No. 11 (233) / 2015 Polish Market

PU B LISHED SIncE 199 6 No. 11 (233) /2015 :: www.polishmarket.com.pl

Pearls great gala of

of the

Polish economy

Herbert WirtH, laureate of the honorary Pearl, President of KGhM ,

PolsKa Miedz, winner of the ranKinG of the Pearls of the Polish econoMy

Wyjątkowy, trwały i ekologiczny Logo to dodatkowa wartość dla opakowań z tektury falistej, symbol ich najwyższej jakości i trwałości.

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CONTENTS 6 7 9 10 14 20 22 32 34 36 37

From The President’s Press Office

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Herbert Wirth, President of KGHM Polska Miedź: Metal mining may be a source of new technologies

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Agnieszka Libor, Head of PR and Communications at Totalizator Sportowy Sp. z o.o.: Totalizator Sportowy an innovative company drawing inspiration from the past

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Konrad Pokutycki, President of BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o.o.: Pearls of the Polish Economy promotes brand Poland

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Pearls of the Polish Economy 2015

From The Government Information Centre Prof. Janusz Lipkowski, President of the Jury of the Honorary Pearls award: Honorary Pearls are awarded with due care Our Heroes, our Winners Honorary Pearls- Ambassadors for brand „Poland” remarks for „Polish Market” Passed away in 2015 The Pearls we never forget Honorary Pearls 2006-2015 Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw: Modern city close to its residents Maciej Proliński; Inauguration of the 2nd Ignac y Jan Paderewski International Festival during „The Pearls of the Polish Economy” Gala Janusz Piechociński, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy: Favourable conditions for business development are the future of a competitive Europe Prof. Jerzy Duszyński, President of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN): We need to develop some success stories

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Prof. Tomasz Szapiro, Rector of the Warsaw School of Economics: Why, how and for what purpose is the Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking produced?

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Prof. Tomasz Szapiro, Prof. Tomasz Kuszewski: 13th edition of the Pearls of the Polish Economy competition

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Prof. Leszek Rafalski, Chairman of the Main Council of Research Institutes (RGIB), Member of the Progress Awards Jury: Innovation Pearl for talent and creativity Pearls of Innovation - PROGRESS 2015 Jerzy Majchrzak, Director of the Innovation and Industry Department at the Ministry of the Economy: Innovations are the result of scientific and technological progress 25 years of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice (RIG) 15 years of activity Clusters in Poland - groundwork must continue Angelika Jarosławska, President of Cluster World, Member of the Board of the National Cluster of Innovative Enterprises, Project Coordinator of POLAND 3.0: POLAND 3.0 Awards for top builders

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Cultural Monitor Włodek Pawlik, a composer, pianist and winner of the Grammy Award 2014: A musical family Maciej Proliński: Seong-Jin Cho wins the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition!

Watch out! A talent on the horizon The Warsaw Rising Museum Maciej Proliński: A living castle Maciej Proliński: Travelling against the current...

Marcin Kręglicki, an owner of prestigious restaurants in Warsaw: Let’s benefit from what the world has invented Poznań – the right direction for the food industry Bożena Skarżyńska: The 5th Polish Meat Festival in Rzeszów Economic Monitor

Cover: Herbert Wirth Photos on issue: www.shutterstock.com

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CONTENTS

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DTP: Godai Studio www.godai.pl

President: Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek

Writers/Editors: Maciej Proliński, Jan Sosna, Sylwia Wesołowska- Betkier, Grażyna Śleszyńska, Janusz Korzeń, Jerzy Bojanowicz, Janusz Turakiewicz,

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Contributors: Agnieszka Turakiewicz

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Editorial

Poland’s economy is growing G

lobal projections are not very bright. Experts are warning of the risk of the third wave of the global crisis. This time the reason could be the economic situation in the BRICS countries (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), until recently considered as leaders of global economic growth. Will Poland manage to muster up a positive response, as it did before?

These alerts are not intended to stir up publicity. Even the National Bank of Poland, usually moderate in opinion, stated in its international economic outlook that the slowdown would probably be deeper than estimated. Although it does not mean an acute and spectacular crisis, the downturn will take not one or two, but up to a couple of years.

Yet “Polish Market” would not deserve its name as the ambassador of good news should it miss to recall, following these alerts, a number of voices acknowledging the ability of Poland’s economy to resist worldwide turbulence. Our economy is almost perfectly balanced, with a stable banking sector, and highly regarded in the world. The public finance deficit is large, but not dramatically so, bearing in mind that the EU has freed the country from the excessive deficit procedure earlier this year. Over the last crisis years, public debt has been increasing at more or less the same pace as public income. We are lucky not to have current account deficit. The international competitiveness of Poland’s economy is growing – according to this year’s World Economic Forum ranking, not only has Poland moved up to 41st position, but it has also significantly narrowed its distance to the economies ahead of it. This is a safe situation.

The economy is greatly boosted by a steadily growing internal market, with a huge, both consumer and infrastructure, unmet demand. This year’s analyses also confirm that Polish enterprises are in good shape. True, there are no global giants in the Polish economy. PKN Orlen, the largest Polish company, is ranked 398th in the Fortune Global 500. But when it comes to regional rankings, Poland performs remarkably. The 2015 Deloitte CE Top 500 report, which evaluates the largest companies from the 18 countries from Central Europe and Ukraine, lists as many as 170 Polish companies.

A quarterly business sector report, published by the National Bank of Poland, shows a growth in forecasted indicators of demand, orders and production, as well as a decline in the percentage of companies declaring demand as a barrier to development.

The general feeling is optimistic, as reflected by entrepreneurs announcing to increase employment, wages and investment. Experts representing employers’ organisations point to a significant

improvement of the condition of exporters and medium and large companies, the so-called called 50+. Two-thirds of the credit for this goes to the financial activity of companies themselves - capital investment, creation of corporate groups and their effective management, effective cost management without prejudice to wages, to the improvement of the financial standing of companies that previously generated losses, and of course to an increasing expansion onto to foreign markets.

For 10 years now, “Polish Market” has been cooperating in conducting business sector research with great Polish economists, now with the Warsaw School of Economics, which is the largest Polish economics university. What we were interested to demonstrate through these studies was not only how businesses grow in size, but also how financial, physical and human capital resources are used in terms of efficiency. A composite indicator was custom-made, which, we thought, reflected these phenomena most accurately. Companies distinguished by a higher-than-average operational efficiency – in relation to income – were awarded certificates of Large or Grand Pearls of the Polish Economy. The growing diversity of small and medium-sized markets and – despite what some say – access barriers to them prompted us to enlarge our model from three to seven sectors.

It appears to render the economic reality more adequately, although not fully reflecting transformations in business models caused by globalisation.

We have long realised the obvious truth that impressive indicators and statistics do not exactly mirror the image of our economy. Since its inception, “Polish Market” has blended the promotion of economic development with the promotion of Polish science, culture and art. This combination gave rise to the idea of the Honorary Pearls of the “Polish Market”, awarded annually to individuals who have rendered meritorious services to the country working in these fields, undertaking initiatives of particular social importance and disseminating the highest social and patriotic values. The Honorary Pearls of “Polish Market” are selected by a jury, whose members enjoy widespread social recognition and respect. The Pearls are announced at an annual Gala, attended by representatives of business, science, culture and politics. This year’s 10th Pearls Gala will, as usual, be a remarkable event.

Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek Editor-in-Chief President of Rynek Polski Publishers Co. Ltd.

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President

Meeting of the Presidential Couple with Princess Hisako Takamado of Japan

P

resident Andrzej Duda and the First Lady met with Her Imperial Highness Princess Hisako Takamado. The Princess arrived in Poland for the opening ceremony of the Japanese evening as part of the 31st Warsaw Film Festival and the 17th Fryderyk Chopin International Piano Competition.

The meeting focused on social, cultural and political ties between Poland and Japan, as well as the prospects for the development of Polish-Japanese relations, including in the context of the upcoming centenary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and the 70th anniversary of their resumption after World War II.

The Belgian Royal Couple on a visit to Poland

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n 13 October, King Philippe and Queen Mathilde of the Belgians embarked on an official three-day visit to Poland. President Duda thanked the Belgian royal couple, for deciding to choose Poland for their second official foreign visit after their coronation.

“For us it is not only a sign of friendship between Poland and Belgium, but also a sign that His Majesty wants to really intensify Polish-Belgian relations, that there is a good chance for their development, both in the sphere of the economy, which we have just discussed, but also in the sphere of scientific cooperation and youth exchange,” President Duda said after the meeting with the King of the Belgians.

The King of the Belgians underlined that the Polish visit was his first official visit in Europe. “Poland is a well-known country to me and my wife.

My wife has Polish roots. We really feel at home in Poland. (…) I am very happy with our cooperation covering a number of areas, all fields of life,” said the monarch. After the talks at the Presidential Palace, the Belgian Royal Couple laid wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Meeting with EU Commissioner Johannes Hahn

P

resident Andrzej Duda received in the Presidential Palace Johannes Hahn, the EU Commissioner for European Neighbourhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations. Talks focused on the current situation in Ukraine. The EU relations with Belarus were also discussed. Another issue raised during the meeting was the migration crisis facing the united Europe. The interlocutors agreed that it is necessary to continue to develop cooperation with the EU’s eastern neighbours and search for a common solution to the issue of immigrants.

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President Duda in Hungary for V4 summit

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n his two-day visit to Hungary, President Andrzej Duda attended a meeting of the Presidents of the Visegrad Group (V4). Discussions were held in the V4 format – Poland’s Andrzej Duda, Slovakia’s Andrei Kiska, the Czech Republic’s Miloš Zeman and Hungary’s János Áder, and in the V4 + format, meaning with the President of Croatia Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. The first plenary session pertained to climate change. “The talks were focused on two major issues. Firstly, the issue of climate change, at the request of President Áder, in the context of the upcoming UN Climate Summit in Paris. Secondly, the issue of energy security, especially in the context of the Nord Stream 2 and its implications for the energy security of Central Europe,” Minister Krzysztof Szczerski told reporters.

President Duda on a visit to the United States

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n 27 September, Andrzej Duda started his visit to the United States, by paying tribute to the victims of the 11 September 2001 attack on New York’s World Trade Centre at the Ground Zero site where the WTC buildings once stood.

Then, he visited New York’s Greenpoint district, home to the US second-largest Polish diaspora after Chicago.

Later in the day, he met with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki Moon in the UN headquarters. Addressing the UN summit on the post-2015 development agenda, Duda stressed that many years ago all economic indicators in Poland diverged from these of the countries of the developed world. He added that the development of Poland was possible, among others, thanks to the massive “Solidarity” movement, but also thanks to the support of wealthier countries.

On the morning of 28 September, Andrzej Duda spoke at the 70th session of the UN General Assembly. He was third to take the floor, immediately after US President Barack Obama and before the Chinese and Russian heads of state.

In New York, President Duda met for the first time with President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko. He also talked with President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, President of the Czech Republic Miloš Zeman, King of Jordan Abdullah II, and President of the European Council Donald Tusk.

Prime Minister

Photo Paweł Supernak PAP

A historic victory

Law and Justice (PiS) will be the first party since the 1989 regime change to govern on its own without going into coalition. Beata Szydło will be designated as Prime Minister.

The ruling Civic Platform (PO) came second to become confined to opposition. The biggest sensation was the third place of the anti-establishment Kukiz’15 party of rockstarturned-politician Paweł Kukiz. Two more parties reached the threshold for seats in parliament: the liberal Modern party, led by economist Ryszard Petru, another newcomer, and the Polish People’s Party, the PO’s junior coalition partner in the outgoing government. The United Left (ZL) was ousted from parliament for the first time since the advent of democracy 25 years ago.

Law and Justice’s victory ends the 8-year rule of the Civic Platform and the Polish People’s Party. It is also a continuation of the party’s winning streak after Andrzej Duda unexpectedly won the presidential election last May. Jarosław Kaczyński’s party wins the general election for the first time since 2005 when it formed a coalition government with Samoobrona and the League of Polish Families (both now swept away from politics). PiS is the first party in the history of Poland after the fall of communism to have an absolute majority, empowering it, at least in theory, to pass law voluntarily. Given the friendly attitude of President Andrzej Duda, a swift legislative offensive is to be expected. It should be noted, however, that changing the constitution, called for by PiS during the election campaign, requires a two-thirds majority vote in the presence of at least half of

the statutory number of deputies. The party does not have so many seats alone. Law and Justice won across all demographic groups and in almost all regions. Likewise, it was victorious in big cities of more than 500 thousand residents, even those that have hitherto been a bastion of the Civic Platform, such as Warsaw.

The election manifesto of Law and Justice reads: “Respect for the inherent and inalienable dignity of every human being remains at the ideological core of the law and Justice programme. (…) We strongly reject opposing security and freedom, as often found both in the history of ideas and in politics.”

The main objectives of the new ruling party are as articulated during the election campaign: • PLN 500 in child benefits for the second child onwards • Increasing the tax allowance to PLN 8,000 • Return to a retirement age of 65 for men and 60 for women (from 67 years at present, following a pension reform) • Reduction of corporate tax (CIT) for small and medium-sized enterprises

Voter turnout: 50.92%

Law and Justice - 37.58% Civic Platform - 24.09% Kukiz’15 - 8.81% Modern - 7.60% Polish People’s Party - 5.13%

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PERŁY POLSKIEJ GOSPODARKI

Prestiżowy ranking polskich przedsiębiorstw

THE GRAND AWARDS GALA

OF THE PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY 2015

THE ROYAL CASTLE IN WARSAW, NOVEMBER 6, 2015

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Honorary Pearls

are awarded with due care Prof. Janusz Lipkowski, President of the Jury of the Honorary Pearls award

T

he programme of the Pearls of the Polish Economy was enriched some years ago to include the Honorary Pearls. It is a sign of special recognition for activities not directly related to the national economy, but giving our country the prestige solidifying the image of Poland as a comprehensively developing country, caring about fundamental values, without which economic development would not be a sufficient indicator of development in the modern world. It should especially be emphasised in the era of globalisation. In no way is it inconsistent with this to highlight the outstanding achievements of our scientists, artists, diplomats and related institutions, achievements presenting in the proper light the success of our country.

Therefore, the Honorary Pearls are awarded with due care, namely taking into account international aspects of achievements in the fields of science, culture, promotion of patriotic values and promotion of social values. Candidatures of Polish personalities and institutions working around the world are considered, provided that their Polishness is undeniable and achievements - outstanding. It is with great satisfaction that we observe mutual recognition and respect of the winners of the Pearls in all the categories, and of the Honorary Pearls. Through the Pearls, we are able to deepen the versatility of the positive development of Poland, to contribute to the strengthening of the right picture of the economic transformation against

a large backdrop of national culture. Personally, I wish “Polish Market” continued success in growing its Honorary Pearls. The experience so far has been extremely positive, the initiative is greatly valued and perfectly matches the whole programme of the Pearls of the Polish Economy.

The Jury of the Honorary Pearls faces each time a very difficult choice. Its members propose candidates, and the evaluation procedure follows. The laureate is a person, a team or an institution which, as a result of the evaluation procedure, eventually obtains unanimous support. This involves, of course, hours of discussions and balancing opinions. Based on my past experience, I wish to say that there are really many eminent Polish individuals and institutions deserving awards and mentions, whereas opportunities or ways to acknowledge them are rather few. As opposed to the world of politics or sports, achievements covered by the Pearls’ programme are not of daily interest to general media. I find it completely wrong. The country’s image is losing on these omissions, because Poland is not only about political parties or sports clubs. Success in science and culture should be shown as widely and as often as possible.

That is why, among other things, “Polish Market’s” Honorary Pearls are such an important and attention-deserving initiative.

In the field of science, we give special attention to the Polish science diaspora. There are many scholars of Polish nationality (and citizenship) abroad who are extremely

successful, working in the best-equipped laboratories, hospitals, observatories; some of them were awarded in previous years. It is of great importance to present these achievements from our – Polish perspective. This year, we have a beautiful example of Multipole – an informal group cooperating in the field of molecular biology all around the world, using the largest research facilities (synchrotrons, supercomputers). The bibliometric factors they obtain put them on a par with the world’s biggest names, including Nobel Prize winners. I do not mean to say that bibliometric indicators determine one’s position in science, but must admit that they are an expression of relevance and significance of achievements. I need to stress a considerable share of scientists working permanently in Poland and a strong interest of young Polish people in this promising field, which is one of the building blocks of modern medicine and pharmacy.

In addition to the standard categories, the Jury has decided a couple of times to grant special Honorary Pearls to distinguished Poles whose services and achievements go beyond the individual categories mentioned above.

This was a way to honour Prof. Jerzy Buzek and Prof.Michał Kleiber for their achievements in science and promotion of social and patriotic values. In these cases, too, the Jury reached a consensus necessary to make a unanimous decision, and we are proud of • that.

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Our Heroes Our Winners It is already for the tenth time that the Honorary Pearls of “Polish Market” - awarded to the most outstanding personalities and institutions in the fields of economy, culture, science, social values and patriotism, whose achievements, experience, prestige and undisputed personal qualities allow to recognise them as ambassadors of the highest Polish values - will be handed out during the Gala of the Pearls of the Polish Economy on 6 November 2015. Maciej Proliński takes you to the profiles of this year’s winners.

T

he Honorary Pearls are awarded by a Jury composed of individuals enjoying great authority and recognition: Prof. Jerzy Buzek, Member of the European Parliament; Grażyna Jaskuła, Vice-President of Oficyna Wydawnicza Rynek Polski, the publisher of “Polish Market”; Prof. Janusz Lipkowski, President of the Jury; Prof. Ksawery Piwocki, former Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw; Prof. Andrzej Rottermund, Director of the Royal Castle in Warsaw; Adam Szejnfeld, Member of the European Parliament; Janusz Steinhoff, President of the Council of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice and President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce; Prof. Andrzej Wiszniewski, former Minister of Science and Higher Education; Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, President of Oficyna Wydawnicza Rynek Polski and Editor-in-Chief of “Polish Market.”

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Economy Icons We all remember the times when Poland was immersed in the propaganda of success, while in reality the country was stuck in a European backwater, and the Poles were afraid of reaching for success. Today we live in a country where ambition, competition and success are a decent behavioural model, both in private life and professional life, including business.

The winners of the Honorary Pearls 2015 in the Economy category provide some examples of such an activity: Mateusz Morawiecki, President of the Management Board of BZ WBK; Leszek Czarnecki, President of the Supervisory Board of Getin Holding SA; Michał Sołowow, Economy - Driving Polish Entrepreneurship; Tadeusz Donocik, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice; Jacek Janiszewski, President of the Association for Integration and Cooperation.

Mateusz Morawiecki has been at the helm of Bank Zachodni WBK SA since 2007. Over those years, the bank’s assets swelled more than two and a half times, and net profit increased by almost 50%. He made his first steps in business while still in college, starting the publishing firms Reverentia and Enter. This experience meant that having obtained his MA in history he decided to pursue a career in management, which resulted in an MA in Business Administration from the Wrocław University of Technology, MBA from the University of Economics in Wrocław, and post-graduate diploma in European Law and Economic Integration from the University of Hamburg and an MA in Advanced European Studies from the University of Basel. In 1995 he did an internship at the Deutsche Bundesbank in Frankfurt. He came back to Poland in 1998, as he was offered a post at the Office of the Committee for European Integration negotiating the conditions of Poland’s accession to the EU. At the same time, he started working at Bank Zachodni SA as advisor to the President of the Board. Three years later, following the merger of Bank Zachodni and Wielkopolski Bank Kredytowy, he joined the Management Board of Bank Zachodni WBK. In May 2007, after a multi-stage recruitment process, the Supervisory Board appointed him to the post of President of the Board.

Leszek Czarnecki is a graduate of the Wrocław University of Technology, Harvard Business School, with a PhD degree in economics from the Wrocław University of Economics. He is Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Getin Holding SA and Getin Noble Bank SA. He built from the ground up the European Leasing Fund, Getin Noble Bank - the biggest Polish private bank, and the whole financial group Getin Holding. Regularly honoured with awards by business organisations, as well as the Polish and foreign media, he is the only Pole to have been recognised by “Financial Times” as one of the rising stars of European business. He was also awarded the title of Best Manager in Central Europe by “The Wall Street

Journal”. He is the author of three books: “Simply Business”, “Simply Business. The Next Step” and “Risk In Banking: A Post-Crisis Perspective.”

Michał Sołowow made his business debut shortly before the fall of communism - in November 1988. He used the money earned in a summer job in Germany to set up Mitex, a construction firm that was soon to become the third largest company in Poland. Sołowow sold it to the French just before the construction sector was hit by a crisis. He has proved it many times that he has a sense of business - in 1992 he created a DIY retail chair Nomi that he later sold at a large profit to Kingfisher. At the end of the 1990s, he took over Barlinek, then on the edge of bankruptcy, and in a few years turned it into a powerful manufacturer of laminate flooring. He also invested in Cersanit, a ceramics manufacturer, which later acquired Opoczno and is now Europe’s number two manufacturer of tiles. The gems of the Polish billionaire’s portfolio are Synthos (chemicals) and Echo Investment (developer). With 6 factories in Poland and 5 factories in the world, he has spent a total of PLN 12.4 billion on development and acquisitions.

Tadeusz Donocik is the initiator of numerous activities promoting the development of the city of Katowice and Śląskie province (Silesia). Active participant of the socioeconomic process of reconstruction of Silesia, co-author and co-initiator of the works on the Regional Contract for the then-Katowice region in 1992-1997. A distinctive feature of his activity is the promotion of Silesia and the promotion of entrepreneurship in this region both at home and abroad. Since 1990, President, co-founder of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, which is presently one of the biggest and most vibrantly functioning organisation of businesses in Silesia. The Chamber was the first in Poland to receive in 2010 the title of Winner of the 16th Edition of the Polish Quality Award in the category of organisations of businesses.

Jacek Janiszewski, Minister of Agriculture under Jerzy Buzek and Member of Parliament of the 3rd term, is now President of the Association for Integration and Cooperation, which is the organiser of the Economic Forum in Toruń, recently renamed the Welconomy Forum in Toruń. The subsequent editions of the Forum have provided insights into the most important challenges facing the Polish, European and world economy in the context of ongoing transformations as well as integration and globalisation processes. “In today’s world, we keep hearing of wars, divisions and conflicts. And no one has a golden mean to counteract this. We are also far from claiming the right to give miraculous remedies. But, with so many years of experience in organising the Forum, we know that the first among main walls of hatred and mistrust runs through the human heart, and it is this wall that has to be torn down first. Thus, each of our Forums – as we deeply believe – unites rather than divides. Its new name is meant to make the Forum better recognised in the world. There are bigwigs out there who it is sometimes worth talking to about an innovation that you brought to your business and that can be applied everywhere with their money,” Janiszewski claims.

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Science Horizons The new role of the scientific community in Poland today is to offer its own intellectual potential using the language of business and modern challenges. The Honorary Pearls in the Science category provide an opportunity not only to remind the profiles of our great scientists, who may now serve as role models for the young generation, but also to reflect on the determinants of scientific development. This year’s winners show that nothing is impossible in science, including in medicine. They prove that critical intellect, passion and perseverance are of crucial importance. The Honorary Pearls 2015 in the Science category science are awarded to Prof. Mariusz Jaskólski of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and Paweł Tabakow, MD, from the Jan Mikulicz-Radecki University Hospital in Wrocław.

Prof. Mariusz Jaskólski studied chemistry at the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. He received his PhD (1979) and DSc (1985) in chemistry from the same University. He became Professor in 1997. He is a Corresponding Member of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN) and two foreign academies: the European Molecular Biology Organisation (EMBO) and Regia Societas Scientiarum Upsaliensis, Sweden.

In 1994, he set up the first protein crystallography laboratory in Poland, the Center for Biocrystallographic Research affiliated with the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Polish Academy of Sciences, Poznań, of which he is the head until today. Winner of numerous honours and awards, including the Prize of the Foundation for Polish Science awarded to him in 2002. Author of more than 330 publications (articles and books), mainly on structural chemistry and structural biology. Prof. Mariusz Jaskólski and Alexander Wlodawer, PhD, of the National Cancer Institute, USA, are the first winners of the Poland - U.S. Science Award granted jointly by the Foundation for Polish Science and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the world’s largest scientific association. The award was established in 2013 and it is granted to a pair of scientists, one working in Poland and one in the USA, for outstanding scientific achievements resulting from their collaboration. The Jaskólski-Wlodawer team received the award for structural studies on proteins of medical relevance, which have contributed to the development of new therapies to cure human diseases, such as AIDS or leukemia in children.

Paweł Tabakow is an assistant professor in neurosurgery at Wroclaw Medical University. In his clinical work, he deals with minimally invasive brain and spine neurosurgery, including the treatment of pituitary tumours (without opening the skull), hydrocephalus and brain malformations, brain and spinal cord tumours, neuralgia. He also does brain pacemaker implantations (DBS) for Parkinson’s disease, essential tremor and other diseases. His scientific work is focused on the search for new treatments for traumatic spinal cord injury through intraspinal transplantation

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of olfactory ensheathing cells. He is the coordinator of ongoing clinical trials in this area. “No one has to believe in other people’s words, but if you put your life in a doctor’s hands, I can assure you that Dr. Tabakow is a great doctor, human and specialist. Many thanks for your help and your warm heart,” one of his patients wrote on www.znanylekarz.pl, a doctor ranking website.

Social Values Standard In these turbulent times for the global economy, corporate financial managers need specific skills. But they should not forget about promoting the idea of corporate social responsibility and social values. After all, economy and values are concepts that should not be mutually exclusive. The Honorary Pearls 2015 for promoting social values go to Rafał Sonik, President of Gemini Holding.

Rafał Sonik is an entrepreneur who has always skillfully combined his passions with his professional life. He is the first Pole to win the Dakar Rally (2015). Previously, he twice stood at Dakar’s podium, taking the third place (2009 and 2013). Gemini Holdings Sp. z o.o. is a property development company set up by Rafał Sonik in 1993. One of the company’s creations is the SIEMACHA Association, which ranks among Poland’s largest social organisations which has been providing young people, for twenty years now, with conditions for dynamic development through a careful combination of education, sports and therapy. The Association runs a nationwide network of 18 specialist centres SIEMACHA Spot and SIEMACHA Spot 24/7, providing care for over 2,000 children a day. SIEMACHA operates also 3 Com-Com Zone development centres, and 5 branches of the Kraków Institute of Psychotherapy. The Association pursues a comprehensive, country-wide project “SIEMACHA in shopping malls”, which aims to bring its educational offer to modern shopping and entertainment centres.

Edifying Patriotism It is good news that the world of business feels some connection with patriotic values. Under communism, Poles were probably ashamed of their heritage. And today they are learning from their peers in Europe that they can be proud of their heritage. At the same time, they bear in mind that the everyday life - social and political - especially in the 19th and 20th centuries was going on in the midst of the turmoil of history. The winner of this year’s Honorary Pearl for promoting Polish traditions and patriotic values is Dominican Father Ludwik Wiśniewski.

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Father Ludwik Wiśniewski was the academic chaplain in Gdańsk, Wrocław, Lublin and Kraków in the communist era. Among his students were Bogdan Borusewicz, Aleksander Hall, Janusz Krupski and Arkadiusz Rybicki. At the time of the Martial Law and in later years, he promoted the idea of non-violent struggle against communism.

He was known for his opposition involvement. In 1976, he published a reverberating letter to Edward Gierek, calling the communists to respect religious freedom. In the summer of 1986, he made a silent protest in defence of jailed Władysław Frasyniuk, one of the foremost leaders of the Solidarity movement, standing in the centre of Wrocław with a banner: “Free Władek Frasyniuk.” After the fall of communism, he went to St. Petersburg, Russia, where he served in the parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria. He now lives in Lublin and runs “Złota 9 Academy” - a place for young people to meet public figures. In recent years, he made himself conspicuous by his letter to the Apostolic Nuncio to Poland, Archbishop Celestino Migliore, and his publications in “Tygodnik Powszechny”, denouncing the abuse of the Catholic religion by some clergy and politicians in Poland for political struggle.

The power of spirit Culture has always been Poland’s pride. The idea of art, especially music, as Poland’s best showcase and ambassador has for years been part of “Polish Market’s” mission statement. The 2015 Honorary Pearls in the Culture category go to composer and jazz pianist Włodek Pawlik and Polish Radio and in Applied Arts, category to Tomasz Konior and Bartosz Piotrowski.

Polish Radio celebrates is 90th anniversary this year.

On this occasion, all the channels of Polish Radio have prepared special broadcasts about its rich history. This was also an excellent opportunity to reflect on the role of the public service media today. “The public service media are institutions which perform tasks given to them by the legislator, which in fact means society, and are expected to carry them out on behalf of society and for society. It is hard for me to imagine the public service media being forced – because of insufficient interest from the state – to remind the authorities about themselves in such a drastic form as silence on the air. Our activity is targeted at the whole society and is an element of society’s conscious existence. Our duties include informing the public, explaining developments, educating, providing entertainment, promoting Polish and world culture, and supporting national culture by, for example, recording works of Polish artists. And there is yet another important duty one can mention here – being a “transmission belt” between society and the state and signaling issues that are important for people. Speaking about the public service media and their role, it is worth mentioning the public service media Declaration of European Broadcasting Union announced in 2012. The declaration

reminds the governors that they should take care of the public service media because they are a common good, a piece of infrastructure of every democratic state,” Andrzej Siezieniewski, President of the management Board of Polish Radio SA, told “Polish Market” earlier this year.

Włodek Pawlik is a graduate in piano of the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw and of the HochSchule für Musik und Darstellende Kunst in Hamburg.

He is a laureate of many national and international competitions. Włodek Pawlik has played concerts on all continents.

He has composed symphonic, film, jazz, vocal and chamber music. He regularly works with the American band Western Jazz Quartet. His jazz-tinged music can recently also be heard in Polish film, especially in productions directed by Dorota Kędzierzawska (“Crows”, “Time to die”, “Another World”), where both the film and the music require viewers to use their own imagination. His album “Night in Calisia” was awarded the 2014 Grammy Award in the Best Large Ensemble Album category. November’s “Polish Market” features an extensive interview with the artist!

Applied arts is the art of responsible designing things that are both beautiful and useful at the same time; exploring the customers’ needs, often unconscious and difficult to express, that can only be known in direct touch with the future user. Such characteristics can be found in the works of our winners.

Tomasz Konior, architect and urban planner, has been running Konior Studio architectural office since 1995. Coauthor of over 100 designs and projects for which he has won more than 30 awards in national and international competitions. His best-known and the most award-winning project is the Center of Science and Music Education “Symfonia” (“Symphony”) at the Academy of Music in Katowice. The building has received the SARP Award of the Year 2008 and an award of the International Union of Architects (UIA). The first Polish winner of the Leonardo Award – International Biennale of Young Architects in Minsk (2007), and winner of Europe 40 under 40 – Europe’s Emerging Young Architects and Designers (2008). In 2008, together with Konior Studio, he was awarded the contract for the architectural design of the new premises of the Polish Radio’s National Symphony Orchestra in Katowice, completed on 1 October 2014.

Bartosz Piotrowski is a designer specialising in the construction of rail vehicles. Since 2005 he has been with PESA Bydgoszcz as head designer. His projects include Swing trams and Elf trains. In 2010 he successfully defended a PhD thesis titled “Designing the fronts of rail vehicles” at the Academy of Fine Arts in Gdańsk. He lectures at the Design Department’s Product Design Laboratory of the University of Technology and Life Sciences in Bydgoszcz. Coowner, with Kamila Kamińska, of the design studio CIRCLE, he was twice (2006 and 2014) honoured with the prestigious title of Designer of the Year by the Institute of Industrial Design. “In the past, in designing urban transportation vehicles, inspiration was drawn from the automotive industry. Today it is not the case any longer, because cars are now supposed to quickly grow old both technically and psychologically, whereas trains or trams needs to remain • in use for 30 years,” he says.

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Honorary Pearls – ambassadors for brand “Poland”- remarks for “Polish Market” Honorary Pearls are awarded in the following categories: economy, science, culture, for promoting social values and for promoting Polish tradition and patriotic values. These awards go to people who are ambassadors for the highest Polish values and outstanding visionaries in their fields, people who have the courage to break stereotypes in economy, culture and science, and who contribute to the common good through their attitude and activity, building our history and multiplying our national heritage.

2007 Honorary Pearl for promoting Polish tradition and patriotic values Ryszard Kaczorowski, the last Polish President-in-Exile I am honoured to have received this award in recognition of my patriotic activities.

I value this prize very highly.

When you look back on Polish history, you could say that only grandchildren appreciate the achievements of their grandparents. It is our obligation to hand down to the younger generation stories about glorious moments in Poland’s past, to let them know what we did and how much sacrifice our work involved - the work of those who were better known, and those who often remain nameless. The young should remember about the past. Now it is their duty to take responsibility for the county’s future.

Young people now live in a free world where they are free to do anything, where there are fewer and fewer rules to obey. But the young should bear it in mind that Poland was not always as free as it is now. They should remember that freedom should not be taken for granted. We should work constantly to keep up our identity, to preserve

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the national heritage that was once handed over to my generation.

In my view, it is crucial to explain to Poland’s neighbours in Europe, as well as nations further afield, what Polish economic policies are all about. It is important to show the county’s achievements, to make others realize what a vital role Poland plays in Europe. “Polish Market” is doing a good job of reaching both those who are interested in Poland, and those who may have heard very little about it. Thanks to “Polish Market” they are able to find out more. They find out that Poland is a country which is growing at a fast pace and a country which offers great opportunities.

Ryszard Kaczorowski, ostatni Prezydent RP na uchodźstwie Jestem zaszczycony w związku z otrzymaniem tej nagrody w uznaniu mojej działalności patriotycznej. Nagrodę tę cenię sobie bardzo wysoko.

Z perspektywy polskiej historii można powiedzieć, że tylko wnuki doceniają osiągnięcia swoich dziadków. Naszym obowiązkiem jest przekazywanie młodszej generacji opowieści o chwalebnych momentach polskiej przeszłości, aby wiedzieli, co robiliśmy i ile poświęcenia wymagały nasze czyny – czyny tych lepiej znanych i tych, którzy często pozostają bezimienni. Młodzi

powinni pamiętać o przeszłości. Teraz to oni mają obowiązek przejąć odpowiedzialność za przyszłość k ra j u .

M ł odzi ludzie żyją obecnie w wolnym świecie, 1919-2010 gdzie mogą robić wszystko, w świecie gdzie jest coraz mniej reguł. Ale młodzi powinni pamiętać, że Polska nie zawsze była tak wolna jak teraz. Powinni pamiętać, że wolność nie jest dana raz na zawsze. Powinniśmy stale dążyć do zachowania naszej tożsamość, ocalenia tego dziedzictwa narodowego, które kiedyś zostało przekazane mojej generacji.

Moim zdaniem, ważne jest, abyśmy wyjaśnili sąsiadom Polski w Europie, a także krajom bardziej od nas odległym, na czym polega polska polityka gospodarcza. Ważne jest pokazywanie osiągnięć kraju, aby inni zrozumieli, jak istotną rolę Polska odgrywa w Europie. „Polish Market” robi dobrą robotę docierając zarówno do tych, którzy są zainteresowani Polska, jak i tych, którzy być może słyszeli o niej bardzo niewiele. Dzięki „Polish Market” mogą dowiedzieć się więcej. Dowiadują się, że Polska jest krajem rozwijającym się w szybkim tempie i oferującym wielkie możliwości.

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2008 Honorary Pearl for promoting Polish tradition and patriotic values Prof. Norman Davies, historian I am honoured and happy to have received this award. But I am also somewhat surprised because I am not economical - my wife could tell you something about that.

I know nothing about marketing and, last but not least, I am not Polish. I have done nothing for the Polish economy, perhaps except affecting paper production. But let us be frank- it is only in a year of global crisis that a historian has got a chance.

What do the words “Polish market” conjure up in my mind? For one, the Kraków Market Place, or perhaps the Kraków shopping arcade where I buy old postcards. That inspired me to write my latest book - “From and To”- depicting Poland’s history, but this time from the point of view of postal correspondence. Secondly, the words “Polish market” remind me of the time - some 25 years ago - when the UK was governed by Mrs. Thatcher. She was introducing the notion of the market everywhere. We learned, for example, that there is a market education and that there is competition between universities. And one day in London I had a visit from an inspector. She counted my students at a lecture about Poland’s history and asked: “How can you explain, Professor, that your colleague lecturing about Russian history has more students?” Since then I have been less than enthusiastic about market solutions in universities. Thirdly, “Polish Market” is the name of a magazine.

I admit that I am not a reader of magazines devoted to market issues. But I have just noticed that the first page of the latest edition

of “Polish Market” features my former student Jacek Rostowski. He is now Poland’s finance minister. At the time he was my student, Poland had no real market. It had a black market. But a normal market did not exist at the time, so Jacek was studying 17th century history under me.

Now, of course we do have a Polish market and we also have “Polish Market” magazine. Both are growing and that is a very sound situation.

Prof. Norman Davies, historyk Jestem zaszczycony i szczęśliwy, że otrzymałem tę nagrodę, ale jest ona dla mnie związana z pewną niespodzianką. Nie jestem gospodarny – wie coś o tym moja małżonka, nic nie wiem o „marketingu” i w dodatku nie jestem „Polish”. Niczego nie zrobiłem dla polskiej gospodarki – no, może z wyjątkiem wpływu na produkcję papieru.

Bądźmy jednak szczerzy – tylko w roku, kiedy jest globalny kryzys finansowy, historyk ma jakąś szansę.

Jakie skojarzenia budzi we mnie hasło „Polish market”? Po pierwsze – Rynek krakowski, ewentualnie krakowska Hala Targowa, gdzie kupuję stare pocztówki, dzięki którym powstała moja najnowsza książka „Od i do”, pokazująca dzieje Polski tym razem z perspektywy pocztowej. Po drugie – określenie „Polish market” przypomina mi pewien okres – jakieś 25 lat temu – kiedy w Wielkiej Brytanii rządziła Mrs. Thatcher i wprowadzała pojęcie „market” do wszystkiego. Dowiedzieliśmy się np. że jest rynek edukacji i konkurencja uczelni. I pewnego dnia w Londynie przyszła do mnie pani inspektor, policzyła studentów na moim wykładzie o historii Polski i zapytała: „Czy pan Profesor może wytłumaczyć, dlaczego Pana Kolega, wykładający historię Rosji ma więcej studentów?” Po tym doświadczeniu nie jestem entuzjastą wprowadzania „market” na wyższe uczelnie. Po trzecie – kojarzę „Polish Market” jako czasopismo. Przyznam, że niecodziennie czytam czasopisma o tej tematyce, ale w najnowszym wydaniu na pierwszej stronie jest mój były student a obecny minister finansów pan Jacek Rostowski. Kiedy był moim studentem, nie było polskiego rynku, nie było „Polish market”.

Był np. rynek czarny, ale normalny nie istniał, więc pan Jacek studiował ze mną historię XVII wieku.

Teraz oczywiście mamy polski rynek i mamy „Polish Market”. Rozwijają się oba i to jest bardzo zdrowa sytuacja.

2009 Honorary Pearl for promoting Polish tradition and patriotic values Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Poland’s first noncommunist prime minister after 1946 We have the 20th anniversary of the change which took place in 1989 and therefore we are holding many ceremonies. We were faced then with the crucial 1927-2013 question: what next with the Polish economy in the context of inflation, debt and the need to change the whole economic system. I think that it is good that we decided to change it. We knew it would be a difficult and costly change, but we could not predict that it would be as costly as it actually was. The government’s decision to support what was called the government’s plan, and later became known as the Plan of Leszek Balcerowicz was justified by the strong belief that it was the only way for Poland to enter a path of stable development, to turn away from a certain state of, I would say, antidevelopment, in which any effort to improvethe state of affairs, “putting plasters”, failed to bring results. This is how Poland entered the path of development. That is why, I think, once mapped out, that direction has never been reversed. And it is good that it has not been reversed. It justified these difficult and tough years we lived through. And now, your presence here and these awards clearly demonstrate that we are on the path of development.”

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Tadeusz Mazowiecki, pierwszy niekomunistyczny premier Polski po roku 1946.

Obchodzimy 20. rocznicę zmian, które miały miejsce w 1989 r. W związku z tym, odbywa się bardzo wiele uroczystości. Wtedy staliśmy przed zasadniczym pytaniem: co dalej z polską gospodarką, w sytuacji inflacji, zadłużenia i konieczności zmieniania całego systemu gospodarczego. I myślę, że dobrze się stało, że na tę zmianę się zdecydowaliśmy. Wiedzieliśmy, że będzie to zmiana niełatwa i kosztowna, choć nie mogliśmy przewidzieć, że będzie aż tak kosztowna.

Decyzję rządu o poparciu tego co nazwano planem rządowym, a później Planem Leszka Balcerowicza usprawiedliwiało przekonanie, że tylko w ten sposób Polska wejdzie na silną drogę rozwojową, że oderwie się od pewnej sytuacji, jak bym powiedział – antyrozwoju, w którym wszelkie poprawianie stanu rzeczy, klejenie plastrów, nie dawało rezultatu. W ten sposób Polska weszła na drogę rozwoju. Sądzę, że z tego względu ten wytyczony wtedy kierunek nie został nigdy odwrócony. I dobrze, że tak się stało.

To usprawiedliwiało te trudne i ciężkie przecież lata, przez jakie przeszliśmy. A teraz obecność państwa tutaj, te nagrody, dobitnie świadczą o tym, że jesteśmy na drodze rozwojowej.

Honorary Pearl science Maria Siemionow, MD, PhD, Director of Plastic Surgery Research and Head of Microsurgical Training for Cleveland Clinic’s Department of Plastic Surgery in Cleveland, Ohio I would like to offer my cordial thanks to Deputy Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak and Prof.

Michał Kleiber, president of the Polish Academy of Sciences, for my nomination for this year’s Honorary Pearl award in science. I feel greatly honoured to be among outstanding Polish scientists, economists, and people representing various sectors of

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the economy and the arts. For reasons beyond my control, I am not able to take part in this very important ceremony, but I am grateful to Prof. Michał Drews, head of the Department and Clinic of General, Gastroenterological and Endocrinological Surgery at the Poznań University of Medical Sciences, for coming and collecting this honourable award on my behalf.

social affairs and culture. In times of communist Poland, Poles were often ashamed of their own country. But today they have learned from their counterparts in Europe to be proud of their heritage and that it is worth taking care of rather than leaving this matter to the state and government officials.

Prof. Maria Siemionow, kieruje Oddziałem Chirurgii Plastycznej i Mikrochirurgii w Klinice Kolegium Medycyny w Cleveland w stanie Ohio

Czuję się głęboko zaszczycony tym wyróżnieniem, przede wszystkim ze względu na Kapitułę i na poprzednich Laureatów. Wielce doceniam fakt, że nagrodę tę wręczył mi prof. Jerzy Buzek – jedna z najbardziej pozytywnych postaci ostatniego XX-lecia w Polsce. Cieszy mnie też to, że świat biznesu czuje wagę spraw społecznych i kultury.

Polacy za PRL-u często wstydzili się własnego kraju. A dziś od swoich rówieśników w Europie nauczyli się, że można być dumnym ze swojego dziedzictwa, i że warto je otoczyć swą opieką a nie zostawiać takie sprawy państwu i urzędnikom.

Na ręce pana Wicepremiera Waldemara Pawlaka oraz pana Prezesa Polskiej Akademii Nauk Profesora Michała Kleibera chciałabym złożyć serdeczne podziękowania za nominację do tegorocznej Perły Honorowej w dziedzinie nauki. Czuję się niezmiernie zaszczycona faktem, że jestem w gronie wybitnych polskich naukowców, ekonomistów, przedstawicieli różnorodnych sektorów gospodarki, jak również sztuki. Z powodów ode mnie niezależnych nie jestem w stanie uczestniczyć w tej bardzo ważnej uroczystości, ale jestem wdzięczna Profesorowi Michałowi Drewsowi, kierownikowi Katedry i Kliniki Chirurgii Ogólnej, Gastroenterologicznej i Endokrynologicznej Uniwersytetu Medycznego w Poznaniu za przybycie i odebranie w moim imieniu tej zaszczytnej nagrody.

2010 Honorary Pearl for promoting Polish tradition and patriotic values Count Adam Stefan Zamoyski, historian I am greatly honoured to have received this award.

I highly appreciate the fact that it was presented to me by Professor Jerzy Buzek, one of the most positive 20th and 21st century figures in Poland. I am also happy that the business world is aware of the importance of

hrabia Adam Stefan Zamoyski, historyk

2011 special Honorary Pearl Prof. Jerzy Buzek, MEP, President of the European Parliament in 2009-2012 The “Polish Market” brand is well-known to persons who decide about Europe’s fate. Fifteen years is a time span worth some thought today. Fifteen years ago we all shared the dream of being able to listen to Beethoven’s “Ode to Joy” standing up, just like we have listened to it today. It was two years before the start of our membership negotiations. And “Polish Market” was already promoting the Polish economy because it was obvious to the editorial staff that all the good things taking place in Poland depended on the condition of the Polish economy. Consequently, it was also possible to promote Polish science and, perhaps first of all, Polish culture. Today, we forget

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sometimes that, although we are in a smaller or bigger crisis and achieve smaller or bigger successes, it is really mainly what we produce in the sphere of Polish culture that will survive in 50 or 100 years’ time. This is why I give my great thanks today to the editorial staff of “Polish Market,” which promotes Polish culture while promoting the Polish economy. Today, we are leaders in the European Union. Today, we are in NATO. Today, Poland - as one of the few countries in Europe - has resisted the crisis.

I have the great honour of representing not only the European Union but also Poland within the EU. Poland has these days a huge influence on European success. And a favourable and refreshing wind is blowing from Poland to the EU. “Polish Market” is definitely one of the firms which are bringing this favourable wind into global relations. Thank you for the distinction. I am truly moved.

Prof. Jerzy Buzek, Europoseł, Przewodniczący Parlamentu Europejskiego w latach 2009-2012 Firma “Polish Market” jest powszechnie znana wśród ludzi którzy decydują o losie Europy. 15 lat to odległość czasowa, o której warto dziś trochę pomyśleć.

15 lat temu wspólnie marzyliśmy o tym, byśmy mogli wysłuchać na stojąco „Ody do Radości” Beethovena – tak jak dzisiaj jej wysłuchaliśmy. To było na 2 lata przed rozpoczęciem naszych negocjacji członkowskich, a już wtedy „Polish Market” promował polską gospodarkę. Bo zależność tego wszystkiego, co się dobrego dzieje w Polsce od stanu polskiej gospodarki była dla tej redakcji oczywista. Dzięki temu można było promować także polską naukę, a może przede wszystkim polską kulturę!

Zapominamy dziś czasem, że choć jesteśmy w kryzysie - mniejszym, większym, odnośmy sukcesy – mniejsze, większe, ale tak naprawdę za 50, 100 lat przetrwa przede wszystkim to, co wytwarzamy w dziedzinie polskiej kultury.

Dlatego składam dziś wielkie podziękowania redakcji „Polish Marketu”, który w oparciu o promocję polskiej gospodarki promuje polską kulturę.

Dzisiaj jesteśmy przewodnikami w Unii Europejskiej. Dzisiaj jesteśmy w NATO. Dzisiaj

Polska jako jeden z niewielu krajów w Europie oparła się kryzysowi.

Mam wielki zaszczyt reprezentować nie tylko Unię, ale także wewnątrz Unii - Polskę. Firma Polska ma dziś ogromny wpływ na powodzenie europejskie. A z Polski do UE wieje dobry, orzeźwiający wiatr. Jedną z firm, które ten dobry wiatr w światowy obieg wprowadzają jest na pewno „Polish Market”! Dziękuję za wyróżnienie. Jestem naprawdę wzruszony.

Honorary Pearl, Culture Krystyna Janda, accomplished actress, Director, and Manager of the Polonia Theatre in Warsaw The Pearl awarded by “Polish Market” is a great surprise and honour to me. Appreciating my work and effort in a field that has been strange to me so far is even more important.

I am mainly an actress, and a director from time to time, and since recently I have been involved in creating culture; however I have perceived both culture and myself in quite a selfcentred manner, as befits an artist... My way of thinking, efforts, and energy have gone in another direction just recently, since the launch of the Krystyna Janda Foundation for Culture, whose main statutory goals include running theatres, theatre production, and activities related to all other artistic events created in and for the theatre, as well as broadly understood promotion and dissemination of culture…Every single distinction and appreciation of my effort is of great importance and honour to me.

Krystyna Janda; wybitna aktorka, reżyserka i dyrektorka warszawskiego Teatru Polonia Perła „Polish Market” to dla mnie wielkie zaskoczenie i honor. Zauważenie mojej pracy i starań na polu dla mnie dotąd obcym, jest podwójnie ważne. Jestem jednak głównie aktorką, czasem reżyserem, zajmowałam

się do niedawna kulturą jako twórca, myśląc i o kulturze i o sobie w sposób dość egoistyczny, jak przystało na artystkę… Od niedawna, od momentu założenia Fundacji Krystyny Jandy Na Rzecz Kultury, której głównym celem statutowym jest prowadzenie teatrów, produkcje teatralne, wszelkie inne zdarzenia artystyczne tworzone w teatrze i dla teatru oraz jak najszerzej pojęta promocja i upowszechnienie kultury, moja optyka, wysiłki, energia zostały skierowane właśnie w tę stronę…Każde wyróżnienie doceniające moje wysiłki ma dla mnie wielkie znaczenie i jest dla mnie wielkim honorem.

2012 special Honorary Pearl Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, Director of the World Hearing Centre and the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing It is a great honour for me that by collecting the Pearl today I am joining Prof. Jerzy Buzek, who is a laureate of the award. When 20 years ago, in 1992, we performed a cochlear implant procedure for the first time in Poland and this part of Europe, and brought a deaf person back to the world of sound, this got a lot of publicity in the media. I realized then what a great problem we had tackled and what great hopes we inspired. Today, at the World Hearing Centre in Kajetany, we perform the biggest number of hearing improvement surgeries in the world, around 70 a day, but the waiting list is still huge.

I wish to sincerely thank not only for recognition from the award committee, but also for their noticing the enormous scale of the problem, which is the growing number of people who have various kinds of problems with hearing, which is the basis of interpersonal communication in contemporary society. Our present position in science and medicine means that the Polish patient is 11/2015 polish market

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the first, or one of the first in the world, to have access to state-of-the-art technologies.

Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, Dyrektor Światowego Centrum Słuchu i Instytutu Patologii i Fizjologii Słuchu To dla mnie wielki zaszczyt, że odbierając dziś Perłę dołączam do pana prof. Jerzego Buzka, który jest jej laureatem. Kiedy dwadzieścia lat temu - w 1992 roku - po raz pierwszy w Polsce, i w tej części Europy, wszczepiliśmy implant ślimakowy i przywróciliśmy osobę niesłyszącą do świata dźwięku, odbiło się to szerokim echem w mediach. Wtedy zdałem sobie sprawę, jak wielki poruszyliśmy problem i jak wielkie obudziliśmy nadzieje. Dziś w Światowym Centrum Słuchu w Kajetanach wykonujemy dziennie – najwięcej w świecie około 70 operacji poprawiający słuch, a i tak kolejka oczekujących jest ogromna. Serdecznie dziękuję nie tylko za uznanie Kapituły, ale także za to, że dostrzegła ona ogromną skalę problemu, jaką jest coraz większa liczba osób mających różne problemy ze słuchem, który jest podstawą komunikacji międzyludzkiej współczesnego społeczeństwa. Nasza obecna pozycja w nauce i medycynie sprawia, że polski pacjent ma jako pierwszy lub jeden z pierwszych w świecie dostęp do najnowocześniejszych technologii.

2013 special Honorary Pearl Waldemar Dąbrowski, Director of Teatr Wielki - Polish National Opera in Warsaw The Pearl of “Polish Market” is for me an absolutely unique distinction.

I was even a little stunned when I learned about it. An economic magazine focused on Polish business leaders grants an award to a man like me, that is a man who has always – with a short pause only – dealt with issues that were, it seems, generally considered to

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be remote from market-oriented thinking patterns. Today, in this better democratic world, we have all realized that the truth is that every human action has a business dimension. Even a piece of paper on which a poet writes has a market value... Thus, “Polish Market’s” recognizing a man from the world of culture as I am - in a sense of artistic creations or programmes- is indicates that I have understood something our modern times better.

Waldemar Dąbrowski, Dyrektor Naczelny Teatru Wielkiego - Opery Narodowej w Warszawie Perłę „Polish Market” odbieram jako zupełnie wyjątkowe wyróżnienie. Nawet zdumiony trochę byłem na wieść o tej nagrodzie. Że oto pismo zorientowane na budowanie sensu gospodarki rynkowej przez pryzmat liderów polskiego biznesu, zauważa człowieka, takiego jak ja.

Czyli człowieka, który zawsze – jedynie z małą pauzą – zajmował się zagadnieniami, które przez wiele lat w dość powszechnej opinii, w tym i mojej, zdawałoby się są odlegle od schematów myślenia rynkowego.

Tymczasem dziś, w tym lepszym świecie naszej demokracji, wszyscy uświadomiliśmy sobie, że tak naprawdę każde działanie człowieka ma wymiar rynkowy. Nawet ta kartka papieru, na której pisze poeta ma wartość rynkową… A zatem, dostrzeżenie człowieka kultury, jakim ja jestem – w sensie kreacji artystycznych, czy programów, przez pismo „Polish Market” jest świadectwem tego, że coś głębiej zrozumiałem z naszych współczesnych czasów.

Honorary Pearl Promotion of social values Jerzy Starak, President of the Supervisory Board of Polpharma SA ”Polish Market” is a unique magazine. For nearly 20 years now, it has accompanied Polish entrepreneurs, becoming a significant promoter of national culture, science and economy. The ranking “Pearls of the Polish Economy” is chance to present what is the most precious about Poland - outstanding minds and unique talents, as well as individuals and businesses which our country

can be proud of, and which are not afraid of venturing into foreign markets.

The “Pearls of the Polish Economy” grow in strength along with their winners. The prizes are awarded in several categories, each being equally prestigious and important. In 2013, I received the Honorary Pearl for the promotion of social values. I feel honoured to be among the recipients. I see it as the confirmation that it is worthwhile to create pro-social attitudes and be socially responsible in business. This is the basic principle guiding Polpharma and myself. Social values must underlie operations of pharmaceutical companies whose products have an impact on people’s health and life quality. Polpharma follows the motto “People helping people”, striving to put it in practice in all areas of its activity.

I would like to congratulate the publishers of “Polish Market” and organisers of “Pearls of the Polish Economy” for succeeding to create a unique brand that shows the potential and the strength of Polish entrepreneurs.

Praiseworthy are efforts and perseverance of the organisers in finding and promoting Polish Pearls - thanks to them, our economy, art and science are becoming increasingly reputable in the world.

Jerzy Starak, Przewodniczący Rady Nadzorczej Polpharma SA “Polish Market” to wyjątkowy magazyn. Od blisko 20 lat towarzyszy polskim przedsiębiorcom, stając się znaczącym propagatorem narodowej kultury, nauki i gospodarki. Dzięki rankingowi Perły Polskiej Gospodarki mamy szansę zaprezentować to, co Polska ma najcenniejszego - wybitne umysły i unikalne talenty, a także ludzi i przedsiębiorstwa, z których nasz kraj może być dumny i którzy bez obaw konkurują na rynkach międzynarodowych. Perły Polskiej Gospodarki rosną w siłę razem ze swoimi laureatami. Nagrody przyznawane są w kilku kategoriach, przy czym każda z nich jest równie prestiżowa i ważna.

W 2013 roku otrzymałem Perłę Honorową za krzewienie wartości społecznych. Czuję

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

się zaszczycony tym wyróżnieniem. To dla mnie potwierdzenie, że warto kreować postawy prospołeczne i kierować się w biznesie społeczną odpowiedzialnością. To podstawowa zasada, która przyświeca nam w Grupie Polpharma i mnie osobiście. Wartości społeczne muszą być podstawą działania firmy farmaceutycznej, której produkty mają wpływ na zdrowie i jakość życia.

W Polpharmie przyświeca nam motto “Ludzie pomagają Ludziom” i tę ideę popularyzujemy we wszystkich obszarach naszej działalności. Chciałbym pogratulować wydawcom magazynu „Polish Market” i organizatorom rankingu Perły Polskiej Gospodarki tego, że udało im się wykreować wyjątkową markę, która pokazuje potencjał oraz siłę polskich przedsiębiorców. Na uznanie zasługują wysiłek i wytrwałość organizatorów w wyszukiwaniu oraz promowaniu polskich Pereł - to dzięki nim nasza gospodarka, sztuka i nauka zyskują coraz większą renomę na świecie.

Honorary Pearl, Culture Jerzy Maksymiuk, one of the greatest Polish Composers, eminent conductor and pianist Thank you very much for the Honorary Pearl of the “Polish Market” magazine. I feel honoured. Culture, including music, has always been, even in the hard times of foreign occupation, Poland’s best advertisement and trademark. We first of all, have great composers – as opposed to such nations as Norwegians, Danes, or Swedes. We have Chopin, but also Ignacy Jan Paderewski – who is quite forgotten today - a great statesman, pianist and composer before whom the English queen got up as he was entering the stage. I am a little bit of a “Gandhi for Paderewski”. I have claimed for many years that his Symphony in B minor “Polonia” is the best symphony in Polish music literature. I play it often and I have recorded it three times already. I have always had

the idea of discovering something in music.

And I think there is still a lot to be discovered, but also to make good use of what already exists.

Jerzy Maksymiuk,j eden z najwybitniejszych polskich kompozytorów, znakomity dyrygent i pianista Bardzo dziękuję za Perłę Honorową „Polish Market”. Czuję się wyróżniony…Kultura, a w tym nasza muzyka, zawsze, nawet w czasach bardzo trudnych i zniewolonych, była najlepszą reklamą i znakiem firmowym Polski. Mamy przede wszystkim świetnych kompozytorów – nie mają takich kompozytorów np. Norwegowie, Duńczycy, czy Szwedzi. My mamy Chopina, ale i np. dość dziś zapomnianego Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego – wielkiego męża tanu, pianistę i kompozytora, który jak wchodził na estradę… to wstawała angielska królowa… Ja jestem trochę takim „Gandhim dla Paderewskiego” – od wielu lat twierdzę, że jego Symfonia h-moll “Polonia” jest najlepszą symfonią, jaką znaleźć możemy w polskiej literaturze muzycznej. Gram ją często, nagrałem ją już trzykrotnie. Zawsze miałem taką ideę odkrywania czegoś w muzyce. I myślę, że sporo jeszcze jest do odkrycia, ale i zagospodarowania tego, co już jest.

2014 special Honorary Pearl

we should invent the future by ourselves and then pursue it. We will achieve success if we have a common goal.

Prof. Michał Kleiber, były Prezes Polskiej Akademii Nauk Z największą satysfakcją przyjąłem dziś wiadomość, iż jedną z Pereł otrzymał pan Profesor Henryk Samsonowicz – wybitny przedstawiciel polskiej humanistyki.

Mając okazję wręczać różne nagrody zawsze mówię - nie patrzcie jak piękna jest statuetka, którą dostajecie, patrzcie, kto wam tę nagrodę daje. Mówię to po to, aby wyrazić olbrzymią satysfakcję z powodu otrzymania właśnie tej nagrody, bowiem „Polish Market” przez lata stworzył swoje niezwykle kompetentne środowisko ekspertów, którego decyzje są dla wszystkich, a na pewno dla mnie, przyjmowane jako wielki zaszczyt.

Na koniec jeszcze jedna uwaga – pamiętajmy, że przyszłości nie da się wprawdzie dokładnie przewidzieć, można i należy ją jednak samemu wymyślać, a potem ją konsekwentnie realizować. Jeśli będziemy mieli wspólny cel, będący dobrze skoordynowana sumą naszych celów indywidulanych, wtedy odniesiemy sukces.

Prof. Michał Kleiber, former President of the Polish Academy of Sciences.

It is with the greatest satisfaction that I have received today the news that one of the Pearls went to Prof. Samsonowicz, a Polish humanities scholar. Research is part of national culture, a part which is the most valuable because it directly brings our culture to global culture. (…) When presenting various awards I always say: “Do not look how big the statuette is, do not even look whether there is any attachment in an envelope.

Look who gives you the award.” I am saying so to express my thanks because “Polish Market” has created its own community over the years. Recognition from this community is a great honour for everyone, and certainly for me. Let us remember one thing: it is impossible to predict the future, 11/2015 polish market

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Passed away in 2015

The Pearls we never forget

As the Honorary Pearls award has its 10th edition this year, we remember the unusual persons who have been honoured with these special statuettes in the past 10 years. The year 2015 has brought us two pieces of very said news. Two Honorary Pearl laureates, outstanding people and role models in their fields, passed away. Prof. Władysław Bartoszewski, a winner of the Honorary Pearl for promoting Polish tradition and patriotic values in 2013, died in April.

And Jan Kulczyk, PhD, an outstanding entrepreneur and winner of the Honorary Pearl in the Economy category in 2013, departed in August.

Prof. Władysław Bartoszewski ( 1922-2015) Secretary of State for international dialogue in the Prime Minister’s Office, Home Army (AK) soldier and Auschwitz prisoner during World War Two, foreign minister, commentator, writer and social activist, holder of the Righteous Among the Nations medal. In 2013, Prof. Bartoszewski was awarded “Polish Market’s” Honorary Pearl for promoting Polish tradition and patriotic values.

T

he person of Władysław Bartoszewski comes to the mind of many Poles whenever the notion of authority is mentioned. Honest, courageous, intelligent and experienced, he served as government commissioner for international dialogue, promoting the development of Polish-German relations. He was also responsible for tasks associated with contacts with the Jewish diaspora around the world and the State of Israel. During World War Two, he was a prisoner of the Auschwitz concentration camp and editor of underground publications issued by the resistance movement. He was deputy head of the Jewish Department of the Government Delegation for Poland, the highest Polish clandestine authorities in the occupied Poland, and a founder of the Council to Aid Jews codenamed Żegota.

In 1990-2001, he was Poland’s ambassador to Austria and then foreign minister. Until his last days, he was an active and highly respected diplomat, writer and historian exploring the history of the Warsaw Rising of 1944 and the underground press.

“I have a liking for young people, who have the duty to preserve the memory of historical developments, the young who come to events, meetings and conferences with me.

This does not give them any material benefits. They simply

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want to listen to what I tell them. Old people are obliged to bear witness and to continue citing the noble examples of people, like late Ryszard Kaczorowski, who was loyal to the scouting and patriotic ideals of his youth throughout his life. This is edifying,” Prof. Bartoszewski said in our columns when asked what to do to ensure that the young generation value their country and respect authorities.

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY History has an impact on economy because it determines where we stand now, how we have found ourselves in this place and why the situation of the country is what it is. In this respect, the voice of a “witness to history” is always of great importance, especially a witness who remembers well that in the 19th and 20th century the daily social and political life of Polish people went on amid great historical turmoil.

Bilateral relations, energy and climate policy, eastern policy and security issues were the main topics of the 13th Polish-German intergovernmental consultations held in Warsaw on April 27, 2015. Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz and German Chancellor Angela Merkel presided over the meeting.

Władysław Bartoszewski was to deliver a speech at the meeting. It was read out by the Polish prime minister.

Prof. Bartoszewski stressed in his speech that the excellent personal relations between members of our governments should be translated into real and positive change.

He also pointed to joint Polish-German initiatives, like for example Youth Cooperation and the Foundation for Polish-German Reconciliation, and emphasized issues associated with support to Polish people living in Germany and the German minority in Poland. “Historical issues are still sensitive for us. While taking up new challenges, we still have to remember all the time about the past and respond firmly to attempts to falsify history. While remembering about the future, we must not misrepresent history. But generally, we are on the right path together,” read the last words of his speech.

“I pay tribute to Władysław Bartoszewski’s life’s work.

He was a courageous and far-sighted man, a fighter for freedom and reconciliation. He played a decisive role in shaping German-Polish friendship. His life’s achievement inspires us to develop this friendship,” Chancellor Angela Merkel wrote in the book of condolence for Prof. Bartoszewski. “He served Poland, God and people. Until the very last moment, he served the cause of Polish-German reconciliation and building Polish-Israeli relations. He was a Great Man and I will remember him as such,” Ewa Kopacz wrote.

2013, “Polish Market” honoured him with the Honorary Pearl award in the Economy category in recognition of his success in the international arena and his enormous contribution to promoting a positive image of Poland abroad. The CEED Institute, a think tank established by Jan Kulczyk, has promoted since 2010 the economic successes and potential of Central and Eastern European countries.

Jan Kulczyk has initiated an international discussion on investment opportunities, chances and economic challenges facing Africa and Europe. In 2014, he initiated the Council of Polish Investors in Africa.

He was one of the founders of the Polish Business Roundtable (PRB) and its president for many years. He was also president of the Polish-German Chamber of Industry and Trade, Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, PolishAfrican Chamber of Industry and Trade, president of the Board of Green Cross International and one of the founders of Central Europe Energy Partners.

Jan Kulczyk was a philanthropist and a patron of culture and sports. He was a laureate of the prestigious Kisiel award, holder of the Polonia Restituta Order and the Gold Medal of the Pauline Order for special services to the Jasna Góra monastery. In 2012, he received the Patron of Culture award from the Minister of Culture and National Heritage. He was the first entrepreneur awarded the title of Friend of Nigeria by the Nigerian government. As the strategic sponsor of the Polish Olympic team, Jan Kulczyk initiated and supported undertakings uniting the business, political and sporting communities in an effort to develop • sports activity.

Jan Kulczyk, PhD (1950-2015) The only Polish entrepreneur operating globally and the largest Polish private investor in Africa, the richest Pole and founder of Kulczyk Investments, an international investment group. He received “Polish Market’s” Honorary Pearl in the Economy category in 2013.

J

an Kulczyk was called a business visionary. He was the only Polish entrepreneur operating globally in the energy, infrastructure, chemical and mineral resources sectors. He was the first and largest Polish private investor in Africa. The projects he conducted in this continent were worth over PLN3 billion.

Jan Kulczyk was an active participant in international public life and an ambassador for Polish business. In 11/2015 polish market

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Honorary Pearls 2006-2015 The Jury of the Honorary Pearls Prof. Jerzy Buzek, MEP former Prime Minister and former President of the European Parliament

Adam Szejnfeld, MEP

Grażyna Jaskuła

Janusz Steinhoff, PhD

Vice-President of Oficyna Wydawnicza Rynek Polski Sp. z o.o.

former deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Economy

Prof. Janusz Lipkowski

Prof. Andrzej Wiszniewski

Chairman of the Jury

former President of the State Committee for Scientific Research, former Minister of Science and former Rector of the Wrocław University of Technology

Prof. Ksawery Piwocki former Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw

Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek Editor-in-Chief of “Polish Market” President of Oficyna Wydawnicza Rynek Polski Sp. z o.o.

Prof. Andrzej Rottermund Director of the Royal Castle in Warsaw

Economy Henryk Strzelecki

2013

Jan Kulczyk, PhD

2013

The Polish Chamber of Commerce (KIG)

2014

Leszek Czarnecki

2015

Mateusz Morawiecki

2015

Michał Sołowow

2015

2006

Wiesław Rozłucki Ludwik Sobolewski

Zygmunt Solorz-Żak

2007

Jacek Socha Janusz Steinhoff, DSc, Eng.

2008

Prof. Maciej Nowicki

2009

Janusz Lewandowski

2010

Prof. Marek Belka

2011

Prof. Zbigniew Hockuba

2012

Paweł Olechnowicz

2012

Tadeusz Donocik

2015

Herbert Wirth, DSc, Eng.

2013

Jacek Janiszewski

2015

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Economy - Driving Polish Entrepreneurship

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Science

Culture

Prof. Henryk Skarżyński

2006

Prof. Alicja Chybicka

2007

Prof. Jan Lubiński

2008

Wojciech Kilar

2006

Prof. Maria Siemionow

2009

Urszula Dudziak

2007

Prof. Bogdan Marciniec

2009

Małgorzata Walewska

2008

Prof. Karol Myśliwiec

2010

Anna Maria Jopek

2009

Prof. Marian Zembala

2010

Łukasz Kuropaczewski

2009

Prof. Witold Rużyłło

2011

Marek Torzewski

2009

Prof. Krzysztof Matyjaszewski

2011

Janusz Olejniczak

2010

Prof. Marek Krawczyk

2012

Marcin Bronikowski

2010

Prof. Andrzej Buko

2012

Warsaw Philharmonic Choir

2011

Prof. Bogusław Maciejewski

2013

Krystyna Janda

2011

Prof. Tomasz Dietl

2013

Jerzy Skolimowski

2011

Prof. Stanisław Woś

2013

2012

Prof. Henryk Samsonowicz

2014

Jacek Sykulski and the Poznań Boys' Choir

2014

Maryla Rodowicz

2012

Prof. Andrzej Pawlak

2015

Teatr Telewizji

2012

Prof. Mariusz Jaskólski

2015

Bernard Ładysz

2012

Paweł Tabakow, MD

Jerzy Stuhr

2012

Jerzy Maksymiuk

2013

The Academic Choir of Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

2013

Prof. Mirosław Bałka

2013

Applied arts Ewa Gołębiowska

2010

Sinfonia Varsovia

2014

Michał Stefanowski

2011

Prof. Leon Tarasewicz

2014

Adam Spała

2012

Włodek Pawlik

2015

Czesława Frejlich

2012

Polish Radio

2015

JEMS Architekci

2014

Tomasz Konior

2015

Bartosz Piotrowski

2015 11/2015 polish market

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Promotion of social values

Promotion of Polish tradition and patriotic values Jan Ołdakowski

2006

Partita Band

2007

Ryszard Kaczorowski

2007

ProOmnibus Foundation

2007

Prof. Norman Davies

2008

2008

Tadeusz Mazowiecki

2009

TVN “Nie jesteś sam” (You Are not Alone) Foundation

2010

Polpharma Scientific Foundation

2008

Adam Stefan Zamoyski

2011

Jerzy Owsiak

2009

Jerzy Woźniak

2012

Janina Ochojska

2010

Franciszek Tomasz Ludwin

2013

Polsat Foundation

2011

Gyorgy Spiro

2013

Janusz Sobieraj

2011

Prof. Władysław Bartoszewski

2014

Bożena Kazanowska

2012

Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz

2014

Jerzy Starak

2013

Jerzy Koźmiński

2015

Irena Koźmińska

2014

Dominician Father Ludwik Wiśniewski

Rafał Sonik

2015

Special Honorary Pearl

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Sławomir Skrzypek - the National Bank of Poland (NBP)

2009

Prof. Jerzy Buzek

2011

Prof. Henryk Skarżyński

2012

Waldemar Dąbrowski

2013

Prof. Michał Kleiber

2014

Żyjemy w świecie, w którym wszystkiego przybywa.

Jest coraz więcej ludzi, coraz więcej samochodów, coraz więcej kanałów telewizyjnych. Przyzwyczailiśmy się do tego.

Ale od tej reguły jest jeden ważny wyjątek. Ziemi, która nas wszystkich żywi, jest coraz mniej.

Grupa Azoty to jeden z największych w Europie producentów nawozów mineralnych. Pracujemy nad tym, by ziemia mogła rodzić więcej. Ale ta praca nie ma końca. Wymaga wyobraźni, odpowiedzialności i innowacji.

Myślimy więc o przyszłości. Tworzymy nowe formuły nawozowe, dostosowane do różnych rodzajów gleby i różnych upraw. Szukamy składników i ich kompozycji, dzięki którym można stosować mniej nawozów, osiągając jednak lepszy skutek. Nazywamy to nawożeniem inteligentnym – bo ziemia dziś jest tak cenna, że należy obchodzić się z nią mądrze.

grupaazoty.com

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

From left: Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, Grażyna Jaskuła, Henryk Strzelecki, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Wojciech Kilar, Jan Ołdakowski

Urszula Dudziak, Andrzej Frajndt, Anna Pietrzak, prof. Alicja Chybicka, Ludmiła Zamojska, 26 From polishleft: market Bronisław Kornaus, Mirosław Satora, Jacek Socha, Wiesław Rozłucki, Grażyna Jaskuła

2007

2006

Honorary Pearls

2008

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

2009

From left: Janusz Steinhoff, Bożena Walter, Bożena Płatos, Małgorzata Walewska, Prof. Norman Davies, Prof. Jan Lubiński

From left: Prof. Maciej Nowicki, Prof. Michał Drews , Prof. Bogdan Marciniec, Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Łukasz Kuropaczewski, Marcin Kydryński , Marek Torzewski, Jerzy Owsiak

Prof. Maria Siemionow

From left: Tadeusz Mazowiecki, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Prof. Michał Kleiber

Sławomir Skrzypek

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2010

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

2011

From left: Adam Stefan Zamoyski, Prof. Karol Myśliwiec, Prof. Marian Zembala, Prof. Ksawery Piwocki, Adam Szejnfeld, Janusz Steinhoff, Janina Ochojska, Prof. Jerzy Buzek, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Prof. Michał Kleiber, Grażyna Jaskuła, Marcin Bronikowski, Prof. Janusz Lipkowski, Ewa Gołębiowska, Prof. Andrzej Rottermund, Tadeusz Donocik, Janusz Olejniczak

Warsaw Philharmonic Choir

Prof. Jerzy Buzek and Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek

Janusz Sobieraj, Jerzy Woźniak with his son, Elżbieta Zającówna, Prof. Michał Stefanowski, Krystyna Janda, Prof. Henryk Wojnarowski, Prof. Witold Rużyłło, Prof. Krzysztof Matyjaszewski, Marcin Kaszuba, Konrad Pokutycki, Janusz Steinhoff, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Prof. Marek Krawczyk

Prof. Zbigniew Hockuba

Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek and Eugeniusz Grzeszczak

Prof. Andrzej Buko

Bożena Kazanowska

Jerzy Stuhr, Maryla Rodowicz and Adam Spała

Franciszek Tomasz Ludwin

Jacek Sykulski

Juliusz Braun

2012

Prof. Czesława Frejlich

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2013

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

From left: Adam Szejnfeld, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Jan Kulczyk, Janusz Steinhoff, Zygmunt Solorz-Żak, Janusz Piechociński

Prof. Bogusław Maciejewski

Waldemar Dąbrowski

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Prof. Stanisław Woś

György Spiró

Jerzy Maksymiuk

Herbert Wirth and Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek

Mirosław Bałka

Prof. Tomasz Dietl

Academic Choir of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Waldemar Dąbrowski and Janusz Marynowski

Jerzy Koźmiński and Irena Koźmińska

Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Archbishop Celestino Migliore and Cardinal Henryk Gulbinowicz

Marek Kłoczko and Andrzej Piłat (National Chamber of Commerce)

Leon Tarasewicz

Prof. Henryk Samsonowicz and Prof. Andrzej Pawlak

2014

Prof. Michał Kleiber

Jerzy Szczepanik-Dzikowski

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Modern city close to its residents Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw, talks to Marcin Haber about cultural projects in Warsaw and her vision of Warsaw as a smart city.

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

What recent cultural undertakings do you find most successful?

There were many successful undertakings.

The most important are: the Copernicus Science Centre, Museum of the History of Polish Jews, Museum of Praga, design presentation of the Museum of Modern Art and plans for the construction of a new seat of Sinfonia Varsovia. The first three of these investment projects are already in place. pm

city, we have to meet superior standards in a number of areas - from public transport, to housing infrastructure. The capital city is expected to fulfill specific requirements, as it is here that people from other parts of the country come to live and work. Therefore, we must provide them with conditions to live, work, raise children. Other big cities obey the same logic, though on a smaller scale.

It appears from what you are saying that you keep your feet firmly on the ground.

I am that kind of person. On the other hand, I think that Warsaw should compete with Prague, Budapest or Vienna. We should strive to keep up with the standards of living, in Vienna, for instance. Prague or Budapest have always had the advantage of not being destroyed during World War II, but I do not think that the standard of living, culture and education are better there, and public transport is certainly not. If we want to compare to Vienna, we need to complete the construction of the second metro line. Vienna has four metro lines. Instead, we have maintained a number of tram lines. pm

And what about the Katyń Museum and the presentation of the design and the opening date of the Museum of the History of Poland at the Citadel?

These are definitely very important events, but they are financed from the state budget and not from the budget of Warsaw. That is why I did not mention them. The Katyń Museum is an extremely important project, especially that it is something for which we had waited, for many years. The construction of the Museum of the History of Poland will still take time, but I am glad it will be at the Citadel, because I believe it is a very good place. pm

What cultural projects of 2015 have stuck in your memory most?

When it comes to broadly understood culture and leisure time, I would definitely point to the opening of the Vistula Boulevards. I would also put stress again on the opening of the Museum of Praga. Finally, it is worth mentioning the opening of the Multicultural Centre at the Haller Square. It is an important venue, as it is a meeting place for people of different cultures and nationalities who have chosen Poland for their homeland, from the Belarusians, to Eritreans.

The capital city is expected to fulfill specific requirements, as it is here that people from other parts of the country come to live and work.

pm

And outside culture?

The opening of the central section of the second metro line, of course. It has completely changed life in Warsaw. The tunnel under the Vistula River should be considered as equivalent to two new bridges, so many are the users of the second line’s central section. pm

PwC has recently released a report on the development of Polish cities. Warsaw is leading in all categories but two. Is this long-term leadership not a kind of a trap?

Is it not dampening a desire for further development?

As the capital city, Warsaw will always differ from other Polish cities. If I say this, it is not to lord it over others, but to point out that you should compare comparable things.

As you said, we are leading in many areas, but it is because we are a capital city. It is pointless to revel in success because, as a capital pm

Let’s stay in the climate of comparisons.

The notion of “smart city” has been a buzzword these days, a topic extremely popular with municipal authorities. How does Warsaw put into practice its smart city vision? What projects does it involve?

Warsaw is very active in the smart city deployment process. When I presided over Eurocity for two terms, the smart city concept has become one of the key issues of urban development. For us, a smart city is a modern city close to its residents. That is the way we see Warsaw and we are creating it. This manifests itself in several areas. First, public transport – we have developed a strategy for sustainable development of the transport system, which privileges modern, energy-efficient and environmentally-friendly public transport. Hence, the construction of the central section of the second metro line, the purchases of new trams and buses. We have bought the first ten electric buses, and we are planning further purchases. Second, the Veturilo city bike system – fees, location, the whole system are handled using cuttingedge technologies. Another issue is the Resident Contact Centre 19115 along with a free mobile application. It represents a thorough change in the perception of the city. As a result, residents can take an active part in the life of the city, for example by reporting a failure or vandalism to the relevant departments.

This is a very important step towards a smart city. An important project is also the Smolna pm

Centre for Entrepreneurship. We have deliberately abandoned the idea of a typical technology park, because we find it has worn out.

We focused on activities supporting the development of start-ups. The Smolna Centre for Entrepreneurship is such a place, a place where young entrepreneurs can develop and work in a creative environment. When I was there with Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz, we met entrepreneurs who explained to us that a watch is a sentimental item, but everyone wants to use it in a modern way, so they created a special strap which, attached to a classic watch, displays five additional functions. I am truly fascinated - you can have you grandfather’s watch and use it as it was the latest generation watch thanks to the solution these entrepreneurs have come up with.

Amazing projects are being born there. It is also worth mentioning Virtual Warsaw, a project which earned us a EUR 5 million award from Bloomberg. It is about implementing an intelligent navigation system for the visually impaired people in public institutions, public transport, as well as in tourist and cultural zones. The project is now in a pilot phase, testing the so-called beacons – micro-transmitters deployed in various inside and outside locations. These transmitters send signals detected by mobile applications installed on smartphones and convey all kinds of contextual information. As a result, you can easily reach public buildings or public transport vehicles.

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Culture

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Inauguration of the nd Ignacy Jan Paderewski International Festival during „The Pearls of the Polish Economy” Gala The 2nd Ignacy Jan Paderewski International Festival, to be held on 6-12 November 2015, will mark the 155th anniversary of the Maestro’s birth. It seeks to recall and popularise the immortal achievements and work of the great Polish patriot and world-renowned artist, Chevalier of the Order of Virtuti Militari and Honorary Citizen of Warsaw. The festival will gather artists from Australia, Switzerland, the United States, Spain’s Majorca and Poland.

Warsaw’s major cultural institutions: Polski Theatre, Royal Castle, National Philharmonic, Polish Radio’s Lutosławski Concert Studio, Royal Łazienki Park and Fryderyk Chopin University of Music will open their doors for symphony concerts, chamber music and jazz concerts, panel discussions, film screenings and exhibitions. The festival is organised by the AVE ARTE Foundation. “Polish Market” is its media partner.

Maciej Proliński

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he festival’s inaugural concert in the Polski Theatre will see the performance of the Academic Choir of the University of Warsaw and Wojciech Kocyan, a piano professor at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. The audience will also hear soprano Katarzyna Laskowska and tenor Rafał Bartmiński singing arias from the opera “Manru” by Paderewski.

On 7 November, the Royal Castle will be the venue for the festival’s International Day, featuring Albert Diaz & Xavier Mut, a piano duet from Majorca, as well as artists from Switzerland: young, talented pianist Melodie Zhao and a duo of Rachel Kolly d’Alba (violin) and Christian Chamorel (piano). On 8 November at 11.00 am, a solemn Mass for Ignacy Jan Paderewski will be celebrated at St. John’s cathedral in Warsaw.

On the same day in the evening, Sinfonia Iuventus under Tadeusz Strugała will perform at the National Philharmonic, accompanied

by Melodie Zhao. They will play Paderewski’s

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Polish Fantasy in G minor, Op. 19 for piano and orchestra, and Symphony in E minor “Rebirth”, Op. 7 by Mieczysław Karłowicz. On the following days, the festival will move to the Royal Łazienki Park. There will be a panel discussion on 9 November morning and a concert titled “Paderewski - Jazz Inspirations” in the evening in Łazienki’s Royal Theatre, whose programme was prepared this year

by Krzesimir Dębski. “I propose an original concert programme with songs of Ignacy Jan Paderewski and his friend Zygmunt Stojowski, an unjustly forgotten composer in new orchestrations by myself. Soloists: Emose Uhunmwangho of Capitol Musical Theatre in Wrocław, Anna Jurksztowicz, Mieczysław Szcześniak and Maciej Miecznikowski will perform ten songs of both composers and I hope that their interpretations will help listeners understand the greatness of art,” invites Dębski.

“Salon des Refusés”, a recital of pianists who failed to qualify for the final stage of the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano

Competition, will be held on 10 November, also at Łazienki’s Royal Theatre. On 11 November, Łazienki’s Podchorążówka (Military College), which houses the Museum of the Polish Emigration named after Ignacy Jan Paderewski, will screen films dedicated to the Maestro’s memory, and in the evening, a solemn, patriotic concert will take place at the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music, with the participation of its students and graduates. The official closing of the festival will be marked by a concert of Sinfonia Varsovia under Marta Kluczyńska, accompanied by Australian pianist Piers Lane, in the Polish Radio’s Witold Lutosławski Studio (on the menu: Paderewski’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 17). In addition, the Royal Łazienki will make available its outdoor gallery for an exhibition about Paderewski that will run from 2 to 15 November.

Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941)– a great pianist, composer, politician and statesman; a multidimensional personality; a rare combination of an artist creating beauty

Culture

around him, nobility, spirituality, and a politician moving around the harsh realities of the new state. He made his debut as a pianist in 1887.

A year later, he was already performing on the biggest stages in the world.

In 1919 Paderewski was appointed as Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Second Republic of Poland.

As a politician, he became famous for taking part, along with Roman Dmowski, in the Paris Peace Conference, which led to the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, ending World War I. It is also said that Paderewski was so influential as to cause the US President Thomas Woodrow Wilson to include, in his “Fourteen Points” speech delivered to the Congress in January 1918, a demand that an

“independent Polish state should be erected.” In 1922, he moved to the US where he continued to tour successfully. Ignacy Jan Paderewski died on 29 June 1941 in New York. He was buried with the highest military honours at the Arlington National Cemetery in Washington, DC, among presidents, prominent politicians and commanders. In 1992, his ashes were brought to Poland and buried in the crypt of St. John the Baptist in Warsaw. Paderewski’s artistic career has no equal in the history of Polish music, as exemplified by the fact that his “Manru” is the only Polish opera to have been staged at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera in New York and in many American and European cities. •

MONITOR POLSKI DZIENNIK URZĘDOWY RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ POLSKIEJ Warszawa, dnia 29 września 2015 r.

Poz. 901 UCHWAŁA SEJMU RZECZYPOSPOLITEJ POLSKIEJ z dnia 11 września 2015 r. w 155. rocznicę urodzin Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego W związku z przypadającą w dniu 6 listopada 2015 r. 155. rocznicą urodzin Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego Sejm Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej oddaje hołd wielkiemu Polakowi, mężowi stanu, wybitnemu pianiście i kompozytorowi.

Wytężona praca Ignacego Jana Paderewskiego dla Ojczyzny, szczególnie w momencie odzyskiwania niepodległości – gdy stał na czele rządu, jak i w czasie podjęcia walki o wolność – gdy objął przewodnictwo polskiego parlamentu na uchodźstwie podczas II wojny światowej, a także bogata działalność filantropijna, stawiają Go w rzędzie osób najbardziej zasłużonych dla Polski, które swym życiem i działaniem zapisały się na trwałe w historii naszej Ojczyzny.

Marszałek Sejmu: M. Kidawa-Błońska The Polish Sejm adopted a resolution in commemoration of the 155th birth anniversary of Ignacy Jan Paderewski as part of the International Paderewski Festival. See above for the content of the resolution.

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Favourable conditions for business development are the future of a competitive Europe Janusz Piechociński, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of the Economy

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very day, a thousand people on average set up a business. The role of family businesses is increasing and start-ups are more and more dynamic. The Ministry of the Economy supports business initiatives and makes legal amendments to facilitate the operation of business, to strengthen the business environment and improve the economic situation of entrepreneurs. We have prepared a number of solutions to facilitate the conduct of economic activity that has already entered into force. We are also working on others.

The Ministry of the Economy makes every effort to support entrepreneurs and encourage them to use the latest technologies. Therefore, in the coming years, the focus will be placed, among others, on creating favourable conditions for the development of innovation, particularly on the commercialisation of existing solutions and their practical market application. In the new EU financial period 2014-2020, including through the Operational Programme Smart Growth, we will continue to provide support aimed at the development of the Polish economy. We will further promote cooperation between science, R&D units and innovative enterprises, aided by investment and financial instruments used depending on the needs of entrepreneurs, risks involved and the expected level of support efficiency.

The creation of favourable conditions for the development of enterprises is essential to building the future of a competitive Europe based on a strong and sustained economic growth. We want to increase the competitiveness of Polish companies both domestically and abroad.

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I would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s edition and wish them continued success and satisfaction.

It is with great pleasure that I am taking, once again, the honorary patronage over the ranking “Pearls of the Polish Economy.” I appreciate especially the fact that the most efficient enterprises find themselves distinguished. I wish to thank the organisers for rewarding the companies that stand out against market competition in terms of growth, liquidity, profitability, sales and productivity.

I would like to congratulate the winners of this year’s edition and wish them continued success and satisfaction.

I am convinced that your hard work will be a model and an inspiration for others. My compliments also go to the winners of the Honorary Pearls, which are awarded to the outstanding personalities in the fields of economy, culture, science, promotion of social values and patriotic values. •

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

We need to develop some success stories Prof. Jerzy Duszyński, President of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś.

What revolutionary changes can be expected in the Polish Academy of Sciences under your leadership?

Science does not tolerate revolutionary changes, but does not tolerate stagnation and lack of change, either. Science is in fact in constant motion. I set myself three priorities. First, promoting excellence in Polish science. Second, fostering openness. Third, freeing science from celebration. When it comes to excellence, the standing of science in a country is determined by a couple of important achievements. The pressure for a growing number of works and publications is not conducive to excellence. As regards openness, it is extremely important for scientific development to attract highly motivated and talented people, and such people are born everywhere. It is therefore so important to open up to people from the provinces. Finally, doing away with celebration means that science needs creative atmosphere, which can be built around mutual trust and cooperation. Any mechanisms creating some structures based on “feudal obedience” are far from encouraging scientific creativity. pm

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What is the attitude to innovation in Polish science? As a biochemist, you know that fields such as biochemistry and medicine are highly innovative. How about other disciplines?

All sciences have potential for innovation.

The question is when this innovation will start bringing fruit. Generally, the idea of innovation presupposes that scientific research translates into industrial applications in a very short time.

For science to have a strong position in a country, policymakers and ordinary people must understand its contribution to the well-being of society. People who deal with science must understand it, and I am convinced that they do.

In the new EU financial period up to 2020, the stream of funding for science will flow entirely through companies. This makes innovation an all-the-more significant aspect of science.

We are all keen to see this stream feeding science as much as possible.

I understand the commercialisation of research will be important, right?

Very important. We strive to meet these requirements, but our main concern is still to be useful to society. We understand that there is no good innovation without good basic science. pm

Is the development of basic science going to be a priority for PAN? Yes. To produce even one truly innovative product, you have to reckon that you might suffer even a hundred failures along the way. Sadly, we have no experience in coping with such problems. And failures are natural and should not affect the career of a researcher or a research pm

We need to develop some positive examples which will motivate scientists to go further.

team. That is how it is that many scientific endeavours - even in basic science - end in failure.

What is important is examples of success stories. We need to develop some positive examples which will motivate scientists to go further.

Are rankings such as the Pearls of the Polish Economy likely to motivate entrepreneurs and scientists to step up efforts?

Such initiatives are very useful as far as they offer scientists and entrepreneurs an opportunity to meet. People like to be appreciated and rewarded, and recognition of the joint potential of scientists and entrepreneurs is extremely beneficial for science and economy in • Poland. pm

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Why, how and for what purpose is the Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking produced?

Prof. Tomasz Szapiro, Rector of the Warsaw School of Economics

Why? These days, rankings are ubiquitous. There are league tables of schools attended by our children, universities, companies, banks and marketing agencies, products - like for example cosmetics and credit cards – and even whole countries and their economies. And in making our choices we are guided by positions in these tables.

Supported by technological progress, the evolution in processing and transferring information has accelerated globalization processes. The market just outside our home, at a nearby intersection, was replaced by a different market, one which is closer because it is available in a mobile phone, but also wider because it covers the whole world and an ocean of information describing our choice. It is worth stressing two things. Firstly, the complexity of the processes that one needs to understand to take the right decisions has increased. Secondly, the scale of ignorance of the future states of the global world is bigger. As a result, making a choice has become such a complicated thing that one needs assistance from specialists.

We are talking about business. The specialists know not only that the assessment of businesses has to be multidimensional. They also know how to process assessments of individual aspects of companies’ activity such as their missions, international orientation and innovation performance, but also the needs of their region if they operate in a region or locally. The specialists can build integrated assessments understandable to the user. If you understand the assessments you may independently correct them, which is sometimes even necessary and worthwhile.

What has changed as a result of major economic transformations and what has remained

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unchanged when it comes to taking the right business decisions and spending money - decisions concerning investment and purchases?

The change which is the easiest to notice is the omnipresence of rankings. They determine expenditures and their efficiency. The economic transformations boosted demand for information combining various aspects of complexity and uncertainty. This is the answer to the “why?” question.

How? An ordered list (league table, ranking) is the most accessible form in which to present specialist assessments. It is easy to understand and correct it, but more difficult to trust it especially if the ranking is constructed exclusively by experts, without the involvement of those who represent aspects important for the users of the ranking, or when it is full of esoteric terminology. In an extreme case, we have several incomprehensible rankings and choose not among the companies but among the rankings or, to be exact, the institutions which have produced them.

The Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking is credible because the team is composed in such a way so as to represent not only the originator of the method of producing the ranking, but also companies appearing in the list (at the data collection stage) and the user’s perception through the involvement of the editorial staff of “Polish Market.” The media and university partners complement each other in the process of collecting, processing, systemizing and communicating company data. This is the answer to the “how?” question. The long history of the ranking proves that the answer is correct.

For what purpose?

The ranking serves its clients and companies.

It helps the clients to choose a product or service. It is helpful for the companies correcting their strategies designed to improve the quality of their products and services, and their visibility. It is helpful for the investors interested in buying one of the companies or its part.

The ranking benefits everybody. It reduces the degree of uncertainty and risk for the consumer resulting from difficulty in describing a product or service. The companies have their image expanded and this has a favourable impact on demand thanks to a more accurate choice of criteria, the use of scientific methods of information processing and also thanks to the opportunity to relate data about the companies themselves to data about other companies. The companies always have access to the first kind of data while the latter are at the disposal of the originator of the ranking who produces the final list. The companies receive an assessment which is broader and - equally important - independent, an assessment indicating spheres requiring improvement, spheres which often go unnoticed or are passed over. In turn, the media fulfil their mission by responding to the needs of the readers, which is also translated into market success. This is the answer to the “for what purpose?” question.

I still have not mentioned the thrill associated with the announcement of a ranking.

This may seem not very businesslike, but we all like these emotions so much. And the emotions we like enable us to act better and make the world better.

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

13th edition of the Pearls of the Polish Economy competition

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he Pearls of the Polish Economy competition is already 13 years old. Its goal is to identify companies with the highest growth and business efficiency figures. The goal defined in this way presents two main difficulties to an analyst. Firstly, it is necessary to compare companies operating in different sectors of the economy while remembering that different indicators have to be taken into account in individual sectors to determine a company’s growth and business efficiency. Secondly, even in the same economic sector, organizations have to be assessed in a different way depending on their size. This is why the Pearls of the Polish Economy competition is run on the basis of three types of questionnaire surveys: for banks, insurers and non-financial companies.

Additionally, there are separate classifications for companies of different sizes and fields of activity. They lead to identifying Grand Pearls, Large Pearls and Exports Pearls.

In the 13th Pearls of the Polish Economy competition, three classifications have been made: Grand Pearls, Large Pearls and Exports Pearls. To enter the qualification process in the Grand Pearls category a company has to have generated net revenue from sales and equivalent revenue of at least PLN1 billion in the previous fiscal year. And for a company to enter the qualification process in the Large Pearls category it has to have generated at least PLN100 million in net sales and equivalent revenue.

The Exports Pearls competition is for companies which have reported revenues from exports in their questionnaires.

The objective of the competition is to determine whether a company, assessed according to its growth and business efficiency, can be included in the master’s, professional, standard or promising class. To take part in the competition, companies had to express their intention to participate and had to submit their data for three successive years – 2012,2013 and 2014. On the basis of these data, index values reflecting growth and efficiency were defined.

The selected indexes are widely used in company assessments. Four interpretable quantities, used in assessing every company, were built

Prof. Tomasz Szapiro Prof. Tomasz Kuszewski

by means of the indexes. The quantities were then called aggregate indexes. The scale A,B,C and D was built for the purpose of this assessment, with A chosen as the highest grade. The remaining grades – B, C and D - denoted successively less satisfactory values of indexes describing a company’s activity. The selection rule is best illustrated by means of an analogy with the choice of a new car from among a set of potentially considered models. Let us assume that the price, maximum speed, size of the boot and fuel consumption are the criteria used to assess the cars. If there was a car which would be the cheapest and at the same time would have the highest speed, biggest boot and lowest possible fuel consumption it would receive four grades A and would be assigned to the master’s class.

But with practical decision-making problems it is difficult to find a situation where the decision rule works in such an obvious and clear way and with easily assigned points.

The surveys for the 13th edition of the competition were designed to collect data for three successive years – 2012,2013 and 2014. On the basis of the data obtained, values were defined for efficiency indexes widely used in company assessments. Each index was divided into four groups to better interpret the results of the rating process. The companies’ operational efficiency, profitability, financial liquidity and debt were analysed. Additionally, from two to four indexes were defined for each group. The analysts took into consideration the fields of activity of individual companies. For example, one of the indexes defined for companies conducting production and service activity is growth in net revenue from sales and equivalent revenue, and for banks it is growth in net banking income. For companies from the non-financial sector business efficiency indexes were defined. They reflect growth in net revenue, labour productivity, productivity of fixed assets, return on sales, gross return on assets, return on equity, financial liquidity, cash in hand and at bank, overall debt and debt-service coverage ratio. After completing the process of assigning grades to each of the companies, we obtain the number of final ranking points and four grades for each company. A grade may be A, B, C or D.

The Pearls of the Polish Economy rating is compiled on the basis of ranking points. The process leading to determining rating classes and then company rankings is composed of several successive steps. Firstly, the number of ranking points is determined for each company taking into account each of the efficiency indexes. The company for which the value of an index is the highest receives 100 points. Companies for which the values are lower receive proportionally a smaller number of points. Secondly, the values of aggregate indexes for business efficiency, profitability, liquidity and debt are calculated and standardized. The values of aggregate indexes, which are positive numbers lower than 100, are added up to obtain the final values of ranking points.

The company rating is created on the basis of aggregate index values. Three threshold values are determined for each aggregate index, which enables assigning one of the grades - A, B, C or D – to each company depending on the value of the aggregate index in one of the analysed areas: business efficiency, profitability, liquidity and debt. For example, grade A is given when the value of the aggregate index for profitability is between the highest value and the first threshold; grade D is given when the value of the aggregate index is between the value of the third threshold and the lowest value of the index in a group of companies.

Each company belongs to one of the four rating classes: master’s, professional, standard and promising. The master’s class is made up of companies which have received at least three grades not lower than grade A. The professional class is made up of companies with at least three grades not lower than grade B. The standard class is made up of companies with at least three grades not lower than grade C. The remaining companies belong to the promising class. For example, a company which has received grades A, A, B, D belongs to the professional class.

The number of final ranking points is the basis for compiling the league tables of Grand Pearls, Large Pearls and Exports Pearls. The higher the number of points, the higher a company’s place on the list.

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PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

metal mining may be a source

of new

technologies Looking back, how do you assess KGHM’s foreign investments?

These investment projects were very successful. The figures speak for themselves. In 2012, at a time of strong demand for copper, we took over the Canadian company Quadra FNX for PLN9 billion. Two and a half years later, despite a major drop in the prices of basic materials, the company was worth PLN15.4 billion.

The growing value of our foreign assets is reflected in the valuation of KGHM. Analysts are agreed that KGHM International accounts for 30% to 50% of the price of our stock.

Thanks to the acquisition of Quadra FNX and the launch of production in the Sierra Gorda mine, we have become a global company present on three continents. We proved that we are able to manage large international projects. We also gained the status of the world’s leading copper producer and our brand is recognized by international investors. What is more, in spite of the difficult situation in the sector, we managed to move down the cost curve, which makes us much more competitive and much more resistant to volatility on raw material markets. pm

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Herbert Wirth, President of KGHM Polska Miedź, Laureate of the Honorary Pearl, winner of the ranking of the Pearls of the Polish Economy, talks to “Polish Market”.

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

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How did you manage to turn KGHM from a local company into a global one? Did you encounter any problems? Has this process been completed?

This is a process resulting from the need for constant change. Only a few years ago KGHM was a large company by Polish standards, but completely unknown in the world. Today, we are carrying out two major investment projects in Canada, preparing for the expansion of the Sierra Gorda mine, and conducting exploration work in Poland, Germany, Greenland and the two Americas.

Of course, the company’s global character is due not only to the location of its plants and projects. To achieve success we form an efficient system of “communicating vessels,” benefitting from the knowledge of every employee, irrespective of the langue they use. The construction of the Sierra Gorda mine was an example of this approach. When conducting this project we based our success on cooperation, which enabled us to exploit in the optimal way the abilities of our managers, engineers and experts from Poland, Chile, Canada and the United States. Additionally, among our partners on this project are the Japanese, who have relied on South America for the security of their raw material supplies for years.

Thanks to the joint work of all the partners involved, production was launched in a record-short time.

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Has cooperation with competitors to develop innovative solutions become commonplace in Poland already?

There is certainly still much to be done in this respect. We have to understand that it is only cooperation among business, science and the public administration sector that can give a boost to Poland for its further development.

In many sectors, innovation performance is tantamount to the level of competitiveness. If we want to successfully compete on the global market we need to become an innovation leader. At the same time, we should remember that the competitiveness of Polish research on the domestic and foreign markets depends first of all on support for this sector from business and assistance in applying innovations.

For this reason cooperation among the main centres supporting innovation in Poland is so important. It is the only thing offering a real chance for a stable economic growth and transition to a knowledge-based economy. KGHM strives towards this kind of economy. Owing to our intensive cooperation with the scientific community, we have become in recent years a driving force behind scientific and technological progress on a scale unseen in other Polish enterprises. This is possible thanks to interdisciplinary teams and strategic alliances among the scientific community, big industry, small and medium businesses and institutions providing funding for innovative undertakings.

The results of KGHM Group after the second quarter of 2015 are satisfactory. KGHM generated PLN10.1 billion in revenue and PLN1.2 billion in net profit. It should be emphasized that the results were achieved despite the fall in copper and silver prices.

Indeed, the situation on the copper market in the first half of 2015 was not favourable. But it is worth pointing to two factors which enable us to achieve satisfactory financial results even in these difficult conditions. First of all, we pursue a very consistent policy to make our production stable and maintain cost discipline. In the period we are talking about the unit cost of copper production (C1) dropped by 3% for the whole Group compared to the first half of last year. At the same time, we increased the volume of our copper and gold sales, raised our revenues and carried out our investment projects according to schedule.

The other factor is that, although the prices of raw materials in the US dollar have hit their lows recently, we incur most of our costs in the zloty and other local currencies.

This is why the dollar price of the raw material does not determine our profitability. Of course, we are helped by the depreciation of the zloty, Chilean peso and Canadian dollar.

For example, in the first half of 2015, the price of copper fell by 14% year on year in dollar terms, but increased by 4% in zloty terms.

At the beginning of September, cooperation was inaugurated in Poland between KGHM and Global Compact, an initiative of the UN secretary general, under the “Innovation, Business and Science 2015-2020” programme. What is the goal of the programme? Is it about bringing research findings to the marketplace?

Of course, the goal is to support the practical application of innovation to the benefit of the whole economy. It is a very important project for us because we are one of the unquestionable innovation leaders in Poland.

This is worth stressing because mining is still seen in our country as an obsolete sector of the economy. Meanwhile, the unique knowledge we have gathered over decades enables us to build a modern company competitive on the global market to the benefit of other enterprises, scientific research centres and all people. I can say that sharing this knowledge with others is a mission for KGHM. And it is a mission which makes good business sense.

The United Nations Organization is a perfect partner for this mission. And hence our cooperation aimed at enhancing the competitiveness of our country and providing a boost for its rapid progress.

What does cooperation between KGHM and the National Centre for Research and Development (NCBiR) involve?

We have signed with the National Centre for Research and Development a pioneering agreement on cooperation in the area of research and development for the Polish nonferrous metal sector. In the coming 10 years, the sides will spend PLN100 million each on research aimed at developing and applying innovative technologies in the broadly understood non-ferrous metal sector. The programme involves research and development work associated with new extraction technologies, metallurgical processes, recycling and reduced environmental costs. The programme includes contests through which universities, research institutes and firms may seek funding for their projects. Two editions of the contests have already been held so far.

Our involvement in this initiative makes great sense. Metal mining may be an excellent source of new technologies. They not only make it possible to better exploit ore deposits, by for example extracting additional elements from the ore, but also reduce environmental burdens, energy consumption and equipment wear and tear.

What is your vision for the development of the company in the coming years?

We have defined this vision in our recently announced strategy for 2015-2020. Our goal is to become one of the world’s seven biggest mining companies and achieve an annual output of 1 million tonnes of copper equivalent.

To this end, we are carrying out the biggest programme of investment in copper mining projects in the 60 years since KGHM’s inception and the largest-scale exploration activity.

As a result, we will gain access to one of the largest copper deposits in the world.

As regards production, our vision is an unmanned mine in the most hazardous areas. We bet on a smart production process based on artificial intelligence and Big Data analysis. This will enable us not only to protect the life and health of our workers, but also maintain efficiency and control costs on a very competitive market. This is why our strategy includes enhancing mining and geological competence at all levels of management and a programme of innovation at the level of global mining leaders. This will ensure us a unique competitive advantage over the next dozen or so years.

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11/2015 polish market

41

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Totalizator Sportowy

an innovative company drawing inspiration from the past

Agnieszka Libor, Head of PR and Communication at Totalizator Sportowy Sp. z o.o.

In addition to its lottery core business, Totalizator Sportowy, for more than 60 years now, has been performing socially responsible tasks. Initially furthering the development of sports infrastructure, it then became active also in the field of culture. Please tell us more about this?

I can proudly say that Totalizator Sportowy is extremely aware of its importance for the development not only of the Polish economy, but also for Polish society at large. Indeed, the company was established to bring to life sports infrastructure destroyed during World War II and to support the development of Polish sport. Embracing culture came as a natural complement to it. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact date which can be considered the beginning of our involvement in national culture, but let me remind you that one of the first moves was supporting in 1971 of the reconstruction of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. We now support Polish culture not only by transferring significant amounts from extras to numbers games and lotteries, but also by sponsoring major cultural projects and events.

An extremely important means, allowing us to carry out socially responsible tasks is the Lotto Million Dreams Foundation, which contributes to projects involving a variety of audiences, including those who sometimes have limited access to them.

Totalizator Sportowy, like Europe’s other national lottery operators, is a generous and reasonable sponsor. We are aware of the needs and challenges facing today’s world.

Therefore, we are planning to embark on a broader, international cooperation, which will allow us to harness the potential of various actors in contributing to the development of culture and art, in Poland as much as in Europe. pm

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42 polish market

Totalizator Sportowy pursues the Strategy of Sustainable Development and Safe Entertainment for 2013-2016, which is designed to support the business objectives of the company, while considering the needs and expectations of communities at the same time. Is it producing

the desired results? Are you planning to keep it up in the coming years, and perhaps are you going to develop a new one?

Of course, we are going to keep it up. This strategy brings excellent results, so there is no doubt that it should be continued. Some of its elements will most probably change, but it is too early to talk about details. I want to emphasise that the strategy is a very important tool enabling us to carry out our everyday business operations. Its focus is primarily on the areas that naturally correspond with our business goals. Therefore, the leading project under the strategy, called Safe Entertainment, aims to provide our players not only interesting, but also responsible amusement.

You are active in five different areas: sports, culture, safe entertainment, philanthropy and volunteering.

What exactly is volunteering, and are your employees eager to take it up?

Definitely yes. Five years ago, the Lotto Million Dreams Foundation launched the programme “Accumulation of Good Will”, which endeavours to promote volunteering among the staff members of Totalizator Sportowy. I must admit that, edition by edition, the programme is becoming increasingly popular, involving people at all levels of the company - from office workers, to the management team, as well as their families, friends and acquaintances. They all share one goal - to help the needy. The programme takes the form of a grant competition and its aim is to support employee initiatives oriented at helping local communities. Ideas put forward by employees are evaluated by a jury, and those found to be most pertinent and best worked-out receive grants for implementation. The Lotto Million Dreams Foundation provides also substantive assistance, for example by organising trainings for volunteers. This year’s 7th edition of the programme has seen a record amount of projects entered, involving the largest ever number of employees and collectors. The jury decided pm

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Totalizator Sportowy, although staying in the same business for decades, strives to make the most of technological advances to be ahead of the market needs.

to award funding to as many as 69 projects that bring together more than 700 volunteers.

In 2013, Totalizator Sportowy received the highest Level 4 Certification from the World Lottery Association. In the same year, the company was granted the Responsible Gaming Certification by the European Lotteries.

Can such international awards be indicative of something more? Do you want to push the boat out into foreign waters?

Totalizator Sportowy is present internationally. We have a strong position among our partners for whom we represent an important voice in the European and world lottery sector. Our representatives participate in activities of the most important lottery market organisations. The mere fact of obtaining such important certifications confirms that we are a responsible company selling safe products. Totalizator Sportowy is therefore at the forefront of European national lottery operators in terms of players’ safety. Obviously, it is not that we derive satisfaction from our strong position for its own sake. We are following the evolution of the market, particularly in terms of its unification. We have been extremely vocal in view if the threat that free access to online games in the European Union can pose to national lotteries.

We also want to open a debate on the special role of lotteries in Europe and the world; to have a share in innovations so as to foster the social and economic well-being in Europe, among others, through participation in pan-European projects, as well as co-financing and supporting initiatives in other comparable locations around the world. To pm

this end, we intend to create an association that will gather not only national lottery operators, but also beneficiaries of the funds they spend on social purposes. It comes as a result of our experience and reflections, as well as the expectations and needs of our stakeholders. Rather than being confined to the existing solutions, we should look around for out-of-the-box ideas. The President of Totalizator Sportowy is an ardent advocate of such an approach, as far as he recognises the importance of change for development.

Totalizator Sportowy celebrates its 60th anniversary this year. Does the company’s current business model have something in common with that from its beginnings?

Let me put it this way: we continue to sell numbers games and lotteries through a network Lotto sales points, we continue to transfer funds for Polish culture and sports, and finally we continue to provide our players fun, positive emotions and the joy of winning. In this sense, our core business and business model have not changed. What has changed is the way we run our business and the tools we use in doing so. However, it is nothing unusual, because all changes are a natural consequence of continuous development and technological progress. We now have a modern sales system, we have new randomising machines and new products that did not exist in the past. So Totalizator Sportowy, although staying in the same business for decades, strives to make the most of technological advances to be ahead of the market needs. I will conclude by saying that we are a constantly developing, innovative company, having a huge respect for its past, from which it keeps drawing inspiration.

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11/2015 polish market

43

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Pearls of the Polish Economy promotes

brand poland

Konrad Pokutycki, President of BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o.o.

A

dvertising mastermind David Ogilvy used to say: “Anybody can put a product on sale, but it takes real genius to create a global brand.”

How true are these words when you think about the Polish economy, science and culture, which make up Brand Poland. Perseverance, confidence in success and ingenuity are precisely what characterises us – the Poles.

Therefore, I wish to extend the words of appreciation to Mrs. Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Editor-in-Chief of the “Polish Market” magazine which, for twelve years now, has been extolling the most important achievements of Polish business, science and culture, thus contributing to the promotion and recognition of Brand Poland in the world. Each Gala of the Pearls of the Polish Economy is a great annual summary of the hard work, but also our, Polish ingenuity and perseverance. The Pearls are an expression of all these traits.

Particularly noteworthy is the fact that the Pearls are awarded upon consultation with

44 polish market

eminent scientists and eminent economists. The credibility of the ranking is also confirmed by the magazine’s readers: managers, politicians, academics, journalists and Polish diplomatic missions abroad. It is therefore undeniable that the winning companies and institutions are worthy of trust. Thanks to the initiative which is the Pearls of the Polish Economy, and thanks to the promotion of Brand Poland, more and more entrepreneurs are afforded an opportunity to gain business partners and new customers. Top-ranked companies are co-shaping the market and help put in place the principles of healthy competition, which in turn make for an innovation- and investment-friendly climate.

The economy thus built is based on the core values such as quality, reliability and creativity.

I would also like to mention the Honorary Pearls, which are also awarded during the Gala. These special prizes have been presented, for more than nine years, to the outstanding individuals and institutions who, through their work and values professed, have become

the ambassadors of Brand Poland. Their activities in the fields of science, culture, promotion of Polish traditions, national heritage and social values underpin the credible image of Polish entrepreneurs.

The promotion of the Polish economy, science and culture is of great importance for the further, necessary economic development of our country. A recognisable and reliable brand is a chance for attracting new investments, but also for wining foreign consumer confidence in goods manufactured in Poland. This is particularly significant because the company I manage - BSH Sprzęt Gospodarstwa Domowego Sp. z o.o.

- constitutes an important element of an international corporation, with more than 80% of its production going for export. We manufacture household appliances under the brands Bosch, Siemens and Zelmer. Although these are recognised and popular brands, we want the “made in Poland” label to be synonymous with con• sumer trust and be a reason for pride.

iSensoric. Technologia, która wyzwala kreatywność. Piękno, które inspiruje. www.siemens-home.pl Ekskluzywna linia sprzętu do zabudowy marki Siemens łączy elegancję oszczędnej formy z futurystyczną funkcjonalnością.

Nowatorskie rozwiązania widoczne są zarówno w pięknym i konsekwentnym wzornictwie, jak i w zaawansowanej technologii, przekładającej się na maksymalną samodzielność i efektywność wszystkich urządzeń. Kontrolowane przez elektroniczne systemy sensorowe, pracują oszczędnie i cicho, z gwarancją doskonałych

efektów. Zarówno piekarniki, płyty grzewcze, okapy, jak i zmywarki oraz chłodziarki to prawdziwi eksperci, stworzeni do perfekcyjnego spełniania oczekiwań użytkownika. Technologia iSensoric otwiera przed nami nowe horyzonty, nadając obowiązkom kuchennym rangę kreatywnej twórczości. Marka Siemens wkracza w nową erę, inspirując swoich Klientów do odkrywania nieznanych dotąd możliwości dla domowej kuchni.

Siemens. The future moving in.

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Pearls of the Polish Economy Grand Pearls No.

Name of company

Score

1

ROSSMANN SUPERMARKETY DROGERYJNE POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

119

2

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ALUMETAL S.A.

95

3

WĘGLOKOKS S.A.

84

4

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA CCC S.A.

69

5

TOTALIZATOR SPORTOWY SP. Z O. O.

68

6

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA CYFROWY POLSAT S.A.

67

7

POLSKI HOLDING OBRONNY SP. Z O. O.

67

8

MONDI ŚWIECIE S.A.

66

9

ORLEN PALIWA SP. Z O. O.

60

10

MIEJSKIE PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO WODOCIĄGÓW I KANALIZACJI W M. ST. WARSZAWIE S.A.

59

11

CNH INDUSTRIAL POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

58

12

LUBELSKI WĘGIEL "BOGDANKA" S.A.

58

13

SITECH SP. Z O. O.

58

14

KGHM POLSKA MIEDŹ S.A.

57

15

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA BRENNTAG PLSKA SP. Z O. O.

57

16

INTER CARS S.A.

57

17

NEXTEER AUTOMOTIVE POLAND SP. Z O. O.

56

18

RONAL POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

56

19

ACTION S.A.

55

20

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA CAN-PACK S.A.

55

21

PGE POLSKA GRUPA ENERGETYCZNA S.A.

55

22

PFLEIDERER GRAJEWO S.A.

54

23

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA AZOTY S.A.

53

24

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA BUDIMEX S.A.

53

46 polish market

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY Grand Pearls No.

Name of company

Score

25

PGNiG S.A.

53

26

PROVIDENT POLSKA S.A.

53

27

TVN S.A.

53

28

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA MLEKOVITA SP. Z O. O.

52

29

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ENERGA S.A.

51

30

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA IMPEXMETAL S.A.

51

31

BORYSZEW S.A.

50

32

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PCC ROKITA S.A.

50

33

STRABAG SP. Z O. O.

50

34

FCA POLAND S.A.

49

35

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA AB S.A.

49

36

GRUPA POLSKIE SKŁADY BUDOWLANE S.A.

49

37

KOLPORTER SP. Z O. O. SP.K.

49

38

ANWIL S.A.

48

39

ROBERT BOSCH SP. Z O. O.

48

40

AGORA S.A.

47

41

ANWIM S.A.

47

42

IMPEL S.A.

47

43

OSADKOWSKI S.A.

45

44

PKP CARGO S.A.

45

45

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PELION S.A.

44

46

FAURECIA WAŁBRZYCH S.A.

43

47

OKRĘGOWA SPÓŁDZIELNIA MLECZARSKA W ŁOWICZU

42

48

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA LOTOS S.A.

34

49

PKN ORLEN S.A.

32

50

BSH SPRZĘT GOSPODARSTWA DOMOWEGO SP. Z O. O.

30

51

EMPIK MEDIA & FASHION S.A.

19

48 polish market

Deutsche Bank

Szanowni Państwo, w tym roku upływa 25 lat, od kiedy Grupa Deutsche Bank obecna jest na polskim rynku.

Jako bank inwestycyjno-korporacyjny świadczymy usługi dla Klientów w Polsce od 20 lat, a od 15 – oferujemy także rozwiązania dla wymagających Klientów indywidualnych oraz Małych i Średnich Przedsiębiorstw.

Jesteśmy dumni, że mogliśmy aktywnie uczestniczyć w czasach dynamicznych przemian gospodarczych i politycznych niemal od początku istnienia polskiej demokracji. Ostatnie 25 lat to czas, który Polska wykorzystała w pełni, o czym świadczy pozycja naszego kraju w regionie. Cieszymy się, że Deutsche Bank mógł wspierać w tym okresie kluczowe polskie i międzynarodowe przedsiębiorstwa, instytucje finansowe, sektor publiczny, firmy z sektora MŚP, a także Klientów indywidualnych.

Poprzez projekty z zakresu zrównoważonego rozwoju, udział w wielu inicjatywach charytatywnych oraz mecenat niepowtarzalnych wydarzeń kulturalnych, artystycznych i muzycznych, staramy się być nie tylko świadkiem, ale również aktywnym uczestnikiem projektów pozabiznesowych, wspierających rozwój naszego społeczeństwa.

Dziękujemy za Państwa zaufanie, dzięki któremu Deutsche Bank Polska może cieszyć się pozycją wiarygodnego i liczącego się na rynku finansowym partnera.

Będziemy zaszczyceni, mogąc także w kolejnych latach wspierać rozwój polskiej gospodarki, oferując naszym Klientom usługi bankowe oparte na wiedzy i doświadczeniu jednej z największych międzynarodowych instytucji finansowych na świecie.

W imieniu Zarządu i Pracowników Deutsche Bank Polska S.A. dr hab. Krzysztof Kalicki Prezes Zarządu

801 118 118 Opłata wg obowiązujących stawek operatora

www.deutschebank.pl Deutsche Bank Polska S.A., al. Armii Ludowej 26, 00-609 Warszawa

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY Large Pearls No.

Name of company

Score

1

ZARZĄD MORSKIEGO PORTU GDYNIA S.A.

104

2

PROCHEM S.A.

94

3

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA COLIAN HOLDING S.A.

89

4

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO EKSPLOATACJI RUROCIĄGÓW NAFTOWYCH "PRZYJAŹŃ" S.A.

82

5

AC S.A.

75

6

ATAL S.A.

75

7

GRUPA GDAŃSKIE PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO ENERGETYKI CIEPLNEJ SP. Z O. O.

72

8

FAURECIA GORZÓW S.A.

70

9

ADECCO POLAND SP. Z O. O.

69

10

FARUTEX SP. Z O. O.

68

11

HOCHTIEF POLSKA S.A.

68

12

WAWEL S.A.

67

13

KORPORACJA BUDOWLANA DORACO SP. Z O. O.

66

14

PETRAX SP. Z O. O.

66

15

POLSKA WYTWÓRNIA PAPIERÓW WARTOŚCIOWYCH S.A.

66

16

SBS SP. Z O. O.

66

17

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA LEASINGTEAM SP. Z O. O.

65

18

NOVOL SP. Z O. O.

64

19

LERG S.A.

62

20

PROMAG S.A.

62

21

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ENERGOINSTAL S.A.

60

22

DPD POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

59

23

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA APATOR

59

24

GEFCO POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

58

25

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PAGED

57

26

AMS S.A.

55

27

INTERKADRA SP. Z O. O.

55

28

PHU AGRO-AS Z.BEDNARSKI & A.SAJDUTKA SP. J.

55

29

ZUE S.A.

55

50 polish market

transparentne i bezpieczne usługi finansowe spółka notowana na warszawskiej i londyńskiej giełdzie 18 lat na polskim rynku pożyczkowym

nowoczesne rozwiązania finansowe oparte na 123 latach tradycji Provident Polska S.A.

www.providentpolska.pl

@Provident_PL

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY 30

COMARCH S.A.

54

31

MIEJSKIE PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO WODOCIĄGÓW I KANALIZACJI S.A. W KRAKOWIE

54

32

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA INTEGER.PL

53

33

HUTMEN S.A.

52

34

MIEJSKIE ZAKŁADY AUTOBUSOWE SP. Z O. O.

52

35

PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO HANDLOWE A-T S.A.

52

36

FAURECIA LEGNICA S.A.

51

37

ROBYG S.A.

51

38

ELEKTROBUDOWA S.A.

50

39

FABRYKA FARB I LAKIERÓW ŚNIEŻKA S.A.

50

40

FAURECIA AUTOMOTIVE POLSKA S.A.

50

41

LUVENA S.A.

50

42

UNIBEP S.A.

50

43

ZAKŁADY GÓRNICZO-HUTNICZE "BOLESŁAW" S.A.

50

44

PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO WIELOBRANŻOWE "EBUD" - PRZEMYSŁÓWKA SP. Z O. O.

49

45

EURO-TRADE SP. Z O. O. SP. K.

49

46

EUROPEJSKI FUNDUSZ LEASINGOWY S.A.

48

47

JAS-FBG S.A.

48

48

PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO BUDOWY KOPALŃ PEBEKA S.A.

48

49

ZAKŁADY MAGNEZYTOWE "ROPCZYCE" S.A.

48

50

ATM S.A.

47

51

SZYNAKA MEBLE SP. Z O. O.

47

52

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ERGIS

46

53

"SPOŁEM" POWSZECHNA SPÓŁDZIELNIA SPOŻYWCÓW W KIELCACH

46

54

COMP S.A.

45

55

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PCC EXOL S.A.

45

56

KGHM ZANAM S.A.

45

57

TARCZYŃSKI S.A.

45

58

"KOLEJE MAZOWIECKIE - KM" SP. Z O. O.

42

59

ALMA MARKET S.A.

40

60

SPÓŁDZIELCZA MLECZARNIA SPOMLEK

40

61

DECORA S.A.

37

52 polish market

Real Estate

10/2015  polish market

53

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Financial services No.

Name of company

Score

1

METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE I REASEKURACJI S.A.

296

2

SANTANDER CONSUMER BANK S.A.

255

3

DEUTSCHE BANK POLSKA S.A.

251

4

POWSZECHNA KASA OSZCZĘDNOŚCI BANK POLSKI S.A.

249

5

METLIFE POWSZECHNE TOWARZYSTWO EMERYTALNE S.A.

248

6

BNP PARIBAS BANK POLSKA S.A.

247

7

BANK ZACHODNI WBK S.A.

243

8

TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ EUROPA S.A.

243

9

ING BANK ŚLĄSKI S.A.

240

10

BANK GOSPODARSTWA KRAJOWEGO

236

11

"POLISA-ŻYCIE" TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

235

12

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PZU

233

13

BANK BGŻ S.A.

232

14

CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK POLSKA S.A.

231

15

COMPENSA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

228

16

EURO BANK S.A.

223

17

TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE EUROPA S.A.

213

18

INTERRISK TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

209

19

BANK PEKAO S.A.

205

20

BANK POCZTOWY S.A.

185

21

UNIQA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A.

183

22

OSTC POLAND

148

23

GETIN NOBLE BANK S.A.

147

24

COMPENSA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

120

54 polish market

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Financial – rating No.

Name of company

Rating class

1

METLIFE POWSZECHNE TOWARZYSTWO EMERYTALNE S.A.

Champion's

2

SANTANDER CONSUMER BANK S.A.

professional

3

DEUTSCHE BANK POLSKA S.A.

professional

4

POWSZECHNA KASA OSZCZĘDNOŚCI BANK POLSKI S.A.

professional

5

BANK ZACHODNI WBK S.A.

professional

6

ING BANK ŚLĄSKI S.A.

professional

7

BANK GOSPODARSTWA KRAJOWEGO

professional

8

CREDIT AGRICOLE BANK POLSKA S.A.

professional

9

METLIFE TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE I REASEKURACJI S.A.

professional

10

TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ EUROPA S.A.

professional

11

"POLISA-ŻYCIE" TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

professional

12

OSTC POLAND

professional

13

BNP PARIBAS BANK POLSKA S.A.

standard

14

BANK BGŻ S.A.

standard

15

EURO BANK S.A.

standard

16

BANK PEKAO S.A.

standard

17

BANK POCZTOWY S.A.

standard

18

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PZU

standard

19

COMPENSA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

standard

20

TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE EUROPA S.A.

standard

21

INTERRISK TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

standard

22

UNIQA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ S.A.

standard

23

GETIN NOBLE BANK S.A.

promising

24

COMPENSA TOWARZYSTWO UBEZPIECZEŃ NA ŻYCIE S.A. VIENNA INSURANCE GROUP

promising

56 polish market

Globalny ekspert w kompleksowej budowie szybów •

30 szybów o głębokości 700–1200 metrów, tworzących infrastrukturę miedziowych kopalni Grupy Kapitałowej KGHM, • •

unikalna technologia mrożenia górotworu, na taką skalę stosowana wyłącznie w KGHM,

kompleksowe rozpoznawanie złóż oraz wyposażanie wyrobisk górniczych w infrastrukturę górniczą, • •

innowacyjne rozwiązania technologiczne na miarę współczesnych potrzeb,

nowoczesny park maszynowy oraz wysoko wykwalifikowana i doświadczona załoga, •

elastyczność i kompleksowość usług w odpowiedzi na oczekiwania rynku.

PeBeKa – inżynieria na najwyższym światowym poziomie.

Czerpiemy z tradycji, stawiamy na przyszłość

www.pebeka.pl

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY Production and services – rating No.

Name of company

Rating class

1

ROSSMANN SUPERMARKETY DROGERYJNE POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

professional

2

ZARZĄD MORSKIEGO PORTU GDYNIA S.A.

professional

3

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ALUMETAL S.A.

professional

4

PROCHEM S.A.

professional

5

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA COLIAN HOLDING S.A.

professional

6

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO EKSPLOATACJI RUROCIĄGÓW NAFTOWYCH "PRZYJAŹŃ" S.A.

professional

7

AC S.A.

professional

8

GRUPA GDAŃSKIE PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO ENERGETYKI CIEPLNEJ SP. Z O. O.

professional

9

FARUTEX SP. Z O. O.

professional

10

TOTALIZATOR SPORTOWY SP. Z O. O.

professional

11

POLSKI HOLDING OBRONNY SP. Z O. O.

professional

12

WAWEL S.A.

professional

13

PETRAX SP. Z O. O.

professional

14

NOVOL SP. Z O. O.

professional

15

LERG S.A.

professional

16

PROMAG S.A.

professional

17

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ENERGOINSTAL S.A.

professional

18

INTER CARS S.A.

professional

19

KGHM POLSKA MIEDŹ S.A.

professional

20

AMS S.A.

professional

21

PGE POLSKA GRUPA ENERGETYCZNA S.A.

professional

22

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA AZOTY S.A.

professional

23

ANWIL S.A.

professional

24

AGORA S.A.

professional

25

"SPOŁEM" POWSZECHNA SPÓŁDZIELNIA SPOŻYWCÓW W KIELCACH

professional

26

WĘGLOKOKS S.A.

standard

27

ATAL S.A.

standard

28

FAURECIA GORZÓW S.A.

standard

29

ADECCO POLAND SP. Z O. O.

standard

30

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA CCC S.A.

standard

31

HOCHTIEF POLSKA S.A.

standard

32

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA CYFROWY POLSAT S.A.

standard

33

KORPORACJA BUDOWLANA DORACO SP. Z O. O.

standard

34

MONDI ŚWIECIE S.A.

standard

35

POLSKA WYTWÓRNIA PAPIERÓW WARTOŚCIOWYCH S.A.

standard

36

SBS SP. Z O. O.

standard

37

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA LEASINGTEAM SP. Z O. O.

standard

38

ORLEN PALIWA SP. Z O. O.

standard

39

DPD POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

standard

40

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA APATOR

standard

41

MIEJSKIE PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO WODOCIĄGÓW I KANALIZACJI W M. ST. WARSZAWIE S.A.

standard

42

CNH INDUSTRIAL POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

standard

43

GEFCO POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

standard

44

LUBELSKI WĘGIEL "BOGDANKA" S.A.

standard

45

SITECH SP. Z O. O.

standard

46

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PAGED

standard

47

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA BRENNTAG PLSKA SP. Z O. O.

standard

48

NEXTEER AUTOMOTIVE POLAND SP. Z O. O.

standard

49

RONAL POLSKA SP. Z O. O.

standard

50

ACTION S.A.

standard

51

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA CAN-PACK S.A.

standard

52

INTERKADRA SP. Z O. O.

standard

53

PHU AGRO-AS Z.BEDNARSKI & A.SAJDUTKA SP. J.

standard

54

ZUE S.A.

standard

55

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ZUE

standard

56

COMARCH S.A.

standard

57

MIEJSKIE PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO WODOCIĄGÓW I KANALIZACJI S.A. W KRAKOWIE

standard

58 polish marketspecial market edition 2014

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

11/2015 polish market

59

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY Production and services – rating No.

Name of company

Rating class

58

PFLEIDERER GRAJEWO S.A.

standard

59

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA BUDIMEX S.A.

standard

60

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA COMARCH

standard

61

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA INTEGER.PL

standard

62

PGNiG S.A.

standard

63

PROVIDENT POLSKA S.A.

standard

64

TVN S.A.

standard

65

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA MLEKOVITA SP. Z O. O.

standard

66

HUTMEN S.A.

standard

67

MIEJSKIE ZAKŁADY AUTOBUSOWE SP. Z O. O.

standard

68

PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO HANDLOWE A-T S.A.

standard

69

FAURECIA LEGNICA S.A.

standard

70

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ENERGA S.A.

standard

71

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA IMPEXMETAL S.A.

standard

72

ROBYG S.A.

standard

73

BORYSZEW S.A.

standard

74

ELEKTROBUDOWA S.A.

standard

75

FABRYKA FARB I LAKIERÓW ŚNIEŻKA S.A.

standard

76

FAURECIA AUTOMOTIVE POLSKA S.A.

standard

77

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PCC ROKITA S.A.

standard

78

LUVENA S.A.

standard

79

STRABAG SP. Z O. O.

standard

80

UNIBEP S.A.

standard

81

ZAKŁADY GÓRNICZO-HUTNICZE "BOLESŁAW" S.A.

standard

82

PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO WIELOBRANŻOWE "EBUD" - PRZEMYSŁÓWKA SP. Z O. O.

standard

83

EURO-TRADE SP. Z O. O. SP. K.

standard

84

FCA POLAND S.A.

standard

85

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA AB S.A.

standard

86

GRUPA POLSKIE SKŁADY BUDOWLANE S.A.

standard

87

KOLPORTER SP. Z O. O. SP.K.

standard

88

EUROPEJSKI FUNDUSZ LEASINGOWY S.A.

standard

89

JAS-FBG S.A.

standard

90

PRZEDSIĘBIORSTWO BUDOWY KOPALŃ PEBEKA S.A.

standard

91

ROBERT BOSCH SP. Z O. O.

standard

92

ZAKŁADY MAGNEZYTOWE "ROPCZYCE" S.A.

standard

93

ANWIM S.A.

standard

94

ATM S.A.

standard

95

IMPEL S.A.

standard

96

SZYNAKA MEBLE SP. Z O. O.

standard

97

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA ERGIS

standard

98

COMP S.A.

standard

99

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PCC EXOL S.A.

standard

100

KGHM ZANAM S.A.

standard

101

OSADKOWSKI S.A.

standard

102

PKP CARGO S.A.

standard

103

TARCZYŃSKI S.A.

standard

104

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA PELION S.A.

standard

105

FAURECIA WAŁBRZYCH S.A.

standard

106

"KOLEJE MAZOWIECKIE - KM" SP. Z O. O.

standard

107

OKRĘGOWA SPÓŁDZIELNIA MLECZARSKA W ŁOWICZU

standard

108

ALMA MARKET S.A.

standard

109

SPÓŁDZIELCZA MLECZARNIA SPOMLEK

standard

110

DECORA S.A.

standard

111

GRUPA KAPITAŁOWA LOTOS S.A.

standard

112

PKN ORLEN S.A.

standard

113

BSH SPRZĘT GOSPODARSTWA DOMOWEGO SP. Z O. O.

standard

114

EMPIK MEDIA & FASHION S.A.

standard

60 polish market

Mondi

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Świecie SA M

ondi is an international packaging and paper Group, employing around 25,000 people across more than 30 countries.

Our key operations are located in central Europe, Russia, North America and South Africa. Mondi is fully integrated across the packaging and paper value chain - from managing forests and producing pulp and paper (packaging paper and uncoated fine paper), to conversion of paper into corrugated board packaging, industrial bags, extrusion coatings and release liners. Mondi is also a provider of innovative consumer packaging solutions, advanced films and hygiene product components.

Customer focus - creating cost-effective, efficient and environmentally friendly solutions is at the core of our strategy. Mondi’s objective is to help its customers succeed and maintain their competitive advantage through responding to their specific demands.

Innovation - our goal is to create packaging and paper solutions that meet the current and future needs of customers.

Sustainable Approach - developing a sustainable added value for our shareholders, employees, customers, suppliers, business partners and local communities where our plants are located is one of Mondi’s guiding principles.

Mondi Świecie SA is a major European producer of containerboard paper grades. Our portfolio includes technologically advanced products such as containerboard grades with enhanced humidity resistance, and our investments are aimed at achieving ongoing improvement in quality. We work with our customers and other strategic partners to develop innovative solutions, while giving priority to the responsible and sustainable management of our resources.

In line with Mondi’s philosophy, we are heavily oriented to sustainability. Emphasis is on environment, safety and effective interaction with local authorities, NGOs and the local community.

Mondi Świecie – ECO-leader. With ECO7 – our new lightweight recycled containerboard machine – Mondi Świecie has become the European market leader of lightweight containerboard. Investing in cutting-edge technology and state-of-the-art machinery, Mondi Świecie is capable to respond to the corrugated industry’s demand for excellent lightweight liners and flutings. ECO7 lightweight containerboard grades enable the production of packaging without harm to the environment, as lower weight means less waste and thus lower costs.

The ideal choice when special strength is needed ProVantage Kraftliner Aqua is a special and innovative paper grade that offers much higher resistance to water penetration than standard brown kraftliner. Once wet, the paper’s strength properties decrease sharply, but to a lesser extent than those of standard kraftliner.

ProVantage Kraftliner Aqua is an ideal packaging material in extreme-climate storage conditions. For high-humidity environments, variable temperatures and cold storage, ProVantage Kraftliner Aqua suits harsh conditions perfectly and gives rise to stable packaging solutions. Repetitive laboratory tests and reports from a number of customers confirm no leakage points for ProVantage Kraftliner Aqua for at least 3 days. Standard kraftliner has leakage points after a few hours.

ProVantage Kraftliner Aqua constitutes a sustainable alternative to waxed paper. Machines producing corrugated cardboard do not need wax dispensers, which allows to increase the operating speed, reduce processing costs and environment footprint. • 11/2015 polish market

61

95 Years of Amazing Bus

Adventure Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe Sp. z o.o.

52 Włościańska Street 01-710 Warsaw Office Tel.: 22 568 75 49 Fax: 22 568 75 50 Management Board Tel.: 22 568 76 00 Fax: 22 568 75 50 www.mza.waw.pl mzamedia.pl UrbanINFO.tV FreeWifi.waw.pl reklama@mza.waw.pl +48 22 568 75 21 +48 22 568 75 76

M

iejskie Zakłady Autobusowe Sp. z o.o. (Municipal Bus Company) is one of the largest transport companies in Europe. Our tradition goes back to 1920 – this year marks the 95th anniversary of the public bus transport in Warsaw. Every day, 1,110 buses with our logo run through the streets of Warsaw, covering the distance of 250,000 km.

We carry almost half a billion passengers annually.

Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe Sp. z o.o. forms the core of Warsaw’s public transport, serving 143 day lines and 36 night lines.

Every year, the equipment standard of our busses is raised.

All the vehicles now purchased are equipped with high-power (Mediterranean) air conditioning, inside and outside electronic information systems and inside and outside voice announcement systems, ticket machines, facilities for the disabled, blind and partially-sighted, passenger counting systems, as well as full internal and external surveillance systems.

The company is focused on cutting-edge environmental solutions: our fleet includes 4 hybrid buses, and 35 articulated LNG busses are being manufactured for us by a factory in Solec Kujawski. But a real revolution will be the purchase of 30 electric buses in the next two years. The company’s infrastructure is changing too: depots are fitted with energy-efficient LED lighting, and we will soon use photovoltaic cells.

Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe Sp. z o.o. is a winner of the Mazovia Company of the Decade and Pearl of the Polish Economy competitions.

62 polish market

Get Advertised with UrbanINFO.tV, FreeWifi.waw.pl and MZAMedia.pl We offer advertising carriers outside and inside our vehicles.

Outdoor advertising covers the classic fullback (the whole back of the vehicle) as well as halfback (on the sides and the rear window of the vehicle). Inside the vehicles, we offer even more opportunities to reach the passengers-residents of the metropolis of Warsaw. Advertising posters in frames, more than 1,000 ticket machines, grab handles and electronic devices are excellent marketing communication tools.

UrbanINFO.tV, a digital signage system, is a new project of Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe Sp. z o.o. More than 600 vehicles are fitted with 2,500 LED screens. UrbanINFO.tV reaches over 600,000 passengers daily, making it possible to launch a rapid response campaign from day to day. Its advantages include low-emission start-up costs and flexibility in shaping the message. UrbanINFO.tV is an excellent source of information on your daily way to work, school or college.

Advertising geolocation with UrbanINFO.tV as well as free-of-charge Internet Access for passengers (FreeWifi.waw. pl) point to the leading role of Miejskie Zakłady Autobusowe as a modern transport company.

Infrastructure

The

Metro is changing Warsaw

www.metro.waw.pl 10/2015  polish market

63

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

INNOVATION PEARL FOR TALENT AND CREATIVITY Prof. Leszek Rafalski, Chairman of the Main Council of Research Institutes (RGIB), Member of the Progress Awards Jury, talks to Dorota Jarocka. pm

This year, for the fifth time already, the Pearls of Innovation Progress 2015 will be handed out as part of the ranking “Pearls of the Polish Economy.” What is the Pearl of Innovation awarded for?

The Progress Jury, of which I have the honour and pleasure to be a member, rewards institutions, scientific units, as well as inventors, whose work, research, and inventions allow to consider them as ambassadors of innovation. The award enables promotion, presentation and dissemination of innovative activities in the economy. It is handed out to the best for talent, creativity, scientific passion, without which it would not be possible to implement new technologies and innovative solutions in the Polish economy. It is worth noting that the Pearls of Innovation perfectly fit in with the format of the ranking “Pearls of the Polish Economy” by emphasising the inseparable relationship and the need of cooperation between science and business.

any new deployment, including in non-technical fields of innovation creation, like treatment methods, plant cultivation, administrative systems. When implementing turnkey solutions whilst improving them, you are still innovative.

I represent the community of 115 institutes conducting research with a view to spreading innovation across the Polish economy. If you look at the research carried out in the laboratories of our institutes and go through the awardwinning inventions, solutions, and improvements to existing materials and technologies, you may conclude that the Polish innovation potential is not so bad. However, the success of innovative projects depends to a large extent on the financial backing. The scientific potential itself is not enough. It is necessary to increase spending on science and research both on the side of the state and entrepreneurs. Moreover, appropriate legislative amendments should be made which will help remove the barriers standing in the way of innovation.

Those awarded with the Pearls of Innovation are testament to the fact that there are many talented and creative scientists in Poland whose innovative solutions are implemented in the economy. Are they a proverbial drop in the ocean? How does it align with the report by the World Economic Forum finding that, despite the generally good 43rd place in the global ranking of competitiveness, we lag behind in terms of innovation?

You have to remember that the innovation performance in these rankings is influenced by many constituents, such as the level of state funding for science. It should also be considered that innovation is a very broad term: it does mean not only high-tech innovations, but also

What should the cooperation between business and science consist in?

This cooperation should involve the use of instruments which would encourage entrepreneurs to implement innovations as opposed to buying foreign licences, on the one hand, and encourage scientists to undertake research and development activities focused on the needs of entrepreneurs, on the other hand. Such cooperation might lead to Poland gaining greater competitiveness internationally.

to improve collaboration between business and the R&D sector?

There is still a long way to go to streamline this cooperation, as it encounters many barriers,like for example complicated intellectual property protection procedures. It would also be advisable to envisage changes when assessing projects so that the evaluation criteria take into account academic achievements and implementation experience of research teams.

I must emphasise, however, that some positive steps can be observed towards improving the science-business cooperation. In September, the Parliament adopted the Act on Supporting Innovation which institutes R&D tax credit (meaning that entrepreneurs can claim a tax offset for their R&D expenditure). This applies both to scientific research and development, regardless of their outcome. It is a very beneficial solution, for research is often subject to risks on the side of researchers and entrepreneurs alike.

Why is so much stress put now on the practical application of science?

Science should be useful. Scientists and researchers from our institutes strive to respond to the current needs of the economy and society. I am convinced that in the near and distant future our institutes are bound to play a leading role when it comes to cooperation with business, because they work with entrepreneurs on a daily-basis, share projects with them and implement research results.

Of course, we are aware that we must be competitive, we must “listen to” the needs of entrepreneurs seeking solutions to specific problems.

• pm

pm

64 polish market

pm

pm

What actions do you think should be taken in order to make the most of innovative achievements in the Polish economy? How

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Pearls of Innovation PROGRESS 2015 This is the 5th edition of the competition for innovators representing businesses, research institutes and independent inventors.

Organised by the magazine “Polish Market” and the Main Council of Research Institutes, an umbrella body to 118 research institutes in Poland and abroad. The word “innovation” has been tossed around a lot these days. Every company claims to be an innovative one, introducing new technologies, providing modern services. Innovation means implementation of new and improved products, new or modified production or logistics processes. The competition was open for Poland-based companies, research institutes and inventors. The jury assessed the innovation level of the projects submitted, methods of their implementation and their impact on the economy and society, as well as the candidates’ achievements in the last three years.

Here are the winners of PROGRESS 2015: In the category of ENTERPRISES:

PIT-RADWAR SA PIT-RADWAR S.A. is one of the biggest and most important companies in Poland’s defence sector, as well as one of the leading providers in the area of professional electronics for the Polish Armed Forces. It participates in international allied defence enterprises and in numerous European programmes. It is also at the forefront of Polish companies with the highest number of registered patents per year. It is granted the Progress 2015 award for the development of innovative products in the field of radiolocation, command and control systems as well as radio reconnaissance technologies.

Tubądzin Group Sp. z o.o.

The Tubądzin Group is one of the leading Polish manufacturers of ceramic tiles, a leader of innovation. The company operates two manufacturing plants in Ozorków and Tubądzin, as well as the Logistics Centre in Cedrowice.

Tubądzin sells its products on twenty international markets, owing its success, among

other things, to modern designs developed by the most acclaimed Polish designers. It is awarded Progress 2015 for continuous improvement of logistics and distribution processes, consistent expanding of product portfolio and modern design.

In the category of RESEARCH INSTITUTE:

The Institute of Precision Mechanics The Institute of Precision Mechanics is one of the oldest and most famous institutes in Poland. It was established in 1927 as an R&D base for the Central Industrial District (COP).

Its core business is scientific and technological research and implementation, as well as education and training in the field of surface engineering. A leader of research into anticorrosion protection, metallurgy and heat treatment, the Institute of Precision Mechanics also coordinates multilateral cooperation between institutes, businesses, in particular SMEs, and universities. It is awarded Progress 2015 for developing the CarboTermoFluid® technology used to produce the 3DIMP graphene and antibacterial composite coatings.

In the category of SCIENCE PERSONALITY:

Prof. Adam Gacek, DSc. Eng. Prof. Adam Gacek is a long standing director of the Institute of Medical Technology and Equipment (ITAM) in Zabrze which, for more than 40 years, has been conducting R&D and implementation work in the field of medical technology. Prof. Adam Gacek is an expert in processing and analysis of biomedical signals, design and construction of medical equipment and systems. He has authored or co-authored 131 publications on IT, medical technology and bioengineering. He is also a co-author of a number of innovative projects implemented for production or used directly in healthcare establishments, including one distinguished with the Economic Prize of the President of Poland. He is the author or co-author of 14 patents in the field of digital technology and biomedical engineering, and the winner of 15 Polish and foreign awards in recognition of his achievements in the field of science, teaching, development and inno• vation.

11/2015 polish market

65

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

Innovations are the result of scientific and technological progress Jerzy Majchrzak, Director of the Innovation and Industry Department at the Ministry of the Economy

66  polish market 

L

ooking at economic development in terms of strengthening innovation, attention should be paid to the fact that the innovation process requires innovative entrepreneurs operating within a competitive environment to serve as development initiators, and appropriate human capital (education, skills), real capital (savings and accumulation) and social capital (institutions, culture, cooperation). As long as the economy has these three resources, then, regardless of its innovation level, it can be described as developed (especially if generating high GDP). On the other hand, it is also possible to implement innovations in an economy with limited resources, less developed one.

In its various stages of development, the economy is based on different growth factors: from cheap labour, to knowledge and innovation. The power of innovation, or its share in GDP increases as the economy enters the following stages of development, yet it is not a simple, direct relationship.

Innovation must be considered as the only stable pillar of the economy. In order to rise to the scale of innovation that distinguishes today’s leaders, Poland has to go through

the successive stages of development. The only thing we can influence is the pace of this transition. Therefore, the proper organisation of the Polish national innovation system, the creation of conditions encouraging and directing the involvement in innovative projects should be the object of in-depth analyses and discussions. But above all, it is necessary to take action to make up for infrastructural backwardness, bridge educational gaps and improve the institutional and regulatory environment.

Innovation, seen as the only means of ensuring a sustainable economic growth, is increasingly considered in corporate strategies as the basis for efficient competition on foreign markets. According to OECD data, innovations account for two-thirds of the economic growth achieved by developed countries. Due to the growing dominance of Asian cost-competitive economies such as China, Poland must reckon with not being able to compete in price. Further relying on a cheap labour strategy would result in reduced exports and, consequently, in increased unemployment. Excessive imports of foreign innovative products and services create similar risks.

PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY Innovative solutions can contribute to tackling global challenges such as climate change, aging populations and security issues. The current approach to innovation puts emphasis on the strengthening of innovation in all spheres of social and economic life - even in those seen as traditional and not innovative. Abandoning the support for innovation would mean pushing the country’s economy to the margins of Europe and possibly losing its competitive position on the global market.

To ensure the development of Polish enterprises, it is necessary to increase the role of knowledge and innovation as drivers of future growth. This requires improving the quality of education and research performance, promoting innovation and knowledge transfer between businesses, making full use of information and communication technologies (ICT), as well as ensuring that innovative ideas be translated into new products and services, which would add to economic growth, help create jobs and better solve social problems.

At the same time, it should be noted that building a knowledge-based economy implies the need to develop cooperation skills and the ability to transfer knowledge between different stakeholders (businesses - research units - consumers). To this end, it is necessary to take measures for increasing the role of science in the economic development. Innovations are usually created and disseminated as a result of cooperation between market participants.

The intensity of this cooperation is the primary determinant of innovation throughout the economy. Innovative behaviours of businesses and the existence of innovative industries require therefore an efficient system, fostering relationships between R&D units and businesses, effectively matching business partners, facilitating the flow of manpower and formation of clusters, and allowing broad access to research infrastructure - both nationally and internationally. Special attention should also be paid where it comes to building relationships and knowledge transfer between R&D units and enterprises. First of all, it is necessary to help the companies gain information on research under way and learn about the opportunities of doing research commissioned by scientific centers.

As far as the implementation of measures strengthening the innovation of the Polish economy is concerned, it is important to have it based on two pillars: modern research services and technologies with the greatest potential for growth. Despite the dynamic development of services, manufacturing will remain an important sector of the Polish economy. It is important, however, that this industry be modern, capitalising on the high efficiency of resources mobilised and advanced research facilities. The Polish industrial structure is dominated by the production of low-processed, material-, energy- and labour-intensive goods, with a small contribution of knowledge and innovation. Poland’s share of high-tech industries, which represent the main source of economic growth in highly developed countries, is low. The increase in the share of these industries will define the direction of structural changes in the country’s economy. The challenge ahead in the medium and long term is to increase the economy’s internal capacity to absorb technologies presenting a suitable potential of the capital and labour productivity. It is innovations, understood as inventions efficiently

Innovation must be considered as the only stable pillar of the economy. transferred into production, that will inevitably gradually assume the bulk of responsibility for growth.

Another essential factor is focusing R&D and innovation on social challenges (climate, health, demography, natural resources). The existing sources of growth - population growth, consumer demand-driven growth, energy consumption-based growth - are becoming increasingly unviable. It is therefore necessary to look for other growth drivers, such as innovations, aimed at tackling major social problems. Switching towards a low-carbon economy must be seen as an opportunity to modernise the economy through the implementation of innovative solutions, which in turn will enhance competitiveness and become an important factor of job creation.

Given that entrepreneurship and innovation are the Government’s priority areas of action, the Ministry of the Economy is undertaking a number of initiatives to increase innovation of the Polish economy; strategies and programmes are also developed. Measures taken by the Ministry of the Economy are aimed, among others, at highlighting the importance of innovations in business operations in the production and services sectors, stimulating R&D investment in enterprises, strengthening the business environment institutions, or shaping pro-innovation attitudes in enterprises.

Promoting innovation and entrepreneurship finds itself reflected also in a series of competitions for and rankings of Polish companies. Initiatives such as the Pearls of the Polish Economy help Polish entrepreneurs better understand the need to implement functional improvements to achieve better results and thus upgrade their competitiveness. The Ministry of the Economy fully supports such initiatives. Empowering entrepreneurs to take on the challenges with a view to enhancing business performance not only improves the functioning of the companies themselves, but also contributes to building a strong common European market.

In conclusion, in order to be competitive, the Polish economy must not only present a relatively high productivity and operational efficiency, but should also demonstrate such qualities as flexibility, entrepreneurship and innovation. Innovations are the result of scientific and technological progress. They are closely related to entrepreneurship, and their introduction is burdened with a great deal of risk.

Therefore, the responsibility in terms of implementation and funding innovations lies both with the Government and the entrepreneurs themselves. The State creates conditions for the development of business innovation, stimulates the market. Entrepreneurs, for their part, should make good use of the existing and new support instruments. In this case, public funds are a kind of the Government’s investment in companies, helping them unlock their poten• tial for innovation.

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Events

25 years of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice (rig)

T

he Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice is an independent organisation established to support and represent the interests of associated companies. The Chamber’s dynamic development over 25 years made it one of Poland’s largest and most active organisations of businesses. The Chamber’s founding meeting was held on 13 February 1990. Tadeusz Donocik was elected as its President and continues in this position today.

The 5th European Congress of SMEs is the flagship event of the SME sector. Accompanied by a gala concert, it is one of the priority and cyclical initiatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice.

The President of Poland presented state decorations for special services to the state and its citizens. The Silver Cross of Merit was conferred on Krzysztof Kurzeja, Grand Prior of Knights Templar in Poland.

The title of the Young Entrepreneur of the Year 2015 was awarded during the concert accompanying the 5th European Congress of SMEs. The winner, selected from among five winners of a nationwide competition, was Erwin Grabarczyk, owner of the company Fucco Design from the Wielkopolska region.

Badge of Honour for Meritorious Services for the Economic Development of Poland: Bożena Lublińska-Kasprzak, President of the Polish Agency for Enterprise Development (PARP)

Golden Badge of Honour of the Polish Chamber of Commerce: Prof. Wiesław Banyś, Honorary Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Rector of the University of Silesia Tadeusz Biedzki, Founder and Honorary Member of the

Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Honorary Consul of Latvia

Prof. Andrzej Karbownik, Honorary Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Rector of the Silesian University of Technology Piotr Litwa, Honorary Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Governor of Silesia Jan Olbrycht, Honorary Member of the Chamber of

Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Member of the European Parliament

Piotr Uszok, Honorary Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Advisor to the Mayor of Katowice for Investment Policy

Medal of the 25th Anniversary of the Polish Chamber of Commerce:

Paweł Olechnowicz, President of the Management Board of

Herbert Leopold Gabryś, President of the Committee on Energy and Climate Package, Polish Chamber of Commerce

Prof. Aleksander Sieroń, MD, Head of the Department of

Gumułka Sp. z o.o.

Lotos Group

Internal Medicine, Angiology and Physical Medicine, Silesian Medical University

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Radosław Gumułka, President of the Board, Grupa Ludmiła Jama Voigt, Vice-President of PPHU Voigt Sp. z o.o.

Jacek Janas, Vice-President of Tauron Wytwarzanie SA

Events Jan Klimek, President of the Chamber of Crafts and Small

and Industry in Katowice, Owner of Robirex

Tadeusz Wnuk , President of the Silesian Chamber of

Franciszek Buszka, First Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, President of the Council of the Silesian District Chamber of Civil Engineers

Piotr Wojaczek, President of the Katowice Special Economic

Romuald Cichoń, Founder and Honorary Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice

and Medium Entrepreneurship in Katowice Building Industrials

Zone

Golden Badge of Honour of the 25th Anniversary: Bishop Paweł Anweiler, Superior of Cieszyn Diocese of the

Evangelical and Lutheran Church of Poland

Bishop Marian Niemiec, Superior of Katowice Diocese of the Evangelical and Lutheran Church of Poland Bishop Damian Zimoń, Senior Archbishop of the Diocese of

Katowice

Wiktor Skworc, Archbishop of the Diocese of Katowice Andrzej Arendarski, President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce in Warsaw

Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice Gabriela Lenartowicz, Second Deputy Governor of Silesia Wojciech Saługa, Marshal of Silesia Prof. Marian Zembala, MD, Minister of Health Henryk Galwas, President of the Opole Chamber of

Commerce and Industry

Zbigniew Gieleciak, Honorary Member of the Chamber of

Commerce and Industry in Katowice, President of the District Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Tychy

Wiktor Pawlik, Honorary Member of the Chamber of

Commerce and Industry in Katowice, President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Gliwice

Klaudiusz Siwiec, Honorary Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Tarnowskie Góry Roland Stasiak, Honorary Member of the Chamber of

Commerce and Industry in Katowice

Tadeusz Szymanek, Honorary Member of the Chamber

of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, President of the Council of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Częstochowa

Janusz Targosz, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Bielsko-Biała

Tadeusz Wnuk, President of the Silesian Chamber of Building Industrials

Andrzej Żylak, Honorary Consul of Croatia, President of the

Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Rybnik Industrial District

Andrzej Czarnik, Honorary Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice

Jan Hoppe, Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Chairman of the Council of Seniors

Edward Kośka, Founder and Longstanding Vice-President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice Marek Myśliwiec, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice Andrzej Rajpert, Founder and Longstanding Vice-President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice

Krzysztof Sędzimir, Founder of Chamber of Commerce and

Industry in Katowice

Krzysztof Wilgus, Founder of Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, President of Business Consulting Sp. z o.o.

Golden Badge of Honour of the 25th Anniversary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice: Bernard Błaszczyk, Honorary Member of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Regional Director of the Directorate for Environmental Protection in Katowice Prof. Janusz Janeczek, Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, Head of the Department of Geochemistry, Mineralogy and Petrography of the University of Silesia in Katowice Andrzej Pilot, President of the Regional Fund for

Environmental Protection and Water Management in Katowice

Tadeusz Szkudlarski, President of Lotos Terminale SA Artur Tomasik, President of the Upper Silesian Aviation

Association

Henryk Warkocz, President of TÜV Nord Poland Sp. z o.o.

Józef Wolski, President of Kopex SA Tomasz Zjawiony, Vice-President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice

Golden Badge of Honour of the 25th Anniversary: Janusz Steinhoff, President of the Council of the Chamber of

Badges of the 25th Anniversary: Roman Biernacki, Founder of the Chamber of Commerce 70 polish market

Commerce and Industry in Katowice

Events

15 years of

activity

T

he Association for Integration and Cooperation was set up in 2000. It continues the tradition of the business conferences initiated by the Forum Poland-West Association. The conferences were organised in Międzyzdroje in the years 1996-2000.

The primary objectives of the Association are: •

• • • • • •

promoting the European integration process and modern trends, supporting dialogue and reconciliation processes, creating a multi-faceted platform for discussion and the exchange of views, searching for solutions to political and economic problems at home and abroad, promoting entrepreneurship and combating unemployment, promoting the achievements of Polish entrepreneurs worldwide, preventing social exclusion.

The Association’s flagship project is the annual Economic Forum in Toruń, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2013. Last year, the event was renamed the Welconomy Forum.

The next edition of the Welconomy Forum will be held on 7-8 March 2016 in Toruń, under the theme “Integration and Cooperation – Economy – Science – Innovation.”

The Welconomy Forum in Toruń provides a platform to discuss economic issues, innovation and cooperation, bringing together every year over 2,000 people, not only from Poland, but from around the world. The Forum agenda features the most topical issues. Debates give impetus to action, impacting or the economic situation in Poland and in Europe.

The Association for Integration and Cooperation has received many distinctions: the award of the Marshal of Kujawsko - Pomorskie Province for the promotion of the region; title of “the Best Partner in Business” awarded by the “Home & Market” monthly; title of “Polish Congress Ambassador”; award of the 4th edition of the “Trustworthy

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7 - 8 marca 2016 Employer” competition; and Platinum Laurel of Skills and Competence in the category of Pro Publico Bono.

In 2008, the Association launched regular country-wide initiatives “Safe and Ecological Holidays” and “Safe Route to School”, the latter of which was warded in 2012 the title of Corporate Social Responsibility by “Gazeta Finansowa.”

This year, the Association won the Golden Laurel of Super Business for Social Initiative.

The Association for Integration and Cooperation has carried out, among others, the following projects: • 2005 - Conference “Kujawsko-Pomorskie Four-City • 2006 - Conference “Dilemmas of Modern Liberalism” (in association with the Higher School of Economics) • 2008 - Conference “Youth on the Labour Market” • 2009 - Conference “Social Thought of John Paul II versus Contemporary Economics and Sociology” (in association with the Higher School of Economics) • 2012 - Conference “Electronic Medical Records – Towards the Local e-Health Scheme” • 2012 - Conference “Exports as a Development Opportunity for the Country, Regions and Businesses” • 2013 - Conference “Pomerania EXPO” • 2013 - Conference “Poland : The Conquest of New Markets” • 2014 - Conference “Polish Exports: Leading Trade Partners and New Challenges” • 2015 - Conference “Russia, Germany – New Export Prospects and Conditions” • 2015 - Furbearing Animal Breeders’ Fair “Fur Fair” •

PROJECT MANUFACTURE

“ MAKE THE

NOW THE PRIMARY

FOCUS OF YOUR LIFE.” GODAI.PL

Innovation

Clusters in Poland Groundwork must continue

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he issue of tools for supporting the development of clusters in Poland was discussed by almost 300 people in the Polish parliament. The conclusion is that the main area of investment in the years to come should be the creation of clusters, especially in the defence, furniture and food industries, and also in new areas like the creative sector.

On September 22, cluster managers, entrepreneurs, scholars as well as representatives of local authorities and the government met in the parliament to discuss the development of clusters in Poland. Questions were asked about the usage of public founding and the way of implementing new innovations and releasing the potential of researchers employed in clusters.

“I wish every marshal the kind of partner that the Aviator Valley Association is. I prefer talking to entrepreneurs forming a strong cluster than to each of them separately”, said Piotr Czepiuk, proxy for the administration board of Podkarpackie province for Regional Innovation Strategy during the Polish Cluster Congress. “Clusters are a complete cooperation system for foreign investors who come to Poland.” “This is the answer to the success of many clusters like Aviation Valley”, said Andrzej Libera, proxy of the management board of the Polish Information and Foreign Investment Agency.

Glass houses versus mud huts Harmful funding paradigm One of the most important conclusions of the third Polish Cluster Congress was that it is too early to consider the expansion of Polish clusters to foreign markets, as Polish companies forming the clusters are not yet as competitive as the ones in “old Europe”.

Krzysztof Krystowski, the president of the Polish Clusters Employer Association, started the discussion with a humorous comparison.

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He explained that in Western Europe clusters have been around for several decades. At this stage of development all they need is some cosmetic changes, “lawn mowing”. Polish companies, even those from key clusters, are, using building terminology, at the stage of “wooden huts”. “I am not sure whether we will be able to free ourselves from the paradigm that the only funds available in our country since our entry into the EU are union funds. A group of young, nice people come from Brussels and tell us our ideas are bad”, Krystowski summed up.

The differences between the companies of the old and new EU were emphasised also by Andrzej Szejna, the former the EU deputy and deputy minister of economy, labour and social policy. “I do not agree that right now we should start along the road set by EU in the new financial period, that is the road of cluster internationalisation. We should support the formation of new clusters and clusters of new industries”, he said.

The majority of clusters are formed out of the need for innovation “The main thing that counts is a determined person who wants to commercialise research and development works in economy and the funding for that idea. We can mitigate the risk related to such works on the side of the entrepreneur by investing public money” said Iwona Wendel, undersecretary of state in the Ministry of Infrastructure and Development, as an introduction to the discussion of tools to support innovation in clusters.

Jakub Moskal, in-house project manager of the Industrial Development Agency (ARP), presented two tools of this type. First of them is the Technology Transfer Platform which is to help in the communication of the research community with entrepreneurs. The second tool is intended for the sector of micro, small and medium enterprises, and it is the ARP Venture capital fund. “Also, the Institute of

Industrial Design is an entity, whose potential we want to direct into the market as a supplement to the financial offer”, Moskal said.

“First of all, the majority of clusters I know of have been formed out of the need for innovation. Most clusters are privately funded. The National Centre for Research and Development, ARP and other government administrative bodies offer funds for companies, but generally not for clusters. A cluster should generally be able to survive supported by company contributions”, summed up Wojciech Materna, the president of Informatyka Podkarpacka and the cluster of IT Companies of Eastern Poland.

The relationship between universities and clusters needs a lot of work as well Magdalena Jackowska-Rejman, the managing director of TechBrainers, is convinced that for universities clusters should be a mine of knowledge on what projects should be developed. “This should be a kind of platform to collect orders, for laboratories, research infrastructure created by universities”, she said. At the same time she emphasised that the fact that the cooperation is not functioning perfectly is not only the fault of the universities, but also of businesses, which rarely see the point of maintaining relationships with universities.

Katarzyna Walczak-Matuszyk, deputy manager of the National Contact Point of the EU Research Programmes and president of the Top 500 Innovators Association said that one typical cluster being an ecosystem for innovation which was formed by means of the “push” strategy is the Silicon Valley. This was a strategic action of Stanford, which established the Stanford Science Park housing spin-off companies established by researchers, university graduates, and also developed tight relationships. And we all can see where it has led.

•

Innovation

POLAND 3.0 Angelika Jarosławska, President of Cluster World, Member of the Board of the National Cluster of Innovative Enterprises, Project Coordinator of POLAND 3.0

P

OLAND 3.0 is an integrated programme aimed at connecting Polish rivers, highways and railways into one multimodal transportation platform.

The transnational project POLAND 3.0 involves the integration of all multimodal modes of transport in logistics centres along the Oder River, within the corridor connecting the Baltic Sea to the Adriatic Sea via the Danube, Oder and Elbe, and the construction of the largest logistics centre Gorzyczki – Vernovice with an area of 500 hectares.

The Transnational Logistics Centre Gorzyczki – Vernovice will be located at the continent’s unique intersection of all of the major trans-European transport routes: the A1 motorway, E-20 waterway, the LMS broad-gauge railway line linking Poland with the Far East (Linia Hutnicza Szerokotorowa), and the second trans-European railway corridor, in close proximity to the airports in Katowice, Ostrava and Kraków. The Centre is expected to create approx. 75,000 new jobs, handle approx. 790,000 containers a year, impact 12.5 million people in the region and have a worldwide range.

Another element of POLAND 3.0 is giving back due importance to inland waterways in Poland. In order to make economic use of inland waterways it is necessary to change

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the approach to navigation in Poland towards one which is innovative, comprehensive and capable to involve various stakeholders.

Owing to a community of interests, POLAND 3.0 was jointly developed by the country’s key water management specialists, Oder ports, companies that see an enormous business opportunity in the navigable Oder, business operators associated in clusters, people living on the Oder for whom flood security and new jobs are of primary importance, local governments, municipalities, specialists in ecology, transportation and logistics, designers, as well as the Council of Captains, which for years has strived to reinstate Polish rivers as freight routes. At each stage, the programme is consulted with specialists, MEPs and experts on European funds, so that it fits in with the most important European funding strategies. The project was given the patronage of Prof. Jerzy Buzek.

The project is implemented, among others, through companies associated in clusters, i.e. initiatives integrating business, science and local communities. The new economic policy is aimed to change the structure of the European economy by adapting it to the phase of development where knowledge and innovation play a decisive role in

Innovation stimulating economic and social development. Doubtless, an increasingly important tool for supporting knowledgebased development is clusters as far as they respond to the need to organise modern entrepreneurship. Companies operating in the same industry and region which get together in clusters find it much easier to fight for new markets and enhance their attractiveness. There are many foreign examples proving that numerous means strong. Clusters successfully operate around the world and develop regional markets. Thanks to strong cluster organisations, regions such as Upper Austria or Catalonia manage to achieve excellent economic results.

The National Cluster of Innovative Enterprises, one of the initiators of POLAND 3.0 and the largest cluster organisation in the country, is an association acting supra-regionally, bringing together enterprises and institutions from entire Poland. Its aim is to develop innovation and strengthen competitiveness of regions and the whole Polish economy.

As a constantly growing umbrella body of Polish clusters, it effectively pursues the objective of boosting innovation of companies associated in the cluster, and thus helping them achieve a permanent competitive advantage. This is evidenced by numerous successful projects and the evergrowing number of members. By joining forces, clusters and related grassroots initiatives have the ability to push through the solutions necessary for the Polish economy.

Revitalisation of the inland waterway transport in Poland will not only benefit transport but will also serve many other purposes: flood protection, hydropower, ecology, water storage, tourism... examples can be multiplied. Still, the potential of waterways in Poland is used to a minimum extent, despite the fact that this mode of transport is among the cheapest and most environmentally friendly.

Integrated in the multimodal transport network, inland waterways are complementary to other forms of transport, often being also the only option for bulky cargo shipment.

The lack of possibility to access cheaper inland transport and handle large, heavy loads is a development barrier to many Polish businesses, leading them to relocate abroad, for example to our western neighbours, who successfully use barges to carry up to 240 million tonnes of goods a year.

The European Union promotes inland waterway transport as an essential link in the transportation system, and facilitates its integration into a multimodal supply chain.

In accordance with the recommendations of the European Commission, 30% of road transport has to be transferred, i.a. to waterways by 2030. The EU is willing to subsidise the development of transport corridors, funding up to 85% of the investment project.

The inclusion of the Oder in the European system of waterways, a project called the Danube – Oder waterway and, more broadly, connecting the Baltic Sea and the North Sea with the Black Sea and the Mediterranean Basin, is the largest marine project in Central Europe. The Oder Waterway plays a key role in transcontinental shipping connection between the Baltic Sea and the Danube Basin. Linking the above-mentioned arterial shipping line with the broadgauge railway from/to the Far East is a project of pan-European interest, as it will serve countries in Europe and beyond - Japan, North and South Korea, China, Mongolia, Russia and Ukraine. The round-trip rail shipment of goods will be one-third shorter compared to maritime transport

By joining forces, clusters and related grassroots initiatives have the ability to push through the solutions necessary for the Polish economy.

(from approx. 30 days to 10 days). According to preliminary calculations, each year 750,000 containers and other goods can be carried this way in both directions.

Domestic exporters generate capital inflows, which creates room for the development of SMEs that cater for the needs of local communities. Therefore, drawing patterns from strong economies, we should create suitable conditions and the kind of business zone in which small businesses will be able to grow into medium ones, and medium businesses build up and transform into large ones. Let’s look at western countries that attend to domestic businesses with such a care as if in incubator. Rather than overproducing law, they are creating better conditions for private investment.

The project is a coherent economic plan that involves creating a business zone with attractive investment areas and comprehensive financial, legal, marketing, HR services offered by domestic firms, and thereby the promotion of Polish technological thought and innovations. By using the country’s available resources, it will allow to build the business hub of Poland and an attractive area for investors from all over the world – on terms dictated by Polish companies. The programme is based on proven global patterns, enabling to develop new forms of competitiveness in the domestic economy.

Instead of further relying on low labour costs and skilled workforce, which have so far represented our competitive advantage and attracted foreign investors, we should start to use the resources we have, promote our transit regions located at the heart of Europe, our local enterprises, human capital and Polish innovative thinking to be able to develop economically, while getting closer to the prosperous EU countries.

Consistent projects, spread over many years, like POLAND 3.0, allow responsible and strategic planning of economic development. While giving a sense of stability to Polish entrepreneurs, they also provide means to work out appropriate education paths (our market is still characterised by a divergence between the needs of employers and the educational curricula), and then to train the most soughtafter specialists, resulting in innovations, new technologies, and advancing the Polish technological thought. These are in fact the driving force behind the economy. POLAND 3.0 should not be seen as a matter of success of one company, or a number of companies. This is a business oppor• tunity for a vast amount of Polish enterprises.

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Events

Awards for

Top

builders The Polish Association of Construction Industry Employers (PZPB) celebrates the Construction Day. Every year, state and industry awards are presented, and the results of the competition for the title of Employer of the Year in the Construction Industry are announced. During this year’s Gala, held on 15 October in Warsaw, the 37th and 38th editions of Developer’s Certificate were opened.

T

he Polish Association of Construction Industry Employers is an umbrella organisation of the largest construction companies which, according to estimates, have an approx. 70% share of the general contracting market. The Association represents the interests of both the largest construction companies and small and medium enterprises operating domestically.

“This was another difficult year for the construction industry; the situation has probably even worsened since the inflow of EU funding. Not only construction companies are in poor condition. The state is losing too, as it neglects an industry that could produce 15% of GDP,” Jan Styliński, President of PZPB, said opening the Gala. He reminded the audience what the major preoccupation of PZPB was in the past years. The Association brings together the employers’ organisations, chambers and associations around the idea of the National Forum of Contractors and corporate social responsibility in the construction industry. According to PZPB’s experts, we are confronted today with a crucial choice: to preserve the inefficient model of public investment project implementation or to promote innovative solutions for the benefit of future generations. Together with other social partners from the construction industry, PZPB has developed recommendations and concrete solutions. “The key idea is to establish a knowledge platform – an organisation responsible for developing and publishing templates of contracts and technical specifications, disseminating knowledge about investment processes and for sustainable development. Efforts are also made to fix the public procurement system, so as to work out one single standard for all customers. Not all plans articulated last year were realised, but times are tough, and the community is not integrated,” emphasised Styliński.

The title of Employer of the Year in the Construction Industry 2014 in the category of large companies went to

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Grzegorz Bagiński, Director General of Saferoad Group, for the effective implementation of modern, certified management systems and integrated IT systems, production of innovative road safety equipment, and for taking up initiatives limiting the consequences of threats to road users.

In the category of medium-sized companies there were two winners: Bogdan Czapczuk, Preident of F.B.I. Tasbud SA, who received the award for the efficient and innovative management of the company and high quality construction services, as part of general contracting, in terms of construction and modernisation of housing and public utility property, as well as industrial and engineering facilities, and Sławomir Żubrycki, President of PPU Palisander, who was honoured for the dynamic development of the company, innovative achievements in management, systematic improvement of the quality of services and products and putting into production innovative design solutions.

The Gala saw the opening of the 37th and 38th editions of Developer’s Certificate, another valuable initiative of PZPB, established in 1999. Its objective was an urgent need to regulate the property developer market, which was dynamically evolving at the time. First of all, it was about ensuring the proper operation of a reliable and professional Polish construction market. The idea propagated by PZPB won support not only from developers who were intent on maintaining the company’s good name and earning the trust of potential customers. Thanks to efforts taken by PZPB, supported by high-level experts in the field of construction, finance and banking, it can be said that, after nearly fifteen years in effect, the Developer’s Certificate helped identify a group of very good development companies, viable both legally and financially, providing housing construction services throughout Poland. Currently, 23 developers are holders of such certificates.

•

MAGNIFIQUE FESTIVE SEASON AT SOFITEL WARSAW VICTORIA Discover the art of celebrating Christmas and enjoy a sparkling New Year’s Eve Cabaret Revue at Sofitel Warsaw Victoria.

CHRISTMAS DINNER AT LE VICTORIA BRASSERIE MODERNE

CHRISTMAS BRUNCH AT KITCHEN GALLERY

Enjoy an exquisite 5-course family Christmas dinner created by our chef Maciej Majewski to reflect the beauty of Polish Christmas culinary culture and the unique “Art de Noël” of French tradition.

Gourmand Christmas culinary experience for the whole family. Enjoy a unique family Christmas gathering at Sofitel Warsaw Victoria. We offer a 50% discount for kids from 6 to 12 years old. Younger children can enjoy the brunch for free.

Date: December 24th-26th Price: PLN 150 per person

Date: December 25th Price: PLN 175 per person

Reservations: Tel.: 22 657 83 82 | Email: brasserie.moderne@sofitel.com

Reservations: Tel.: 22 657 82 62 | Email: kitchen.gallery@sofitel.com

2016

NEW YEAR’S EVE WITH THEATRE SABAT AT SOFITEL WARSAW VICTORIA Welcome the New Year in a cabaret style. Enjoy an excellent 5-course gala dinner and a delightful after midnight buffet complemented by a spectacular revue show prepared by Małgorzata Potocka and the Sabat Theatre.

Date: December 31st Price: PLN 690 per person (package of beverages included) Reservations: Tel.: 22 657 82 89 | Email: H3378-CR@sofitel.com

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Residence Hermes Konstancin Chylice The luxury residential building is situated in a neighbourhood bordering Konstancin’s spa district, one of the most prestigious areas in Poland. An additional great advantage of the location is its proximity to a little river with picturesque banks and beautiful natural landscape. The building has been designed on a very grand scale - on an H-plan, with a ground storey and a habitable attic. The core of the building and one of its wings accommodate rooms with bathrooms and indoor circulation space. The other wing is made up of a swimming pool, sauna, showers, a table tennis room, gym, garages and utility areas. The building has two staircases: the main staircase and a back staircase.

The building meets all criteria for very luxurious residences, but thanks to its design, furnishings and location, it can also excellently serve other functions, like for example those of a conference centre, spa centre, clinic and luxurious guest house. +48 532 969 555 total area of the building: 1,251.7 sq m usable area of the building: 1,042.7 sq m plot: 11,471 sq m

Cultural Monitor

Fantastic, colourful and blockbuster sounds from the world and equally fantastic words and sounds from Poland make up the November Cultural Monitor by Maciej Proliński.

Keith Richards - “Crosseyed Heart” - Universal Music - CD

T

here is no doubt that in the world of rock & roll there is something like a cult of Keith Richards.

And certainly not without reason. This is a wild rock singer who, in his wonderfully expressive playing, combines “white and black.” He is also one of the most interesting composers and guitarists. He has published three solo albums - “Talk Is Cheap” (1988), “Main Offender” (1992) and “Crosseyed Heart”. The latest one, released this year, comprises 15 high-end pieces of music: not only rock, but also reggae, country, or blues. Everything thrilling, vibrant, derived from the blues-rock formulas of the late 1960s. The album is not surprising yet joyful! It is another chapter in the great history of this music. The essence of it lies not in discovering new sounds, or forms, but in rendering the importance of this very moment to which the song relates – rendering the mood and the great power inherent in the so characteristic, yet so simple, rhythmic scheme. I found there a world that you would think is over. Electric and acoustic guitars, bass, piano and vocal - Richards takes it all on his shoulders. Well, almost all, because he is richly supported by old friends, drummer Steve Jordan, guitarist Waddy Wachtel and Bernard Fowler on backing vocals. If Richards decides to release a new album, then it is going to be a treat for rock & roll lovers.

David Gilmour - “Rattle That Lock” - Sony Music - CD

T

he fourth solo album of British musician David Gilmour. The previous one titled “On An Island” was released in 2006. The lyrics were co-authored by Polly Samson, a long-standing partner of the artist, and the album was produced by David Gilmour and Phil Manzanera (“Roxy Music”). This record will definitely please most admirers of Gilmour’s solo work and the late years of Pink Floyd.

What sets this alum apart, against the background of his previous solo career, is a larger variety and number of expressive and easy-to-remember melodies that appear in almost every song. A brace putting together the whole is two instrumental pieces: “5 A.M.” - in which you can only hear the guitar with orchestral background (with orchestration of strings made by Zbigniew Preisner), and “And Then...” – a kind of a continuation, with the addition of the rhythm section and acoustic codes. My feel is that “Rattle That Lock” was created out of a profound spiritual need. It is somehow innocent, free from self-interest and imbued with poetic aura. And uncompromising. It has its own charm. And the music (I admit that stylistically it is not my piece of cake), despite its apparent prolixity, ushers in that vivid stream of anxiety which appears whenever there is talk of artistry.

Lizz Wright - “Freedom & Surrender” - Concord Records / Universal Music - CD

F

ive years after the release of the acclaimed gospel music album “Fellowship”, one of the world’s most powerful voices of female jazz Lizz Wright makes her Concord Records debut with “Freedom & Surrender.” A 35 year-old singer and songwriter valued for her emotional alto voice, has teamed up with respected bassist and producer Larry Klein, known for his cooperation with artists such as Joni Mitchell, Madeleine Peyroux and Tracy Chapman. For the recording session Klein and Wright chose the great company of drummer Vinnie Colaiuta, bassist Dan Lutz, drummer Pete Korpela, guitarists Dean Parks and Jesse Harris, keyboardists Kenny Banks, Pete Kuzma and Billy Childs. The music stands out by its unusual sensitivity and playing freedom. Wright’s interpretations are personal, emotional and filled with passion. Music lovers will take a real pleasure in listening to these interpretations, because it is a fascinating set - beautifully, organically put together, perfectly planned and executed.

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Cultural Monitor – November 2015

Cultural Monitor

Katarzyna Groniec - “Zoo with songs by Agnieszka Osiecka” - Warner Music Poland - CDs and DVDs

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atarzyna Groniec has a well-deserved reputation, earned as early as in the 1990s, as one of the greatest performers of the so-called literary song. In her new album she sings the repertoire of Agnieszka Osiecka, a poet who for many decades influenced Polish song. “I sang Osiecka’s songs occasionally. From time to time, as someone asked me. But I was not alight. Then, Agata Passent gave me a call. For the first time, I chose the songs as they fit with music. She had to accept the changes. Then a little miracle occurred. These songs, which sounded in new arrangements, took the shape of a life story. This story could not be entirely included on CD, but it could on DVD,” says Groniec. The sense of humour, and sometimes even mockery, are nicely mixed up here with deeper reflection (intimate and surrounding) of the world of a mature woman. And a somewhat nonchalant vocal manner, interpretation combined with the freshness of arrangement ideas, makes it one of the most interesting albums of the ending year. It feels artistry, passion and emotion. Groniec seems to have wanted to identify herself with this music and find in Osiecka what is hers. To find a piece of her truth in the great truth of these songs. In a completely new, more powerful, electronic, club setting - it worked!

Michał Bajor - “My Love” - Sony Music - CD

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ichal Bajor has been moving the audience with his singing for a few decades now. He graduated from the Theatre Academy in Warsaw, and was an actor of Ateneum Theatre in Warsaw in 1980-1994. Since the second half of the 1980s, he has been giving primarily his own recitals, often modelled on the style and repertoire of French singers. “My Love” is his nineteenth album and the third meeting of the master of lyrical interpretation with another master of Polish song Wojciech Młynarski. It is a collection of the most beautiful songs about love. Most of them are great hits: “A Lovely Cellist”, “We Will Discover an Unknown Love” or “Oh life, I love you more than life”, just to name a few. The album will also include two new songs, written especially for Bajor by Wojciech Młynarski. One among them is sung in a unique duet with popular young Polish singer Anna Wyszkoni. To sum up, “My love” is a neatly produced material, true craftsmanship, and as I said a lot of memorable (even known by heart!), precious songs. So, hit after hit, it reminds us that the music industry does not have to be something heartless.

Atom String Quartet - “Atomsphere” - Kayax - CD

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tom String Quartet is one of the world’s few and Poland’s first string quartet playing jazz. Its members - Dawid Lubowicz and Mateusz Smoczyński (violin), Michał Zaborski (viola) and Krzysztof Lenczowski (cello) - lead their own bands and play along with the best artists, singers and jazz musicians. “Atomsphere” was recorded in the Concert Hall of the Krzysztof Penderecki European Music Centre in Lusławice. Since the release of the previous album titled “Places”, which won the Fryderyk Award 2013 in the category “Album of the Year – Jazz”, the Quartet has toured extensively and had the privilege of working with artists such as Bobby McFerrin and Gil Goldstein. All these meetings and musical experiences influenced its repertoire. Both “Atomsphere” and the previous albums contain original compositions of all the members. There is no shortage of vibrant improvisations which the Quartet is famous for, but singular sounds are of great importance, too. The source of inspiration was not only different musical cultures of the world, but also contemporary music, especially the “minimal music”, which is now part of the palette of means of artistic expression of the Quartet.

Zakopower - “Second Half” - Kayax - CD

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akopower’s fourth studio album and its fourth album recorded with music producer and composer Mateusz Pospieszalski. The band has always referred to its highland roots. It is no different with “Second Half.” This time, in addition to highland culture, the musicians found inspiration in the rich tradition of Polish song. In many pieces, you can hear echoes of past hits, evergreens that took by storm the festivals in Opole and Sopot. This album is a tribute to the not-so-distant times when artists on stage were accompanied by the orchestra (it features the aforementioned Atom String Quartet, also in extended string composition) and compositions were based on beautiful melodies. It is all true... But, mindful that art knows no absolute rules in terms of values, mindful that from the earliest times music has had a magical power and was a means of influencing other people, or even by reading one of the latest reviews (which states that “Zakopower’s music is really a music with a double bottom connecting listeners looking for easy-to-sing pop songs with those much more demanding”), I just hear and I know that everything on that disc bearing at the same time tribal, cosmopolitan and national features carries the “burden” of the great mystery of the composer...

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Culture

A musical family “I am aware that during concerts there is an amazing exchange of positive energy between me and the audience: we are in seventh heaven and going out smiling. For me, nothing, no awards or statuettes, can take the place of this wonderful feeling of community built around good emotions. If it were otherwise, I would change my occupation,” Włodek Pawlik, a composer, pianist and winner of the Grammy Award 2014, who has come to be referred to as “Vladimir Horowitz of Jazz” following the North Jazz Festival 1998 in The Hague, tells Jerzy Bojanowicz.

How has your life changed after your “Night in Calisia” received the Grammy Award for the Best Large Jazz Ensemble Album in January 2014?

The consequences of becoming the winner of this prestigious award, which was presented to me during a ceremony at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles, are obviously very enjoyable. My private and professional life has changed as far as I became a recognisable person outside the world of music. I am often invited to festivals in Poland and abroad. I also receive proposals. pm

Where did the idea come from to ask Randy Brecker, to collaborate with you? Brecker is famous trumpeter who has won five Grammy Awards and 17 nominations for the award. He has worked with such artists as Billy Cobhan, Bruce Springsteen, Charles Mingus, Blood, Sweat & Tears, Horace Silver, Frank Zappa, Chris Parker, Jaco Pastorius and Dire Straits.

This is precisely where Randy Brecker’s uniqueness and phenomenon lie. He is a megastar of American music: jazz, fusion and rock. His career reflects the milestones of American music of the 20th and 21st centuries.

He never categorised music into genres – he did what he felt appropriate, what inspired him at the moment. I am happy to be myself among his musical partners and friends. “Night in Calisia” is our third album. The first one was “Turtles - Włodek Pawlik Quartet featuring Randy Brecker” (1995), which scored high grades in the rankings by American music magazines. It pm

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was followed, in 2008, by “Tykocin Jazz Suite”, a six-piece composition ordered by and recorded with the Symphony Orchestra of the Podlasie Opera and Philharmonic in Białystok.

What prompted you to go to Białystok?

This was in connection with the history of the Brecker family’s struggle with an incurable disease of Randy’s brother - Michael, a saxophonist with whom he played in the Brecker Brothers duo, one of the most famous jazz-rock bands of the 1970s, 80s and 90s. It turned out that the family has its roots in Podlasie, in the village of Tykocin, from where it emigrated during World War I. Writing a jazz suite was something I was encouraged to do by Marcin Nałęcz-Niesiołowski, the then-Director of the Podlasie Philharmonic. The US Summit Records label bought the licence for the album and released it, in 2009, under the title “Nostalgic Journey/Tykocin Jazz Suite/The Music of Włodek Pawlik - Randy Brecker.” The album has become very popular in the US. We had excellent reviews and I was voted the Jazz Composer of the Year in the 2009 Los Angeles Jazz Station Poll. pm

But there were other albums between these two symphonic ones, right?

Right, including vocals to the poetry of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and Józef Czechowicz and the sound track for the film “Reverse”.

The album “Tykocin Jazz Suite” has made a great impression on Adam Klocek, Director of Kalisz Philharmonic. He offered me to write a suite, in keeping with a similar jazz-symphonic pm

convention, to mark the celebrations in 2010 of the 1,850th anniversary of Kalisz, the oldest town in Poland. In June 2010, we performed “Night in Calisia” in Kalisz Philharmonic. Its fantastic reception paved the way for the album that we recorded in 2011 in Warsaw (Polish Radio’s S-1 and S-4 studios) and in New York.

In one interview, you said that music was commonplace in your childhood, a natural part of your life. So your musical education was decided by your parents?

My father was a violinist in Kielce Philharmonic, and my mother sang in the first lineup of the “Silesia” Song and Dance Ensemble.

They already noticed I have musical skills, like for example absolute pitch, when I was a child, so they took care of my education in music. We moved from Kielce to Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski, where I went to elementary school and then to the secondary music school in Kielce. pm

What significance for you, as a graduate of the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw, has the fact that you studied jazz at Hochschule für Musik in Hamburg?

After my studies in Warsaw, I was a “thoroughbred” pianist, and I thought of the International Fryderyk Chopin Competition, but eventually jazz prevailed and I left for Germany to study jazz in 1984. I worked mainly in Western Europe, but also in the US. In 1993, I returned to Poland, and started a “new” life, including a PhD from the Chopin University of Music where I lecture improvisation. I have never lost touch with American musicians, though. My pm

albums recorded with the Western Jazz Quartet: “Live at the Jazz Club Aquarium” with Billy Hart (1995), the above-mentioned “Turtles” with Randy Brecker (1996) and “Waning Moon” (2000) prove it best.

In the 1990s you set up a trio. Why not, say, a quartet, following the example of David Brubeck?

That is a good question that has caught me by surprise. Indeed, jazz is dominated by quartets and quintets, but... a jazz trio does have a wonderful tradition too: Oscar Peterson, Keith Jarrett, Bill Evans and many others. Remember that, in the 1950s and 1960s, the Oscar Peterson Trio was one of the most famous jazz bands in the world. I have also recorded albums with symphony orchestras and even with a Gregorian choir. But my favourite stage format is Włodek Pawlik Trio, in which I have for years been accompanied by Paweł Pańta (double bass, bass guitar) and Cezary Konrad (drums).

How would you characterise your compositions? Where do you find inspirations?

Let’s leave divagations about my work to others. As for inspirations, they come as a result of orders, but most often the result of what has become engraved in my sensitivity. Then, I translate this image into music. Now, for example, I am writing music to the poems of Adam Zagajewski. I will have a concert in Radio Kraków in November, which will be recorded and released on CD. I live in Podkowa Leśna, a quiet, green suburb of Warsaw surrounded by - as you can see - an artistic disarray where I feel good, but when deadliness are pressing, I take a getaway to where nobody can find me and I switch off all devices connecting me to the world. Then, in absolute silence, I write down notes.

You are a jazzman, which did not prevent you from accompanying Elżbieta Wojnowska during her recital at the Warsaw Autumn Festival of Poetry in 2002, or writing film music for, among others, “Nightwatching” by Peter Greenway (2007) and “Reverse” (2009). The latter won the award of the 34th Polish Film Festival in Gdynia for the best film music.

I already wrote music to poetry in secondary school. I also wrote poems and I sang them myself. In recent years, I have created music to the poems of Jarosław Iwaszkiewicz and Józef Czechowicz, performed by Dorota Miśkiewicz, Lora Szafran, Marek Bałata and Kuba Badach.

As for Peter Greenway, I can philosophically say that people somehow find their way across this world. Then “Reverse”... After the recital promoting my solo album “Grand Piano”, Borys pm

Photo: Marek Bałata

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Culture

I can philosophically say that people somehow find their way across this world.

Lankosz, who was then a hardly known young director, came backstage deeply moved. He said that he was making a film and asked if I would write the music for it. Then, I got a call from the film producer and there it happened.

Your children Anna and Łukasz were trained as musicians, too.

As I said, I was born and grew up in a family of musicians. My wife, Jolanta, is a pianist, a great chamber musician, cooperating with vocalists. Our children grew up in an atmosphere steeped in music, so it was natural for them to take up musical studies. I never told them: “do not do it”, even though I believe that going freelance, as a musician or a journalist, is a kind of a passion, often an unreasonable approach to life, sometimes even flowing against the current. My son graduated in cello from the Hochschule für Musik in Düsseldorf, he also plays the piano, like my daughter who chose a teaching career. pm

“Night in Calisia” is signed with Pawlik Relations, a label that organises concerts, and records and releases albums. What events would you consider most successful for it?

It is a successful family business. Its biggest success is precisely the album “Night in Calisia”, which was produced by my wife and myself. It is also a financial success, as the album sold in high volumes, earning the status of the triple platinum plate! It is a phenomenon on the Polish market. We never thought that jazz music would cross the doorstep of popular music. We organise concerts for performers who are close to our interests, for example for our son, who is also a jazz musician. He is an excellent jazz composer, he plays the piano, he has his own band and his second album will soon come out, featuring American stars, like Mike Stern. At the end of September, an album was pm

released whose producer is Pawlik Relations and publisher – DUX. It is Franz Schubert’s “Winterreise” song cycle, recorded by great tenor Karol Kozłowski and my wife who attends to the piano part. I should add that Jolanta was nominated for the Fryderyk 2013 award for Schubert’s song series “Die Schöne Mullerin” that she recorded with Karol and received the honourable mention of the “Hi-Fi i Muzyka” magazine for the best chamber music recording of the year 2012. My wife also promotes young, talented singers, which has resulted in the album “Moniuszko-Pieśni” recorded with Elwira Janasik, a highly talented young mezzo-soprano soloist of the Grand Theatre in Łódź. The album has received rave reviews, not least because of it reaching for Moniuszko’s songs that have never been recorded so far.

There are three pianists in the family.

Haven’t you thought of… ... a piano duo - like that of Marek & Wacek?

No, no! Not in a family... Though... In May, during the closing of the Music Festival in Łańcut, we played with Łukasz “We are from here”, my composition for two pianos and orchestra. Soon, it will be released on CD, which will also feature my four typically orchestral pieces. pm

Your plans?

Concerts, composing, recording, and lectures at the Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. pm

Thank you for your time and let me wish you a “real” Oscar, because the Grammy Awards are called “musical Oscars”.

But I only happen to compose film music!

It is not my major activity. And I am not seeking this. If someone calls me and I like the film, then why not, I get to work. But... the Oscar.

• Well, who knows… pm

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Events

Seong-Jin Cho wins the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition!

Seong-Jin Cho from South Korea won the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition. The 17-person jury, led

by Prof. Katarzyna Popowa-Zydroń, announced its decision on 21 October, after lengthy deliberations.

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orn on 28 May 1994 in Seoul, SeongJin Cho is a student of Michel Beroff at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique de Paris. A prizewinner of the Chopin Competition and the Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow (2008), the Hamamatsu Piano Competition in Japan (2009), he also won the Third Prize in the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Russia (2011) and the Arthur Rubinstein Competition in Tel Aviv (2014). At a press conference, shortly after the verdict was announced, Seong-Jin Cho revealed that it is Polish pianist Rafał Blechacz who inspired him to try his hand at the International Fryderyk Chopin Competition: “I just listened to the Chopin competition in 2005 when I was 11 years old, and at that time Rafał Blechacz and Dong-Hyek Lim and Dong-Min Lim became my idols, so it became my dream to participate in the Chopin Competition and I can’t believe this moment.”

The Second Prize went to Charles Richard-Hamelin of Canada, and the Third to Kate Liu of the United States. Eric Lu of the United States, Yike (Tony) Yung of Canada and Dmitry Shishkin of Russia received the Fourth, Fifth and Sixth Prizes respectively. Additionally, honorauble mentions were awarded to: Aljosa Jurinić (Croatia), Aimi Kobayashi (Japan), Szymon Nehring (Poland) and Georgijs Osokins (Latvia).

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The auditions for the 17th International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition began on 3 October; 78 pianists from 20 countries took part in them.

Appearing in the finals were 10 pianists from 8 countries, who performed one of Fryderyk Chopin’s piano concerti with the Warsaw Philharmonic under the direction of Jacek Kaspszyk. Nine of the participants selected Concerto in E minor, Op. 11; and only one, Charles Richard-Hamelin, Concerto in F minor, Op. 21.

According to the rules and regulations, pianists from all over the world born from 1985 to 1999 were permitted to apply to take part in the Competition. In order to take part in the rivalry, they were required to send in their applications, together with a video recording containing the programme from the first round, by 1 December 2014. After announcing that applications were being accepted, the Fryderyk Chopin Institute received the record number of over 450 applications from all over the world. Based on analysis of the recordings and applications sent in, the Admission Committee selected 160 pianists, who took part in public Preliminary Round in April of this year in Warsaw. From this group, the jury admitted 77 pianists to the main competition. Seven pianists – winners of the international competitions mentioned in the Rules and Regulations, as well as the prizewinners at the Polish Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition

2015 – ensured themselves participation in the October competition, bypassing the Preliminary Round. From among this group, six people resigned from participation in the Competition before it began. Among those taking part, the most numerous groups were from Poland (14 people) and China (13 people); beyond this there were 12 pianists from Japan; 8 from South Korea; 6 from Russia; 4 from the United States; 3 each from Italy, Canada and Great Britain; 2 from the Czech Republic; and 1 representative each from Belarus, Croatia, France, Greece, Hungary, Indonesia, Latvia, Ukraine and Uzbekistan.

The International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition is one of the oldest and most prestigious music competitions in the world, held every year in Warsaw. It is also among the few piano competitions dedicated to the music of one composer. It was founded in 1927 by the Polish pianist and teacher Jerzy Żurawlew (1887-1980). The rules of the competition provide for a multistage selection, with works from Chopin’s distinct collections being performed at each stage. The evaluation is made by a jury of distinguished artists and educators from around the world. The list of winners includes Martha Argerich (1965), Krystian Zimerman (1975), Stanisław Bunin (1985) and • Rafał Blechacz (2005).

Photo: Wojciech Grzędziński

Maciej Proliński

Culture

Watch out!

A talent on the horizon “You will have to, using of course your instrumentalist mastery and your knowledge of music, to show what brought a composer to write his work,” Krystian Zimerman told students while receiving, in October 2015, an honorary doctorate from the Fryderyk Chopin University of Music in Warsaw. These words can also be a good indication for 14-year-old Warsaw pianist Julia Łozowska. Her imagination and emotions, her modesty and good sense leave me with an overriding impression that she might stir things up in Polish classical music in the future. Watch out! A talent on the horizon. But it should be emphasised that this has nothing to do with the talent shows now ubiquitous on TV. The young pianist will grace this year’s Gala of Polish Market’s Pearls of the Polish Economy.

Maciej Proliński

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ulia Łozowska is one of the most promising pianists of the young generation.

She plays classical music with great passion. Despite some pessimistic predictions, the language that she has already mastered is not dying down at all. It is true music, not banal melodies or rhythmical noise, that continues to be the language of common understanding.

Julia was born on 16 May 2001. She has two elder sisters and lives with her parents in Warsaw. “Music has been close to me from my youngest years. I have played the piano for eight years now, more than half of my life.

Since 2007, I have belonged to the Suzuki Institute, and it is by the Suzuki Method that I began the piano classes with Marzena Jasińska, MA, and then, still under her guidance, at the State Music School No. 1 in Warsaw. Now I am a second-year student of the Zenon Brzewski Secondary Music School in Warsaw in the piano class of Prof. Joanna Ławrynowicz-Just. It is not an ordinary school.

The most talented young people from all over Poland learn here. The students are holders of various scholarship programmes and winners of important competitions. I myself am constantly developing musically by participating

in master classes and taking part in competitions. It gives me an opportunity to commune with talented young people and to work with renowned educators and artists. By meeting them at concerts or workshops, I am offered a great chance of raising my qualifications,” Julia says.

The young pianist has already performed at such distinguished venues as the National Philharmonic, Baltic Philharmonic, Lower Silesian Philharmonic and Polish Radio’s Witold Lutosławski Studio. She also collaborated with the school orchestra conducted

by Prof. Ewa Marchwicka and with the Zenon Brzeski Warsaw String Orchestra conducted

by Andrzej Gębski. She made it to the finals of the Polish National Piano Workshops in the Old Spa House in Krynica-Zdrój; she played the famous (and difficult) Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s Concerto for Harpsichord (or Piano) and String Orchestra Op. 40 and Romuald Twardowski’s Small Concerto for Piano and Instruments. “My favourite piano concerto in my current repertoire is Franciszek Lessel’s Piano Concerto in C major, Op.14, which I had the opportunity to perform with the Symphonic Orchestra of the Lower Silesian Philharmonic under the baton of Mieczysław

Gawroński as part of the third stage of the 6th International Chopin Piano Competition for Children. I took the second place and I am very happy with this very award. A few years earlier, the same place in the same competition had gone to Rafał Blechacz who later triumphed in the International Fryderyk Chopin Piano Competition, considered by many to be the most important piano competition in the world. Many professional pianists and teachers believe that my playing is already characterised by a far-reaching artistic sensibility. I am glad that my playing gives pleasure not only to myself but also to others. My priorities are now the search for new musical colours and the improvement of my piano technique,” says Julia. She does have an unquestionable ardour for music. Is there room for anything else in her life? “From year to year, I have less and less time for my extra-musical interests, but I always want to be abreast of the literature: last year, I read more than 30 books from various fields. I strive to be all-round, hence my interest in mathematics and ballet. Knowing the importance of good physical condition for piano playing, I spend my free time actively – windsurfing in summer and skiing in win• ter,” she adds.

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Culture

The Warsaw

Rising Museum T he Warsaw Rising Museum commemorates one of the most important moments in Polish history of the 20th century. Opened on the 60th anniversary of the Warsaw Rising, it has enjoyed unflagging popularity from the very beginning. Over 500 thousand visitors from Poland and abroad roam its halls every year, a success which is due to an innovative exhibition, a smart combination of form and content, as well as efforts and enthusiasm of the people involved.

The Museum’s mission is to pay homage to the insurgents and convey the meaning of the August 1944 events to next generations. This involves education of young people based on the values that were dear to the hearts of the insurgents. What serves this ambitious goal is modern means of communication, allowing to talk about history and patriotism in an inspiring way.

The visitors learn that Polish history can be interesting, attractive and there is no reason to be ashamed of it.

The exhibition, which tells the story of the Warsaw Rising

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through individual experiences of survivors, is interesting, touching, sometimes surprising, but most importantly it straightens out the communist propaganda for decades falsifying the picture of the Warsaw Rising.

The Warsaw Rising Museum is not only nurturing awareness of the heritage of the Warsaw Rising, but also seeks to change the social perception of patriotic celebrations so that Poles come to feel greater identity with the Warsaw Rising and its ideals. The best proof of such a change being possible and actually taking place is the fact that every year on 1 August, at 17:00 (“W Hour”), more and more Poles stop for a minute of silence in memory of heroic Warsaw insurgents.

The Museum attracts young people not only with the use of modern technology, but also by inviting them to come into interaction with history, rather than leaving them indifferent to events observed. All these assets mean that the Warsaw Rising Museum enjoys great interest and high attendance numbers.

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A living castle

Culture

The Royal Castle in Warsaw - a monument to Polish history and culture - is a historic place. First the seat of the royal court, then, after 1918, of the President of the Republic of Poland, it was completely destroyed during World War II. A symbol of national sovereignty, it now serves primarily as a museum which, in addition to its permanent exhibition typical of a residential museum, also holds temporary exhibitions and provides a venue for many high-rank state celebrations.

Maciej Proliński

Royal Castle in Warsaw, photo by A. Ring

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he Royal Castle in Warsaw is in possession of more than 50 thousand exhibits and nearly 100 thousand archival units. Many of the objects making up its collections are of Europe-wide, perhaps even worldwide importance. These are paintings, sculptures and decorative art items from the collections of furnishings that date back to the reign of the last Polish king, Stanisław August Poniatowski (1732-1798), as well as from the State Art Collections from the years 1922-1939, gifts and purchases, deposited copies and reconstructions, and the Ciechanowiecki Family Foundation and the Teresa Sahakian Foundation.

The gallery of paintings includes such important works as Bellotto’s landscapes of Warsaw, or Bacciarelli’s portraits and historical scenes. Among graphics there are prints, drawings, books, maps and globes featuring portraits, scenes illustrating ancient, religious and courtly themes and architectural landscapes. In the gallery of drawings, a valuable object is the Stockholm Roll, a 16-metre long paper scroll representing the entry of the wedding procession of King Sigismund III and Archduchess Constance to Kraków in 1605.

It seems like a paradox that the total destruction of the Royal Castle, followed by the decades-long struggle to have it back and finally the much-awaited restoration have strongly contributed to it being a foundation on which to build a fabric of the nation’s common thought.

It is through the art that King Stanisław August Poniatowski showed in the National Hall of the Royal Palace, now known as the Knights Hall, the most important moments of Poland’s history such as the Union of Lublin, the Vienna Victoria, or the foundation of the Jagiellonian University. At the same time, he created a pantheon of personalities associated with our history. Thus, for example, you will find there a portrait of Copernicus. These were patterns, points of reference, which have lost none of their relevance and importance.

Of course, rather than teaching, or collecting, today’s museums are more about looking for relationships - building a broad artistic environment for these locations. Once these were very elitist places. Today, these cultural institutions are the surest and most attractive element of every tourist offer. The castle’s programmes are therefore also rich in content. The Royal Castle hosts almost 70 concerts of early music a year; for over 20 years now, it has been the venue for the Early Music Festival. As a complementary activity, the museum prepares a number of publications, focusing in a natural way on the times of King Stanisław August.

It is also worth mentioning that the Royal Castle has recently opened renovated spaces.

The Copper-Roof Palace was turned into a kind of university. There are lecture halls, classrooms and workshop space. Since 2015, the CopperRoof Palace houses the office of the former President of Poland, Bronisław Komorowski, a tworoom apartment with an area of 72 sqm, part of the former Apartment of Jacek Ogrodzki (Grand Secretary of the Crown and Head of the Royal

Chancellery of Stanisław August), in the north wing of the Copper-Roof Palace.

The Kubicki Arcades, beautifully renovated and opened in 2009, attract the audience not only with its aesthetics, but also with its new functionalities. Important artistic events: exhibitions, performances and concerts, are organised there. The Kubicki Arcades were built between 1818–1821, on an escarpment, from the eastern side of the Royal Castle in Warsaw and designed by the neoclassical architect Jakub Kubicki. They were integral part of the royal residence. Paradoxically, the Kubicki Arcades survived World War II but deteriorated because no running repairs were carried out. It was not until 1995 that renovations began and the escarpment was reinforced. The renovation works took nearly 15 years, costing approx. PLN 130 million. “The renovation of the Arcades and their adaptation to museum functions after years of decaying meant saving an extremely valuable monument, that is the original part of the Royal Castle,” says Andrzej Rottermund, Director of the Royal Castle in Warsaw.

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Culture

TEATR WIELKI - OPERA NARODOWA

TRAVELLING AGAINST THE CURRENT...

The original concert “Voices of the Mountains in the Music of Karol Szymanowski, Henryk Mikołaj Górecki and Wojciech Kilar” on 11 September will begin the new season at the Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera. This powerful and beautiful music will sound on the Warsaw stage for the sixth time. The concert had its premiere on 4 July 2011 in Madrid on the occasion of the inauguration of the cultural programme of the Polish Presidency of the EU. Maciej Proliński

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he programme includes highland tunes and new arrangements of traditional songs, but above all brilliant compositions of the great 20thcentury Polish artists: mazurkas by Karol Szymanowski, Wojciech Killar’s “Orawa” and Henryk Mikołaj Górecki’s Concerto for Harpsichord (or Piano) and String Orchestra.

Janusz Olejniczak, the project’s originator, will play the piano, Sebastian Karpiel Bułecka - the violin, Tatra bagpipes and pastoral instruments, and Jan Smoczyński - keyboards.

They will be accompanied by the bands: Atom String Quartet and Neo String Quartet. The concert will be conducted by maestro Jerzy Maksymiuk.

Karol Szymanowski (1882-1937) is the only Polish composer after Chopin to have successfully undertaken and developed the mazurka.

In the years 1924-1925, he composed twenty mazurkas Op. 51, in 1933-1934 two mazurkas Op. 62 and in 1925-1926 four Polish dances (including one mazurka). To the music’s meter, tonality and texture Szymanowski added the elements of highland music in search of an artistic transformation that would focus in his mazurkas the motion, gesture and expression characteristic of Polish dance. The concert reveals that the mazurkas became for Szymanowski a driver of the new values.

Wojciech Kilar (1932-2013) and Henryk Mikołaj Górecki (1933-2010) were likewise extremely stimulatingly inspired by the highland

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PIERWSZY KONCERT W SEZONIE

GŁOSY GÓR

JERZY MAKSYMIUK JANUSZ OLEJNICZAK SEBASTIAN KARPIEL-BUŁECKA JAN SMOCZYŃSKI

ATOM STRING QUARTET JAN MŁYNARSKI MICHAŁ BARAŃSKI NEO STRING QUARTET

11/09/2015, GODZ. 19

folklore. In “Orawa”, Kilar fulfilled his dream of writing a composition inspired by highland band’s music. Since its first performance, this philharmonic zbójnicki (a highland robbers’ folk dance – author’s note), which ends with the orchestra’s and the conductor’s characteristic highlanders’ shout of “Hey!”, has been the great Polish classic hit.

“Orawa is the only piece in which I would not change a single note, though I have looked at it many times. What is achieved in it is what I strive for – to be the best possible Kilar,” the composer said in one interview. The musical progression of “Orawa” can be viewed as a stream flowing rapidly through rocky recesses, revealing again and again in various landscapes with their raw beauty. The title of the piece, which completes the cycle of Kilar’s Tatra Mountain works, conjures a range of associations. It refers not only to the geographical region situated between Poland and Slovakia, but also to the river that flows through that region. The title also brings to mind a highland meadow freshly scythed after sheep have been grazed there (“oława”), where young shepherds dance the zbójnicki dance at the end of the summer season.

Along with “Krzesany” and “Exodus”, “Orawa” is among the most frequently performed and most popular of Kilar’s hits. It has been presented in concert halls in its original version, and also in a variety of arrangements,

including for string quartet, for twelve saxophones, accordion trio, or eight cellos.

“Orawa” corresponds in a sense with a several years’ younger, short (less than 10 minutes) Concerto for Harpsichord (or Piano) and String Orchestra by Henryk Mikołaj Górecki the same concept of the sound material’s simplicity, the same primacy of motorics, musical unity, a focus on a single structure. What puts them apart them, however, is the form.

The concert has two parts, played without a break. Górecki wrote it for the great Polish harpsichordist, Elżbieta Chojnacka, but the score also provides for piano performances, as is the case of the “Voices of the Mountains”. Doubtless, it is one of the most impressive and, at the same time, joyful works of this great composer.

Listening to these very personal and melodious notes, Polish notes, you cannot possibly not to mention that this is an example of communicative music, yet offering the infinite room for interpretation. Does music always have to transcend something, anticipate something, operate a completely new language, tear something down, or look for something in order to express a very personal and powerful tone of the composer or performer? This question comes to your mind after you hear the last note of “Voices of the Mountains.” The note devoid of any calculation, but absolutely not devoid of idea. In fact, that is what I look for in music... every music. •

Culture

Let’s benefit from what the world has invented Marcin Kręglicki, an owner of prestigious restaurants in Warsaw, talks to Marcin Haber.

At Expo Milano 2015, one way to promote Poland was with a cookbook entitled “Appetite for Poland.” It provides recipes combining Polish tradition with Italian features, like for example ravioli with fried salad rocket and brown butter, or tiramisu with Polish trójniak mead and flakes of salty chocolate. What do you think about it?

Drawing from the world’s heritage of food preparation techniques to offer dishes made of Polish high quality products is an excellent idea. At present, it is us who are a “source of fine food” for the whole Europe. We are glad that the Jerusalem artichoke and skorzonera are coming back into favour. Lamb is again increasingly popular. The University of Life Sciences in Lublin has developed the Uhruska breed of sheep. It is finally a meat breed, in contrast to the sheep which run around in the mountains and no one knows if they are reared for wool, leather, meat or milk to make oscypek cheese. But getting back to the topic, it is an excellent idea to present our cuisine in this way because this is how you reach the masses. The people who visited Expo Milano had hundreds of national pavilions to choose from. Every country wanted to present its cuisine: the Japanese offered sushi and Argentina superb steaks. Additionally, the Argentinians had perfectly organized the process of giving out food – I loved the way they served the customers. They managed to feed lots of people, the queues were immediately relieved.

As regards the Polish pavilion, we personally took part in preparing Poland’s culinary stand.

Agnieszka was also a member of the jury assessing the candidates. From our point of view, it was done a bit too fast. We had been asked to identify possible logistical problems associated pm

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with this undertaking – one should realize that it was like building a restaurant for half a year in a foreign country. The important issues included arranging accommodation and food for the personnel, the delivery of products, medical record books and logistics. We focused on something that is gaining in popularity in Poland, but in France and other countries is already commonplace. I mean a single table for all customers. People sitting at such a table have an opportunity to come into contact with each other. For example, when I go for a drink in the United States and sit down at a bar with the strangers I immediately start talking to them. This is something uncommon in Poland, we are somewhat withdrawn.

And we decided to change that at Expo Milano, placing two long parallel tables in the pavilion to enable strangers to meet each other while eating. It was a very positive message that we aimed at uniting people.

with a Polish element. An absolute success is also Polish pumpkin with ocypek cheese and a truffle flavour. So, we should not be ashamed of that - let’s benefit from what the world has invented. I have recently thought about ceviche, a dish from South America. Warsaw already has its first restaurant specializing in this dish.

We have served it at the El Popo restaurant for years, but no one has yet tried to combine it with Polish cuisine. We should think which types of Polish fish could be used to make ceviche. Could it be trout, for instance? What would be the customers’ reaction if a regional restaurant in the Polish mountainous resort of Zakopane started to serve raw trout marinated in lemon, or apple cider vinegar, to give the dish even more of a local feel. Ceviche always goes with onion, which is in keeping with our cuisine. But they also often add avocado to it.

We could add radish. We are opening to the world and this is true of our cuisine as well.

This can work promotionally – at an Expo, for half a year – but are such culinary combinations successful here, in Poland?

Yes, they definitely are, especially when it comes to catering and large events. It is also worth pointing to the success of our Opasły Tom restaurant, where we started doing so several years ago before it became trendy. The credit for this goes to Agata Wojda. She has incredible ideas, which sometimes indeed draw inspiration from combining different cuisines.

One example is ravioli with buckwheat and cheese as an excellent addition to mushroom consommé with dried plums. The mushrooms are Polish as are the plums – these are not Californian prunes. And the ravioli with buckwheat is again a combination of an Italian dish

You have published a book about organizing receptions. I wonder if there is a mathematical formula for a successful reception.

Are there any elements which, when combined, guarantee success?

The formula is as follows: Marzena Hajn + Darek Żyluk + Dorota Domin. If you add up these three elements a success is always guaranteed. We have based our success on people.

The most important thing for us is choosing the right people to organize these receptions – on our behalf and with our help. I feel confident that with these people, if they work together, any large event will be a success. Marzena is an excellent chef, Dorota is a great organizer and Darek is responsible for the technical side.

We rely mainly on outstanding personalities.

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Culture and send a driver for them. I also need a suitable waiter who knows how to match alcoholic drinks with dishes and can entertain the customers. One should also add that to organize such a dinner we would have to open the Royal Castle, which also involves some expenses.

If all the costs are added up it turns out that for the undertaking to be profitable we need at least five couples to book their dinner at the same time. Another important thing is that contemporary customers would not eat the dishes our project is based on if they were prepared according to the original recipes of 150 years ago. The tastes, cooking techniques and ingredients have changed. We have to modify a bit the original dishes - of lamb, mutton and goat meat – to meet contemporary tastes and positively surprise the customers.

You often mention local products. Is the ability to show the customers that the dishes are made of local ingredients key to success these days?

I think that most restaurants these days boast of having ingredients from a reliable source - that they have vegetables from Mr Ziółko (Herb), that is from Piotr Rutkowski, fish from Mr Sandacz (Zander) or from Agnieszka Jarczyńska of the Aja company. This trend – to know what we eat and where our products come from - resembles the trend to have an open kitchen. Customers like to know who cooks for them. In an open kitchen, the cook is a real person. This works both ways: we can see the cook and the cook can see us. The cook can see that they are preparing dishes for real people rather than anonymous customers. I think the fact that Opasły Tom has an open kitchen and that Agata Wojda can see the customers and vice versa is one of the factors behind the success of this place. People want to return there.

I think that if we decided to open further restaurants they would also have open kitchens. pm

Agnieszka and Marcin Kręgliccy

And food is not important in this case?

Of course, it is important. But everything is prepared in advance. Dorota talks to the customers to decide about the menu – it is a tailor-made service. We ask the customers about their expectations, make our suggestions, encourage the customers to benefit from seasonal products – like for example mushrooms in autumn and asparagus in spring. We try to show Polish seasonal products, but in an original way. This is a chance for Marzena, our chef, to display her talent. pm

You are talking about presenting Polish cuisine in an original way. You are also thinking about your new project, which is to offer in the Royal Castle’s Kubicki Arcades traditional Polish food in a new way. Is there demand for this in Poland? Can Polish people afford such exclusive dinners, or will the main customers be foreign tourists?

Polish people are still not affluent enough to afford covering expenses of this kind. This pm

is why we count on foreign tourists eager to get familiar with Polish cuisine. We have to check whether a lavish six-course dinner at the Royal Castle with Polish wines, meads, liqueurs or ciders – we can look here for the best matches between dishes and drinks - will attract customers, whether there are people able to pay for such a dinner EUR120-150, as this is its estimated cost. The fixed costs are quite high because this is a tailor-made programme designed to meet specific needs of the customer. The idea is that the dinners would be prebooked. We would need two or three days to prepare for the event. Let me give you an example: I get a phone call from a pair of lovers from Australia who have come to Warsaw and would like to have such a dinner in two days. I agree and sell it for PLN500 per person. I have got PLN1,000 in revenue. But I have to hire a cook and an assistant – let’s assume that these two people will be able to manage the task and that I do not need to hire a whole standard kitchen team. I have to order products for the dinner

It has already become commonplace in Poland for restaurant customers to have contact with the chef. Does it happen sometimes that a customer praises a dish?

It does. Customers sometimes even invite the chef to the table to applaud him or her. And waiters sometimes receive a tip with a remark that 50% of it is for the kitchen staff. pm

But this is new in Poland. Until recently, it was unseemly to either criticize or praise the cook.

It seems to me that the chefs’ position was once very low. They were underestimated. At present, cooks are celebrities. We show it is very important to be a creative and excellent chef with a potential to achieve great success.

It is worth entering this occupation and pur• suing one’s passion. pm

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Food Industry

Poznań – the right direction for the food industry The 2015 edition of the International Trade Fair for Food Polagra Food, which was held on 21-24 September in Poznań, has again proved its high position in the food industry. Occupying an area of more than 10,000 sqm, it was a showcase opportunity for the market leaders, but also for the less recognisable brands which see POLAGRA as an effective means of marketing.

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oznań’s Polagra Food has promoted the Polish food sector for more than a quarter century. Its success is primarily due to the fact that it keeps monitoring the situation of domestic food companies. The basic principle underlying Polagra Food remains a continuous dialogue with food producers. “This makes us well placed creating a tailor-made meeting platform. Every year, we hold talks with Polish entrepreneurs to learn about their expectations as to the upcoming edition, with a special consideration of their target countries in terms of exports,” Miłosz Jankowiak, Project Director, explains.

The POLAGRA Fair consisted of a block of events: Polagra Food International Trade Fair for Food, POLAGRA GASTRO International Trade Fair for Gastronomy, INVEST HOTEL Hotel Equipment Trade Fair, POLAGRA TECH International Trade Fair of Food Processing Technologies, PAKFOOD Food Industry Packaging Fair and, last but not least, the Tastes of Regions, which had started two days earlier. Overall, Polagra was visited by more than 60,000 people: representatives of retail chains, wholesalers, retailers and importers, as well as numerous foreign delegations, from countries such as Algeria, Egypt, France, Germany, Uzbekistan and Ukraine and traders representing the promising markets of Saudi Arabia and Venezuela.

What makes Polagra Food so popular with the food industry players? First of all, it is a place where you can see and taste the largest number of new products. This year’s fair was dominated by dairy products: milk variations, a wide range of cheeses and milk-based desserts. But market debuts included also meat products, sweets, pasta, garnishes and organic foods. “Every year, exhibitors surprise visitors with a huge amount of novelties. This testifies to the constant development of the industry and its responsiveness to market needs. Producers keep a close watch on the market and adapt their offerings to changes in consumption patterns,” Jankowiak adds.

Polagra Food is also a venue for presenting exceptional achievements of the food industry. For many years now, the

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Expert Jury rewards the best products with the Gold Medal of Poznań International Fair (PIF Gold Medal). Companies entering the competition are fully aware that they will undergo a thorough evaluation by industry experts in order to have the high quality of their products confirmed, which is supposed to constitute a recommendation for customers.

This year, the prize has been awarded to 27 products. The PIF Gold Medal opens the way for the winners to contend for an equally valuable distinction which is the PIF Gold Medal – Consumer’s Choice. Here, the choice of the leader is made not only by industry experts, but also by consumers.

But there is one more reason why Polagra Food is so important for the industry. It is a meeting place for members of the industry from where they source information about market trends, or new marketing solutions. Sharing ideas makes for the development of new products and innovative technologies. It is also a place where not only achievements of the industry are showcased, but also new trends are set.

Polagra Food 2015 has again testified to its significance for the food industry. The fair’s format, geared to the expectations of participants, allows exhibitors to effectively promote themselves and gain new markets, and visitors to effectively shape their product offerings. The next edition will be held on 26-29 September 2016.

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MLEKOVITA Food Quality Leader 2015 MLEKOVITA the most valuable brand in the manufacturing sector of the Polish economy (according to a ranking by Rzeczpospolita, 28 Nov 2014) produces over 650 products has products which are no. 1 on the Polish market: pasteurized milk, soft brine cheeses, hard ripening cheeses, flavoured milk, butter and fats the only producer of Cheddar cheese in the country the only producer of ice cream on an industrial scale in Podlasie province has won the most prizes and awards for its products and brand has achieved the highest revenue growth rate in the industry for years has built its own wholesale and retail distribution network (including the first Cash & Carry on the dairy market) exports the most dairy products from Poland has the integrated management system certificates FSSC 22000 (equivalent of BRC and IFS), IS0 9001, ISO 14001 as well as kosher certification (KOSHER Certificate) and HALAL recognized by Sedex as a company with ethical production standards within the supply chain environmentally conscious – the only company in the industry that has its own sewage treatment plant producing biogas that serves to produce energy as well as a gas-fired power plant with a unique flue gas condensation system that contributes to reduced CO2 emissions into the atmosphere

The Chairman of the Group MLEKOVITA

Dariusz Sapiński

Award in a category cheese

Award in a category butter

Award for products: Sokół cheese lactose free 150 g, Dar with added plant sterols 1 L

Gold Statuette Leader of Polish Business awarded by BCC

The Economy Award of the President of the Republic of Poland

Food Industry

The 5th Polish Meat Festival in Rzeszów The Polish Meat Festival called Świętomięs Polski is an itinerant, flagship event of the Polish Association of Butchers and Meat Processors. It always takes place at the end of summer holidays in one the Polish big cities. This time, at the second weekend in September, it paid a visit to Rzeszów in Podkarpacie. The two-day event promoting pork, beef and poultry was held on Rzeszów’s Main Square.

Bożena Skarżyńska

“

We travel across the country, lobbying for Polish meat and dairy products.

We do not hide the fact that we have an appetite for... Podkarpacie. Firstly, to upgrade the standing of meat dishes in this region, and secondly - which is our intention - to make local people not only gourmets, but absolute enthusiasts of national tastes. Together with Świętomięs Polski we are spreading culinary patriotism,” the festival organisers say.

The audiences in Podkarpackie, in Rzeszów, did not disappoint.

As usual, Świętomięs Polski did not fall short of attractions for young and old meat gourmets. Children besieged the stands where they could fulfill themselves artistically and sportingly. Adults were sticking around the stand equipped by Stalgast to have a look at cooking demonstrations using, among others, liquid nitrogen for the processing of meat. There was no shortage of those willing to meet with nutritionists and food technologists. Meat gourmets lined up around the festival’s pot - the mega frying pan and a big grill. A popularity record - understandably - belonged to a bull from the herd in Rudawka Rymanowska roasted almost all day long on the festival’s grill.

Visitors tasting stews, grilled meat and charcuteries were sitting back on benches

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around trees and an ancient well, as well as on the steps of the monument to Tadeusz Kosciuszko. Savouring the festival’s dishes, they listened to an accordion concert by duo “Akord”, local singers, applauded the band “Czeremszyna” and Krzysztof Krawczyk.

It is a tradition of Świętomięs Polski to organise conferences discussing the current problems of the meat industry, with the participation of experts and, above all, members of associations of producers from around the country and the region where the festival takes place.

The 5th Świętomięs Polski, held under the honorary patronage of Marek Sawicki, Minister of Agriculture and Rural Development, and Małgorzata Chomycz-Śmigielska, Governor of Podkarpackie Region, was organised by: Polish Association of Butchers and Meat Processors, Polish Craft Association, Rzeszów Chamber of Crafts, and Polish National Guild of Butchers, Meat Processors and Cooks. The partners of the event were: Polish Ecology Association, Rzeszów International Trade Fair, Agro Polska, Rodość Kuchnia Osobista, KS Sumoka Rzeszów and Hotel Rzeszów.

The 5th Świętomięs Polski was financed from the Pork Promotion Fund, Poultry Promotion Fund and Beef Promotion Fund. •

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