the interior fittings or equipment. In such cases, the functional zones can be designated with panels, curtains and furniture, for example, bookshelves. Lounge zones and meeting rooms can also be created with soft furniture with high backrests.
Acoustic screens: Sonic desk screen and Viva freestanding screen by .mdd.It is crucial to provide optimal acoustic conditions in the office – and this can be done in a few ways.
Arranged together, such sofas and armchairs can shield the users from the noise, providing a comfortable spot for talking, focusing or resting. Just increasing the number of soft, upholstered elements – and furniture – will increase the acoustic properties of the space, as the fabrics have sound-absorbing qualities. Plants will work similarly well, however, both solutions are limited, and will not fully soundproof the interior.
Quiet zones perfect for focusing and talking can easily be created by introducing acoustic booths. The market for them is becoming more and more diverse. Booths are available in numerous sizes, from telephone booths ideal for one standing person, up to multi-person “rooms” equipped with seating and tables, great for meetings and team working. They allow for designating silent spaces without the need to build permanent walls, and due to the glass elements provide the users with natural light and contact with the surroundings. Most of the booths on the market are built in modular construction, so they can be easily adjusted to the interior. They are equipped with automatic ventilation and lighting systems. Also, more and more models have additional functions and accessories, such as integrated video screens. The sound reduction levels of commercially available booths are around 25-35 dB. They are also usually tested and certified in compliance with international standards, including ISO 23351-1, indicating acoustic classes of such products, dependent on their speech reduction capabilities5.
Acoustic boxes and cubicles will perform a similar function. Those are sets of furniture and high sound-absorbing screens, most often with modular construction. Not only will they designate muted spaces for meeting and working, but also mute the noise generated by their users, keeping optimal conditions in the rest of the office. The cubicles’ equipment varies depending on their function; those can be different desk configurations (also single workstations), tables for teamwork or arrangements of seating and coffee tables perfect for meetings. Such boxes often also have holders
5 ISO 23351-1:2020 Acoustics – Measurement of speech level reduction of furniture ensembles and enclosures – Part 1: Laboratory method.
Acoustic booths: telephone booth Hana by .mdd. Acoustic booths: Hako Meeting booth by .mdd.for the LCD screen and other devices. Thanks to the abundance of available options and thanks to the modular construction, the cubicles can be easily matched to the size of the interior and the needs of its users.
For spaces where none of the above solutions seems to work, acoustic screens will be perfect. Their main advantage is that they can be added to the interior at any given moment, with no need to change the existing arrangement. As they
are equipped with special brackets and fixing elements, they also do not require complicated assembly.
Most popular models are for walls or desks, but there are also freestanding and ceiling options. Moreover, all types include numerous variations, distinguished by the location and way of fixing. For example, desk screens can be mounted on all sides of the worktop, while ceiling ones can be hung vertically or horizontally. There are various shapes and sizes
available, from square and rectangular, through round and triangular, up to polygonal. Desk and freestanding screens can additionally designate the space, creating semi-private niches around the working stations or separating different functional spaces. Set around the lounge zone or a meeting room, they will absorb the generated noise, insulating the surrounding working stations. The most effective screens will be the ones made in sandwich technology, in which outer layers (upholstered with soundproof fabrics) are separated by acoustic nonwoven with high absorption and dispersion properties.
Regardless of which solution and which products one decides on, before the purchase, it is crucial to research their parameters and construction technology. The manufacturers make every effort to certify their products, so it is easy to check the sound-absorption levels of the given screen or booth. The vast majority of the products on the market are compliant with Polish and international standards.
The variety of available options, and often also their customisation possibilities, allows the user to choose a solution tailor-made for their space – it is only important to carefully research the factors that negatively impact its acoustic conditions.♦
The article has been created in cooperation with
Acoustic screens: Sonic desk screens by .mdd. Acoustic cubicles: meeting box Agora by .mdd.Desk and freestanding screens can additionally designate the space, creating semi-private niches around the working stations or separating different functional spaces.
Nothing is as demotivating as spending money and investing in overtime, only to end up with a failed project. The intentions and ideas were beautiful, noble, and ambitious. The result was either imperceptible or the project was abandoned in the process. This is a reality that we are all too familiar with. While working in one organisation, we find thousands of reasons why certain initiatives never come to fruition or are greatly reduced in scope.
The misguided belief that everyone understands the goal and message of a task and is equally motivated, or has the same level of knowledge, are just some of the reasons why ideas and projects may not be successful. Moreover, acting on the assumption that the topic is just as important for everyone else as it is for us, is the first step towards failure. So, what should we do to reach a consensus and a similar pace of goal achievement? And why is it so important to the service provider-client relationship?
Shared Service Centres (SSC) and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) are business units that provide specialist payment services to other companies, as an outsourced alternative to creating new departments and units within their own structures. Or, perhaps, they may require support in a specific area such as language and coordinating differing time zones. By their very nature, SSCs or BPOs are supporting organisations. They assist. They solve problems. They offer guarantees.
But how do they protect against corporatisation, routine and broad stagnation?
In short, is that only through conscious and authentic communication, and the building of long-term relationships, based on a mutual sincere interest
in the success or well-being of each party to the arrangement.
There is still a "pay and demand" arrangement in the relationship between the principal and the service provider. Unfortunately, such a solution only works in the short term and only in certain sectors. To build a lasting relationship that will provide a long-term benefit, we need to invest in intangible assets, i.e. soft competencies. The history of commerce shows that the biggest corporations were created not only through hard work, but through connections, acquaintances, and the ability to maintain relationships. At Worldline, we work with many global partners and in addition, we have internal shared service centres.
whereby regular and transparent communication guarantees full control over the quality of services delivered, and over any changes that need to be implemented. This method of communication is regulated in the contract with the service provider or recipient in the case of SSC. Permanent elements of which are operational meetings (frequency is determined according to needs, but no less than once a week), monthly business reviews and annual strategy meetings. Informal methods of contact include meetings at the supplier's premises and ad-hoc discussions. During transit projects, we establish a separate communication structure in such a way that once the project is completed, the meeting
Our relationships are built at every level of the organisation and according to formal and procedural rules, as well as informally in meetings (on-site and online). Internal rules and formal administration of relationships organise all contractual obligations. In addition, comprehensive relationships build a structure
model smoothly transitions into a working version of the standard communication system.
From the outset, and as early as during the process of selecting a potential service provider or during discussions with an internal customer, we transparently emphasise what we care about and
To build a lasting relationship that will provide a long-term benefit, we need to invest in intangible assets, i.e. soft competencies.
why we decide to cooperate. We understand that without being as open as possible, we cannot expect good results. That is why it is so important to inform you about all the challenges we may face. Because our intention is to build a lasting and respectful relationship, we will guarantee a stable and loyal team.
Intention-based communication demonstrates a genuine interest in the other party and their goals, and a willingness to support, which is the nature of BPO and SSC. As in any relationship, its foundations are sincere emotions and collective motivations. At Worldline, we work on transparency with our partners even before the thought of collaboration dawns on anyone. How do we do this? We have developed a service procurement strategy and identified the elements that determine which form is most appropriate for each of the three options: an internal shared service centre, outsourcing to an external company or leaving the service in the hands of local teams. This is where the conversation starts for any project affecting the development of a particular unit.
The same strategy applies in the process of sourcing a new outsourcing company once we have identified in the RFI process what information must be included for the external company
to be able to prepare a suitable offer. We organise workshops at successive stages of the process to ensure the choice for both parties is the result of these meetings and not just a point of negotiation. At this stage, both parties have a chance not only to get to know each other but to agree the language used to describe their requirements or possibilities more coherent. The signing of the contract then seems like a mere formality and the transit project is built on a strong foundation. Discovering the goals of our relationship at the very beginning builds an affinity based on trust. Difficulties and challenges that arise are always solved together by knowing the ultimate goal we both want to achieve. Striving for hard indicators alone is no longer enough as our reality has become too complex for our clients to be satisfied with just a friendly and competent employee.
Experience has taught us that focussing purely on the delivery of results that are described well in the contract very often leads to misunderstanding. The natural inclination of people, and therefore also of organisations, is to
Authorrationalise facts or explain away mistakes. This, however, does not lead us to a solution. Therefore, it is important to communicate honestly at every step what we care about, openly and transparently. It is unwise to leave room for interpretation. Uninformed individuals very often have the fear that asking about something they do not understand might be perceived as them being ill-informed. As clients we need to be sure of the people we are working with. If we happen to come across someone with a high level of uncertainty, we make it easy for them by openly communicating our needs and the problems we expect to provide a solution for.
As service providers, we build an organisational culture based on fostering self-awareness and authenticity among our employees, particularly our management team. Motivated people will ensure that we have a professional relationship with the owners of the processes for which we provide services.
If relationships are truly based on a partnership, then the implementation of solutions becomes a pleasure.♦
Patrycja Dębska | Head of Outsourcing Management, Worldline
Wiktor Doktór, Pro Progressio: Let's start with an elaboration on something that might seem an obvious fact. Why would anyone want to stand out?
Greg Albrecht, Albrecht&Partners: Some people say that when you stay unnoticed and in line with the surrounding rules you will succeed. Being invisible is the safe option. I believe that staying under the radar is in fact the opposite of safe. Taking risks and standing out is the bumpy road to build one’s freedom. When you are exceptional (in your skills, charisma, craft) no matter what happens in your immediate surroundings (e.g. company) you will spot endless opportunities for yourself in the future. Thus you will become less dependent and more confident. This rule applies to individuals as well as to teams and companies.
Once I worked as an advisor and mentor with the owner of a company producing all forms of branded swag. From t-shirts and key laces to pen drives with logos. Their business was complex, the entry barrier to this segment almost non-existent, so it was extremely hard to create a long term competitive advantage. It paid the bills however. Based on our work, the founder decided to take risks and stand out. She launched a simple yet underrepresented product to the market. High quality cotton bags for marketing purposes sewn and designed in Europe. It fit in the sustainability trend, had multinational sales potential and was fundamentally targeted to the wellknown market segment of marketing agencies. What started as a side experiment ended up being the core business
for this company that now serves customers all over Europe, including leading multinational brands. The former “safe” core business has become almost non-existent.
The power difference is visible in the sports industry. In many disciplines there are multiple great athletes, but only some of them manage to build a personal / team brand that stands out and enables them to benefit from way more than just by winning in the game. Leading NBA and football teams live from licensing their brand. The same applies to athletes such as Robert Lewandowski.
Those who accept fear in controlled amounts tend to build strength over time, learn more through mistakes and move the needle of societal development. Feeling one’s own transformation and impact leads to higher levels of self-confidence and satisfaction.
My recommended approach is building personal / team resilience by running small experiments at a pretty low level of risk. Do something unpopular and see what happens.
With time keep testing, increasing the risk-level, building your capacity to deal with fear. This step by step approach
My recommended approach is building personal / team resilience by running small experiments at a pretty low level of risk. Do something unpopular and see what happens.
What withholds us from becoming unique?
There are multiple psychological and societal mechanisms that push us to fit in. In the early days of human existence on this planet we developed them to withstand the powers of nature and survive. Nobody wanted to stand out of the crowd, because being rejected by the tribe would most likely lead to lonely death. For the same reason we avoided the unknown – not to risk stepping out of the cave at night and getting eaten by a mysterious creature. Today these mechanisms are evoked in the form of peer pressure, shaming or just pure hierarchy. Standing out may irritate others through envy or fear, as obviously not everyone can stand out.
allows for taming the surrounding environment, so it is no longer surprised with your unconventional way of working. As trivial as it sounds – without making the first step, one will never reach the level of confidence awarded with standing out.
In my opinion the original power of entities established in Poland was set on the innate strengths of the Polish workforce: unprecedented dedication to work, well organized execution and in many cases stellar tech skills. But this is not enough to expand, build long term value of the entity within the capital group
and retain talent. One needs courage to be independent (to an extent), grow more product and less service-focused, as well as demonstrate strong communication skills.
In today's competitive and noisy market, it is harder than ever to differentiate company’s offer from someone else’s products or services. What are the key factors to build a significant brand’s value and positioning?
Be different, but for a reason. What I mean by that is define values that are shared within the team. Translate these values into behaviors. Understand how these behaviors can be represented by actions / products. After understanding who you are, look back at the client's underserved needs and at the competitive landscape. Refine your product strategy and then communicate it selecting tools and creatives representing the values you selected. What people are looking at nowadays are among others: sustainability, space to express oneself individually and questions related to AI.
Books I recommend that can help you get in the right mindset: "Competing Against Luck" by Clayton Christensen and “How Brands Grow: What Marketers Don't Know" by Byron Sharp.
It’s beyond question that having the right people in your team is extremely important. How do you think hiring for value creation potential differs from simply hiring for skill or experience?
It is impossible to hire only top talents. Every company can declare it, but in practice there is a tiny percentage of the workforce that is truly exceptional. The reason for this is not only the cost of hiring the best. It’s also the need to build an environment where the top players stay engaged, have space to grow, use their skills, and express their talent.
In a highly structured organization that delivers repetitive results there is not much space for creativity and value creation. This is why if we strategically decide that we want more of the best, we need to prepare. Decide that we will
risk changing the way of working, allocate a budget for compensations and give freedom to unconventional projects. Be ready to fail in the short term to benefit in the long term.
Having the top talent on board raises the bar for the management team. Leaders have to be careful not to choke the potential of the new hires, by assigning them mundane tasks and limiting their creativity.
the organization. The best way to do it is to raise your hand to pick the tough tasks nobody else wants to take because they require real work. In the second step – based on your superstar team – build a solution that is effective and scalable. In the end, design a case study that will put a spotlight on your internal client, who allowed for innovation. This client can then help you promote the case study among his counterparts in other regions.
What are the steps that need to be taken to create an entrepreneurial culture that encourages innovation and growth? What is the secret ingredient that best managers use to foster entrepreneurial thinking?
Communicate the high level goal, set boundaries, assign responsibility and do not interfere in between. Rather listen with openness, allow people to make mistakes and help by removing procedural and political obstacles off the way of the creative teams.
This requires the board to be courageous and stand behind people whose projects may fail. It's nicely presented in the movie "Air" by Ben Affleck where the founder of Nike, Phil Knight, allows Sonny Vaccaro (one of the basketball shoes team member) to bet all their 5-year budget on just one brand ambassador, instead of allocating it to 3-4 lower ranked players. The player is Michael Jordan and as a result the Air Jordan brand is born (currently generating US$4B revenue annually).
Why is it so important to communicate and scale offered solutions internally within an organization? How to do it effectively?
Visibility creates opportunities and deploying your solutions in multiple geographies / departments allows for your business to diversify and establish a more stable position within
You can use this case on regional meetings and allow your team members to present at these meeting to build their personal brand and recognition. Slowly build your businesses’ story as the problem solving unit. Having a provider like this is highly addictive to everyone in the organization. Just don't forget to give credit in public to your internal clients. Don't brag too much, not to be seen as a potential threat, but a partner.
How can companies stay up to date on the concerns and needs of their key stakeholders?
Create a stakeholder map with your core team and estimate the influence and interest level of each person on this map. Assign stakeholders to team members. Each team member should be primed to build individual connections with important people on the client’s side, broaden them and ask about challenges in every interaction.
In the next step, set up a process (tool) to share findings on a regular basis. Delegate problem solving down the organization (with clear strategic guidelines). On a quantitative level measure NPS and focus on asking where the outstanding results (both good and bad) come from. Make "stakeholder intelligence" one of the cornerstone behaviors in your organization.
Thank you for the interview.♦
Having the top talent on board raises the bar for the management team. Leaders have to be careful not to choke the potential of the new hires, by assigning them mundane tasks and limiting their creativity.
FOCUS ON Business: TRUMPF Shared Services has been operating in Poland since 2015. Before we delve into topics related to the Warsaw SSC, let's introduce TRUMPF's core business and the evolution of the company's activities.
Paweł Płocki, TRUMPF Shared Services Centre: With nearly a century of expertise (this year we celebrate the 100th anniversary), the company excels in providing laser solutions and advanced machine tools. In recent years, it has vigorously expanded into the EUV business (EUV = Extreme Ultraviolet, lithography technology used for the mass production of the world’s most advanced microchips). The company has innovated and implemented remarkable solutions within this area. Notably, TRUMPF has also utilized its own 3D printing technology to print some of spare parts for its machines, enhancing independence from supply chain failures.
Additionally, investments in emerging technologies like quantum computing and specialized electronics production for their machines demonstrate a commitment to future growth. TRUMPF proudly supplies industry lasers to numerous renowned brands, predominantly within the automotive sector.
The last time we have spoken about TRUMPF`s SSC was end of 2019. Back then we were providing services for 15 European subsidiaries and Japan. As of today the number of entities is 49, including US, Korea and China. And it’s still growing.
Interview with Paweł Płocki, Head of TRUMPF Shared Services Centre in Warsaw.What processes does TRUMPF Shared Services handle?
Our Centre handles Accounts Payables, Fixed Assets, Accounts Receivables, Procurement, Master Data, Business Controlling, General Ledger and since recently also some of Attract to Hire and Hire to Retire processes transitioned from the HQ. In the nearest future we are expanding the existing scope to more entities but also expanding the scope –some of IT processes will most probably come and there are discussions about further processes that could be centralized.
What opportunities do new technologies bring to the processes handled by the Center?
In an ideal scenario we should be able to minimize or eliminate entirely mundane tasks and let people focus on the important stuff. However, it has not been the case so much as of this moment. For us the key reason behind it is that we were and we still are struggling with two things. One is getting attention from the Central IT, probably the most overloaded Department in TRUMPF right now. IT is heavily involved in ERP related projects and other demands, mainly around the front office. Mainly due to the fact that it is front office who is generating
profits for the company, hence other areas are less prioritized.
Second is we have had some challenges with the stability and complexity of our processes – the quality and streamlining needs much more focus before we heavily move forward with automations. We recognized that our level of knowledge and understanding about some of the processes is heavily lacking, preventing us from properly preparing the process for automation and then successfully implementing it.
What factors influence the decision of which processes to automate using technologies such as AI, ML, and others?
First, the process complexity must be considered – simpler, repetitive tasks are typically more suitable for automation, while more complex tasks may require human intervention. In the same time, more complex processes are usually the ones which we need to automate as they are either prone to error or time consuming or both. Also, the organization's strategic priorities and readiness for change must be taken into account to ensure a successful automation endeavor.
My observation is that the business is much more focused on introducing new technologies in other areas than
the back office, which is also pretty natural. The part of the business responsible for bringing in profits is prioritized over a cost centre like an SSC. In the same time, not introducing various solutions in processes that by nature are largely transactional and repetitive, seems to be a missed opportunity to some extent. I would say however that when it comes to AI technology, we are still very early and are missing knowledge and experience required to run such initiatives within the BSS sector. RPA technology having completed the “hype cycle” probably few times already, AI as of today is arguably going through its first – and it has not even peeked yet. Or has it?
What are the biggest challenges encountered during the implementation of RPA in the Center?
During the implementation of RPA in the Center, several challenges have been encountered. One significant challenge is managing expectations – it is crucial to convey that RPA is not a onesize-fits-all solution, and its effectiveness varies depending on the nature of processes, types, and volumes of transactions. Usually also, contrary to what people often think, it requires much more up front work. For example, when process
In an ideal scenario we should be able to minimize or eliminate entirely mundane tasks and let people focus on the important stuff. However, it has not been the case so much as of this moment.
documentation is missing, filling that gap tends to be very time consuming. And experience has taught us not to move forward with automations without having documented and clear processes.
Another challenge lies in that the integration of RPA with existing systems and processes can be complex and may require significant effort, expertise, and resources. Even slight changes introduced to the ERP system including the smallest of changes (e.g. the logging in process) demand maintenance effort on existing RPA. Especially if some of these changes are so small that they are not extensively communicated by IT and hence the ongoing, every day process running on an RPA can suddenly get to a halt until the code is upgraded. We have had several such cases.
How does TRUMPF Shared Services balance the benefits of automation with the potential impact on team satisfaction? How can concerns that employees may have about the impact of automation on their positions be addressed?
I don’t think this aspect has been a concern for us, at least not till today. As a general statement however, every organization needs to ensure transparent communication about the intent and objectives of automation initiatives. By emphasizing that automation aims to optimize mundane tasks and free up employees for other value-added activities, the Center helps to alleviate concerns about job security. I do also admit that communication-wise we have been struggling due to the growth
of the organization and volume of various projects and initiatives where we need to be involved.
We are also trying to invest in upskilling and reskilling employees to equip them with the necessary competencies to thrive in a digital environment. Even when it comes to the use of basic, everyday business tools. I believe we need more of that both in the SSC and in the organization as a whole.
Our intention is to actively engage employees in the automation process, fostering a sense of ownership and involvement that contributes to overall team satisfaction. It needs to be recognized however, that often, employees just want to continue doing their job and not be bothered with automation or other process improvement initiatives. And that is OK
Which does not mean that sooner or later they might be forced to change the way they work.
How do you see the role that robots and artificial intelligence will play in the next few years in the modern business services industry?
In my view in the coming years, robots and artificial intelligence are poised to play a significant role in the modern business services industry. As these technologies continue to advance and mature, they will offer unprecedented opportunities for process optimization, cost reduction, and enhanced decision-making. Automation will become increasingly prevalent, transforming repetitive, time-consuming tasks and enabling organizations
to focus on higher-value, strategic initiatives.
At the same time, the integration of AI and robotics will reshape the workforce landscape. As routine tasks become automated, the demand for employees with expertise in managing and working alongside these technologies will rise. This shift will necessitate the development of new skill sets, emphasizing adaptability, critical thinking, and problem-solving abilities. I believe in AI and technology in general playing predominantly the role of enhancing human abilities rather than replacing humans altogether.
One part of me wants to summarize by saying that robots and artificial intelligence will be instrumental in driving the evolution of the business
services industry. The other part however remembers exactly the same statements made couple of years ago with regards to RPA and to be honest the technological evolution within the sector has not been too revolutionary. So instead I would say, let`s wait for the hype to die out or at least get significantly lower, continue learning and exploring the technology and keep finding interesting use cases for the BSS sector. Because I have no doubts that, for better or worse, the AI will change everything. It already is.
Thank you for the interview.♦
We are trying to invest in upskilling and reskilling employees to equip them with the necessary competencies to thrive in a digital environment. Even when it comes to the use of basic, everyday business tools.
FOCUS ON Business : According to the latest KPMG “Cybersecurity Barometer” report, onethird of companies admit that their activity was targeted by cyberattacks in 2022. Meanwhile, Polish daily "Dziennik Gazeta Prawna" reported that CERT Polska (the Polish national computer security emergency response team) received 320,000 ethreat reports in 2022, representing a 176% increase compared to 2021. In your opinion, what contributes to the increasing vulnerability of users to cyber threats?
Kamil Grondys, Samsung Electronics Poland: One the one hand, awareness of phone users, who, by the way, are constantly increasing is rising (nearly 27 million people in Poland). They are the target of cyber criminals, who hope that a certain percentage of them will fall into the trap set. Also – and it's worth reminding here – the CERT Poland team and the incydent.cert.pl/ service, where anyone can report an incident, and the 799-448-084 phone number, where one can forward a suspicious SMS, continue to gain popularity.
On the other hand, the sluggishness of Poles in taking care of their own privacy is also a significant factor. We share our phone number and email address without much thought. As a result, cyber criminals have databases of potential targets. It's also worth mentioning that our data, too, can be sent further by people who don't care about the security of their address book.
AI is boldly entering almost every aspect of daily life, we like to surround ourselves with devices labelled "smart" and many of us cannot imagine life without being permanently "connected". Shouldn't the current dynamic development of information technology have the opposite effect to what is being observed, namely, serving to improve digital security?
Tomasz Chomicki, Samsung Electronics Poland: Connecting more and more devices to the Internet allows us convenience, automation. I agree that we need to be more and more aware that starting the adventure with the world of Smart we must take strong care of the security of our home network, our terminal device, our point of contact with the Internet. Unfortunately, more and more often there are intrusions into corporate infrastructure and into private resources. This phenomenon is becoming more and more common and cyber criminals do not disguise their means.
For business solutions targeting the most demanding customers, it is now standard to stay ahead of threats, using AI to assess risk. Advanced technologies are improving digital security. It is now easier to detect the actions of cyber criminals.
Experts unanimously agree that the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain is always the human element. Let's talk about basic "cyber hygiene" rules that we as users often ignore. Do these rules change with the advancements in information technology?
K.G. : I don't want to duplicate truisms, if I had to list the 3 most important ones, they would be: updating software, reading on-screen messages with understanding, and responsibly granting permissions. In addition, an audit wouldn't hurt: today Android itself "removes" permissions from apps that we don't actively use, the most sensitive data is available only after the user has been informed of the apps' intention to use it:
K.G.: AI is our ally here. In consumer-type applications, mechanisms such as Google Play Protect scan 125 billion apps for malicious code every day. Machine learning, data analysis and other AI tools are used here.
we can give a one-time consent, grant permissions to an app only when it is in use, or we see system notifications when this information is in use. It won't hurt to uninstall apps we don't use.
More and more often there are intrusions into corporate infrastructure and into private resources. This phenomenon is becoming more and more common and cyber criminals do not disguise their means.
Tomasz Chomicki, Business Development Director at Samsung Electronics Poland
How can we safely use open WiFi networks which are available virtually everywhere, especially in cities?
T.Ch.: Open Wi-Fi networks can carry the risk of danger. Without being an expert, it is difficult for us to determine whether on the other side of the "hotspot" sits a person who is trying to steal our data or defraud our digital identity. We always suggest to use first of all "own" access to the Internet, and if life forces us to connect, always use VPN solutions and if possible encrypt data on our drives. We also strongly recommend not to connect through unknown hotspots for "sensitive" services, i.e. e-banking, health care services.
devices. Care should be taken to ensure that only the necessary applications are on our device and that they have up-to-date patches. If we run a company and work professionally using mobile devices, it is worth taking care of protection by using solutions that continuously analyze what is happening on our phone or tablet. A group of these solutions is defined as Mobile Trade Defense (MTD).
K.G.: The easiest thing to do would be to say that you should not install unverified apps. However, not wanting to leave readers without a handful of tips, I will say that it is possible to separate additional spaces on the phone and give them additional identities. The advantage
an additional certificate to the trusted, it is most likely an attack attempt. The solution may be to open the same site in an additional device and compare the so-called fingerprint of the certificate and make sure that the site presents itself to the browser correctly.
What actions does Samsung take to increase awareness and educate on cybersecurity?
T.Ch.: Samsung is taking a number of measures to build cyber security awareness. For many years in Poland, our teams at Samsung have been promoting the principles of cyberhygiene. We even have a series of trainings prepared on taking care of digital well-being and we actively promote them in our country. Last year we trained more than 11,000 people.
K.G.: Even a ciphered connection won't keep us from "informing" anyone who wants to listen about which sites on the Internet we visit. Whether it's Internet mail, a dating service or online shopping. Today, it is standard for a device to present itself with a random physical address when we connect to a wireless (Wi-Fi) network, making it difficult to profile the phone's owner. On the other hand, cyber criminals, or simply people who unethically violate the privacy of, for example, customers visiting shopping malls, have little difficulty decrypting this data. We can make their task more difficult and, among other things, use TOR networks or don't connect to Wi-Fi.
We often hear about apps containing malicious software that functioned on many users' mobile devices until the threat was detected, despite being available in popular operating systems app stores. How can we protect ourselves from these types of threats?
T.Ch. : First of all, remember to download apps from manufacturer-authorized sources, i.e. Galaxy Store or Play Store. Manufacturers of mobile devices and operating systems take care to make users more secure. However, it happens that despite many efforts such vulnerabilities appear on our mobile
is the almost physical isolation of the applications and accompanying data associated with these identities. As a result, if an unknown vulnerability is exploited, you'll limit the risk to that persona alone.
We know that we shouldn't allow cyber criminals access to our confidential data and, for example, use strong passwords on devices or twofactor authentication for identity verification on accounts and applications. But how can we verify website addresses? Once, the green padlock symbol next to the address in the browser was a recognizable signal, but hackers have learned to replicate this icon...
T.Ch. : Criminals are becoming increasingly cunning and inventive in attacking our data. It's worth trusting the IT tools we install in our business environments, avoiding visiting suspicious sites and, above all, avoiding clicking on links from addressees we don't know, and following popular attack methods, i.e. you haven't paid for electricity or shipping, so pay now e.g. PLN 2 through our transaction system.
K.G.: "Green padlock" is just an implication of the presence of a certificate on our device, which is part of the chain of trust. If we see that we should add
In 2019, we signed the Program for Cooperation in Cyber Security (PWCyber) between representatives of the Polish Government and Samsung Electronics Poland. Within the framework of the agreement, we are carrying out activities, i.e. enhancing the competence of entities of the national cyber security system in terms of awareness of threats, methods of attacks in cyberspace, and legal, organizational and technical skills to counter threats in ICT systems and networks. Activities in this area may include, in particular:
• providing training materials (including multimedia) and information on training paths to improve the skills of users and cyber security personnel in using the products and services offered,
• organization of training events and workshops, among others, to present methods of using security features, including mechanisms to increase resistance to cyber-attacks and increase the level of information protection,
• conducting awareness campaigns, organizing contests on best practices in the use of products and services that enhance cyber security.
Meanwhile, together with Pro Progressio for our club members, we are starting a series of activities that will increase cyber awareness. We believe that joint activities will transform into increased security.
Thank you for the interview.♦
Even a ciphered connection won't keep us from "informing" anyone who wants to listen about which sites on the Internet we visit. Whether it's Internet mail, a dating service or online shopping.
Wiktor Doktór, Pro Progressio: During your presentation at The BSS Forum in Warsaw in April you said that you “believe that the future of work offers a true collaborative advantage for those who truly embrace it”. Let’s begin with elaborating on what changes in your opinion will be necessary to help organizations adapt to the future of work.
Barry Winkless, Cpl Group : The biggest change is a mindset one. As leaders we often do not think about ourselves as strategic designers but that is absolutely what we are. We are ultimately designers of the future of work for ourselves, our teams, and our organizations. As designers we need to recognise that new knowledge sets are needed to help us design a future of work that is fundamentally better for our colleagues, our customers, our collaborators, and our communities. In the Future of Work Institute for example we are applying principles from theme park design to the employee experience as this knowledge set focuses on bringing stories to life and on creating memories at a very emotional level. The use of anthropological practices in a business context to more deeply understand cultural norms and drive human-centred change is another example of the ‘new’ knowledge sets needed to innovate in our workplaces.
As designers we also need to deeply harness the power of experimentation & true co-creation – to learn, unlearn and innovate for the future of work. In most organizations today the attention is very much on projects and initiatives with a focus on delivery as opposed to true learning and adaptation – which explains why many change programmes fail. Truly experimenting means being comfortable that 1) a pilot might fail and 2) regardless we will learn something from the process that increases out wisdom. I often highlight the future of work as the ‘next collaborative advantage’ as the focus must be on working and deeply collaborating
with the diverse workforces and broader eco-systems organizations are fighting hard to create.
I love the Japanese concept of ‘Shoshin’ when it comes to work. Shoshin in very simple terms means adapting a beginner’s mindset regardless of how well you know something. It forces you to move away from preconceptions and pre-programmed biases. In times of change and evolution this is particularly important. If I was to ask most leaders how much they know about meta modernism they would most likely look at me with a blank stare but actually meta modernism is a key philosophical idea important to how we look at leadership and work.
How does leadership need to change and what practices must be implemented to inspire innovation, motivate teams, and build a community within an organization? How can leaders design the right future of work pathway for their organizations?
I think the first thing for leadership to understand is what the future of work is – it is a strategic opportunity and therefore we need a strategic definition that connects the dots. From our work over a 2.5 year period at the Future of Work Institute we developed the following definition: “The future of work is the integrated design and evolution of workplaces, workforces and worktasks across multiple time horizons in
The second change is a recognition that the future of work is actually a strategic opportunity and not narrowly related to “where we work/flexibility/four day weeks” etc. The future of work is about the purposeful design and generation of new value and innovation through 3 W’s – Workplace, Workforce and Worktask. Within these 3W’s there are several levers organizations can use to gain new collaborative advantages:
• Workplace – Where the work takes place across physical and virtual space.
• Workforce – How the overall workforce is designed and managed.
• Worktask – The methods, tools and mindsets that deliver the work.
Equally the future of work is not something that is just owned by the people function of a business. It must be owned at a leadership level and C suite executives need to join the dots on the future of work and recognise the increasingly holistic nature of work.
the context of business and society”.
As I mentioned before the first thing is that the future of work is something we can design for and secondly it is an integrated endeavour. I often see organizations implementing various initiatives across the 3W’s but with no connective tissue between them. There is no system level thinking about how they all connect, interact and influence each other. For example Workforce Innovation – utilising new workforce models – is rarely discussed as part of an overall future of work strategy but as a procurement initiative to reduce costs.
So in essence leadership needs to adopt a more holistic approach. One of the key skills for leaders as a result is systems thinking. I would also say that based on our research leadership needs to become more ‘savvy’ across three core areas – in essence leaders need to be more Technological, Societal and Humane.
In most organizations today the attention is very much on projects and initiatives with a focus on delivery as opposed to true learning and adaptation – which explains why many change programmes fail.
Let's focus for a moment on the topic of technology. How do you think businesses can best leverage technology to remain competitive and adapt to changing workforce demands?
Overall I believe most organizations need to build up greater technological know-how across leadership teams. Before we can truly harness all the magic of technology we must first arm ourselves with at least a reasonable knowledge of what’s possible. It was Arthur C. Clarke who said that ‘any sufficiently advanced technology seems like magic’. This is such a great quote. From our own work we see that it is not the lack of great technology that’s an issue – it’s often the lack of leadership’s understanding that slows the integration of new technologies. And let’s be honest – it is easy to arm yourself with knowledge these days. To illustrate it took me 9 weeks to go from knowing
very little about VR and AR to being able to build a basic story world in virtual space – thanks to the plethora of free and almost free tools out there coupled with multiple tutorials across social platforms. Technology and strategy are now so interlinked in the business world that it is critical that businesses have an ultraclear vision of where they are trying to go and what they are trying to achieve at a granular level. This in turn helps to properly explore where various technological solutions and platforms can drive efficiencies, innovation and healthy disruption. Within our own organization we are harnessing things like AI in areas that give us value but based on clear strategic goals. For example, one of our key goals within our marketing strategy is to be a leader in engaging B2B content and we utilise AI tools that increase the speed, consistency and reach of our
content. Given our industry we are obviously working with leading partners in the space of predictive people analytics but again based on our clear strategic goal of enabling science-based talent attraction and retention.
There is no doubt that we are very much in the age of the Augmented Human – and depending on what sector you are looking at we are moving towards Manufacturing 4/5.0, Connected Services and beyond etc. I’m often surprised that organizations do not have a clear understanding of the extent at which they are going to augment their people with technology. I know this is a potentially contentious area – how much are we going to use technology to reshape versus replace human workforces – but it needs an ethical and transparent dialogue. If we are genuinely committed to a more humane workplace then
this would put the balance towards real people but this is in the context of hyper efficient, technological businesses that are delivering ‘work’ with 10-12 times less people than equivalent organizations were doing 50 years ago.
Based on Future of Work Institute’s ongoing extensive research, what can you say about the features that the future organization will be defined by?
I think that future organizations over the next 5 years will be defined by their evolution across 3 main focus areas
– Human, Societal, and Technological. For each area (based on our research) this means the following:
Technological
• Technology that is fully integrated & frictionless
• Automation increasing use – in ‘front and back office’
• Self systems that do the mundane stuff
• Platforms enabling connection to ‘all’ & new models of engagement
• Multi-verse of physical, digital and virtual ‘anywhere work’
• Democratising the tools of work and play
• Infinite access to knowledge resources.
Human
• Flatter Structures & Empowerment
• Deeper understanding of the human experience
• Crafting total experiences that matter
• Evolved approach to leadership
• Balance, inclusiveness & authenticity
• Demystified & ethical use of technology
• Personalisation of the developmental journey
• Flexible as the norm.
Societal
• 360 degree positive impact on society
• Responsible & ethical business practices
• Care as a key business asset
• Stakeholder not just shareholder engagement & co-creation
• Thrive through seeing human inclusiveness & diversity as a sustainability goal.
What are the biggest challenges that leaders and organizations will face on their future of work pathway?
I’m going to answer this question in a slightly strange way! Anyone who knows me or reads my social posts will know that I’m on a 1000 album creativity
journey where I research the methods, the music and the musicians that made some of the greatest ever albums (including learning a song from each) and extract key creativity and leadership principles that one can apply to life and business. One of my favourite bands on that list is Radiohead and with the release of their Kid A album (released in 2000) they became the first ‘mainstream’ metamodern band. And meta modernism is a key concept when it comes to the defining the key challenges of leadership in what I see as an in between time – where we have one foot in the past and how we have always done things and one foot in the future where we don’t have as clear an understanding of what we need to do. There are a number of key principles behind modernism, but I think the most relevant when it come to the future of work is the idea of Oscillating between Opposites. If you think about the modern workplace, a core challenge of leading is actually dealing with seemingly contradictory or opposite requirements – for example having control on one hand, but giving freedom on the other. Thinking Operationally and Strategically at the same time. Being Technological and Human. Leading and Being Led. The key mindset jump here is instead of thinking ‘we can only have one’, thinking about having both is a way of thinking differently.
In the example of ‘Control’, asking different questions – like ‘under what conditions do we need control’ or ‘under what conditions do we need freedom’ –offers a powerful third way of thinking differently. Therefore, this represents the biggest challenge for Leaders to think in a Meta, Hybrid way. Stop focusing on narrow concepts like hybrid working and start thinking Meta or Hybrid! I like to say that the story of the future of work is not yet written but there are enough broadly defined plotlines for a first draft. Like all innovative endeavours we need to recognise that mistakes will be made as we develop but we do seem to be moving to a more evolved view of what work is, what organizations need to be in order to create an inclusive working world that works for us all.
Thank you so much for this inspiring conversation.♦
If you think about the modern workplace, a core challenge of leading is actually dealing with seemingly contradictory or opposite requirements – for example having control on one hand, but giving freedom on the other.
According to Savills latest European Logistics Outlook, take-up of industrial & logistics space across the continent totalled 37.5 million sq m in 2022. Despite ongoing economic uncertainty, this signifies a fall of only 6% on 2021’s total of 40.2 million sq m, which was a record high for the sector.
Following what was also a record-breaking H1, 2022 saw take-up decline in the second half of the year reaching 8.3 million sq m in Q4. However, Savills notes that this still signified a growth of 3% quarter-on-quarter despite a notable decline in transactions when compared to 2021, ultimately exceeding expectations.
Looking at specific locations, declines in take-up have been relatively mild across the board with the exception of large year-on-year increases in smaller markets like Dublin, Madrid and Romania. Most locations outperformed their five-year averages, even with a fall in take-up compared to Q4 2021. Portugal (+94%), Romania (+62%) and Spain (+57%) saw the strongest results, whilst France (-4%) was the only market to fall short.
Although quarterly take-up remains positive, many markets now look severely adversely impacted by economic headwinds in the context of their year-on-year growth, with Poland (-37%) and the UK (-47%) both seeing sharp falls relative to Q4. That said, Savills figures show that overall take-up in 2022 was still 18% higher than the five-year average.
This strong take-up has continued to put downward pressure on vacancy
rates, falling from 3.6% at the end of 2021 to 3.1% in 2022, the lowest on record. Norway currently has a vacancy rate of 2.3%, whilst Prague has remained below 1% for the last three consecutive quarters. In contrast, Savills is now seeing vacancy rates start to rise in some markets including the UK, Budapest and Dublin, but off a historically low base.
As a result of competition for limited stock, prime rents across Europe grew by 11% in 2022. Annual growth was highest in Prague (+36%), Ile-de-France (+32%) and Upper Silesia (+22%) in Poland. However, other locations such as Vienna and Budapest saw virtually no increase.
From an investment perspective, Savills data shows logistics remained an appealing asset class with transaction volumes totalling €54.5 billion, a fall of just 18% year-on-year. Similar to the occupational market, it must be noted that 2021 was a record-breaking
year and therefore a decline was always likely, even without the economic volatility of the past 12 months.
Although declines were seen across Europe, countries with the largest quarter-on-quarter fall included Ireland (-92%), France (-66%), Norway (-62%) and the UK (-48%). Only three markets, Sweden (+79%), the Netherlands (+56%) and Denmark (+17%), saw volumes increase. Consequently, prime yields moved out further with the European average reaching 4.69% in the last quarter, an increase of 40bps compared to Q3 2022 and nearly 70bps since 2021.
Yet, the appetite for logistics is reflected by its increasing share of total investment. Savills calculated that in 2017 logistics accounted for approximately 13% of total European investment volumes, increasing to 19% in 2022.
Source: Savills
American tech scouting firm Plug and Play Tech Center has teamed up with Volvo Cars and opened a new innovation platform in Gothenburg. The chosen location is The Yard, a new arena for tech companies, situated in the heart of Gothenburg’s mobility cluster at Lindholmen Science Park.
– We’re very pleased to team up with Volvo Cars and open the doors to this new innovation platform in Gothenburg, with a focus on sustainability and digital mobility – says Saeed Amidi, Founder and CEO of Plug and Play Tech Center.
The location, right at the centre of events and literally packed with techsavvy companies and automotive heritage, is no coincidence, and we're confident it will become an innovation powerhouse for startups and corporates.
Plug and Play was started in California in the 1990s and it helps blue chip companies to connect with strategically selected startups. With over 50 locations globally, the company oversees an ecosystem of more than 50,000 startups and 500 partners, including Mercedes Benz, Bosch, Shell, Wallmart and Airbus. It has an impressive list of alumni, such as Dropbox, Paypal, Trulioo, and Rappi.
Each year hundreds of entrepreneurs take part in Plug and Plays accelerator programme, which is adapted for different value chains. The aim is to build strong companies within the network. Plug and Play itself invests in many of them.
– Plug and Play's investment is important for several reasons. It confirms that Gothenburg is a highly interesting tech region, and it gives us the chance to advance our position further. They will attract startups from all over the world to Gothenburg, and at the same time give the region's startups access to a global
According to PINK (Polish Chamber of Commercial Real Estate) at the end of March 2023, total modern office stock in Warsaw accounted for almost 6,256,300 sq m.
The vacancy rate in Warsaw reached 11.6% (stable compared to the previous quarter and decrease by 0.6 pp. in relation to the comparable period in 2022). Availability of office space equalled 724,600 sq m. In central zones the vacancy rate dropped to 10.2%, while outside the city centre it reached 12.7%.
From the beginning of January until the end of March 2023, demand for modern office space reached approx. 159,000 sq m. The most popular areas of tenant’s interest were the City Centre, CBD and Służewiec zones.
During first three months of the year, recorded the highest share of
the demand structure and accounted for as much as 70%. Renegotiations of existing contracts accounted for 23%, while expansions for only 5% of the registered demand.
The largest transactions of the Q1 2023 were: the renegotiation of Accenture's 8,800 sq m lease in Proximo II, DPD's
innovation platform and the huge network of startups, scaleups and partner companies that Plug and Play has – says Patrik Andersson, CEO of Business Region Göteborg.
Volvo Cars is a founding partner. Via its corporate venture capital arm, the Volvo Cars Tech Fund, the Gothenburg car maker will invest in companies that can shape future mobility, which will be electrified and defined by software. Port of Gothenburg will also invest in the innovation platform.
Source: Business Region Göteborg
owner occupier lease for 8,700 sq m in their new headquarters and a new agreement of 7,000 sq m signed by a confidential business services tenant in the P180 building.
Source: Polish Chamber of Commercial Real Estate
2022 was a challenging year for the commercial property sector as a whole. After a slowdown caused by the pandemic, demand for office space began to rise. It was not even interrupted by the outbreak of war in Ukraine.
According to Cushman & Wakefield 1 , demand in the Warsaw office market last year was one of the highest on record at over 860,000 sqm. In the regional markets, where Cavatina Holding focuses its attention, demand also increased year-on-year and exceeded 623 thousand sqm, strongly influenced by the further development of the business services and IT sectors.
On the supply side, the eight main regional markets, including Krakow, Wroclaw, Tricity, Łódź, Poznań, Katowice, Lublin and Szczecin, continued to grow last year, with the result that for the first time the number of square metres of modern office space in these markets was greater than in the capital. We continue to see very low developer activity in the capital’s office market, which may lead to a supply gap in the face of strong demand.
Increased tenant activity over the past year bodes well for the market. However, there is no doubt that they, as well as investors or property players, will face rapidly changing regulatory and economic realities in 2023.
The pandemic has clearly changed the face of office work, with tenants increasingly viewing co-working spaces as a place to build social capital, employee relationships and knowledge sharing. The past year has shown that companies are not giving up on owning their own space, with 89% of organisations 2 having adopted a hybrid working model to date.
Rising operating costs and anticipated
1 “Poland Retail Marketbeat” report, Q4 2022.
2 Colliers "Hybrid and Beyond" report.
rent increases are not deterring potential occupiers, but are influencing their expectations. The fact that a modern office in a good location continues to be one of the factors that gives employers an edge in attracting new talent is particularly evident in sectors where competition for staff is fierce.
for a pleasant break, or the proximity of service outlets for convenient and quick errands on the way to the office are just some of the amenities offered by mixed-use developments that are valued by the market. City dwellers increasingly value their time and do not want to waste it travelling to distant points on the map.
– Looking at our own example, last year we achieved the best result of any office developer in the regional markets, letting over 50,000 sqm of GLA, with a large proportion of the deals signed by companies in sectors such as IT, finance and modern business services. The tenants of our investments include Keywords Studios, SALESmanago, Alior Bank, Asseco, KPMG and UNIQUA. This confirms that employers from dynamically developing industries choose good locations and high-quality offices to attract new talent to their companies – says Rafał Malarz, CEO of Cavatina Holding.
Increasingly, the attractiveness of a workplace is also determined by its accessibility to a wide range of functions and services. Green and recreational areas to relax after work, nearby cafes
– Our observations show that, in addition to an attractive location, the choice of office is also influenced by the nature of our projects. We focus on creating office space as part of mixed-use projects – this significantly improves the comfort of everyday life for users. Such projects are very popular, which is confirmed by our experience with multifunctional complexes such as Quorum in Wroclaw, Cavatina Hall in Bielsko-Biała, Ocean Office Park in Krakow, Palio Office Park in Gdańsk – adds Rafał Malarz.
The development industry has a strong influence in shaping the functionality, development and aesthetics of public spaces. Therefore, Cavatina’s approach to sustainable design and development ensures that it sets socially beneficial trends that meet the expectations of the city’s users and tenants. This means incorporating plenty of green spaces and relaxation areas to serve the building’s users and the rest of the local community.
– We are planning over 1,100 square metres of green terraces, a central courtyard for employee socialising and integration, and cycle and jogging paths in our Katowice project – Grundmanna Office Park. Such spaces, which influence the wellbeing of employees, are expected by tenants today – says Rafał Malarz.
The past year has shown that companies are not giving up on owning their own space, with 89% of organisations having adopted a hybrid working model to date.
Research shows that when choosing an office building, 75% of companies consider whether the developer has an ESG strategy and is committed to sustainability3. This increased focus on environmental issues is driven by changing social attitudes and rising costs, which are one of the biggest challenges facing the commercial property market today.
Despite a good year for the office sector, experts are pointing to a looming supply gap not only in the capital but also in some regional markets. For tenants, this means that attractive office space may soon be harder to find. The decline in developer activity due to record inflation and the increase in development costs will start to be felt this year.
Two trends are shaping the future of the office market in the regions. On the one hand, we are still dealing with a high supply of space, which is the result of investments that have already been made. On the other hand, we are seeing a decline in the number of new construction starts due to the rapidly changing economic situation.
– The environmental and economic efficiency of an investment are important aspects for tenants. International multi-criteria certificates, such as BREEAM, are an added value, confirming that the building has been constructed with respect for the environment, using highquality, healthy materials, and that it can be used in an ecological and costoptimised manner. This is one of the reasons why we carry out the certification process for all our office properties – explains Rafał Malarz.
3 CBRE data, 2023.
– We consistently implement our projects, which are often multiphase, using previously acquired premises in central locations. Internally developed skills and a proven strategy mean that we can continue to run our business steadily. Interest in Cavatina projects is high due to their location, the availability of large areas within a single building and the latest technological solutions that tenants can use – concludes Rafał Malarz.
The developer’s observations are backed up by independent experts
– according to JLL4 data, the past year in both the capital’s office market and the regions was characterised by demand generated mainly by tenants moving to better quality buildings. The shrinking supply of quality office space could make the next two years more difficult for tenants looking to relocate their businesses to projects in attractive locations, offering a variety of functions and built in a sustainable manner.♦
4 "Q4 2022 Office market in Poland report".
The article has been created in cooperation with
Research shows that when choosing an office building, 75% of companies consider whether the developer has an ESG strategy and is committed to sustainability.
The past year in both the capital's office market and the regions was characterised by demand generated mainly by tenants moving to better quality buildings.
The era of the People's Republic of Poland ended with an economic disaster and, as a result, civilizational backwardness. Despite the construction of an exorbitant number of 3 million apartments in the Gierek (Ed. note: country’s 1970s leader) period, we entered a new reality with a serious housing shortage. The need to wait for many years, or even decades, for a housing assignment, to save money for the "contribution" in the famous housing books, did not allow many Poles to have their own apartment. What remained were only dreams.
It was the pursuit of dreams and achievements of the West during the economic transformation of the early 1990s that led us to the Western model of purchasing housing financed with mortgage loans. However, since there were very few flats, and because everyone wanted to have "their" "own" apartment, a developer’s market developed, where flats were bought for cash or credit, and the segment of rental housing public or private never truly developed to constitute not a competition but alternative to purchasing of an apartment.
At that time, both the housing sector and the development banking sector were in their early stages of development, and typical mortgage banks, where financing was based on mortgage bonds, did not exist. The loans had to be backed by customer savings and bank reserves, which actually meant they had to be expensive. Lack of collateral in the form of mortgage bonds resulted in transferring the risk to the borrower in the form of a loan agreement with a variable interest rate. Despite this, Poles rushed to buy flats en masse.
The crises of the late 1990s and 2008-2009 turned out to be not so terrible.
At the end of 2022, the number of mortgage loans granted fell by over 70%. The average value of the loan granted in Q4 2022 was only PLN 329 thousand.
None of them permanently stopped the market growth until the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, which will significantly remodel the Polish development sector.
The COVID and war period was very difficult for Polish developers. After the golden years and high sales in 2018 and 2019, a period of savings and caution
arrived. The period of the pandemic significantly increased the share of remote work, and the war in Ukraine and macroeconomic turmoil caused an increase in inflation and interest rates. This translated into much higher costs of financing the construction of the developments, as well as its purchase on the buyer's side. At the end of 2022, the number of mortgage loans granted fell by over 70%. The average value of the loan granted in Q4 2022 was only PLN 329 thousand. Currently, most buyers of premises are cash buyers. With high prices of flats, borrowers will only be able to afford small flats. This will have a significant impact on the offer of flats delivered to the market, as well as on the possibility of selling out the ready base of flats. The current period will be a time of restructuring, sales, joint ventures and other unforeseen changes and developments on the market.
However, we observe a halt or slow-down in investments, a decrease in the number of building and occupancy permits issued, and the search for various forms of investment implementation, mainly by obtaining external financing. This takes the form of selling the project on a forward basis or acquiring a business partner for a joint venture.
Taking into account high-interest rates as well as changes in regulations regarding national financial authorities’ recommendations resulting in tightening the rules for granting loans and buying a flat for most people it will be impossible to get financing for a purchase of their own apartment. The average cost of renting an apartment in Warsaw in Q1 2023 is approximately PLN 2,226 per month. With a large shortage of housing and the impossibility of obtaining a loan, as well as a large but stable demand from Ukrainian citizens, renting might be the only option to have your own living space.
favourably. Safely and beneficially for both the landlord and the tenant.
In contrast to Western countries such as France or Germany, with a significant share of the rental housing sector, in Poland, this sector is still in its infancy. Most of the flats purchased in Poland so far have been purchased by private individuals and have been treated as capital investments or a kind of retirement security. From the point of view of the institutional buyer, so far there has been one high-profile transaction on the Polish
This situation creates space for the implementation of housing investments for rent and maybe the beginning of the segment of apartments for rent. This is good news for developers, especially those who are struggling with the difficulty of selling apartments in their investments. What's more, the emergence of the rental housing sector has a chance to regulate the rules of renting in Poland
real estate market, i.e. the purchase of 858 apartments by NREP in Warsaw Służewiec district. This trend is expected to accelerate. Some of the new offers will be introduced as fully developed investments and some as purchases of existing residential investments adapted for lease. As a result, a niche of apartments for rent is likely to emerge in the largest Polish cities.
With a large shortage of housing and the impossibility of obtaining a loan, as well as a large but stable demand from Ukrainian citizens, renting might be the only option to have your own living space.
We will closely monitor the activities of developers and funds interested in operating on the Polish market. In addition, over the next 5 years, over EUR
151 billion is projected to be invested in the student housing, multifamily housing, and senior housing sectors in Europe. About 25% of this amount is to go to Poland. Combined with the above, this may contribute to a significant remodelling of the Polish real estate market.
governments will not always be conducive to the development of housing investments for rent. The next two years should be crucial for the market to evolve into a form in which it will be possible to implement housing investments for rent in a transparent manner.
The Polish housing market operates under the Act on the Protection of Tenants' Rights,
regulating the maximum annual rent increases for the tenant. Leasing cannot be safe and comfortable if, after one year of the contract, the tenant could expect, for example, a 20% or higher rent increase. An example of a solution could be linking the indexation of the rent with the indicator of the average increase in salaries. We'll see how the market evolves.
Facing the shortage of flats and the impossibility of obtaining a loan by an ordinary citizen, the government is threatening a tax on mass sales of premises and a tax on vacancy in order to block or at least delay the development of the rental housing sector. From time to time we hear about high-profile cases, such as the case of Warsaw's "Hong Kong", where the office of the district of Wola refuses to issue occupancy permits and certificates of independence of premises, despite having previously issued a building permit for this investment. The details of the process have not been made public, so it is difficult to predict how this investment will end. Nevertheless, it is an indicator that both the government and local
which gives tenants unprecedented protection, putting the owner in a very difficult situation in the event of problems with the payment of rent. The way out of this situation is to sign an occasional lease agreement in the form of a notarial agreement with an indication of the address for eviction and a declaration of submission to enforcement. This is not a perfect solution, but it gives the owner a dose of security in terms of rent collection. On the other hand, there are no regulations
As of today, the government is introducing the First Apartment Program. As a result, the borrower will cover the cost of the loan up to the amount of the capital instalment plus 2% interest. Above this amount, the state will bear the costs. In addition, a program of savings accounts subsidized by the state will be created, operating on the model of old housing books. Let's hope that this will be conducive to a recovery of the housing market and that it will translate not only into an increase in housing prices.
The sector of apartments for rent can be a good alternative for people migrating for work or young people just entering the labour market and building their professional position. Its creation and development can significantly contribute to regulating the rules of renting and creating a safe alternative to owning your own flat.♦
Author Łukasz Nelken-Żbik | Head of Valuation & Investment, Corees Polska
Over the next 5 years, over EUR 151 billion is projected to be invested in the student housing, multifamily housing, and senior housing sectors in Europe. About 25% of this amount is to go to Poland.
Łódź has been supporting creators of innovative and creative solutions for 15 years, that change the future and improve the quality of life, regardless of where you live. The best managers, trainers, experts with practical knowledge and experience are involved in supporting each project.
So far, activities for the development of young technological companies have been carried out through the organization of the "Idea for a Startup" competition. Over 1,700 business ideas from Poland and abroad have been submitted since 2008. Over 1,000 startups received support in the implementation, of which more than half are companies that have reached full maturity and meet the requirements of foreign contractors and dynamically develop new products, successfully competing on the global market. Only in 2022 more than 150 applications from all over the world were submitted to the Łódź program, including startups from Portugal, India, Great Britain, France, Ukraine and Belarus.
Łódź puts great emphasis on developing tools that allow for effective building of business relationships with innovators and technological entities from around the world. The organizers of the competition together with startups visited the Web Summit in Lisbon in 2022. The purpose of participating in the event was to promote the offer of technological companies among foreign recipients, including potential investors and clients. Nearly 50 companies flew to the capital of Portugal, and the total delegation from Łódź consisted of 150 people.
– Joining the “Idea for a Startup” competition was a gamechanger for our startup at the early stage of Bethru's development. Thanks to this solid initiative led by the city of Łódź, we received invaluable support and resources that helped us develop and implement sustainable
concepts in the consumer goods industry. We are incredibly proud to be a part of the startup community in 2022, surrounded by amazing people who continue to support and inspire us – said Rui Bento, Founder & CEO at Bethru.
After years of competition activity the city of Łódź opens new opportunities for technology companies by building the largest acceleration program – Startups Powered by Invest in Lodz (Central Poland), being the first city to open the door to the largest city companies, investors and local companies from Lodz and the region on such a large scale.
As Transfer Multisort Elektronik company stated – Since March 2022, TME has been the patron and expert of the "Idea for a Startup" – the best competition for young entrepreneurs. This year
we are also taking part in the aforementioned initiative, but this time it will be held under the name "Startups Powered by Invest in Lodz"
– The new approach of the city focused on development and support in the implementation of modern technologies, both implemented with the active participation of the city and leading brands, is a milestone in the development of any startup thinking about expansion or entering the European market – Adam Pustelnik, First Vice-President of the City of Łódź underlines.
Startups that successfully pass the technological and business potential assessment process will be qualified for the first round, gaining access and support from mentors, experts and trainers who will professionally prepare young
entrepreneurs to cooperate with investors. During the second round, startups will have access to an implementation path enabling consultation, piloting or implementation of technology in one of the companies in Łódź, and the possibility of direct contact with private investors and Venture Capital funds in order to raise capital for the development of technology.
– The construction of the city accelerator is undoubtedly a good shot! If its operation is to be identical to the organization of the competition, I believe that it will be one of the best accelerators in Poland, built around the City of Lodz Office. The competition itself, from the substantive and organizational side, is undoubtedly top and we are very happy that we had the opportunity to take part in it. From the point of view of our products, easier integration with the city is undoubtedly a great opportunity for faster development. Such an urban sandbox, where I can implement my product in municipal companies, something like this is needed in Poland. I hope that Lodz will be the first and not the only one – says Michał Bartczak, CMO of the iVoting.
– Participation in the program is not only an opportunity to take part in workshops and trainings that every startup founder needs. It is also an opportunity to exchange experiences and establish valuable contacts. In our case, cooperation with a mentor was so successful that we decided to continue it and he is currently an advisor in our startup – comments Bartosz Milczarek, CEO at Cryptiony R&D.
Startups Powered by Invest in Lodz (Central Poland) is aimed at young technological companies and teams from Poland and abroad, with products and services (including demo version) that are ready for pilotage or implementation and/or are looking for a fast investment path. Recruitment for the Program has been launched in the second half of April 2023 at: www.startupy.lodz.pl.♦
We live in a world, which recognized the urgent need to switch to responsible management of resources as one of the most important issues. We are moving towards a green transition and investors are increasingly focusing on the ESG, taking into account environmental, social and corporate governance issues in their investments. What role in this process can be played by a city which is the basic environment of the enterprises located in it? How can an urban 'ecosystem' foster the concept of green transformation? Bydgoszcz actively takes up this challenge, consciously looks to the future, and puts on green glasses.
Anyone who has visited Bydgoszcz may know that the City is full of murals. Each of them has not only an aesthetic value, but also carries some important, social, cultural, or historical message. Street art not only lives here every day among the residents, but recently it also began to… purify the air. In Bydgoszcz, ecomurals made with the use of special photocatalytic paints, which have air purifying properties, are being created. The latest mural with an area of 200 sqm decorated the building of the Stena Recycling plant.
It is another project of this kind in Bydgoszcz, which aims to show that apart from aesthetic values, such initiatives help to protect the environment. Ecomurals remove harmful nitrogen dioxide, which makes up smog and fumes from heating boilers, from the atmosphere. It is estimated that one square meter of anti-smog paint absorbs 0.44 g of nitric oxide, which is a poisonous substance – the same amount is absorbed by one tree in one day.
CSR, or the broadly understood responsibility of an organization for the impact of its decisions and actions on society and the environment, is no longer only the domain of large international corporations. It is also necessary for local
governments to follow this trend, and here Bydgoszcz has something to be proud of. In the Bydgoszcz town hall, a process of robotization of invoice handling has recently been implemented. The innovation of introducing RPA technology allows for more efficient management of the City's electricity consumption needs, and thus makes the City pay less for energy. In addition, the system optimizes work in the office and frees officials from boring, tedious and repetitive activities, allowing them to be more involved in creative work for the City and residents.
The robot used to manage the flow of invoices, which processes thousands of documents per month, integrating several different business applications and systems, is a local government innovation on a national scale, thanks to which Bydgoszcz not only increased the efficiency of the office's work, but also made savings. The implementation of the robot saved a total of about 1 million zlotys, and thanks to the systematic collection of data, it also made it possible to draw conclusions leading to the optimization of energy use in the City. This initiative has gained recognition in the business
The ecomural with an area of 200 sqm decorated the building of the Stena Recycling plant.environment, being shortlisted in the CEE Business Services Awards competition in the “Top CSR Initiative – Poland” category. Bydgoszcz robot also brought the city the title of Energy Transformation Leader 2023 awarded by the Polish Climate Congress and the first place for the best smart services in Polish cities during the prestigious Smart City Expo Poland in 2022.
Bydgoszcz is also one of the first cities to take up the challenge of wise rainwater management. Climate change is making cities increasingly vulnerable to water scarcity and flooding. In response to this problem, Bydgoszcz and the Municipal Water Supply and Sewerage Company in Bydgoszcz, together with partners from six countries, joined forces as part of the “City Water Circles” project to create a knowledge base on water management in urban circulation and together with local stakeholders to develop a set of innovative methods and tools useful throughout Central Europe. These activities are guided by the goal of promoting a culture of water conservation, ways of obtaining and using rainwater in cities, gray water recovery and the use of nature-based solutions.
In Bydgoszcz, it is possible to reverse the way of thinking and treat rainwater not as a problem, but as a good thing. Implemented for several years, the activities are aimed at creating a city that acts like a sponge, accumulating rainwater during rainfall and using rainwater during drought. By implementing the concept of the "sponge city", Bydgoszcz has taken a number of initiatives, improving the assumptions of urban policy, modernizing the network, educating and analyzing the possibilities of introducing further practical activities. Currently, the City focuses on the dissemination of green and blue infrastructure while managing reservoir retention and the use of rainwater. In recent years, 100 retention reservoirs have been built to enable the network to function efficiently, and rainwater, instead of being diverted to the sewerage system, is redirected using natural slopes to green areas.
Photo: Robert Sawicki.
Photo: Robert Sawicki.
In Bydgoszcz, ecomurals made with the use of special photocatalytic paints, which have air purifying properties, are being created.
Investments in the waste and energy sectors are also extremely important in the green transformation process. In this regard, Bydgoszcz has ambitious projects planned. ProNatura, the local company responsible for waste management, is planning to build an Organic Recycling Plant through the fermentation of biowaste – i.e. biogas plant. It is a project whose main objective is to enable efficient treatment of selectively collected biodegradable waste and thus reduce the amount of municipal waste subject to landfilling.
Biogas plants not only solve the problem of waste and remain environmentally friendly. Waste of plant origin also produces biogas, which can be used as fuel, for example, for garbage trucks. As a result, an organic fertilizer is also obtained, and unlike a traditional composting plant, this technology is characterized by negligible odor nuisance. The Bydgoszcz biogas plant is to be built in 2025 and ensure readiness to manage bio-waste from the entire area of the Bydgoszcz Metropolis (a total of 18 associated municipalities).
The policy of ecological solutions and sustainable energy consumption has also been implemented for years by Bydgoszcz Airport, in which the City of Bydgoszcz has its shares. As part of these activities, for example, during the renovation of the access road to the airport, intelligent lighting was installed, which only reaches its full power when the movement of vehicles is detected, and dims when no one is moving on the road. The airport also invests in a fleet of electric cars.
Bydgoszcz Airport also strives for energy independence and the status of a leader in the production of ecological electricity. The first photovoltaic installation, with 110 modules, has recently been built in its area, and more will be coming soon. Ultimately, the airport plans to build one of the largest photovoltaic farms in Poland. The investment will reduce energy expenditure, increase the energy security of the airport, as well as contribute to the improvement of air quality in its vicinity. The assumed electricity production will significantly exceed the needs of the airport, which is why clean energy will also be used by residents of Bydgoszcz and the municipality of Białe Błota and Wojskowe Zakłady Lotnicze No. 2. The project is also part of the decarbonisation project of Bydgoszcz airport as part of the Green Airports initiative.
ecological solutions, i.e. reinforced thermal insulation of buildings, charging stations for electric vehicles, rainwater management, intelligent greenery management or popular photovoltaic panels on the roof.
In addition to Panattoni, other developers of production and warehouse space are also opting for similar solutions, implementing their investments in Bydgoszcz, such as 7R, Fortress or Waimea. The Bydgoszcz office market is also moving in the same direction. An example is one of the most modern class A office complexes in the region –Arkada Business Park, which was created in the spirit of sustainable and ecological construction, which was confirmed by the BREEAM certificate.
Water, greenery and an active lifestyle are important factors for the residents of Bydgoszcz, building the unique
Developers of office and production and warehouse space present in Bydgoszcz also focus on eco-solutions. Such expectations are increasingly placed by investors using commercial space in the City. The latest example, although not the only one, is the construction of the Zalando logistics centre, implemented by the industrial real estate market leader, Panattoni. This is the first direct implementation of Panattoni in Europe for this company. The investment will undergo BREEAM certification at the “Excellent” level. The facility will use the latest
value and identity of this place, and in combination with the dynamically developing local economy, based on modern production, services and technologies, they determine the involvement of the City in activities that allow it to keep up with the trend of green transformation.
The list of challenges that still need to be faced in this area is extensive, but Bydgoszcz does not hesitate to make an effort to follow the path of change in the right direction.♦
Bydgoszcz Airport strives for energy independence and the status of a leader in the production of ecological electricity. The first photovoltaic installation, with 110 modules, has recently been built in its area.
The resolutions on real estate tax exemptions for newly built office and production buildings, which were adopted by the Kielce City Council in February 2022, are an expression of the open approach of the city authorities to applying investors as well as local entrepreneurs willing to invest in Kielce. Both resolutions are in force until December 31, 2023. In January 2023, the City Council of Kielce adopted another resolution allowing exemption from property tax for new enterprises creating jobs.
Despite the difficult economic and geopolitical situation caused first by the COVID-19 pandemic and then Russia's aggression against Ukraine, the number of inquiries from potential investors to the Investor Assistance Center at the Kielce City Hall remains unchanged. Manufacturing companies and logistics service providers ask about available areas and halls. Available office space, sought after by companies representing the business process outsourcing sector, is very popular. When investors ask about the availability of land, production halls or offices, they also express interest in investment incentives in a functioning city.
New investors and local entrepreneurs are the driving force behind the development of each city, and fiscal incentives are of great importance to create favorable conditions for investing and running a business. Therefore, in order to meet the expectations of companies, the City Council of Kielce in recent years adopted two resolutions exempting entrepreneurs from property tax. Both local and external companies can take advantage of these exemptions.
The city of Kielce, having the potential for the development of the office sector: human capital, Kielce's location on the S7 expressway between two strong centers,
i.e. Warsaw and Krakow, low rental rates, focused on the development and support of the modern business services sector. One of the barriers to the development of the outsourcing industry in the city is the shortage of modern office space, guaranteeing the appropriate quality of work and services provided. In order to encourage investors to build modern office space, the City Council adopted a resolution on real estate tax exemption for initial investment in newly built office buildings.
the adequate area of the building will be 3,000 m2. These parameters were introduced in the resolution, which provides for an exemption from property tax for newly built buildings with a usable area of at least 3,000 m2, related to running a business, in which at least 80% of the usable area is high-standard office space.
An important argument for locating production companies in Kielce is the resolution on the exemption from real estate tax of newly built buildings or their parts and structures related to conducting business activity in the field of production activity.
The adopted resolution enables entrepreneurs implementing initial investments to obtain real estate tax exemption for a maximum period of 3 years.
The conducted analysis showed that in a city of the size of Kielce and a population of approx. 200,000 inhabitants, the optimal solution is to use the mixeduse model in newly built buildings, and
The resolution introduced an exemption from real estate tax for newly constructed buildings or their parts and structures related to production activities. The adoption of the resolution enables entrepreneurs implementing initial investments to obtain real estate tax exemption for a maximum period of 3 years. Importantly, it must be an initial investment related to the establishment of a new production facility.
Continuing the tax policy adopted by the City of Kielce, aimed at encouraging companies already operating on the Kielce market to make reinvestments here, as well as attracting investors
In order to meet the expectations of companies, the City Council of Kielce in recent years adopted two resolutions exempting entrepreneurs from property tax.
operating in the country and abroad to locate their branches in Kielce, the local government proposed another tool to support entrepreneurs.
In January 2023, a resolution on real estate tax exemptions constituting regional investment aid was adopted. The resolution exempts from real estate tax buildings or their parts, as well as buildings or parts thereof related to running a business, as a result of which new jobs have been created. The exemption is valid for a period not longer than 3 years.
Due to inflation, the availability of materials and rising costs, the investment process is burdened with greater risk than before, and both the process of return on investment in both office spaces and production halls is stretched over time. Hence, the resolutions adopted by the Kielce local government exempting from real estate tax are to be a clear investment incentive addressed to companies building office space, production companies and entrepreneurs setting up new plants or diversifying production by introducing
products previously not produced in the plant. According to the reports of local companies, the layoffs are perceived as an important element of support, helping to offset investment costs and reduce the risks associated with longer commercialization of space or the launch of production processes.
It should be mentioned that in addition to the tax exemptions offered, the City of Kielce, as part of supporting the investment process, also offers the lowest real estate tax rates among voivodship cities in Poland.♦
According to data from the Social Insurance Institution (ZUS), in 2022, medics in Poland issued 1.3 million sick notes due to mental and behavioural disorders, which resulted in 23.8 million days off. UCE Research reports that the financial loss for employers resulting from this situation equals 1.11 billion PLN. What’s more, 68% of employees admit to experience work-related stress at least once a week. It's high time for employers in Poland to take care of the mental health of their employees on a large scale. Projects aimed at this issue are already being initiated – one of them is called OHS Training of Mental Health (in Polish: BHP Zdrowia Psychicznego), launched by Invest in Pomerania.
Research conducted earlier this year by UCE Research and the ePsycholodzy.pl platform indicates that 72.8% of Polish people experience symptoms associated with depression. 40.3% of respondents complain about lowered mood, while 36.6% report fatigue and lack of energy. Several years ago, the World Health Organization estimated that global economy loses $1 billion annually due to depression. The WHO predicts that by 2030, depression will become the most commonly diagnosed disease worldwide. Currently, 350 million people suffer from depression, 4 million of them in Poland.
Many factors have contributed to the low mood of people in Poland. The most obvious are COVID, war in Ukraine and inflation, which has resulted in significant increase of prices. Mental exhaustion related to problems in private life translates directly into professional one.
As many as 68% of respondents experience work-related stress at least once a week (ADP Research Institute's "People at Work 2022" study), and 48% overwork themselves ("2023 Trends Report: Compensation and Labor Market", ManpowerGroup). Just as personal problems affect work, poor mood associated with problems from office has an impact on private life. Data from the global market seem to
confirm it – 71% of employees say that work negatively affects their home life (Workforce Institute survey conducted at the end of 2022 in 10 countries).
Although the problem of exhaustion and work-related stress seems to be omnipresent, 63% of employees who participated in the "Mental Health in the Workplace" study, claim that mental health is still a taboo topic in their companies. Only 31% of employees say that they can talk about their mental health with their employers (Hays survey from 2022).
implement a mental health support program (data from the "2023 Trends Report: Compensation and Labor Market").
– Employees are clearly communicating that they want to work for companies which care about their mental health. This is a big change – not so long ago expectations towards employers were narrowed to good payment and position. Taking care of mental health was a private matter. The reasons of this change are: generational evolution, the commonness of mental health problems and the fact that work and other aspects overlap each other. Since everyone either has or knows someone with mental health issues, and
Everything indicates that the situation will have to change, as 81% of employees think differently about work since the pandemic. 42% of millennials want more work-life balance and 31% of respondents say they would end cooperation with their current company if a new employer allowed them to combine professional with private live more easily. Moreover, 36% of Polish employees expect from their employers to
these issues often affect work and are frequently caused by work, it is difficult for companies to ignore this – says Katarzyna Kowalska, psychologist and Development Director at ICAS Poland.
An interesting example of initiating a conversation about mental health among employers is project named OHS Training of Mental Health, implemented this year
Research indicates that 72.8% of Polish people experience symptoms associated with depression. 40.3% of respondents complain about lowered mood, while 36.6% report fatigue and lack of energy.
in March/April by Invest in Pomerania –a local government initiative coordinated by the Pomerania Development Agency.
The main mission of Invest in Pomerania is to help foreign investors to open their offices in Pomerania and to support them in their ongoing activities.
– When we created OHS Training of Mental Health project, our main goal was to support our investors in creating a friendly work environment. We are convinced that good communication within teams and between employees and their managers will built and strengthen brand of our partners as good and carying employers. A favorable atmosphere that positively affects employees will reduce absenteeism, decrease turnover and increase engagement in performed work. As the name of the project suggests, nowadays, taking actions in companies which aim is to take care of mental health of employees should be as important as OHS training, which has been a mandatory part of employee onboarding program for years – says Magdalena
Owsiany, Brand PR & Marketing Manager at Invest in Pomerania.
Nine out of many foreign companies from Pomerania that have already benefited from the support of Invest in Pomerania were invited to participate in the project: Aptiv, Graphcore, Armatis, GlobalLogic, Crist SA, FujiFilm, Jabil, Godel Technologies, and ITech Art. These companies are not only willing to discuss the mental health topic, but actually want to improve the effectiveness of communication within the company, in order to create a more friendly work environment. The project partner was ICAS Poland, based in Gdańsk, which for many years has been helping clients deal with mental health challenges among their employees by implementing an Employee Support Program.
– As one of the larger employers in the region, we are committed to creating a workplace that is safe and meets the expectations of our employees. We are aware that the current global situation may have a negative impact on mental health of all
Invest in Pomerania
of us, and as an employer, we are receiving signals from our employees indicating that this is an area that requires special attention. The OHS Training of Mental Health workshops, organized in our company by Invest in Pomerania, provided us an opportunity to recognize, gain knowledge, and properly take care of our employees in this delicate, personal area. The positive feedback from participants who took part in the mental health workshops has inspired us to further explore and expand our knowledge on this topic – comments Mariusz Arciemiuk, Plant Manager at Aptiv.
In the headquarter of each mentioned company were held two meetings, led by a psychologist from ICAS Poland. The first meeting was with leaders and managers, during which the psychologist provided tips on how to talk to employees (including those with depression, burnout or addiction) and discussed the role of the leader in helping employees to overcome their psychological problems. The second meeting was dedicated to specialists work focused on ways how to optimize communication with colleagues to support each other, as well as techniques aimed at improving overall quality of life.
– All participants took away something valuable from the meetings. Employees learned stress management techniques and found out how to effectively manage time and daily responsibilities to feel better. Managers received practical advice on giving feedback and talking to employees dealing with depression. The discussion on creating an optimal work environment that takes into account the mental health of employees also genetared many positive takeaways – says Kamil Świądek, Director of Engineering at GlobalLogic Poland.♦
Grunwaldzka 472 D alley, Olivia Business Centre – Olivia Six, 80-309 Gdańsk Phone: 58 32 33 256, e-mail: office@investinpomerania.pl www.investinpomerania.pl
Nowadays, to succeed in business, it is no longer enough to just focus on financial gains. Companies must also consider the environmental and social impact of their operations. This is why more and more companies are focusing on digital transformation and ESG (Environmental, Social and Corporate Governance), i.e. environmental, social and corporate governance aspects. It is these areas that now represent the new business direction that will give companies a competitive edge and enable them to succeed.
Digital innovation is playing an increasingly important role in the economy today. As part of this trend, the European Commission has introduced the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) initiative to develop cutting-edge technological solutions in Europe and to help small and medium-sized enterprises in their digital transformation process. The network is currently made up of 136 centres selected by the European Commission as part of the Digital Europe Programme Competition – Initial Network of European Digital Innovation Hubs.
EDIHs support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises by giving them the opportunity to introduce innovative digital solutions. This enables small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to increase their competitiveness, improve the quality of their products and services and increase the efficiency of their production processes.
One of the main areas of support offered by EDIH is the development of new products and services, which helps SMEs to create and test innovative digital solutions, which in turn allows them to be brought to market. This enables companies to differentiate themselves from their competitors and attract new
customers. The second area of support is to improve the efficiency and quality of production. The use of modern technology allows for more efficient production processes and improved product and service quality – SMEs can increase their productivity and customer satisfaction.
EDIHs also offer support for the implementation of innovative digital solutions, such as automation, robotisation or artificial intelligence. Businesses can increase their competitiveness and efficiency,
As one of the consortium members of HPC4Poland, Poznan Science and Technology Park will support companies in the areas of new technologies.
allowing them to grow and expand in the market. The last of the main areas of support offered by EDIHs is collaboration and knowledge exchange. This makes it possible to establish contacts with other entrepreneurs and with research and academic centres, creating the conditions for the development of new projects and ideas. The cooperation contributes to the development of entrepreneurship and accelerates the innovation process.
As one of the consortium members of HPC4Poland, Poznan Science and Technology Park will support companies in the areas of new technologies. Already having experience in the fields of IT and science, PPNT's participation in the HPC4Poland project will enable further technological and scientific development in the region.
ESG is also increasingly influencing corporate governance. Today, there is no longer any doubt that corporate responsibility for the environmental, social and governance impacts it generates is the new long-term way of thinking and doing business, dictated by climate change, growing consumer pressure, employee expectations, and investor and financial institution requirements.
(report in 2025), then all large companies (report in 2026), and from 1 January 2026 also small and medium-sized listed companies (report in 2027).
In order to increase the reliability and comparability of the information presented, the European Financial Reporting Advisory Group has developed European Sustainability Reporting Standards (so-called ESRSs), according to which all companies obliged by the directive will have to prepare their reports.
The ESRSs are divided into three thematic areas: environment (E), people and society (S) and organisational governance (G). Within each of these, standards have been developed that set out disclosure requirements for specific topics such as climate change, pollution, resource use and circularity, employees, or running a business, among others. Companies will need to disclose data on every topic relevant to their business across the value chain. The analysis of risks and opportunities and the impact of sustainability issues on the company's financial health will require a lot of information from counterparties. As a result, preference will be given to suppliers that not only provide large partners with the required data, but also demonstrate as much ESG awareness and concrete actions as possible, e.g. progress in
Name of the investor: ALTEN Poland Sp. z o.o.
Country of origin: France
Sector: Technological and engineering consulting
Number of workplaces: ~ 90 employees (Poznań) | ~ 1100 employees (Poland)
Occupied space in m2: Poznań – 187,60 m2
Other units: Cracow, Warsaw, Gdansk, Wroclaw, Łódź, Bielsko-Biała
Location in the city: Poznań – Nobel Tower
The EU's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) published in December 2022 and planned further regulations also leave no illusions. Business must get on the sustainable track and annual reporting of ESG issues will become mandatory for businesses.
The new regulations not only significantly expand the catalogue of companies subject to mandatory non-financial reporting, but also strongly raise the bar in terms of the scope and quality of data, which will soon be published by approximately 3,500 companies in Poland. First of all, these will be large listed companies
reducing carbon footprint, implementing circular solutions, using fair business practices, treating employees equally, or ensuring inclusivity and diversity in the workplace.
Companies that fail to live up to these expectations will find it increasingly difficult to retain customers, win new business, win tenders and even get a loan from a bank. It is therefore worth finding out more about the regulatory requirements for sustainability today, learning about the range of data a business will have to disclose and looking at your company's operations in this context.
Poznań branch of ALTEN Poland is part of the ALTEN Group, which has become a leading European provider of engineering and technological consulting services over the last 30 years. The dynamic growth of our branch was possible thanks to the location in the center of Greater Poland, primarily due to the presence of qualified engineering staff, as well as an attractive investment environment, which was noticed by our customers. Initially, our services focused on supporting customers from the automotive industry. Over time we expanded our activity to other sectors, such as banking and finance, automation and robotization of production or development of innovative web and mobile applications. The engineering culture is our DNA, so we plan to expand our business in other industries.
Milena Komar Senior Business Manager, Alten Polska
ESG is also increasingly influencing corporate governance. Today, there is no longer any doubt that corporate responsibility for the environmental, social and governance impacts it generates is the new long-term way of thinking and doing business.
Digital transformation increases the potential to create sustainable cities their functionality and investment attractiveness and, above all, the quality of life of their citizens.
Poznań's digital transformation programme is compatible with the Smart City Poznań model, and in its implementation the cooperation of the City with partners such as the Poznań Supercomputing and Networking Centre, with which the common goal of developing the information society in the City has been pursued for 25 years, is crucial. For years, IT solutions have been co-created, new thematic and services have been developed and created in the city portal, contact and notification services for residents on city websites have been modernised, taking into account the requirements of digital accessibility. The development of a system for handling the Poznań
Civic Budget is supported, and in recent years an innovative system for electronic verification of tax settlements in Poznań (ID Poznań) has been created.
Progressive digitalisation is the key to change in both the City Hall's internal operations and external activities –focused on offering services to citizens. One of the overarching goals of digitisation is to counteract silos, the processes of accumulation and retention of information and ideas in individual departments, hindering the creation of effective urban initiatives.
The answer to this challenge lies in the interdisciplinary activities carried
out by the Smart City Poznań Team and the interdepartmental cooperation of the city hall, which allow the best solutions to be developed and implemented, which is in line with the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
An example of such a project is the Smart City Poznań urban application, the pillar of which is city-citizen-city communication. A new functionality is the Social Inventory of Advertisements in the City. It allows users to report advertisements whose legality they believe should be verified. This is just one of the many possibilities provided by the app, which is becoming a hub for urban services and solutions. The entire urban ecosystem is activated, involving a variety of actors and initiatives, using connections to the business community, NGOs or the world of science.
Awareness of the challenges accompanying digital transformation required a strategic approach to data protection and security which resulted in the outsourcing of application hosting to beyond.pl. distinguished by its sustainable model and local character.
Also noteworthy are the innovative technologies offered by the city's helpline. The activities of the staff are supported by chatbots and voicebots, which help to book an appointment or get answers to less complex official topics without having to speak to a consultant.
Digital transformation allows for increased accessibility and ease and speed of use of services. In addition, smart city solutions support the activation and empowerment of local communities through activities undertaken together with the office. This is another success on the road to the development of Poznań, the city of the future.♦
Authors: Agata Materna and Katarzyna
As part of the BETTER JOB NOW programme, the cooperation of high schools with business in the city results in many interesting and surprising projects that shows how creative students are and how much can be achieved by giving them a little initiative. An example of such action is the youngest and most enigmatic action of BJN programme.
The project is a wide-ranging social campaign concerning the prevention of skin melanoma, implemented in the SCIENCE ––BUSINESS–GOVERNMENT model.
The organizers are: the City of Częstochowa under its business brand "Invest in Czestochowa", the School of Fashion and Advertising Industry W.S. Reymont in Częstochowa and the Primoderm dermatological clinic. The campaign is innovative, aimed at young people and run by young people.
The first marketing activities involved using the students' natural desire to decipher the mystery. The mystery project was launched in April 2022 and marketing activities began in September according to the agreed schedule. The idea of the riddle was that the youth had no idea what the numbers 30/2/1 meant. Meanwhile, the 30/2/1 logo appeared at different times, forms and intensity on the school premises, e.g. in the form of stickers on windows, lipstick inscriptions on mirrors, notes in wardrobe lockers, etc. In the school corridor, on a 6m x 3m mural name 30/2/1, students could write their associations with the name 30/2/1 – they tried to decipher it. Even before the holidays, students and a few insiders received sweatshirts, t-shirts, and caps with a logo (about 100 pieces) in exchange for holiday photos in these outfits,
which were posted on the school's social media. There was also a photo session in these sweatshirts in a skate style, i.e. wide pants, hoodies, BMX, skateboards, scooters, of course with the logo on the clothing.
As part of a theatre club, students made a film about melanoma prevention. They presented every stage – from carefree sunbathing to suspicious birthmarks and fear, and a visit to the doctor. The Lisiniec Park in Częstochowa and the interiors of the Primoderm clinic were used as outdoor locations. Young people tried to find out what it was about but over time they accepted
the logo, which they just didn't know what was about and that's actually why they liked it.
In January this year, third-grade students on the fashion industry technician profile finished sewing the 30/2/1 fashion collection which they designed themselves. It is based on blues, beiges and off-white, everything is loose, holiday-like, they also added inscriptions on rubbers, tapes or directly on the fabric – 30/2/1.
The collection was presented during a cyclical event called Re:ymont Enterprising, where the school hosts wellknown designers, stylists and fashion
creators every year. The 30/2/1 mystery was officially solved during the show. Finally, everyone found out what the mysterious numbers meant:
• 30 is the value of the filter that should be used when tanning,
• 2 means the number of hours of safe exposure to the sun,
• 1 is the absolutely necessary number of visits to the dermatologist in a year.
After the premiere of the collection, the stage of cooperation with the University of Jan Długosz in Częstochowa started. This is where we start the meetings of high school students with Dr Kamila Ociepa from the Primoderm clinic at the UJD at the Faculty of Health Sciences – about 10 meetings, for about 2,000 people, the purpose of which is dermatological prophylaxis of skin melanoma. The meetings will be conducted innovatively, in the form of fun. In addition to Dr Ociepa, the workshops will be conducted by two school students who are the faces of the project.
Before the holidays, we will organize a happening with a party. In Lisiniec Park there is a pier for the show and sand brought by the city from the sea, so the scenery is perfect to sensitize the kids before the holidays. Right after the holidays, in the revitalized Old Market Square in Częstochowa, we organize a flashmob in theatre masks with the inscription 30/2/1. Since UJD has research laboratories in the field of cosmetology, we were inspired to think about creating a limited edition of the cosmetic – talks are ongoing.
Young people shape their worldviews based on their own choices, often online. The more we (adults) want to influence what they think, the higher the wall between us grows. In crucial matters that are important to all of us we must speak a language that does not make them feel stupid, on the contrary
– we must accept their narrative. What's more, it was conversations with young people that caused us not to encourage the use of SPF 50 as part of prevention, but to stay with SPF 30 to form a habit, reflex and need, which then itself will cause an evolution in the young man's thinking and hopefully protect him from the consequences of youthful carelessness. The topic is far from pupils and students since a significant part of the disease mainly concerns patients over 40 years of age, and in the perception of many 16- and 17-year-olds, this means almost advanced age.
The project is created by young people, they design posters, take photos, shoot advertising videos and support dermatology specialists during visits to the University. They become responsible for the course of the 30/2/1 project at every stage, from marketing, through designing and sewing the collection, to the creation
of a cosmetic. We believe that the message of peers will be much easier to reach young people than the message of a doctor, teacher or official.
There is one more message – very important – coming from this project. Pupils, mainly schoolgirls, show their peers what true beauty is, where it comes from and that you must take care of your health first. The project also teaches openness to another person. The promotional video made by the students shows a couple of young people who make us realize that love is above all responsibility for the other person and supporting them in difficult situations.
There is another benefit of this project – we adults: officials, teachers, and business owners show those who always say that we do not understand them... that we do understand, we care about their opinion, we consult with them about essential matters. The participation of young people in the life of the city, and co-creation of the space in which we live is necessary today.♦
FOCUS ON Business: In the autumn of 2022, FOCUS ON Business interviewed Mariusz Domeradzki from the Operator ARP sp. z o.o. about the beginning of the construction of the Porta Mare office building. In recent months, however, there has been a lot of talk not only about the revitalisation of the entire Wyspa Spichrzów, where the building is being constructed, but also about the Municipal Revitalisation Programme for Elbląg. What are the main assumptions of this programme?
Michał Missan, Vice President of Elbląg: The main assumption of this programme is to carry out a process of revitalisation of the most degraded areas of Elbląg, in cooperation with the inhabitants and for the inhabitants. The longterm action plan is intended to improve not only the quality of public space in the most degraded areas, but above all the standard of living of the people who live there. On 2 March 2023, we completed public consultations with the inhabitants on the prepared diagnosis for the most degraded places in Elbląg. We are currently in the process of drawing up the summary report from the consultations. Then, the programme will be subject to further procedures, which finally will make it possible to precisely define the places to be revitalised in the previously designated areas and to determine in detail the social needs of the inhabitants that may be included in the revitalisation programme.
All the knowledge obtained in this way will be included in the assumptions of the revitalisation 2.0 process conducted with and for the inhabitants. It will also allow to obtain information which projects are to be prepared, obviously within the available sources of financing. The final Municipal Revitalisation Programme for 2023--2030 is to be prepared by 31 December 2023.
We estimate that about 15% of the area of Elbląg, inhabited by about 27% of the population, will be covered by the Municipal Revitalisation Programme, which will be in force between 2023 and 2030.
I would like to emphasise that the planned revitalisation of the most degraded areas in Elbląg is to focus not only on new investments, but also on the social problems of the people living in the specified areas. It is supposed to be a process of leading the most degraded areas of Elbląg out of crisis, and a programme counteracting social exclusion, helping to solve the problems of the inhabitants of the most degraded places. And what is important – it is not to end with one or two EU projects, but to be a continuum of activities developed in cooperation with the inhabitants of a given area based on various sources of funding. The main assumption for the future revitalisation of Elbląg is also to move away from condensed concrete spatial development and to focus more on projects that enhance the green urban areas.
The main assumption for the future revitalisation of Elbląg is also to move away from condensed concrete spatial development and to focus more on projects that enhance the green urban areas.
Elbląg does not close its door to any investor. We believe that we will find an attractive offer for every entrepreneur who would like to develop and bond with our city.
How relevant is the plan in the context of economic recovery and what benefits can it bring to both inhabitants and prospect investors?
The plan will be one of the tools to make sound decisions related to the life and development of the city. We live in times where reality is changing right before our eyes. Some urban areas, which were attractive in certain aspects, have lost these functions. Others, on the other hand, quite the opposite. There are also such areas that have not yet had their time and are waiting to discover their potential. All of this requires extensive knowledge, which is needed above all by the decision makers and the ones responsible for the general direction of city development. Diagnosing this potential will allow us to find out in detail what are the expectations of potential external investors and inhabitants. Apart from setting the direction of the city's economic
development, it will also allow us to spend the funds reasonably and appropriately on projects and investments that will improve the overall quality of life in our city.
However, without waiting for this document to be finalised, we are already implementing the tasks that fall within its scope. A good example of this is the mentioned revitalisation of the western riverbank and areas nearby. The investment, which is being carried out as part of the task 'Revitalisation of Wyspa Spichrzów in Elbląg – an Area Designated for Investments under the Factory Programme', is to be completed by mid-2025, and its value is PLN 29.8 million. It is part of the broadly understood revitalisation of the area. Now, thanks to investments, this beautiful area can become the business centre of Elbląg, as well as a place that Elbląg residents will be happy to visit in their free time. I believe that
the modern A-class office building with more than 11 thousand square metres of usable space, 2 thousand square metres of service space, with about 130 parking spaces, of which more than 80% in underground garages, will attract many companies from outside Elbląg, as well as provide domestic entrepreneurs with opportunities for development.
Investors from which industries are most looking for a place for themselves in Elbląg now? Is the Panattoni Park Elbląg logistic park, which was put into operation in February, a signal that logistics companies recognise the city's business potential?
Elbląg does not close its door to any investor. We believe that we will find an attractive offer for every entrepreneur who would like to develop and bond with our city. It is no secret that Elbląg has always been associated with
industry. That is why we have created a special industrial district within the city – Modrzewina South, where over 20 businesses have currently had their seats, including the Żywiec Group and Stokota. As investment plots in this area are running out, we are working on extending it to include the adjacent Modrzewina North. Including this area in the city's investment offer will expand our offer by more than 70 ha of additional land for investors.
We do not leave alone other sectors either. We have attractive areas for
the tourism and recreation sector, both in the central part of the city and in quieter places, but with more green areas. We will strongly focus on the modern services sector which includes shared service centres, business process outsourcing, IT outsourcing, research and development centres, as well as companies supporting the development of this sector. This will be done due to the ongoing investment in the PORTA MARE office building.
The city's doors are also being opened to logistics companies. It would be quite odd for us as a city if we did not take advantage of our attractive location. The investment of the Panattoni company, is an excellent prove of this. As the market leader in industrial space in Europe, it has just completed an investment in Elbląg. Almost all of the space built – 20,000 sqm, 'Panattoni Park Elbląg', has been rented by Flex – a global supplier of equipment and technology. The facility is also used by the DPD Polska courier network. As Panattoni itself admitted: – The development of road infrastructure, modern industrial space and probusiness approach of local authorities open up the region to new sectors, and the entry of companies such as Flex means new jobs for the city and the region. The success of 'Panattoni Park Elbląg' is a sign and motivation for us that it is worth developing here. – These words can only motivate us for further work and I hope that this is a good beginning of cooperation with this sector.
How has the opening of the navigation channel through the Vistula Spit affected the interest of potential investors in the city and the region? What are the chances for new investments connected with this project?
The Vistula Spit Canal is one of the most important strategic decisions for Elbląg and at the same time a huge opportunity. I hope that Elbląg and its port, after the deepening of the waterway, will complement the port potential
of Gdynia and Gdansk. It will also become a place for new investments on a national scale. We have already been working for some time on how and where to 'seat' our prospect investors here. Based on our knowledge, signals from the market and entities we cooperate with, such as Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) and WMMSE, apart from companies focusing on strictly port-related activities, companies from the RES sector manufacturing parts for photovoltaic and wind farms are also interested in the port area.
We also have signals from companies in other sectors, e.g. electronics, electromobility and automotive sectors. We are not closing ourselves off to anyone; everyone who will need port infrastructure or a waterway for their business is welcome.
What projects/activities of the city do you consider key to strengthening Elbląg's offer for investors in the coming years?
I think I will not say anything new. The most important projects/activities for investors and residents should be, and are, focused around:
• Preparation of attractive investment areas
• Investment in modern infrastructure
• A very good offer of residential housing for those wishing to settle in our city
• High-quality municipal, social and educational services
• A wide range of leisure, sport and afterwork facilities.
Just that, and yet each of these points requires continuous and hard work. We understand that every investor has their own individual expectations and that each of them should be approached individually. And this is something we want to do because we see it as a great opportunity to develop our city even more dynamically.
Thank you for the conversation and we wish you success in implementing such ambitious projects.♦
Stary
As part of a new project, the City of Katowice invites investors to share their opinions on the perception of the city, their associations related to it, and observations regarding living in the region.
We asked: what is the first thought that comes to your mind when you hear ‘KATOWICE’?
Miners, mines, smoking factories, steel mills, Spodek Arena, smog, Kutz’ movies and the three Silesian Uprisings?
This image of Upper Silesia is thankfully archaic as it has failed to keep up with the reality of the city and its contemporary image. We debunk the smog myth. The air is cleaner than in many resorts. Instead, we harvest honey from the local bees (yes, yes). Its properties are similar to those from the apiaries in non-industrialized areas of Poland. There are more green areas here than in most Polish cities, and we have great
bike routes which cover almost 200 kilometres, pass through beautiful recreational areas, parks, forests and reach the heart of the city – the city teeming with music, youth and life.
To get rid of old stereotypes, we invited Katowice investors to the project – a challenge under the working name "Face of Katowice". We want to hear and learn HOW WE REALLY LOOK from those who participate in the local life, those who invest here and those who develop in this place.
We are curious what, in the eyes of people invited to the project, our strength is and what can be altered, improved, or whether they see something special
in Katowice, something worth nurturing and if there could be more of this special thing. It will be a priceless knowledge, which will help us compare the assumptions with the results.
We want to look at Katowice through the eyes of entrepreneurs who came here to do business, at times knowing nothing about the city, or like our speakers today, who have returned here after several years. We are curious how they have found their way here, what views they have on life in Upper Silesia here and now. And what matters most: is Katowice beautiful?
a business zone, an entertainment zone, bike lanes, green parks and squares, all blending with modern office architecture. At the same time, the road infrastructure virtually reduce traffic congestion within the city, while Park and Ride solutions and a modern railroad structure place Katowice among the world's 21st century cities.
Katowice is a city of changes and transformation. While economic changes are apparent, it is difficult to immediately see the social changes, within several decades when Katowice was the country's industrial hub with a huge employment in heavy industry. However, it only took a few decades for a profile of employment to change visibly and a large "piece of the pie" of the labour market to fall to the modern services sector. Land use has changed – a culture zone, a science zone,
More importantly the city is not slowing down but actively looking for new ways to develop. Its development will appeal to residents, this is development that appeals to investors.
I was born and went to school in Katowice, lived in several other cities in Poland and around the world, but I have always been happy to return to this place. It is with great confidence and a sense of stability that I am currently investing in Katowice, and I can recommend it with full confidence.
Of course, there are cities with more fantastic architecture, there are cities crisscrossed by canals, rivers, with beautiful views of the sea horizon, but in Katowice you can find your unique place, you can break away from the daily routine in the cultural zone. And when you want to focus only on running a business, even in the age of hybrid work, you can think of a modern office in one of the many and varied properties on the local market.
Undoubtedly, a wide range of cultural, business events held in the modern conference centre, the popular Spodek Arena or the NOSPR can lead to the '27th floor' restaurant where you can, with some luck and during a spell of good weather, admire the Beskid Mountains or even the Tatras. At the same time you can also see how an industrial region, full of chimneys and mine shafts, has changed into the capital of a green region, full of nature.
In hindsight, is there anything that particularly surprised you about today's Katowice?
What surprises me most is its transformation. A city associated with heavy industry and mines consistently changes into a city of big business, which attracts excellent companies. We often meet foreign tourists, students and employees of large corporations while English and German can be heard virtually in every restaurant. What positively surprises me is that we are proud of our regionalisms and traditions. And rightly so! These are our treasures and I'm glad that we are finally starting to use them.
My favourite place in Katowice is the headquarters of the National Polish
Currently lives and works in Katowice but grew up in Zagłębie and Germany.
Radio Symphony Orchestra and the culture zone. The NOSPR is the largest concert hall in Poland and one of the most perfect in terms of acoustics in the world. We can be proud of this place. It's also one of the most beautiful concert halls I've ever visited.
What is it like to live in Katowice? And would you be willing, given your experience, to recommend the city to other entrepreneurs?
Together with Katowice City Hall, I have had the opportunity to persuade investors to invest in our region, which offers so much, both to business and in everyday life. And when I hear they choose Katowice, I am proud. I receive cooperation proposals from major cities in Poland, and each time I ask the same question: is the company ready to locate its business in the heart of Upper Silesia? The Swiss organization where I am working was looking for locations for its business from Gdansk to Krakow, but the decision was obvious because they
wanted to work with me. In hindsight, we can describe the development of our competence centre as a total success.
Katowice has just received the prestigious "Top 10 Large European Cities of the Future 2023 – fDi Strategy" award for its strategy to attract foreign direct investment. The sixth place. This is definitely something to be proud of and proves that the city and the entire Metropolis is visible in the international arena. It is also a proof for young people that they can thrive in our region. Our company employs many truly outstanding experts, with experience gained in well-known and reputable international organizations. It is a fantastic team full of colourful and interesting personalities. While building it, the so-called "soft" aspects were really important to us. I'm sure that practically any of them could find a job in a prestigious company around the world and would do very well – I can see many careers like that. It's encouraging.
Katowice has always been a city of frontiers and a big industry; now, with respect to history and our roots, we are changing into a city of high technology, business services, green streets and clean air, which is a logical step in the evolution. In Katowice alone we have 11 universities and more than 50,000 students.
Thanks to two highways, expressways, Katowice Airport and Krakow Airport, getting here is no trouble at all. The city is accessible, open, reliable and smart. We will continue our "Face of Katowice" challenge, because for the unbiased observers (unlike us), making an assessment is much simpler.
If you, FOCUS ON Business
Readers, have your own insights and would like to share them, we will listen, read and talk to you with great interest.
www.invest.katowice.eu
The capital of Lower Silesia is among the leaders in the world-leading European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023 ranking compiled by 'fDi Intelligence'. Wroclaw once again took first place in the medium-sized cities category for business friendliness and was third among all medium-sized cities. In addition, in three other categories, the city was at the forefront. Traditionally, the ceremony for the European Cities and Regions of the Future awards was held in Cannes, France, during the MIPIM International Real Estate Fair.
The ranking of European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023, is prepared annually by "fDi Intelligence", an opinion-forming magazine from the Financial Times Group. The magazine specializes in foreign direct investment and provides an up-to-date overview of global investment activity, including inter alia the most promising investment destinations all over Europe.
This time as many as 370 European cities were evaluated, divided according to the size of the population into five groups – large, major, medium, small and micro cities. And as many as 148 European regions, divided into three groups – major, medium and small regions. Everything was ranked according to their results in five subcategories: Economic Potential, Business Friendliness, Human Capital and Lifestyle, Communication and Connectivity.
After this year's European Cities & Regions of the Future 2023 ranking was published, it turned out that Wroclaw has great reasons to celebrate. The report prepared by "fDi Intelligence" proves that the capital of Lower Silesia is not only an open and entrepreneurial city but also business and foreign-investment friendly.
– Wroclaw has been at the top of the ranking prepared by "fDi Intelligence" for years, which proves that entrepreneurship and foreign investors feel good in our city – says Jacek Sutryk, Mayor of Wroclaw. – In the case of Wroclaw, we are talking about a combination of many factors that together create an effective magnet and boost business friendliness. These factors include, among others: excellent location and transportation connectivity, a balanced and diverse economy, good infrastructure, a high quality of life for residents, or wide access to a talented employee pool.
The capital of Lower Silesia won the category of business friendliness (fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023 – Business Friendliness). In the category of medium-sized cities (200,000 to 750,000 inhabitants), where the best conditions for doing business were evaluated, Wroclaw, like last year, was the best. Among other things, this ranking took into account the number of high-tech companies in the service and R&D sectors operating in the area.
Meanwhile, a high fourth place went to Wroclaw in the economic potential category (fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023 – Economic Potential).
In this ranking, foreign direct investment strategy was evaluated primarily.
The city was also ranked highly in the category where human capital and lifestyle were taken into account (fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023 – Human Capital and Lifestyle). The city also placed a high fifth here. And in the overall category for medium-sized cities (fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023 – Overall), Wroclaw took third place, as it did last year.
It wasn't just Wroclaw itself that celebrated triumphs following the publication of the European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023 ranking. Lower Silesia as a whole has reasons to be proud. In the category of business friendliness (fDi's Mid-Sized European Regions of the Future 2023 – Business Friendliness), the region came in a very high second place.
Wroclaw in the ranking of European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023:
• fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023 – Business Friendliness: ranked 1st (also the first place a year ago)
• fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023 – Economic Potential: Ranked 4th (also the fourth place a year ago)
• fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023 – FDI Strategy: ranked 5th (up from the ninth place)
• fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023 – Human Capital and Lifestyle: ranked 5th (up from the eighth place)
• fDi's Mid-Sized European Cities of the Future 2023: ranked 3rd (also third place a year ago)
• fDi's Mid-Sized European Regions of the Future 2023 – Business Friendliness: ranked 2 nd (also second place a year ago).
The traditional presentation of awards to the winners of the European Cities and Regions of the Future 2023 ranking took place during one of the largest and most prestigious real estate fairs not only in Europe but also in the world –the MIPIM 2023 International Real Estate Fair in Cannes, France. The awards were received by Magdalena Okulowska, President of the Wroclaw Agglomeration Development Agency, and Jacek Barski, Director of the Strategy and City Development Department.
– Despite the difficult times, we are seeing continued interest from business and developers – says Jacek Barski.
– We are particularly pleased with the victory in the business friendliness category. It is the effect of the openness of the city authorities and residents, as well as the high quality of investor service. Importantly, a number of Polish cities appeared in the ranking, in various categories. We are very pleased about it and warmly congratulate the cities – adds Magdalena Okulowska.
It is during the MIPIM fair in Cannes that the world's biggest investors, developers and architects meet every year together with advisory and consulting companies, investment funds and numerous cities and regions. Last year's
MIPIM was attended by 17,000 people from 70 countries. This year's edition of the event took place from 14-17 March 2023.
In fDi's ranking of European Cities and Regions of the Future, Wroclaw has been ranked at the top for years. Its previous successes include:
• In the ranking of European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/2019 Wroclaw took second place in the medium-sized cities category for business
friendliness and seventh place among all Eastern European cities
• In the ranking of European Cities and Regions of the Future 2016/2017 the capital of Lower Silesia took first place in the category of strategies for attracting foreign direct investment
• Wroclaw, as the only Polish city, was also awarded in two categories in the 2016 fDi Strategy Awards
• The capital of Lower Silesia was also placed as the second best city among the top ten cities of Eastern Europe in European Cities and Regions of the Future 2014/2015.♦
ARAW – MIPIM 2023.
Bielsko-Biała is a city of entrepreneurial people who are willing to fulfill their dreams of having their own company. These ambitious and courageous in taking on new challenges young people, make the startup sceen in Bielsko-Biała very strong and constantly growing. The Startup Podbeskidzie Foundation, established for several years, has been actively supporting young entrepreneurs and helping them develop their business ideas, while contributing to strengthening bonds between people who have entrepreneurship in their DNA.
It all started in 2015 with intimate meetings with local entrepreneurs and enthusiasts of innovation. Over time, the Startup Podbeskidzie Foundation has become a local community promoting entrepreneurship both among the inhabitants of Bielsko-Biała and the entire region. The foundation organizes business events, co-working space, training, research and mentoring meetings, increasing the chances of success of future entrepreneurs. The main goal of the foundation is to inspire action.
Its mission is to believe that any good business idea is worth testing, regardless of the creator's gender, age, education, or professional experience. Thanks to its extensive activities, Startup Podbeskidzie becomes a kind of ambassador of innovative ideas and a driving force for development for companies.
UPGRADE YOUR BUSINESS – A SERIES OF MONTHLY EVENTS IN BIELSKO-BIAŁA
The Foundation itself does not have the capacity to transfer all knowledge
Thanks to its extensive activities, Startup Podbeskidzie becomes a kind of ambassador of innovative ideas and a driving force for development for companies.
and tools needed to start a new idea, but it has a well-developed network of contacts. As the founder and president of the foundation, Wojciech Bachta, emphasizes: – My personal belief is: people and relationships are the most valuable, so this is how the foundation naturally developed. I believe people want to help each other.
The proof of these words are the monthly events organized by Startup Podbeskidzie entitled Upgrade Your Business, where experienced entrepreneurs voluntarily share their knowledge and
inspiration with the participants in the form of a half-hour lecture. Each event consists of two parts – four speeches and networking time. The stage has hosted in recent months such people as: Sebastian Maśka – founder of startup Versum, which after merging with Booksy became a Polish unicorn worth more than PLN 1 billion, Szymon Masiak – founder and CEO of MotionVFX the market leader in plug-ins for Final Cut Pro and DaVinci Resolve and Apple Motion templates, or Elżbieta Legoń-Szpunar – founder of the rapidly expanding startup Scientific Playgrounds, which is already expanding beyond the borders of Poland – producing scientific, sensory playgrounds that integrate the whole family, regardless of gender, age or fitness level.
Thanks to the fact that the foundation has an ever-growing group of regular sponsors, speakers perform pro bono, and local enterprises agree to barter settlements in the form of, marketing services, room access, catering or artistic performance, the foundation was able to employ three employees, which significantly has improved the quality of
its services and allows it to carry out its mission of supporting local entrepreneurship in a big way! In addition, this makes it possible to keep ticket prices for individual events at a level that gives everyone a chance to attend. The most important is to be willing and to find four free hours on one Thursday evening a month.
The all-day conference on modern sales with a section on artificial intelligence (AI) is another step in the foundation's development, a conscious use of the potential of contacts and skills it has gained over all these years of operation, and a nod to the Bielsko-Biala business community, which usually has to travel outside the region for such conferences. If content is king, sales is the queen of companies.
"Sales is Queen" – this was the motto of the first edition of the conference on modern sales in Bielsko-Biała, which took place in May 2023 at the Bielsko Cultural Center the name of Maria Koterbska. During the "Sales is Queen" conference,
such areas as: inspiration and mindset of the seller, tools, sales during the recession and artificial intelligence in sales activities were presented in thematic blocks. There was also space for networking and an after party.
12 speakers performed on stage, including: PhD Ewa Hartman – trainer, MBA lecturer, head of neuro-leadership postgraduate studies at Lazarski University in Warsaw, Michał Konieczny – Sales Team Leader at Edrone, a company that creates CRM and Marketing Automation systems, designed especially for online stores, and Jakub Kobosko, president and co-founder of Planetary Metaverse, a mobile application for virtual meetings, work and partying. The event was addressed in particular to CEOs and owners of companies from the SME sector, founders and owners of startups, directors, specialists and advisors from sales departments, CMOs, marketers and digital specialists. In this first edition, Startup Podbeskidzie organizationally joined forces with the Silesian Startup Foundation. The conference was a very inspiring event.
"Sales is Queen" – this is the motto of the first edition of the conference on modern sales in Bielsko-Biała, which will take place in May 2023
A new project of the foundation, which was also created mainly thanks to previously established relationships, is the report "Startups and IT companies from the Podbeskidzie region 2022". The idea for its creation was born after noticing the difficulties in communication and establishing cooperation between local startups and IT companies and enterprises from outside the industry, universities, offices, media, investors, specialists, etc. There was a sincere willingness and interest, but there was no concrete action. The study was launched in the summer of 2022, and the first edition of the report was published in February 2023 and is available free of charge in the form of an almost 100-page ebook on
the foundation's official website at: www. startuppodbeskidzie.pl/raport-it-2022.
For many, the results of the report came as quite a surprise: several promising startups, domestic capital dominating in IT companies, financing startups and development mainly with own funds, a higher-than-Polish average rate of female employment, and the majority of employees hired on a contract of employment – these are the conclusions presented Podbeskidzie enterprises in a very positive light.
14 startups and over 80 IT companies from Bielsko-Biała and the surrounding area were invited to work on the report. Ultimately, 12 startups and 24 IT companies took part in the study. The project was held under the Honorary Patronage of Mr. Jarosław Klimaszewski
City Hall in Bielsko-Biała | Strategy and Economic Development Department
pl. Ratuszowy 1, 43-300 Bielsko-Biała
– Mayor of Bielsko-Biała, Mr. dr hab. Eng. Jacek Nowakowski – Rector of the University of Bielsko-Biała and Mr. Maciej Jeleń
– President of the Bielsko-Biała Regional Development Agency. The entire project in terms of methodology was supervised by PhD Agnieszka Zielińska from the University of Bielsko-Biała. Due to the positive reception of the report, the team of the Startup Podbeskidzie Foundation plans to continue the project in the form of the next edition.
Cowork "UP!", run by the foundation since September 2022, was created mainly to organize work space for the Startup Podbeskidzie team and for intimate meetings with the startup community. In a few months, completely empty spaces turned into an atmospheric work space with desks for rent for entrepreneurs and freelancers, and two conference rooms enabling training for several people. People who want to prove themselves as a trainer by organizing, for example, a free meeting or a series of several mini-training sessions for their community are especially encouraged to use the offer of renting rooms in a co-working space. On the other hand, all entrepreneurs who want to learn more about the activities of Startup Podbeskidzie, the foundation invites to make an appointment for a co-work coffee!
The long-term activity of the Startup Podbeskidzie Foundation shows that such organizations are extremely important in the context of the development of new companies on the entrepreneurial map of Bielsko-Biała. On the one hand, they provide the opportunity to obtain the knowledge necessary to run a business, on the other hand, they become a platform for building relationships and contacts, which often enable the acquisition of new contractors or sources of financing.♦
Phone: +48 33 4971 486, e-mail: wrg@um.bielsko-biala.pl
www.bielsko-biala.pl
The 93% of women representing the financial sector indicate that career is important or very important to them. At the same time, as many as 94% of women believe that there are barriers in their sector that affect women's careers, according to the 4th edition of the “Women in Finance” survey conducted by Antal together with CFA Society Poland, in cooperation with Bank BPH and the Chamber of Fund and Asset Managers (IZFiA). Moreover, despite the increasing number of development programs and diversity management policies being implemented, women working in the financial industry relatively rarely reach top positions.
The results of the survey, which included 766 respondents representing the finance industry, showed that although women in the finance sector are far more likely than men to indicate that career is
very important to them (50% vs. 32%), almost all of them perceive barriers that limit their advancement (94%). Interestingly, only 55% of men perceive barriers affecting women's careers
– The modern financial world increasingly understands the fact that knowledge and competence, not gender, are critical to success. Financial industry, traditionally considered to be the domain of men, is becoming a great place for women's professional development. However, despite the growing number of development programs designed to support women's careers and a growing number of companies that make diversity part of their strategic goals, still few women reach the top of the corporate hierarchy. It is therefore so important to develop effective solutions and tools to increase opportunities for women's careers and to cocreate
a space open to dialogue on diversity –says Artur Skiba, CEO of Antal.
The majority of respondents indicated that women have a moderate influence on the development of the sector, occupying mainly support functions – 66%. What is notable in the survey results is the very large difference in the assessment of women's influence on the development of the financial sector and the occupation of strategic positions by gender. Among the men surveyed, as many as 56% (an increase of 18%) believe that women have a great deal of influence in this area, while similarly only 19% of women hold the same view.
The study confirmed the correlation of barriers and factors that can overcome the lack of diversity in top positions in the financial sector. When asked what helps women's careers, 89% of respondents answered that flexible working hours, 87% – increasing household income, and 86% – that the presence of other women in strategic positions. At the same time, respondents identified as the main barriers to women's careers their entanglement in traditional roles (72% of responses), the difficulty of reconciling work and private life – mainly in the case of women raising children (65%), and so-called facade modesty (59% of responses).
In turn, career satisfaction is primarily influenced by the atmosphere at work (74%) and high salaries (70%). The biggest difference between men and women is seen in the aspect of the importance of flexible forms of employment (affects satisfaction of 51% of women and 38% of men) and recognition at work (affects satisfaction of 66% of women and 54% of men).
Source: Antal
Panattoni sees continuing interest from investors: in the first quarter of the year the company completed transactions in Poland worth a combined total of over EUR 300 million. The developer's activity has spawned the need for a new position – Head of Asset Disposition – which has been filled by Michal Stanisławski.
In his new position Michał Stanisławski is responsible for overseeing Panattoni’s dispositions and exit strategy in Poland. Moreover, he is to be the single point of contact for all investors interested in acquiring assets from the company’s portfolio and all their advisors. He also continues to raise capital for the development platform and cooperates closely with Panattoni’s other departments and geographies in the capital markets field.
– Industrial real estate has for years been one of the most attractive investment assets and its position on the market is only growing stronger. Thanks to tenant demand, continuing rental growth, accessible financing and stable fundamentals of the industrial and logistics sector, Poland is an extremely attractive investment destination. This is particularly true for modern Aclass warehouses that comply with ESG requirements and
meet the needs of presentday tenants and operators. A large number of investors recognise these trends and aim at increasing exposure towards high quality assets in the most promising locations. This is exactly what Panattoni offers – says Michał Stanisławski, Head of Asset Dispositions at Panattoni.
Michał Stanisławski has up till now held the position of Capital Markets Director for Poland with responsibility for
MORE THAN HALF OF FINANCE PROFESSIONALS ARE CONSIDERING CHANGING JOBS TO BOOST CAREER DEVELOPMENT
The Finance and the Great Reshuffle research released by the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (AICPA-CIMA) in cooperation with PwC conducted among 270 professionals working for large companies, primarily in controlling, reporting, financial planning and analysis (FP&A), and accounting, examines the reasons behind the “Great Reshuffle” in the finance profession in Central and Eastern Europe.
The study found that finance professionals are moving roles with increased frequency and feel the need to acquire new skills and adjust to the modern business world, with almost a quarter of workers (24%) saying they want to change their jobs within a year, and another 29% not ruling out this option.
A 15% attrition rate is generally considered manageable for organisations but losing half of the finance workforce within the next 12 months would represent a major operational challenge.
Furthermore, over half of respondents observe that employee turnover within their organisations is increasing (52%), and more than half perceive that it is easy or very easy to find a new job (54%). The research shows that changes taking place in organisations, process redesign, new IT tools, and shifting attitudes towards greater added value result in an increased interest in professional development and growth. For 63% of respondents, promotion and career advancement is also the primary motivation to change work (the second most commonly mentioned reason is wanting a salary increase, and the third — lacking a sense of purpose). In addition, the lack of meaningfulness, empowerment, or upskilling opportunities proves to be a better predictor of the willingness to move roles than burnout or the lack of wage increase. Among those who feel empowered, only one in six plan to change jobs.
managing investor relations, including capital raising for the group’s rapidly growing investment project platform. The new Head of Asset Dispositions at Panattoni has 15 years of experience in real estate. He began his career in Deutsche Bank, after which he moved to the Capital Markets/Investment Properties team at CBRE in 2008.
Source: Panattoni
Other key findings:
• 71% of surveyed professionals experience large transformation within their companies they work for — mainly in the business services and technologies sectors.
• As many as 83% of respondents say that the ability to learn new competencies quickly is the most crucial soft skill. Next in line are analytical thinking (81%) and the ability to deal with complexity/ambiguity (80%).
• Among digital skills, respondents consider the knowledge of data visualisation tools as the top priority (82%), followed by AI/machine learning (81%) and database management systems (67%).
• A large percentage of respondents indicate that they feel symptoms of professional burnout. This was most often indicated by team leaders (51%).
Source: AICPA & CIMA
MICHAŁ STANISŁAWSKI IS PROMOTED TO THE POSITION OF HEAD OF ASSET DISPOSITIONSFOCUS ON Business: Development activities have taken on a higher significance in recent times. In the HR environment more and more people are talking about the greater awareness of companies to invest in their own potential and a need to take care of the emotional wellbeing of their teams. Have you witnessed such a trend in the training market lately?
Małgorzata Polzenius, Hutchinson Institute: Recent years have exposed the emotional challenges that have always been present at work, although their importance has never been so clear. Anxiety, uncertainty, anger and other emotional states can be caused by general circumstances but are often also related to personal situations. And whatever the cause, an emotional crisis at work can completely shatter engagement, lower concentration, translate into absenteeism and ultimately be devastating to performance. Therefore, a sincere interest in the emotional condition of one another and the psycho-physical state becomes crucial – not only as part of caring for relationships at work, but also a key aspect from the perspective of the organisation's functioning.
Agnieszka Kupiec, Hutchinson Institute: What you often hear and also see in conversations with our business partners is that mental resilience has never been as important as it is now. A high level of mental resilience allows us all to remain calm and emotionally
Interview with Małgorzata Polzenius, Managing Director, Anna Ryman-Czarnecka, Business Development Manager and Agnieszka Kupiec, Key Account Manager at Hutchinson Institute.
Małgorzata Polzenius, Managing Director, Hutchinson Institute.
detached and to focus on actions from the field of influence. Simply put, everyone wants to act effectively – including in difficult circumstances.
We have been observing, for some time, that more and more companies are deciding to be open about emotions and emotionality, turning it from a taboo to a component of an organisation's human capital and providing leaders and managers with the tools to work with emotions in teams.
So, shouldn't emotional challenges be bundled with managerial challenges? Should development processes in conscious companies focus only on techniques and methods and readytoimplement operating instructions?
M.P.: Instructions... and we have a ready-made "mask". A mask that
the manager, salesperson, specialist or advisor puts on and goes out into the world to preach learned truths. That is why we always encourage people to find themselves. We always emphasise that each of us is a resourceful, beautiful human being. We all have knowledge, competencies and skills. Why then, during more or less complex development processes, should we discard our own achievements, forget them and only accept the 'revealed truth'? What is the standard operating procedure for interpersonal aspects?
The question is, does everyone have the strength to change or recognise the need to change to prevent professional burnout? Is this why your company decided to organise the Conscious Development Festival?
Anna Ryman-Czarnecka, Hutchinson Institute: Everyone is tired of living in a cage of perpetual 'pretending', of putting on masks and of functioning in a certain way imposed by norms and systems. We often wonder if the world is ready to accept our inner sensitivity and true strength. That is why we focused
on authenticity in our development programmes. For more than a dozen years, we have worked closely with HR departments to support development processes in companies. In addition, we are creating a space in Łódź for people involved in PROgress development activities.
An example of this is the HR Genius Congress event, which we are organising in the Łódź Special Economic Zone. The three editions of this original event and discussions with HR managers – as well as meetings in the businesses of our clients – strengthened our belief that we need to go out of the box and offer more. Therefore, we found a more authentic formula that better reflects the specific nature of the relationships we build with our partners and, above all, represents the new characteristics of our activities, creates opportunities and possibilities for our clients to evolve, builds awareness and grows in maturity in its human, organisational and business aspects.
A.K.: We are organising the Festival because we have noticed that workers are not having problems with competence or retraining. The biggest problem they have is with their own emotions.
Now, with the Festival of Conscious Development, we want to open the door to our consciousness, open our mind and feel the real thing – even where it has so far seemed impossible at work.
M.P.: Today, we want to celebrate successes together with our business partners, share experiences freely and learn
Agnieszka Kupiec, Key Account Manager, Hutchinson Institute.Whatever the cause, an emotional crisis at work can completely shatter engagement, lower concentration, translate into absenteeism and ultimately be devastating to performance.
and appreciate each other. Meeting us is not only intended to be an opportunity to develop and obtain top-quality know-how. It is meant to be more than that – a profound and transformative experience and an enjoyable one simultaneously.
and quality life both professionally and personally.
A.R-C.: We're also talking about stress. We don't sweep important things under the rug (i.e., the most important ones). Stress is present in our lives.
are and will always be present. However, we have taught you how to deal with and manage stress.
A.R.-C.: We believe that what is important and influential to us can be light and free, inspiring and not obliging at the same time. Hence, the best opportunity to do so will be the formula of combining expertise, practice, networking and the pleasure of an extraordinary time spent. The new festival formula will open up new horizons and perspectives for developing people and organisations together with the Hutchinson Institute. Our guests can look forward to interesting and inspiring lectures and practical workshop sessions that are full of knowledge but close to the heart.
A.K.: What we encouraged during the Festival is to meet yourself (i.e., to meet your mind, but also your body). Our task was to help you understand why it is worth living in awareness with yourself. How does living and breathing fully influence every aspect of your life? We talked about why authenticity is the only right choice today and in the near (and distant) future.
M.P.: Together, we realised that the term "professional burnout" not only deserves to be called a medical condition, but – in addition – has ceased to be a slogan that is repeated: "as it doesn't affect me, it doesn't affect my company". We have connected and understood that only awareness of oneself, one's mind, heart and body will allow us to live a full
Yesterday, today, tomorrow and the day after tomorrow. You will not be given any golden recipe for getting rid of all stressors. On the contrary, we said that it just cannot be done. Stress-inducing stimuli
M.P.: What we are delighted about is the fact that the Festival has gathered many representatives of the conscious HR. A portion of knowledge from our experts, professor A. Blikle’s workshops, panel discussions, and opportunities of exchanging experience that broadened the horizons and perspectives on developing people and organizations. We have received phenomenally good feedback and we intend to continue our initiative. How? Stay tuned.
We are looking forward to hearing news about another events like this. Thank you for the interview.♦
Anna Ryman-Czarnecka, Business Development Manager, Hutchinson Institute.What we encouraged during the Festival is to meet yourself (i.e., to meet your mind, but also your body). Our task was to help you understand why it is worth living in awareness with yourself.
We are surrounded by innovative companies and people behind them. Many ideas are brought to life and quickly gain market interest from both customers and investors. On the FOCUS ON Business media, we share innovative solutions offered by startups. Join us for the Startup Elevator Pitch.
WE PRESENT: SALESBOOK – A STARTUP OFFERING AN INNOVATIVE SALES AND PRESENTATION TOOL FOR THE MOBILE SALES TEAM
MAIN PROJECT IDEA:
SALESBOOK is a complete sales platform and methodology that supports and automates the work of sales representatives, increasing their efficiency by up to more than 50%. The solution streamlines the entire direct sales process: from the customer meeting, quoting and CRM, to hard data reporting and decision support.
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
SALESBOOK significantly accelerates the sales process and increases its efficiency. Unlike other applications that focus only on a slice of the sales process, SALESBOOK prefers a holistic approach, which allows you to enhance the sales process at all stages:
1. PRESENTATION
2. NEEDS ANALYSIS
3. OFFER
4. CONTRACT
5. AUTOMATION
6. CRM
7. ANALYTICS & AI
By introducing automation, analytics and artificial intelligence into the classic sales approach, SALESBOOK changes its effectiveness and save salespeople’s time. The company operates successfully in the energy, automotive and insurance markets. The app is already used by more than 50,000 salespeople and managers from around the world, including companies such as OVB, Fortum and Orange. SALESBOOK has also won numerous awards internationally, including the 2020 UiPath Automation Award and the 2021 Sales Innovation Expo Award.
TARGET GROUP:
• RES
• Automotive
• Insurance industry
• ICT
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION TIME:
Depending on the complexity of the deployment – from 14 days to 3 months.
BENEFITS FOR THE USER:
• Empowering the salesman by providing him with a ready-made and attractive sales process for the customer.
• The ability to generate offers quickly and attractively already during the meeting with the customer, as well as the signing of contracts.
• Saving time by fully automating the client follow-up process and reporting to the CRM with hard data on the progress and quality of the sales meeting.
• Gain in-depth analytical knowledge of sales meetings and sales processes, as well as the ability to predict future performance and discover optimal sales paths through artificial intelligence.
PRODUCT/SERVICE COMPARED TO THE COMPETITION:
SALESBOOK differentiates itself from the competition by offering unique features that significantly increase the efficiency of salespeople. It combines ease of use with advanced personalization capabilities, allowing users to customize the tool to meet individual needs.
SALESBOOK is also a complete platform that provides support for the entire sales process, rather than, like competitors' products, only on a small slice of it, leaving the other stages of sales unsupported.
SALES MODEL: SaaS
MORE INFORMATION: www.salesbook.com
Dariusz Nawojczyk CMO Salesbook dariusz.nawojczyk@salesbook.com
