Polish Market No. 10 (249) /2016

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No. 10 (249) /2016 :: www.polishmarket.com.pl



Faculty of Management University of Warsaw

The world is changing fast We educate managers to be ready for the future We have highly praised international accreditations confirming the quality of education: CEEMAN, 4 PALMS, AMBA, AASBI We have the longest record of teaching Management in Poland We win in international rankings of business universities. The Eduniversal ranking:

- Master’s degree studies in Finance and Accounting were ranked 1st place in Eastern Europe - Master’s degree studies in Human Resource Management and Marketing – 1st place in Eastern Europe - Master’s degree in Business Consulting – 7th place in world ranking - GlobalMBA Studies – 1st place in Eastern Europe - International Business Program (in English) – 3rd place in Eastern Europe - Executive MBA Studies – 3rd place in Eastern Europe

Our graduates are in a group of specialist which is most wanted by employers Our studies: BACHELOR AND MASTER (full-time, part-time) in fields of: - Management - Finance, Accounting and Insurance - International Business Program – Master’s studies in English DOCTORAL (full-time, part-time) - in management sciences - in economic sciences - in finances POSTGRADUATE (part-time) – over a dozen of courses www.wz.uw.edu.pl rekrutacja@wz.uw.edu.pl


ONTENT

5. 20 YEARS OF „POLISH MARKET” 38. From The President’s Press Office 39. From The Government Information Centre OUR GUEST

40. ANDRZEJ DUDA, President of the Republic of Poland: THREE RULES: RESPONSIBILITY,SOLIDARITY AND JUSTICE

42.

MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Finance: WE NEED TO ACHIEVE A NEW EQUILIBRIUM

43. 26TH MEETING BETWEEN BUSINESS AND POLITICS AT A MOUNTAIN SPA

66.

ECONOMY

PROF. ELŻBIETA MĄCZYŃSKA, Warsaw School of Economics, President of the Polish Economic Society: THE ECONOMY AND ITS ROOTS IN SOCIAL RELATIONS

68.

STANISŁAW KLUZA, acting President of the Management Board, Bank Ochrony Środowiska: ECOLOGY IT’S OUR MAJOR DISTINGUISHING FEATURE

70. KRZYSZTOF KALICKI, Ph. D., President of the Board of Deutsche Bank Polska: IMBALANCE IN ONE SECTOR CAUSES IMBALANCE IN OTHERS

72. WIESŁAW SZERMACH, President Of The Board Of “Polisa–Życie” Tu S.A. Vienna Insurance Group: WE ARE BOUND BY A FEELING OF SECURITY

73.WOJCIECH FEDYK, Ph. D., President of Polish Tourist Organization: CO-OPERATION THE KEY TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

SCIENCE

46. PROF. MACIEJ CHOROWSKI, Director of the National Centre for

Research and Development: YOU CANNOT LEARN ENTREPRENEURSHIP

48.

PROF. RYSZARD PREGIEL, President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce for High Technology: INTELLIGENT RESTRUCTURING OF POLISH INDUSTRY. AN ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOR STRENGTHENING ITS COMPETITIVE POSITION IN GLOBAL MARKETS

50. MAREK ROCKI, Ph.D., Rector and Professor of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics: ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CREATIVITY ARE OUR “NATIONAL TRAITS”

SMART CITY

74. PIOTR MICHALCZYK, BARTOSZ KWIATKOWSKI , PwC Polska: NOT CARS, BUT AN ENTIRELY NEW ELECTROMOBILITY PARADIGM

76. MACIEJ WITUCKI, President of the Board of Work Service: POLAND HAS A GOOD REPUTATION!

78. 4TH SMART CITY FORUM 79. MZA HUGE ACHIEVEMENTS, GREAT PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

52.

PROF. ALOJZY Z. NOWAK, Dean of the Faculty of Management, University of Warsaw: TEACHING HAS UNDERGONE CONSUMERISATION

54.

WIELKOPOLSKA CENTRE FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES (WCAT) AND ITS MISSION

80.

CONSTRUCTION

JANUSZ ZALESKI, EurBE, Vice-President of PSMB: CREATING CONDITIONS FOR LIVING AND WORKING IN A FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT IS OUR PRIORITY

56. PROF. STANISŁAW MOCEK, Rector of Collegium Civitas: EDUCATION

81. JAKUB OPARA, President of PL.2012+:

58. JÓZEF GROMEK, Ph.D. Eng., Director of Tele & Radio Research

82. PORR POLSKA - COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES

AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

Institute: INNOVATION – THE KEY TO SUCCESS

60. HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS LEAGUE TABLE 2016 62. WALDEMAR SIWIŃSKI, President of the Perspektywy Educational

Foundation: WE COMPILE A GUIDE FOR UNIVERSITIES AND STUDENTS

64. PROF. HENRYK SKARŻYŃSKI, Director of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing: WORK IS MY PASSION

NEW FACE OF PGE NARODOWY

84.

ANDRZEJ SKOWROŃSKI, president of the board of SABE Investments: SABE IN WARSAW AND ON THE BALTIC SEA…

88. DARIUSZ KRAWCZYK, CEO of Polnord S.A.: POLNORD QUALITY AND EXPERIENCE

90. GRZEGORZ KIEŁPSZ, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Dom Development S.A.: 20 YEARS OF DOM DEVELOPMENT IN THE POLISH MARKET


107. Maciej Proliński: WE REMEMBER PADEREWSKI!

INDUSTRY

92. BEFORE ZETKAMA GROUP- NOW MANGATA HOLDING

108. Jerzy Bojanowicz: DOWN MEMORY LANE

94. Jerzy Bojanowicz: CAPACITY MARKET

109. MAREK BICZAK, the author of the Pearl of Polish Economy statuette, owner of Bimart: PEARL OF THE POLISH ECONOMY – SYMBOLISM CONTAINED IN SIMPLICITY

96. 24TH MSPO – THE ARMAMENTS SECTOR AS THE DRIVING FORCE

EVENTS

OF THE POLISH ECONOMY

98. WALDEMAR SKOWRON, President of the Board, CEO of MESKO S.A.: “LIGHTNING” - MODERN SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S WORLD

110. PRESENTATION OF THE AWARDS OF THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS CLUB POLAND 112. MILITA NIKONOROV AT THE WARSAW FASHION WEEK

CULTURE

114. COLLECTION AUTUMN - WINTER 2016/17

100. Cultural Monitor 102. PROF. PIOTR GLIŃSKI, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage: CULTURE MAY AND SHOULD PROMOTE POLAND

103. Maciej Proliński: WORLD JAZZ IN KRYNICA!

116.

FOOD INDUSTRY

MIŁOSZ JANKOWIAK, Director of Polagra Food Fair, the largest food sector fair in Central and Eastern Europe, and the Tastes of Regions Fair: A FORMAT MATCHING THE NEEDS OF THE SECTOR

104. STAN BORYS – singer, composer, poet and actor: I AM A BIT LIKE A BIRD...

118. RECOMMENDED FOOD

106. Maciej Proliński: ON FIRST NAME TERMS WITH ART AT THE ARCADES

121. ECONOMIC MONITOR

Photos on issue: www.shutterstock.com

10/2016 DTP: Godai Studio www.godai.pl

President: Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek

Writers/Editors: Maciej Proliński, Jan Sosna, Janusz Korzeń, Jerzy Bojanowicz, Janusz Turakiewicz

Vice - Presidents: Błażej Grabowski, Grażyna Jaskuła

Translation: Sylwia Wesołowska-Betkier, BusinessClass

Circulation: 8,000

Address: ul. Elektoralna 13, 00-137 Warszawa, Poland Phone (+48 22) 620 31 42, 652 95 77 Fax (+48 22) 620 31 37 E-mail: info@polishmarket.com.pl

Contributors: Agnieszka Turakiewicz

Publisher: Oficyna Wydawnicza RYNEK POLSKI Sp. z o.o. (RYNEK POLSKI Publishers Co. Ltd.)

Editor-in-Chief: Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek Deputy Editor-in-Chief: Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś redakcja@polishmarket.com.pl Marcin Haber m.haber@polishmarket.com.pl

Graphic design: Godai Studio Agnieszka Charuba, Joanna Wiktoria Grabowska Sales: Phone (+48 22) 620 38 34, 654 95 77 Marketing Manager: Magdalena Koprowicz m.koprowicz@polishmarket.com.pl

Printing: Zakłady Graficzne TAURUS – Roszkowscy Sp. z o. o., www.drukarniataurus.pl

Oficyna Wydawnicza RYNEK POLSKI Sp. z o.o. Nr KRS 0000080385, Sąd Rejonowy dla m.st. Warszawy XII Wydział Gospodarczy Kapitał zakładowy 80.000,- zł. REGON 011915685, NIP 526-11-62-572 Published articles represent the authors’ personal views only. The Editor and Publisher disclaim any responsibility or liability for their contents. Unso-licited material will not be returned. The editors reserve the right to edit the material for length and content. The editors accept no responsibility what-soever for the content of advertising material. Reproduction of any material from this magazine requires prior written permission from the Publisher.


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

WE HAVE BEEN MEETING ON THESE PAGES FOR TWENTY YEARS. TWO DECADES? EVEN WE FIND THIS INCREDIBLE. HOW DID IT ALL COME TO PASS? In September 1996 the first issue of the English-language monthly "Polish Market" was published. English is the primary language of world communication, but depending on the needs, we also published editions in French, German, Russian, Chinese, Arabic and Hebrew. Our aim is to promote the Polish economy, its state, plans, companies, people, but without limiting ourselves to the narrow economic and financial context. It is hard to make friends with an abstract "economy" of a country which is otherwise an enigma, together with the way its people live and the values and traditions espoused by its scholars and artists. We try to show this on the pages of our magazine, but also through other forms of promotion. We already have a 15-year promotional campaign for Polish companies: the Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking, which is a computer-calculated classification of the most efficient businesses in Poland. However, during the Grand Gala of the Pearls held every year at the Royal Castle in Warsaw, we also give away our Honorary Pearls to the most prominent personalities and institutions in the fields of science, culture and the promotion of patriotic and civic values, people whose achievements, experience, prestige, ethics and personal values give a guarantee of being recognised as ambassadors of the highest Polish values. This "holistic" approach works. We had the pleasure of experiencing this on many occasions. "Polish Market" accompanied the Polish delegations during the ceremonies of admission to NATO, and the accession talks to the European Union, and in the course of meetings of the Council of Europe, and the meetings during the Polish presidency of the EU. We were present during the Polish mission in Iraq, and at all the events organised during the "Polish Years" and "Polish Days" in various European countries. We have promoted our country in all Polish Pavilions at the World Expo exhibitions since 1998 and at the global climate conferences. We accompany Polish exhibitors at the world's most important trade fairs and follow the daily work of Polish representatives abroad. Do we succeed in our endeavours? The fact that we have managed to survive for twenty years in a competitive market of promotional publications and advertising speaks for itself. A collection of various official tributes is just a nice addition to our satisfaction. The traditional recipe for success is that you just have to be at the right places at the right time. "Polish Market" has managed to do this perfectly. I have already mentioned the places. And what about time? The time turned out to be ideal. A few years earlier, Poland – like the rest of the post-communist states – had aroused interest, but mainly on the political and humanitarian plane. In economic terms, we were facing bankruptcy and were considered one of the "sick men" of Europe. The successes of Poland's political and economic transition have shown that Poland and Poles can be a place and partners for economic co-operation and business. The demand for the tabloid-style "info" began to give way to the demand for serious information. We managed to put the "Polish Market" capsule in this stream. We did this in spite of the media fashion. First of all, we decided to cover only the important issues and respect the time of our readers. We wanted to avoid serving them something that was all over the media in the morning, but was forgotten by the evening. Secondly, let us make a paper filled with "good news" because there is no need to scare business. Business needs to see realistic chances for success and… the real problems that must be solved along the way. Thirdly, let us not create a fantasy world in which everything which is best is Polish. In our global village, everyone has their own values, their traditions, is open to the knowledge about others, but is not naive. If, for example, our safe and stable finances are 30-40 times smaller than those in the countries belonging to Europe’s top league, then yes, we can confidently claim to be an interesting partner (who, among others, was able to make a technological leap bypassing the whole era of "paper cheques"), yet promoting ourselves as a superpower can only lead to embarrassment. Thus, realism is the order of the day! And at this point we owe our gratitude to those who enabled us to function in a difficult media market for twenty years. All those who developed the Polish economy, built their businesses, introduced new products to the market, developed the production of traditional and still necessary products. To all those who created new ideas and technology, art and fascinated the world with their talents. To all those who created the portfolio of Poland’s good offering for the world. We want to thank you and assure you that you can still rely on us. We will try not to disappoint you.


20

years of Polish Market

Pearls of the Polish econoMy

honorary Pearls

Pearls of POLISH MARKET innovation - ProGress


BEST COVERS OF “POLISH MARKET”, ISSUED IN THE YEARS 1996-2016 ”POLISH MARKET” IS A MAGAZINE PROMOTING POLAND, ITS ECONOMY, COMPANIES, REGIONS, SCIENCE AND CULTURE. IT HAS BEEN PUBLISHED SINCE 1996. A COMPREHENSIVE SOURCE OF INFORMATION FOR FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC CONTRACTORS AND INVESTORS ON THE COUNTRY’S ECONOMIC POLICY, STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS OF REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, THE SITUATION OF THE INVESTMENT MARKET AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR COOPERATION WITH POLISH COMPANIES. ”POLISH MARKET” IS A PRESTIGIOUS DIGEST OF INFORMATION ON THE POLISH ECONOMY, INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES AND A MEANS OF ESTABLISHING BUSINESS CONTACTS. IT IS VALUED NOT

2 0 TH JUST BY FOREIGN CONTRACTORS AND INVESTORS.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .POLISH . . . . . . . . . . . . MARKET . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EDITIONS ...............


........................................................................................

ANNIVERSARY


POLISH MARKET EDITIONS

WE HAVE PROMOTED POLAND FOR

SPECIAL EDITIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .


20 YEARS

......................................................

SPECIAL EDITIONS


POLISH MARKET EDITIONS

........................................................

EDITION

PUBLISHED SINCE

1996

.SPECIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EDITIONS .........................................


POLISH MARKET IS NOT JUST THE MONTHLY MAIN EDITION WHERE WE PRESENT OUTSTANDING COMPANIES, SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTIONS OR CULTURE PERSONALITIES BUILDING THE POLAND BRAND. FOR MANY YEARS, POLISH MARKET HAS ALSO MEANT SPECIAL EDITIONS WHICH WE PREPARE FOR SPECIFIC EVENTS IN THE WORLD OF BUSINESS, SCIENCE OR CULTURE. Over the years, in co-operation with the Ministry of Economy (today Economic Development), Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, Ministry of Culture, Polish Agency for Enterprise Development and Polish Tourist Organisation, we prepared editions for trade missions to countries such as China (many times), Algeria, Kenya and Tanzania, India or Iran. The collaboration with the PAED and PTO led to the publication of a special issue for CeBit Fair and two EXPO exhibitions where Poland was presented - Shanghai 2010 and Milan 2015. Only in the first half of 2016 we prepared seven special editions. Polish Market is also present at events in the food sector, such as Anuga, Sial China, Polagra Fairs. Our mission also includes breaking the glass ceiling and presenting outstanding Polish women. Our supplements have for years been presenting Polish women who clearly show that females can do very well in male-dominated business.

POLISH MARKET

CELEBRATING . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . SPECIAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .EDITIONS ...............


Dear Ms President, The twentieth anniversary of “Polish Market” is an excellent opportunity for considering the significance and achievements of this extraordinary journal. The Polish economy, science and culture need promotion, and there is no doubt that “Polish Market” has huge achievements in this respect which are worth stressing. It would be difficult to overestimate the contribution of the journal’s creators in building a positive image of Poland in the world. Poland has a huge potential and this information should be passed on to foreign investors. This way your magazine, published at a very high editorial level, reaching many institutions and international investors has a special mission to fulfill. I do not deny that I am glad that the magazine has been active in strengthening the competitiveness of our country in the global markets. Full and reliable information about the Polish economy, the promotion of achievements, as well as extensive scientific and cultural accomplishments and historical heritage is the starting point in terms of attracting foreign capital. While wholeheartedly congratulating the Publisher and the Editorial Team on the splendid jubilee I would like you to accept my thanks for the effective pursuing of your highly valuable mission. Awaiting further issues of the magazine, I wish you perseverance and determination in achieving all your plans, and above all, satisfaction with your journalistic successes.

POLISH MARKET

Yours respectfully, Marek Kuchciński Speaker Lower Chamber of the Polish Parliament


Dear Editorial Team, “Polish Market” is celebrating its 20th anniversary. At the time when everything is changing fast, when market economy dictates hard terms – some titles appear on the market and others disappear - “Polish Market” magazine has survived thanks to its exceptional format and is faring excellently. It promotes our country abroad. For 20 years it has faithfully accompanied changes in Poland. It speaks about them through the prism of economic, scientific and cultural successes. These years were extremely important for Poland. At this time, our homeland became a member of the European Union and the North Atlantic Alliance. It joined sovereign and democratic nations, overcoming problems associated with the communist system, which had prevailed in our part of Europe for nearly 50 years. Information is the basis for functioning in today’s world. Without information about our country, its investment conditions, assets, culture, science and people, who are a capital, it would be difficult to deal with competition on international markets. No country is treated leniently these days. There is a constant and ruthless race for investments, respect from consumers and a place in collective consciousness. For 20 years now journalists of “Polish Market” magazine have relied on their talent, knowledge and persistence to reach international opinion with information about Poland. They take part in all of the most important developments in our country, back up discoveries, research and innovation, report on the latest and best Polish products, taking part in the process of building brand Poland. Building Poland’s positive image abroad is an ambitious goal of the editorial team. This goal is in keeping with the policy pursued by the present government, which cares for Poland’s promotion in the world because our prosperity – our economic, social and political success – largely depends on how Poland will be perceived. Building a good image of Poland is a duty of the state while journalists’ role is to show its attractiveness and convince the readers that the country is special and that it is worth to be present here and invest. “Polish Market” describes our country in such a positive way. I wish to thank “Polish Market” magazine for these 20 years of positive thinking about Poland and persuading the readers that Polish means good. The thanks are due to the publishers, journalists and graphic designers - the whole team who worked over the years for the success of the magazine. I congratulate you on the occasion of the anniversary and wish you success in your work, new readers and fantastic topics. Yours sincerely, Stanisław Karczewski Speaker Upper Chamber of the Polish Parliament


Dear Editorial Team, “Polish Market” has been present in the market for twenty years. Since 1996 you have been pursuing the mission of promoting Poland and building its positive image abroad. Subsequent issues of the magazine accompanied watershed moments in Polish history, reflected support for the domestic economic and cultural potential, popularised Polish companies, products and services, increasing the prestige of our country in international markets. Poland is a country of enormous economic potential. My government is taking steps aimed at ensuring that Polish entrepreneurs have the opportunity to develop not only domestically but also internationally – in Europe and globally. To this end we are putting in place mechanisms creating fair conditions for the competition of Polish businesses with international companies. We are lowering taxes, creating solutions that are business-friendly, rebuilding sectors of the economy which were neglected for years. The implementation of the comprehensive and ambitious Plan for Responsible Development is our priority. I am convinced that patience and consistency will result in the Polish economy developing faster and more effectively, improving the living standards of Polish citizens. Exploiting the potential of Poland is an obligation of the State, but also a challenge successfully taken up by nongovernmental entities and institutions. Over two decades “Polish Market” has demonstrated that it acts for the common good – effective building of brand Poland abroad. On the occasion of this splendid anniverasary I would like to wholeheartedly thank all those who participate in the attainment of this noble objective. I am convinced that a lot can be achieved by working tgether. We are at the beginning of a long road which is to lead us to economic and national success. I congratulate the entire team of “Polish Market” on the twentieth anniversary of the magazine, believing that the art of joint work will continue to be shared by you.

POLISH MARKET

Best regards, Beata Szydło Prime Minister


Dear Editorial Team, For the past two decades “Polish Market” has promoted Poland and its economic, cultural and scientific achievements all over the world. There are few titles which so consistently and effectively build a positive image and prestige of our country. The magazine promoted Poland at important moments in its history: during our accession to NATO, during signing the EU accession treaties and on the occasion of world EXPO exhibitions. “Polish Market” is an effective medium, which supports Poland’s diplomatic missions and the Trade and Investment Promotion Departments attached to our embassies in 49 countries around the world. It promotes Polish businesses, industry, science and culture. The presentation of Polish cultural institutions to foreign readers is a particularly important aspect of your work. The Honorary Pearls awarded by you go to outstanding Polish artists, known and valued all over the globe. The achievements of “Polish Market” in promoting Polish culture have been rewarded by the presentation of the For Services to Polish Culture badge. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “Polish Market” I would like to wholeheartedly congratulate Ms Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, the Editor-in-chief, and the entire editorial team of “Polish Market” and wish you many future successes, which build the prestige and a stable position of Poland in the international arena.

POLISH MARKET

Prof. Piotr Gliński Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage


Ms Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek President of the Board, Editor-in-Chief While thanking your for the invitation to the 14th Gala of the Pearls of the Polish Economy I would like to congratulate you wholeheartedly on the 20th anniversary of “Polish Market”. Since its creation, “Polish Market” has promoted Polish entrepreneurship in all areas – from the economy, science to culture. The magazine reaches the furthest regions of the world, presenting Poland as a dynamically developing country of enormous potential, offering both intellectual and technological resources. The magazine provides important, upto-date and specific information which undoubtedly stimulates the interest of investors in the achievements of Polish businesses and research centres. Please accept my thanks for your commitment to promoting all that is best in our country. Being aware of our own strong points, while remaining wisely humble, allows us to look with pride at the achievements of Polish scientists and entrepreneurs. I wish the entire Editorial Team and you, Madam Editor-in-Chief, further professional successes and unceasing enthusiasm for Polish enterprise, so clearly visible on the pages of “Polish Market”. Yours respectfully, Jarosław Gowin Deputy Prime Minister Minister of Science and Higher Education

POLISH MARKET


Dear Ms President, Dear Ms Editor-in-Chief, Please accept my words of greatest respect and hearty congratulations on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “Polish Market” magazine. I appreciate the contribution of your magazine to the promotion of the Polish economy abroad. In this context, I also see your important role and contribution to the process of strengthening awareness about Polish products and building Poland’s image as a country attractive for foreign investors and contractors. “Polish Market” has for years accompanied Polish businesses and supported a positive image of Poland in the international arena. It is also an important source of knowledge about the Polish economy, a source used by foreign businesses. I have respect for the activity of your magazine as a partner in trade missions, special events organized by the Ministry of Economic Development and at international fairs. I value especially highly the special editions concerning Poland’s economic relations with Algeria, Iran, Kenya and Tanzania in the context of Polish trade missions to those markets. I wish to congratulate you on your great anniversary and the successes you have achieved. I will be carefully keeping track of your further activity aimed at promoting the Polish economy and Polish businesses in the international arena. This matter is especially close to me because it is an essential part of the Strategy for Responsible Development. Please accept and - convey to the whole editorial team of “Polish Market” - my very best wishes for success in coming years in carrying out your present and new projects contributing to further building Poland’s image as an economically attractive country.

POLISH MARKET

Yours sincerely, Mateusz Morawiecki Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Finance


Dear Ms President, On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the Englishlanguage magazine “Polish Market”, I would like to congratulate you and the entire editorial team. The assumptions forming the basis of this valuable initiative, i.e. international promotion of Poland and our economy, dynamically developing entrepreneurship and innovation, and the most important events in our economic life deserve particular appreciation. In recent years we have been observing important changes in the Polish economy. It is becoming increasingly innovative and competitive. Businesses seek ways of reducing the costs of manufacturing, increasing its flexibility and widening markets. Polish industry is undergoing considerable modernisation. Enterprises have renewed their technologies and new research centres are being set up. The co-operation between business and the scientific community is becoming more effective. Poles are considered one of the most enterprising and educated nations and Poland is near the top of rankings of the most attractive countries for investors. Our products are gaining increasing reputation in foreign markets, thus building brand Poland. Today Europe, and mostly the EU countries, are our key economic partners. Geographic diversification of exports and taking our products and services outside our continent is a new challenge facing Polish entrepreneurs. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs actively supports Polish companies in foreign markets, especially in distant regions such as Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. We maintain a permanent dialogue with businesses and the industry trade groups which helps us to learn about their expectations and to adjust our support. I can say with satisfaction that twenty years of the publishing activity of “Polish Market” is an excellent complement to the efforts of our diplomacy in the area of support and protection of the economic interests of Polish manufacturers and exporters abroad. I would like to convey to you, Madam President, my sincere thanks to everybody who participates in the preparation of the magazine’s issues and wish you further successes in promoting the Polish economy. Yours respectfully, Witold Waszczykowski Minister of Foreign Affairs


Szanowni Państwo, Promocja polskiej turystyki jest obszarem, który łączy wiele podmiotów działających w różnych dziedzinach. Sprzyja temu niewątpliwie interdyscyplinarny charakter samej turystyki. Budząc pozytywne skojarzenia – a o takie łatwo, w przypadku bogactwa kulturowego i przyrodniczego Polski – tworzymy dobry klimat do mówienia o Polsce w dużo szerszym zakresie niż tylko turystycznym. Za współtworzenie kontentu, który stanowi oś promocji Polski za granicą, odpowiedzialne są wszystkie sektory gospodarki kraju. Jednak do tego procesu niezbędna jest jeszcze efektywna komunikacja, która bez udziału mediów jest praktycznie niemożliwa. “Polish Market”, przez wszystkie lata obecności na rynku wydawniczym bardzo skutecznie wzmacniał korzystny wizerunek Polski a także wspierał krajowe marki. Promocja gospodarki i wspieranie budujących silną markę Polska przedsiębiorstw były i są stałym elementem Magazynu. Dzięki dotarciu do szerokiego grona opiniotwórczych odbiorców, zarówno w Polsce jak za granicą, Magazyn utrwala obraz nowoczesnej polskiej gospodarki rynkowej. Korzystając z okazji, chciałbym podkreślić, że “Polish Market” działa na rzecz poprawy wizerunku Polski na świecie, poprzez promocję najwyższej jakości usług i produktów polskich przedsiębiorców. W tym komunikacie nigdy nie zabrakło turystyki i jej wpływu na gospodarkę. W swoich publikacjach Magazyn zawsze kładł duży akcent na turystyczny aspekt w tworzeniu spójnego wizerunki Polski za granicą. Jestem wdzięczny za ten wkład i przekonany, że w kolejnych latach działalności “Polish Market” będzie kontynuował tę politykę informacyjną i dalej wspierał polską turystykę. Polska Organizacja Turystyczna od ponad dziesięciu lat prowadzi działania mające wzmocnić pozycję Polski na międzynarodowym rynku turystycznym a także pobudzić krajowy rynek turystyczny. Ściśle współpracujemy z samorządami, regionalnymi organizacjami turystycznymi i branżą turystyczną. Cieszę się, że widać już coraz większą świadomość wśród wszystkich beneficjentów wzmożonego ruchu turystycznego, konieczności partycypowania w szeroko rozumianym procesie promocji i rozwoju turystyki. W tym względzie nieoceniona jest pomoc mediów, które nagłaśniają nasze inicjatywy i pokazują efekty wspólnych działań. Serdecznie dziękuję Redakcji “Polish Market” za wyjątkową wrażliwość na zagadnienia związane z polską turystyką i gratuluję utrzymania najwyższego poziomu Magazynu zarówno pod względem redaktorskim jak i edytorskim. Wyrażam głębokie przekonanie, że Magazyn nadal będzie mistrzem w swojej kategorii i wyznaczał najwyższe standardy wydawnicze. Wojciech Fedyk, Prezes Polskiej Organizacji Turystycznej

Dear Editorial Team, Promotion of Polish tourism is an area that combines many entities operating in different fields. Undoubtedly, it is facilitated by the interdisciplinary nature of tourism itself. By evoking positive associations – which is not difficult with such richness of Poland’s heritage and nature – we create a good climate for talking about Poland and topics going beyond tourism itself. All sectors of the national economy are responsible for creating the content forming the axis of Poland’s promotion abroad. However, this process also requires effective communication, which is practically impossible without media. Throughout its long presence in the publishing market, “Polish Market” has very effectively reinforced a positive image of Poland and supported domestic brands. Promoting the economy and supporting business that build a strong brand Poland has always been a feature of the magazine. Thanks to reaching a large number of opinion-forming readers, both in Poland and abroad, the magazine perpetuates the image of Poland’s modern market economy. Using this opportunity, I would like to stress that “Polish Market” works towards improving the image of Poland in the world by promoting services and products of Polish companies of the highest quality. This message has always included tourism and its effect on the economy. In its publications the magazine has always put a strong emphasis on the tourist aspect in creating a coherent image of Poland abroad. I am grateful for this contribution and believe that in the years to come “Polish Market” will continue to pursue this information policy and support Polish tourism. For more than ten years the Polish Tourist Organisation has been engaged in activities designed to strengthen Poland’s position in the international tourist market and to stimulate the domestic tourist market. We work closely with the local governments, regional tourist organisations and the tourist sector. I am glad that we observe increasing awareness among all those who benefit from the growing tourist traffic of the need to participate in the extensively understood process of tourism promotion and development. In this respect the assistance of the media which provide coverage of our initiatives and show the effects of joint actions is not to be underestimated. I would like to thank the Editors of “Polish Market” for their exceptional sensitivity to issues relating to Polish tourism and congratulate them on maintaining the highest quality of the Magazine, both in terms of its content and form. I am deeply convinced that the Magazine will remain champion in its category, setting the highest editorial standards.

POLISH MARKET

Wojciech Fedyk President of the Polish Tourist Organisation


Szanowna Pani Prezes, Znajdowanie najlepszych sposobów promowania Polski za granicą jest wielkim wyzwaniem, mającym olbrzymie znaczenie dla tempa rozwoju naszego kraju. Wśród wielu prób i inicjatyw istnieją na szczęście takie, które – odwołując się do najlepszych praktyk w tym zakresie - od lat z sukcesem realizują misję promocji naszej gospodarki, kultury i nauki w sposób stanowiący wzorzec godny szerokiego naśladowania. Takim elementem na mapie polskich inicjatyw promocyjnych jest z pewnością anglojęzyczny magazyn „Polish Market”, budujący od 20 lat pozytywny wizerunek Polski na świecie. Na liście odbiorców „Polish Market” są polskie ambasady i ich Wydziały Promocji Handlu i Inwestycji, członkowie rządu i agendy rządowe zajmujące się promocją Polski na arenie międzynarodowej, izby przemysłowo-handlowe, organizacje targowe, główne urzędy i stowarzyszenia gospodarcze, instytuty naukowe. „Polish Market” towarzyszy polskim delegacjom w wielu wydarzeniach dotyczących najbardziej kluczowych, międzynarodowych interesów naszego kraju, takich jak przyjmowanie Polski do NATO, rozmowy w sprawie akcesji naszego kraju do Unii Europejskiej, obrady Rady Europy czy liczne posiedzenia w trakcie polskiej prezydencji w UE. Magazyn był obecny na polskiej misji w Iraku, na bardzo wielu imprezach typu „Dni Polskich” w różnych krajach Europy, od 1998 roku angażował się w promocję naszego kraju na wszystkich światowych wystawach EXPO i na światowych konferencjach klimatycznych COP. Organizowana na Zamku Królewskim w Warszawie coroczna Gala Nagród magazynu „Polish Market” stała się cenionym wydarzeniem wzbudzającym olbrzymie zainteresowanie świata biznesu, kultury i nauki. Z okazji 20-lecia magazynu „Polish Market” składam wszystkim zaangażowanym w tę niezwykle cenną inicjatywę najserdeczniejsze podziękowania za lata niezwykle skutecznej pracy dla dobra naszego kraju wraz z życzeniami wielu dalszych udanych działań na niwie promocji Polski za granicą. Prof. Michał Kleiber Wiceprezes Europejskiej Akademii Nauk i Sztuk

Dear Ms President, Finding the best ways to promote Poland abroad is a great challenge, which has enormous importance for the pace of our country’s development. Fortunately, among numerous attempts and initiatives there are such which – relying on the best practices in this respect -have for years successfully pursued the mission of promoting our economy, culture and science in an exemplary way, which merits to be widely imitated. The English-language magazine “Polish Market,” which has been building a positive image of Poland in the world for 20 years now, is undoubtedly such an element on the map of Polish promotional initiatives. “Polish Market” is distributed to Polish embassies and their Trade and Investment Promotion Sections, government officials and government agencies dealing with Poland’s promotion in the international arena, chambers of industry and trade, trade fair organizers, the main offices, business associations and scientific institutes. “Polish Market” accompanies Polish delegations to many events involving the most important international interests of our country such as Poland’s entry to NATO, talks about our country’s accession to the European Union, Council of Europe sessions and numerous meetings in the course of the Polish EU presidency. The magazine was present at the Polish mission in Iraq and many Poland Day events in various European countries. Since 1998 it has promoted our country at all world exhibitions (Expo) and international climate change conferences COP. “Polish Market’s” annual Awards Gala held at the Royal Castle in Warsaw has become a highly valued event attracting huge interest from the world of business, culture and science. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “Polish Market” magazine I wish to offer my sincere thanks to all the persons involved in this valuable initiative for their effective work for the good of our country over many years. I also wish you further successful activity aimed at promoting Poland abroad.

POLISH MARKET

Prof. Michał Kleiber Vice-President of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts


Szanowni Państwo, „Polish Market” obchodzi w tym roku porcelanowy jubileusz. Już od 20 lat czasopismo kreuje pozytywny wizerunek Polski na arenie międzynarodowej, podejmując ważne zagadnienia dotyczące gospodarki oraz promując polską kulturę i naukę. Rada Główna Instytutów Badawczych, którą reprezentuję, ma przyjemność – od wielu lat – współpracować z magazynem „Polish Market”. Dzięki tej współpracy liczne grono czytelników, w tym zagraniczni inwestorzy, mają szansę, aby dowiedzieć się o sektorze 115 instytutów badawczych prowadzących badania naukowe na rzecz innowacyjności polskiej gospodarki i społeczeństwa. Działalność instytutów, na co dzień współpracujących z przedsiębiorcami, wskazuje na nierozerwalny związek i konieczność współpracy nauki z biznesem. Synergia nauki z przemysłem, do której nieustannie dążą przedstawiciele naszych jednostek naukowych, doskonale wpisuje się w bieżące działania rządzących ukierunkowane na reindustrializację Polski w oparciu o polską naukę. Bardzo cenną inicjatywą Szacownego Jubilata jest konkurs Perły Innowacji Progress. Kapituła tej nagrody, której mam zaszczyt być członkiem, nagradza jednostki naukowe, a także wynalazców, których efekty pracy, badań oraz nowatorskich rozwiązań pozwalają uznać ich za swoistych ambasadorów innowacji. Nagroda ta sprzyja upowszechnianiu działań innowacyjnych w gospodarce. Otrzymują ją najlepsi za talent, kreatywność, pasję badawczą, bez których nie byłoby nowych technologii oraz innowacyjnych rozwiązań wdrażanych w polskiej gospodarce. Laureaci nagrody Perły Innowcji, w gronie których są np. Instytut Mechaniki Precyzyjnej, Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka, Narodowe Centrum Badań Jądrowych, Instytut Techniki i Aparatury Medycznej, świadczą o tym, że w Polsce mamy wielu utalentowanych i kreatywnych naukowców, których innowacyjne rozwiązania są wdrażane do gospodarki. Dzięki Państwa promocyjnej działalności może się o nich dowiedzieć szerokie grono czytelników poza granicami naszego kraju. Z okazji 20-lecia działalności Magazynu „Polish Market” składam serdeczne gratulacje i szczere wyrazy uznania za dotychczasową działalność, siłę oddziaływania i ogromny sukces medialny. Doceniam ważną rolę, jaką pełni Państwa czasopismo w nieustannym kreowaniu pozytywnego wizerunku Polski i Polaków. Wyrażam nadzieję na dalszą, równie owocną współpracę z Państwa czasopismem, życząc redakcji kolejnych śmiałych wyzwań. Oby kolejne edycje Magazynu docierały do jeszcze większej liczby czytelników na całym świecie. Prof. Leszek Rafalski, Przewodniczący Rady Głównej Instytutów Badawczych, Członek Kapituły Konkursowej Nagrody Perły Innowacji Progress

Dear Editorial Team, This year “Polish Market” is celebrating its porcelain anniversary. For the last 20 years the magazine has been creating a positive image of Poland in the international arena, addressing important issues pertaining to the economy as well as promoting Polish culture and science. The Main Council of the Research Institutes, which I represent, has had the pleasure of co-operating with “Polish Market” for many years. Thanks to this collaboration many readers, including foreign investors, are able to learn more about the sector of 115 Research institutes conducting scientific studies in support of innovation in Poland’s economy and society. The activity of the Institutes, which co-operate with entrepreneurs on a daily basis, indicates an inseparable connection and the need for collaboration between science and business. The synergy of science with industry, which is a permanent goal of our research institutes fits perfectly the current policies of the government aimed at re-industrialisation of Poland based on Polish science. The Progress Pearls of Innovation competition is a valuable initiative of “Polish Market”. The award committee, of which I am honoured to be a member, rewards scientific units and inventors whose work results, research, and innovative solutions allow them to be considered ambassadors of innovation. This award promotes the dissemination of innovative activities in the economy. It is presented to the very best for their talent, creativity and passion for research. In other words, its recipients are people without whom there would be no new technologies and innovative solutions being implemented in the Polish economy. Previous winners of the Innovation Pearl, including the Institute of Precision Mechanics, Children’s Memorial Health Institute, National Centre for Research and Developmnet (NCBR) and the Institute of Medical Technology and Equipment, can all attest to the fact that we have many talented and creative scientists, whose innovative solutions have been implemented in the economy. Thanks to your promotional efforts many readers outside Poland are able to learn about them. On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “Polish Market” I would like to congratulate you wholeheartedly and express words of gratitude for your activities to-date, the results of your work and your huge media success. I recognise the important role played by your magazine in continually presenting a positive image of Poland and the Polish people. I hope that the fruitful co-operation with your publication will continue and I wish the editors even greater success in the future. May the next editions of the magazine reach even more readers around the world. Prof. Leszek Rafalski, Chairman of the Main Council of the Research Institutes, Member of the Progress Pearls of Innovation Award Committee

POLISH MARKET


Dear Ms President, On the occasion of the 20th anniversary of “Polish Market” magazine I wish to offer my heartiest congratulations and words of admiration to you and the whole “Polish Market” team on behalf of the economists of the Polish Economic Society and myself. The English-language magazine you have created and run is now one of the most important periodicals promoting Polish economy, entrepreneurship, culture and science abroad. “Polish Market” also plays a significant role in propagating among its readers information about the main actors of social and economic life in Poland and knowledge about changes taking place in the country. At the same time, “Polish Market” is an invaluable source of knowledge for the management staff of firms from all sectors of the economy. “Polish Market’s” undertakings which strengthen Poland’s favourable image in the world, such as the Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking, have become a fixture in the calendar of the most important cultural and economic events. The fact that the high quality and reliable journalism represented by “Polish Market” has been appreciated in the 49 countries where the magazine is available also reflects the great success of the editorial team. I would like to assure you that the Polish Economic Society supports the mission which “Polish Market” has carried out for 20 years. I wish you and your whole team further success and want to declare the Polish Economic Society’s will to continue cooperation with your publishing house.

POLISH MARKET

With words of great admiration and respect, Prof. Elżbieta Mączyńska President Polish Economic Society


Szanowna Pani Prezes, Chciałabym pogratulować Pani oraz Redakcji „Polish Market” z okazji wydania upamiętniającego dwudziestą rocznicę działalności. Od roku 1996 magazyn służy czytelnikom na całym świecie jako ważne źródło informacji o polskiej gospodarce i jej osiągnięciach, liderach biznesu, firmach i ich produktach. „Polish Market” nieustannie kształtuje pozytywny wizerunek Polski w oparciu o wiedzę i kompetencje. Jako Prezydent Polskiej Konfederacji Lewiatan, największej organizacji skupiającej pracodawców sektora prywatnego w Polsce, zyskałam możliwość reprezentowania stowarzyszeń pracodawców oraz ich interesów i stanowisk na łamach magazynu „Polish Market”. Żaden postęp nie jest możliwy bez dialogu, wymiany poglądów i dobrych praktyk. Poprzez te wszystkie lata prezentują Państwo różne poglądy na temat gospodarki, bezpieczeństwa, polityki i kultury, podkreślając przy tym znaczenie kobiet mających wpływowy głos w sprawach polityki. Państwa osiągnięcia w tym zakresie są imponujące. Proszę przyjąć moje najlepsze życzenia sukcesu we wszelkich przyszłych przedsięwzięciach. Z poważaniem Henryka Bochniarz Prezydent Polska Konfederacja Lewiatan

POLISH MARKET


Dear Ms President, “Polish Market” magazine is a unique title on the publishing market. It raises important issues concerning the economy, science and culture. “Polish Market” is the largest English-language magazine promoting businesses and their managers. Thanks to its in-depth analysis of processes associated with the development of the Polish economy, the magazine has won not only a group of regular readers, but also a reputation as an invaluable source of knowledge for foreign business partners and investors about economic and financial matters. Poland’s image is changing all the time. And “Polish Market” is strengthening this image with positive advertising messages and information presenting Poland as a country teeming with life and a modern high-technology nation. “Polish Market” magazine changes our country’s image and breaks stereotypes about Poland and Polish people. In conjunction with the most important state offices and public institutions in Poland, “Polish Market” undertakes activities aimed at creating common good and a positive image of Poland abroad, and building brand Poland. I hope that our cooperation with “Polish Market” will be as fruitful in the future as it has been so far and that further editions of the magazine will reach an even larger number of readers. This is what I sincerely wish you.

POLISH MARKET

With best regards,

Marek Goliszewski President of Business Centre Club


Szanowni Państwo, Dwudziestolecie działalności magazynu “Polish Market” – to okazja, z której możecie być dumni. Wszyscy wiemy, jak wymagający jest dzisiejszy rynek wydawniczy, jakiego profesjonalizmu wymaga zdobycie i utrzymanie na nim pozycji. Zwłaszcza, gdy z przekazem trzeba trafić do cudzoziemców, a zadaniem jest promocja polskiej gospodarki na rynku międzynarodowym. Zespół “Polish Market” swoją pracą udowodnił, że na te wyzwania jest doskonale przygotowany. Jestem przekonany, że to mijające dwudziestolecie to wstęp do kolejnych dekad owocnej działalności, a Pracodawcy RP będą mieć w niej swoją rolę do odegrania, tak jak to miało miejsce dotychczas. Globalna – a więc też i polska – gospodarka wkracza na nowy etap rozwoju. Zmieniają się sztywne do tej pory reguły, padają obowiązujące dotąd doktryny. Nadchodzi czas przedsiębiorców, w którym to ich działania, ich inicjatywy zaczną znaczyć więcej niż dotąd. To będzie czas konkretów, rzeczywistych osiągnięć i wymiernych wartości. Pracodawcy RP wierzą, że tak jest i już czują symptomy tych zmian, bo jako jedyni reprezentanci przedsiębiorców Centralnej i Wschodniej Europy uczestniczą w pracach B20, czyli doradczego ciała reprezentującego międzynarodowe środowiska biznesowe przy grupie G20. Dzięki temu dostrzegamy przewartościowanie dotychczasowych koncepcji, które po prostu nie sprawdziły się w praktyce. Kryzysy gospodarcze pokazały, że prawdziwym fundamentem rozwoju może być wyłącznie ciężka, systematyczna praca przedsiębiorców. W czekających nas przemianach polscy przedsiębiorcy będą mieć na pewno swoje miejsce. Ale jak znaczące? To już zależy od nas samych, czyli przedsiębiorców, ich reprezentantów jak Pracodawcy RP oraz instytucji tak głęboko związanych z polskim biznesem jak “Polish Market”. Przed tytułem stoją nowe wyzwania, jakimi są założenia związane m.in. ze Strategią na rzecz Odpowiedzialnego Rozwoju i kwestiami gospodarczymi w Polsce w najbliższym czasie. Będzie to czas, w którym pismo musi spełnić na arenie międzynarodowej rolę rzetelnego informatora o tym, co dzieje się w naszej gospodarce. Patrząc na “Polish Market” widzę w Was naturalnego i silnego sojusznika w nadchodzących zmaganiach o sukces polskich przedsiębiorców i polskiej gospodarki. Jesteście potężnym kołem zamachowym promocji naszego kraju na rynku międzynarodowym, a ten obszar będzie w najbliższym czasie kluczowy. Dziękuję Wam za dotychczasową współpracę i życzę powodzenia. A ponieważ zadania będą tylko trudniejsze i bardziej wymagające, to i sukces będzie tym większy, bardziej satysfakcjonujący. Z zaangażowaniem jakie prezentujecie, Waszą rzetelnością i instynktem dziennikarskim z pewnością dacie sobie radę. Andrzej Malinowski, Prezydent, Pracodawcy RP

Dear Editorial Team, The 20th anniversary of “Polish Market” is an occasion of which you can be proud. We all know how demanding today’s publishing market is and realise the degree of professionalism needed to achieve and maintain a position in it. Especially if your message is intended for foreigners, and your task is to promote the Polish economy in the international market. The “Polish Market” team has proved by its work that it is well prepared for these challenges. I am convinced that this passing 20 years is the introduction to many more decades of fruitful activity. And Employers of Poland will have their role to play, as it has been todate. The global, and also Polish, economy is entering a new stage of development. The current rigid rules are changing, accepted doctrines are falling. The time of the entrepreneurs is coming where their activities and initiatives will mean more than before. It will be a time for specifics, real achievements and measurable values. Employers of Poland believe that this is so and feel the symptoms of these changes, because they are the only representatives of entrepreneurs of Central and Eastern Europe participating in the work of B20, which is an advisory body representing the international business community at the G20. As a result, we see the re-evaluation of existing concepts that simply do not work well in practice. Economic crises have shown that the true foundation of development can only be hard, systematic work of entrepreneurs. Polish business people are certain to have their own place in the forthcoming changes. But how prominent will this place be? This depends on ourselves, the entrepreneurs and their representatives such as Employers of Poland and institutions strongly tied to Polish business, such as “Polish Market”. The title faces new challenges such as the assumptions of the Strategy for Responsible Development and economic issues arising in Poland in a near future. During that time the magazine will have to play the role of a reliable source of information about our economy. Looking at “Polish Market” I see in you a natural and strong ally in the approaching struggle for the success of Polish entrepreneurs and the Polish economy. You are a powerful driving force behind the promotion of our country in the international market, and this area is going to be crucial. I want to thank you for the co-operation to-date and wish you every success, and since the tasks are only going to get harder and more demanding, the success will be that much bigger, more satisfying. Seeing your commitment, reliability and journalistic instinct I am certain that you will succeed in your endeavours.

POLISH MARKET

Andrzej Malinowski, President of Employers of Poland


Ms Krystyna-Woźniak Trzosek Editor-in-chief of “Polish Market” “Polish Market” is - one may say - a unique proposal on the Polish publishing market. This biggest English-language magazine brings up very important issues associated with economy, science and culture. At the same time, it pursues the mission of promoting businesses, their managers and brands. Providing in its articles an in-depth analysis of processes associated with the development of the Polish economy, “Polish Market” has acquired not only a group of regular readers, but also a strong reputation as an invaluable source of knowledge for foreign business partners and investors about various spheres of economy and finance. “Polish Market” has also consistently strengthened Poland’s changing image as a modern country teeming with life, a country of technological, economic and social development. The magazine has also been significantly changing the image of our country, breaking stereotypes about Poland and Polish people. In conjunction with important state offices and public institutions in Poland, “Polish Market” creates a positive image of Poland abroad, consistently building brand Poland. Dear Editor-in-Chief, Please accept our congratulations on the 20th anniversary of the magazine. We hope that our cooperation will continue to be as fruitful as it has been so far. We wish you and the whole editorial team many more such beautiful anniversaries.

POLISH MARKET

Franciszek Gaik, Ph.D. Vice-President Polish Business Club Ryszard Konwerski President Polish Business Club


Szanowna Pani Prezes, W imieniu swoim i zespołu Instytutu Fizjologii i Patologii Słuchu mam zaszczyt i przyjemność serdecznie Pani pogratulować i przesłać nasze najlepsze życzenia z okazji jubileuszowej 20 rocznicy Państwa Wydawnictwa. Od samego początku z sympatią obserwowałem dynamiczny rozwój Waszego wydawnictwa. Zawsze z wielkim zainteresowaniem czytam Wasze wywiady z wyjątkowymi ludźmi biznesu, gospodarki, medycyny i nauki. Dzięki Waszej pracy dziennikarskiej czytelnicy z całego świata mogą się zapoznać z osiągnięciami polskiej gospodarki, sylwetkami przedsiębiorców i nowatorskimi rozwiązaniami w zarządzaniu, finansach a nawet medycynie. Na najwyższe uznanie zasługuje olbrzymi wkład Waszych redaktorów w popularyzację polskiej nauki i technologii oraz promocji polskich innowacji. Wielokrotnie miałem przyjemność bycia zaproszonym do “Polish Market”. Dzięki Waszemu miesięcznikowi czytelnicy na wielu kontynentach mogli regularnie śledzić wdrażanie Polskiego Programu Implantu Ślimakowego, dowiedzieć się o pierwszym na świecie wszczepieniu implantu ślimakowego u osoby dorosłej i u dziecka z częściową głuchotą, które przeprowadziłem w 2002 i 2004 roku oraz o Polskiej Szkole Otochirurgii, którą miałem zaszczyt tworzyć. Dziękuję Wam za sprawozdania z naszych konferencji naukowych i warsztatów i za obecność podczas naszych momentów przełomowych: otwarcia Międzynarodowego Centrum Słuchu i Mowy i Światowego Centrum Słuchu, które dzisiaj ma pod swoją opieką ponad 5 tysięcy użytkowników implantów słuchowych. Jestem dumny z przyznania mi przez “Polish Market” specjalnej Perły Honorowej za osiągnięcia życiowe w nauce i medycynie. Wasza rzetelność była zawsze gwarancją dla czytelników, że otrzymują informacje przygotowane z najwyższą dziennikarską skrupulatnością. Dziękuję Wam, że przez wiele lat pomagaliście nam edukować społeczeństwo i podważać stereotypy o ludziach z niesprawnościami i ich problemach. Wasze wsparcie medialne dla naszych działań przyczyniło się do sukcesu w postaci świadczenia i wykonania ponad 3 milionów konsultacji i badań. Z okazji otwarcia Światowego Centrum Słuchu odsłoniliśmy unikatową tablicę upamiętniającą “Nasze podziękowania dla tych, którzy wspierają nowe idee komunikacji między ludźmi.” Mam nadzieję, że obecność na tej tablicy nazwiska Pani Krystyny Woźniak-Trzosek, Redaktor Naczelnej “Polish Market” jest powodem dumy w nadchodzących latach. Życzę Wam wielu interesujących wydarzeń do opisania, satysfakcji z zawodowych pasji i nieustającego pasma sukcesu w pracy. Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, Dyrektor Instytutu Patologii i Fizjologii Słuchu i Prezydent Fundacji Akademia Polskiego Sukcesu Dear Ms President, On behalf of myself and the team of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing I have the honor and pleasure to cordially congratulate you and send out best compliments upon of the 20th anniversary of your Publishing House. From the very beginning I have been watching the dynamic development of your Publishing House with sympathy. I always read with great interest your interviews with outstanding people of business, economy, medicine or science. Thanks to your journalistic work readers from the whole world can become acquainted with achievements of Polish economy, profiles of entrepreneurs and novel solutions in management, finance and even medicine. The great contribution of your editors to the popularization of Polish science and technology, and the promotion of Polish innovations deserves the highest regard. I had the pleasure to be invited to „Polish Market” several times. Thanks to your monthly magazine readers on many continents could systematically follow the implementation of the Polish Cochlear Implant Programme, learn about the first in the world cochlear implementation in an adult and a child with partial deafness which I had performed in 2002 and in 2004, and about the “Polish School of Otosurgery” which I had the honour to create. Thank you for reports from our scientific conferences and workshops and for being present at our milestone moments: the opening of the International Center of Hearing and Speech and the World Hearing Center, which today has under its care more than 5 thousand hearing implant users. I am proud of being honoured by „Polish Market” for lifetime achievements in science and medicine with the special Honorary Pearl. Your integrity has always been the assurance for your readers that they receive information prepared with the highest journalistic scrupulousness. Thank you for helping us for many years to educate society and undermine the stereotypes about people with impairments and their problems. Your media support of our activities has contributed to our success in providing and performing more than 3 million consultations and examinations. On the occasion of the opening of the World Hearing Center we had unveiled a unique commemorative plaque “Our thanks to those who support the new ideas of communication between people.” I hope that the presence of the name of Ms Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Editor-in-Chief of “Polish Market”, in that plaque is the cause for pride for years to come. I wish you many interesting events to report, satisfaction with your professional passions and continued success in your work. Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, Director of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, President of the Foundation - Academy of Polish Success

POLISH MARKET


Award from the Polish Tourist Organization (POT) on the 15th anniversary of “Polish Market”, from left: Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Prof. Henryk Skarżyński and Rafał Szmytke (POT)

For services to Polish Culture

Ambassador of the Polish Economy (BCC)

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS FOR “POLISH MARKET” Over the 20 years since the inception of “Polish Market,” we have received many distinctions, awards, certificates of merit and congratulatory letters. It is impossible to name all of them. We cite below only some of them – the most important ones. Among the awards are those granted to Editor-in-Chief Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek and those intended for the whole editorial team of “Polish Market.”

2004 - For services to Polish Culture - state distinction awarded by the Minister of Culture and National Heritage 2004 - The Ribbon of the Niemen award – Chamber of Commerce for Eastern Markets – for initiating economic cooperation with the East

2004 - Gold Medal of the Polish Success Academy – for long-term contribution to promoting the Polish economy 2011 - Luxury Brand of the Year 2011 - Award from the Polish Tourist Organization (POT) on the 15th anniversary of “Polish Market” – for promoting over many years the Polish tourist sector

2012 - Ambassador of the Polish Economy, BCC – in the Partner of Foreign Firms category (BCC) 2015 - Business Centre Club’s European Medal

Gold Cross of Merit, from left: Aleksander Kwaśniewski, President of the Republic of Poland and Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, 2005

Bene Merito, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek and Bogusław Winid, Undersecretary of State for Security Policy in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, 2011

AWARDS AND DISTINCTIONS FOR KRYSTYNA WOŹNIAK-TRZOSEK, EDITOR-IN-CHIEF OF “POLISH MARKET”:

2005 - Gold Cross of Merit - from the President of the Republic of Poland - for the promotion of Poland worldwide 2007 - Platinum Laurel - Ambassador of Polish Affairs from the Katowice Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2011 - Bene Merito – state distinction awarded by the Minister of Foreign Affairs to people who have rendered special services to building a positive image of Poland in the world

2014 – For Services to Exports from the Polish Exporters Association

2015 - Economic Journalist of the Year 2015 from the Polish Exporters Association 2015 – Ambassador of Integration and Cooperation from the Welconomy Forum in Toruń


Culture

THE POWER OF ARTISTS!

Poland is a country whose hallmark has always been culture. We are always represented in the international arena by excellent Polish orchestras, Polish composers, increasing numbers of theatrical performers or filmmakers. Modern concert halls continue to spring up and we have very talented young people. We are in a good artistic dialogue with the world. The idea of the perception of art as the best hallmark and ambassador for Poland has for many years determined the activity of "Polish Market". Over the last 20 years we have often given a special place on our pages to many top Polish artists, cultural institutions and events. Maciej Proliński

I

n 2001, Poland was the guest of honour at the Europalia Festival, the largest presentation of culture in Europe, organised since 1969 in Belgium. The great offensive of Polish culture throughout the world taking the form of ”Cultural Seasons” also dates back to that year. "Polish Market" dedicated a prominent place on its pages to all these “seasons” by publishing special multi-lingual editions presenting individual cultural events. Many of these “seasons” were prepared so that an indelible mark would be left by them. The main emphasis was placed on strong infrastructure and the geography of contacts between institutions, but also between individual entities taking part in international cultural exchange programmes. Some parts of these “seasons” were designed to overcome negative stereotypes. Others were connected with our efforts to secure membership in the European Union. The main objective of the Polish Year in Israel (2008/2009) was to bring Polish and Israeli societies closer together by strengthening contacts, mostly in the area of culture, and to initiate long-term cooperation between institutions from both countries. An important task of that Year was to reach an audience who had not been interested in Polish culture before. Another important challenge was the selection of projects stemming from the interests of the Israelis, and, without avoiding a debate about

the past, to emphasise contemporary culture providing a new platform for communication. The Polish Season in France (“Nova Polska” – 2004/2005) was the first promotional project of our country as a member state of the European Union. It also provided an opportunity for presenting the changes which had recently taken place, and for creating Poland’s image a modern and dynamic country. Hence the name “Nova Polska.” Polska! Year in Great Britain (2009-2010) included over 200 projects presenting to the British audience the greatest and most important achievements of Polish culture and the works of Poland’s most outstanding artists. However, this project was not intended as an image-building exercise. Following the arrival of some one million Poles, the situation in Great Britain changed significantly. There appeared honest, sincere questions free from political correctness: Who are these Poles? Where did they come from? This was followed by questions about our history and culture, and even: Where did we learn to speak English? We did not want to answer these questions ourselves and thus the Polska! Year programme was largely designed by the Brits. We showed them what we had and allowed them to choose a Poland they wanted to present to their audience. The result was a very interesting and innovative programme seen as a major international success. We noted with pride the most telling events on our pages, such as the “Symbolism

in Poland and Britain” exhibition at Tate Britain. In 2006, the-then Minister of Culture and National Heritage Kazimierz Michał Ujazdowski resurrected two separate State cultural institutions: the Adam Mickiewicz Institute and the National Cultural Centre. The former became an institution tasked with popularising Polish culture abroad and the latter carries out a wide range of activities pertaining to our cultural heritage, historical and patriotic education. "Polish Market" has consistently promoted both these institutions and their fantastic achievements over the last decade. By dint of the scale of its events and investments, including those into cultural infrastructure in Poland, the Year of Fryderyk Chopin (2010) brought the contemporary image of Poland closer to the ideal represented by Fryderyk Chopin (1810-1849). The Year of Chopin was undoubtedly the biggest image campaign of Poland in the world. Everything was organised on an exceptional scale. The leitmotiv of the Polish cultural programme during EXPO 2010 was the music of Chopin. It formed an important part of the gala concert at the Shanghai National Theatre. Thanks to his works, but also owing to his unique individuality in the era of Romanticism, perhaps the most beautiful ere in the history of culture, Chopin became a radiating beacon. The task of the Year of Chopin was to bring our contemporary image and our tradition closer to this mark of excellence. Using his 10/2016 29 polish polish market market 29


Culture

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PU B LISHED SIncE 199 6 No.6 (213) /2014 :: www.polishmarket.com.pl

SPEcIaL EDItIon

iGNaCy J. PADereWSKI jerzy maksymiuk

Polish Market :: 6 (213) /2014 SPECIAL EDITION

SPECIAL EDITION (170) 2010

Polish Market SPECIAL EDITION (170) 2010

work, we wanted to show the world who we are today. In December 2009, the editors of "Polish Market" prepared a special edition dedicated to these important issues under the patronage of this “greatest of the great,” an unquestionable genius of world music. On June 4, 2014, "Polish Market" and Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera organised a unique concert during which “Polonia” symphony in h-minor, op. 24, by Ignacy Jan Paderewski was played. This monumental symphony, nearly 90 minutes long, composed more than 100 years ago on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the January Uprising, performed by the Orchestra of Teatr Wielki – Polish National Opera under Jerzy Maksymiuk, was a poignant reminder of the maturity and grand scale of the composer’s music and his approach to composing based on order, full awareness and technical discipline. We dedicated a special edition of "Polish Market" (June 2014) to Polish history, freedom, culture, Paderewski and Maksymiuk. This beautiful moment in the life of the magazine was a perfect example of the coexistence between great Polish art and the patronage over it. We often complain that Poland still has no single brand which could be used as our global hallmark, that we are no economic powerhouse and lag far behind the developed countries. However, we keep forgetting that we had and still have a huge capital in the form of our artists. Thanks to their unique talents we can enchant the world. What is more, the world often reminds us of this capital and introduces it to us, Poles! We have on many occasions talked on our pages with the most prominent representatives of Polish art. The world of classical music was represented by, among others, by Elżbieta and Krzysztof Penderecki, Henryk Wojnarowski, Franciszek Wybrańczyk, Jerzy Maksymiuk and Staś Drzewiecki, Patrycja Piekutowska. The world of film music was represented by Jan A.P. Kaczmarek, Zbigniew Preisner and Piotr Salaber. And the world of jazz and pop music was represented by artists such as Włodek Pawlik, Tomasz Stańko, Urszula Dudziak, Anna Maria Jopek, Wojciech Waglewski, Katarzyna Gaertner, Waldemar Malicki or Maryla Rodowicz. We talked to the ambassadors of Polish theatre and film, such as Krystian Lupa, Jerzy Grzegorzewski, Krzysztof Warlikowski, Andrzej Wajda, Jerzy Kawalerowicz, Jerzy Hoffman, Filip Bajon, Piotr Dumała, Wojciech Malajkat and Jerzy Stuhr, art historians: Zofia Gołubiew and Andrzej Rottermund, and recognised designers such as Andrzej Tomasz Rudkiewicz and Tomek Rygalik. Talking about designers, it is worth remembering that on our pages we often tried to identify the unique attributes of Polish design and determine the role played in design by national identity. We pointed out that design was a discipline combining science, art and the economy which makes it one of the most important elements of the contemporary world. We indicated that Polish industrial design was at a very high global level. We watched and noted with pride the successes of graduates of Polish artistic higher schools whose creative potential and talents were recognised by many companies which decided to co-operate with them. Cultural identity is a very important element of industrial design because it determines the uniqueness of every school of design. Works by Scandinavian, Italian, Japanese, and, we are particularly glad to say, Polish artists retain their specific character and style which renders them unique. We also stressed that owing to its popularity and the hybrid nature, design

www.polishmarket.com.pl

Laureate of the European Medal


Culture affects the building of the cultural identity. Increasingly, the two go hand in hand. No longer culture, mentality and tradition affect design, but it itself has an impact upon the environment, as can be seen in everyday life, lifestyles and fashion. Design has begun to co-create many aspects of contemporary culture and now it is not possible to talk of one-way traffic. For the last 10 years in our monthly Cultural Monitor, we have been presenting a review of the most important new Polish releases (mostly in music and film), and cultural events, concerts, festivals, and premieres taking place in Poland. These events are often firm fixtures in the international calendar. Our magazine supports some of them as a media partner. They include the Crazy Days of Music, Jazz Jamboree Festival, Warsaw Summer Jazz Days and International Paderewski Festival. “Today we sometimes forget that, although we are in a crisis, smaller or bigger, we continue to score successes which are sometimes smaller and sometimes bigger. However, what will be left 50 or 100 years from now will mostly be the products of Polish culture. Therefore, today I offer big thanks to the editors of "Polish Market", which, based on the promotion of Polish economy, promotes Polish culture”, Prof. Jerzy Buzek stressed during the Gala celebrating the 15th anniversary of "Polish Market". During an official Gala held every autumn for the last 14 years at the Royal Castle in Warsaw we announce the results of our prestigious Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking. The ceremony includes the presentation of the Honorary Pearls to recipients chosen by a special chapter represented by persons enjoying great authority and recognition in society. The Honorary Pearls are awarded in the following categories: economy, science, culture, and the promotion of civic values, Polish traditions and patriotic values. These Pearls are presented to persons who are ambassadors for the highest Polish values, outstanding visionaries in these disciplines, who are not afraid of breaking stereotypes and work for the common good by building our history and extending our national heritage. Our first Honorary Pearl in 2006 in culture went to Wojciech Kilar – one of the most famous Polish composers who presents the beauty of Polish melody. In subsequent years this Pearl went to many other deserving representatives of the Polish world of music who promoted Poland in places such as Japan, New Zealand, all over Europe, the USA or Africa. So far, the Pearl has been awarded to opera singers on four occasions. The recipients were Małgorzata Walewska, Bernard Ładysz, Marek Torzewski, Marcin Bronikowski. Representatives of the world of classical music holding our Pearl include: Janusz Olejniczak, Henryk Wojnarowski – manager of the Choir of the National Philharmonics, Jacek Sykulski– a composer, conductor and choirmaster of the Poznań Boys’ Choir, Sinfonia Varsovia Orchestra, Academic Choir of the Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań and Jerzy Maksymiuk. We have also presented cultural Pearls to “the first ladies of Polish jazz” – Urszula Dudziak, Anna Maria Jopek and a jazzman, a composer, pianist and winner of the Grammy Award 2014 Włodek Pawlik. The recipients of our Pearl who act as great ambassadors of Polish art also include Krystyna Janda – an outstanding actress, director and head of Teatr Polonia in Warsaw, Jerzy Stuhr – one of Poland’s favourite theatre and film actors or Mirosław Bałka – one of the most outstanding contemporary sculptors of a truly global format. • 10/2016 31 polish polish market market 31


THE WINNERS

OF THE RANKING ◄ The 1st Gala Pearls of the Polish Economy was held during the Economic Forum in Krynica Zdrój.

2002 ...........................................................

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▲ From left: Prof. Tomasz Szapiro, Krytyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Marek Maruszak, Janusz Piechociński, Robert Kwaśniak, 2015

▲ From left: Prof. Tomasz Szapiro, Marek Kiersznicki, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Janusz Jarosiński, Janusz Piechociński, Tomasz Piotrowski, 2015

ourteen years ago Krystyna WoźniakTrzosek, editor-in-chief of “Polish Market,” initiated cooperation between the monthly and scientists – professors of economics. The result is research into the condition of Polish enterprises published in the form of the Pearls of the Polish Economy ranking. The Pearl of the Polish Economy title is granted on the basis of the special criteria and methodology developed by scientists of the Decision Support and Analysis Unit at the Institute of Econometrics Warsaw School of Economics. For a company to take part in the ranking, it has to generate annual sales of at least PLN100 million (Large Pearls), or over PLN1 billion (Grand Pearls). The first Gala of the Pearls of the Polish Economy was held during the Economic Forum in Krynica Zdrój. Since 2005 the Pearls of the Polish Economy Galas, organized by the English-language economic magazine “Polish Market,” have been held at Warsaw’s Royal Castle.

2015

The 13th Pearls of the Polish Economy Gala was held at Warsaw’s Royal Castle on November 6, 2015

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▲ From left: Prof. Tomasz Szapiro, Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek, Krzysztof Kalicki, Janusz Piechociński, Arkadiusz Przybył, Łukasz Kalinowski, 2015


HONORARY PEARLS ◄ Laureates of the Honorary Pearls 2006. From left: Prof. Henryk Skarżyński, Grażyna Jaskuła (VicePresident of Polish Market), Henryk Strzelecki, Krystyna Wożniak-Trzosek (President of Polish Market), Wojciech Kilar and Jan Ołdakowski.

2006 ...........................................................

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or 10 years, during its annual Gala of the Pearls of the Polish Economy, “Polish Market” has awarded Honorary Pearls 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. The idea of considering the arts, especially music, as Poland’s best showcase and ambassador has for years guided the activities of “Polish Market. Prof. Michał Kleiber, former President of the Polish Academy of Sciences (PAN), said: “The Pearls of the Polish Economy are conferred on the basis of extremely objectified criteria, developed by the Institute of Economics of the Polish Academy of Sciences. As for the Honorary Pearls, let me just say one thing: when you check the list of laureates, you will know how important these distinctions are.”

2015

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▲ Laureates of the Honorary Pearls 2015


Assembly

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14 EDITION OF THE PEARLS OF THE POLISH ECONOMY COMPETITION TH

T

Prof. Tomasz Kuszewski

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

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. •

POLISH MARKET



President

VISIT OF THE PRESIDENT OF PALESTINE n official visit of Mahmoud Abbas, President of Palestine, in Poland began on September 6 with a welcome ceremony held in the courtyard of the Presidential Palace. The topics discussed by President Andrzej Duda with the Palestinian leader included the peace process in the Middle East. – Poland will strive to ensure that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is resolved – said Andrzej Duda. – We are going to press for a return to the peace talks – said Mahmoud Abbas. Andrzej Duda and Mahmud Abbas also spoke about the establishment of a Polish-Palestinian economic zone in Palestine and cultural co-operation. President Duda declared that Poland would continue to provide development aid to Palestine. He annoniced that we was planning to visit Palestine and Israel in January 2017. Andrzej Duda stressed that the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian “lies at Poland’s heart.” – We are participating in the peace process in the Middle East. In July, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski took part in a meeting in Paris aimed at solving all problems in Israeli-Palestinian relations. Poland believes in this and will do everything to help end the conflict, to calm the situation in order to make it possible for the two

Photo: Andrzej Hrechorowicz KPRP

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countries to exist in future, to coexist and to ensure security to their citizens. – President Duda told a joint press conference with President Abbas.

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e cannot allow imperial ambitions and actions to return to Europe. We cannot close our eyes to taking away the freedom of others by force and to changing borders in Europe – President Andrzej Duda said on September 1 during a ceremony at Westerplatte in Gdańsk. The early-morning ceremony commemorating the 77th anniversary of the start of World War Two traditionally began at 4.45 a.m. At this hour on September 1, 1939 German forces launched an attack on the Military Transit Depot located on this Gdańsk peninsula. Apart from the President, the ceremony at the foot of the Monument of the Coast Defenders was attended by, among others, Premier Beata Szydło and Minister of Defence Antoni Macierewicz. In his address the President stressed that Polish soldiers under Major Henryk Sucharski and his deputy defended Westerplatte for seven days against a continuous offensive by three times larger German forces and the

bombardment from the German battleship "Schleswig-Holstein." - This was an act of great courage, heroism, steadfastness of Polish soldiers in defence of the motherland. According to the assumptions, they were supposed to defend themselves for several hours and not for a whole week – the President pointed out. He stressed that, despite a lack of sleep, wounds, death and the destruction of almost all resistance, Polish soldiers continued to fight.

POLISH PRESIDENT MEETS JORDANIAN KING

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resident of Poland Andrzej Duda met on August 28 in Gdańsk with King Abdullah II of Jordan who was in Poland on an unofficial visit. The situation in the Middle East and Poland-Jordan co-operation in the economy and security were in the focus of the talks between the heads of state. On the eve of the anniversary of the start of World War Two, King Abdullah II laid a wreath at the Monument of the Coast Defenders at Westerplatte. The meeting of the Polish president and the Jordanian king in Gdańsk (northern Poland) confirmed good bilateral relations, the President's Office reported. Earlier the two heads of state met during last year's UN summit in New York. That meeting resulted, among others, in a proposal to set up bilateral security consultations. Jordan closely co-operates with the European Union and is one of the most important partners of NATO. At the Alliance’s 2014 Summit in Newport it was included in the group of States offered reinforced partnership

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(together with Sweden, Finland, Australia and Georgia). The Kingdom’s forces took part in NATO operations in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Libya. Moreover, Jordan, as the first country in the Mediterranean Dialogue, made a contribution to NATO’s Response Forces. The President said that the ceremony also paid homage to all the victims of World War Two, including 5.8 million Polish citizens. – Today, we must make every effort, also in co-operation with our partners, to ensure that such situation never affects our country, our society, but also our neighbours – he added. - We cannot allow imperial ambitions and actions to return to Europe. We cannot consent to breaking international law or close our eyes to taking away the freedom of others by force and to changing borders in Europe. There may be no renewed concert by superpowers because sooner or later this is bound to result in a hungry grab for the property of the weaker nations – said the President.

Photo: Grzegorz Jakubowski KPRP

PRESIDENT AT WESTERPLATTE TO COMMEMORATE THE 77TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE BEGINNING OF WORLD WAR TWO


Prime Minister

KRYNICA-ZDRÓJ: VISEGRAD GROUP PRIME MINISTERS HOLD TALKS WITH UKRAINIAN PRIME MINISTER

BEATA SZYDŁO: STRONG EU A GUARANTEE OF POLAND’S SECURITY

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he future of the European Union after Brexit, security, the situation in Ukraine and preparations for the EU summit in Bratislava – these were the main topics of Friday’s talks between the prime ministers of the Visegrad Group (V4) States with the German Chancellor Angela Merkel. Their meeting held on Friday in Warsaw was hosted by Prime Minister Beata Szydło. During her meeting with Chancellor Merkel and the heads of governments of the Visegrad Group, Prime Minister Beata Szydło stressed that the EU was very important to Poland. She pointed out that a strong EU was a guarantee of Poland’s development and security of our citizens. The talks in Warsaw concerned, among others, the planned reforms of the EU and both the internal and external security of the Union, effective measures preventing terrorism and the migration crisis. Other topics included regulations contained in the new directive regarding delegating employees to work abroad and proposals of changes in the asylum system. Prime Minister Beata Szydło stressed that we should seek projects that unite instead of dividing." It is necessary to continue drawing conclusions and preparing changes that make the European Union stronger", she said. She added that the subjects discussed with the Prime Ministers of the Visegrad Group States included the most important areas of co-operation. " If we seek ways of getting out of the present crisis of the Community we should focus on initiatives which unite and avoid those which create divisions. Alas, recently there have been quite a lot of the latter", stressed Prime Minister Szydło. The head of the Polish Government is of the opinion that the EU needs a serious discussion on the security issues. She believes that the migration crisis should be resolved, among others, by increasing humanitarian aid. The EU requires a serious debate concerning external and internal security. "We are going to discuss how to effectively respond to the challenges posed by the migration crisis", stressed Prime Minister Szydło.

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he Visegrad Group wants to support Ukraine and carry out joint projects – Prime Minister Beata Szydło declared at the Economic Forum in Krynica. Prime Ministers of the V4 States met on Tuesday with Volodimir Hrojsman, the Prime Minister of Ukraine. It was a good meeting. We have many common interests – Prime Minister Beata Szydło declared after the meeting of the V4 Prime Ministers with the Prime Minister of Ukraine. The Visegrad Group continues to support Ukraine. We want to implement joint projects – the head of the Polish government said after the meeting between V4 and Volodimir Hrojsman. She stressed that the common interests shared by the Group and Ukraine included the Carpathian region and issues pertaining to the energy infrastructure and policy. We want to clearly support Ukraine when it comes to visas and a policy designed to bring Ukraine into the European Union at some time in the future – said Prime Minister Szydło. The prime ministers of the Visegrad Group and Ukraine also took part in a plenary session entitled “Central and Eastern Europe – can we speak with one voice?” During the meeting its participants discussed future relations between the European Union and Ukraine in political, economic and security terms.

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n Thursday (28 July) Prime Minister Beata Szydło held a meeting with British Prime Minister Theresa May. Poland is one of the first countries visited by the British Prime Minister after assuming her office. The topics discussed by the heads of government included: strategic partnership, the situation of Poles in the United Kingdom, as well as British–EU relations following Brexit. Prime Ministers Szydło and May discussed bilateral relations between Poland and the United Kingdom and the future of multilateral relations with Britain after Brexit. Prime Minister Szydło stressed the role of Great Britain as Poland’s strategic partner. Both countries share a similar point of view regarding many issues. Security matters were also discussed during the meeting. The Polish Prime Minister reiterated the arrangements made during the NATO Summit in Warsaw, where decisions were taken to reinforce the eastern flank of the Alliance. Great Britain will play an important role in this process.

We share the same position regarding migration policy and the eastern policy – said the Polish Prime Minister. She added that before the forthcoming EU summit the issue of the eastern policy would be consulted with the United Kingdom. Moreover, Prime Minister Beata Szydło informed that a decision had been taken to commence inter-departmental consultations, as already discussed with the previous British Prime Minister David Cameron.

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Photo: P. Tracz KPRM

PRIME MINISTER BEATA SZYDŁO: GREAT BRITAIN IS OUR STRATEGIC PARTNER


Our Guest

THREE RULES : RESPONSIBILITY, SOLIDARITY AND JUSTICE

Andrzej Duda, President of the Republic of Poland at the general debate of the 71st Session of UN General Assembly

Distinguished Delegates! Sustainable development, human rights protection as well as peace and security – these are the goals pursued by the United Nations (Organization) whose achievement has been mankind’s yearning. By adopting in the previous year the Agenda 2030 and the new Sustainable Development Goals we demonstrated that we are capable of acting as an international community and attain success, as well as confront new ambitious goals. Today I wish to address three foundations of sustainable development, without whose achievement it will never be possible to attain sustainable development as such. It is my profound conviction that these are the rules with which each of us should identify if we care for human happiness and successful progress of our nations. These three rules, the free foundations of sustainable development are: RESPONSIBILITY, SOLIDARITY and JUSTICE. RESPONSIBILITY arises from our obligation to take care of the heritage that we are going to leave to our children and grandchildren and of how we are going to be remembered by them and what they are going to write about us in history books. Responsibility is underpinned by the conviction that history does neither begin nor end here and now – but is a succession of generations, destinies and commitments. Responsibility understood this way pertains nowadays especially to social issues and the natural environment. Responsible development is a development which cares for the appropriate continuity

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to be preserved between generations: past, contemporary and future. As in an Olympic relay race, of key importance is the smooth passing of the baton when one approaches the changeover box. On many occasions has history illustrated what happens if this historical continuity is interrupted, when rapidly people want to build while destroying what our antecedents have left us, against their belief and their sense of rightness, when order gives in to chaos, which destroys social bonds, and only arouses fear and anxiety. When respect for tradition is absent and social engineering is used instead, development is not possible, let alone sustainable development. Progress that does not create but destroys things is in fact a regression. It is FAMILY which is the basic form of human community which harmoniously links together the successions of generations. That is why solicitude for its durability and welfare is so crucially significant. Human rights are also rights of a family. Their attainment involves active support to multi-generation society, and the main instrument of the latter is a pro-family policy. I am proud to ascertain that the authorities of the Republic of Poland are now carrying out an ambitious programme for improving the living conditions of children in Polish families. The groundwork underpinning any development is the creation of appropriate conditions for the conception of new life. The second challenge to sustainable development, one which also calls for responsible policies, is care for the natural environment. The implementation of Agenda

2030 will not be possible without stemming the degradation of nature, an effort to be taken on with determination and consistency. We were reminded of this fact by Pope Francis in his encyclical "Laudato si" : "Climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all”. The immensity of challenges that we are facing can be best illustrated by the fact that at a recent geology congress, scientists came to the conclusion that a new geological epoch may be now described: Anthropocene, as they decided to term it. For the very first time in the history of the Earth, this epoch has not been determined by geological activity but rather by human activity. We realize what grave environmental consequences changes in the natural environment produce. Their social, economic and political ramifications are equally important. Already now we can ask ourselves the question: "Are we threatened with climate wars? "This is precisely why only global actions undertaken in concord by all states may bring about an improvement in the condition of nature on our planet Earth. Last year in Paris we jointly demonstrated that we are capable to take on responsible decisions by means of adopting a new climate agreement. The Republic of Poland was an active participant to those negotiations. I wish to inform you, Ladies and Gentlemen, about the fact that Poland has initiated the process of ratification of the Paris Agreement and the Doha amendments. As President of the Republic of Poland I attach a lot of importance to its possibly speediest conclusion in line with the provisions of our constitution. Responsibility for the natural environment involves more than mere prevention of climate change. In line with the spirit of Agenda 2030, it also includes protection of water and soil or fighting desertification. Responsible development requires a balanced approach. Therefore, the natural environment should be viewed from three perspectives: of water, soil and air. If it is to be sustainable, development must also take into account the special features of individual countries, their economic structures and employment in particular. The second pillar of sustainable development is SOLIDARITY. This concept is particularly close to the Polish people who, led by the social movement bearing this name, carried out a peaceful political transition a quarter of a century ago, rejecting the system founded on lie and enslavement. What has given the Polish


Our Guest Solidarity its durable foundations to rely on, was a community of sensitivity to the misfortune of other people and respect to any man, regardless of his or her origin or financial situation. Today, the Republic of Poland implements the principle of solidarity on two planes: domestic and global. Solidarity is a development undertaken in the name of welfare of all social groups, and not only those strongest and most influential ones. The politics run in the spirit of solidarity is politics that cares for the weaker and does not give in to the stronger ones. That is why it must rely on solidarity between employers and employees, solidarity between regions more developed and less developed. Finally, the most fundamental solidarity is a solidarity of those who have the sense of attainment with those who struggle to survive each and every day. Only a development model founded on solidarity shall be capable of producing a system in which man: his needs and aspirations, are in its center. The system which affords equal opportunities to all and allows to tap the potential represented by those who have been so far functioning in social exclusion. It is the concept of development founded on solidarity that lies at the foundations of policies pursued by Poland’s present government. In line with its tenets, what should improve the quality of life of all citizens is the measures taken up by the government, and not only macroeconomic indices, which not often enough translate to the advancement of the former. We do not want to be captives to economic dogmas. We want solutions which allow to actively involve all social groups in development processes, giving them equal opportunity to benefit from economic growth. Such solutions will produce expected outcomes of restraining the areas of exclusion and poverty and of reducing social inequalities. Our policy is thus consistent with the ambitious vision on whose implementation we jointly decided when adopting Agenda 2030 one year ago. I think the time has come to start a global coalition of states for solidarity-based development of societies. Solidarity in international relations is first and foremost humanitarian and development aid in all territories affected by military conflicts, economic crises or natural disasters. The unprecedented scale of migration flows in contemporary world, the phenomenon which we now need to confront head-on, is a reminder thereof. Our shared grand responsibility is to start action to stem real roots of poverty and to guarantee to everyone the right to live in his or her home country. Poland has been watching with anxiety and concern the growing numbers of people affected by conflicts, especially in Syria and in Ukraine. Guided by our sense of solidarity, we have increased our humanitarian and development

aid in the Middle East region and to the East. In our efforts to build peace and sustainable development we set great store by education of children and young people. My country has been and will continue to be an active advocate of solidarity in the international arena. The third pillar of sustainable development is JUSTICE. A just and equitable order, as an order in which the sustainable development model can be delivered, is founded on the observance of HUMAN RIGHTS and LAW OF NATIONS. Individual freedom, dignity of human person and inviolability of his or her life, as well as freedom of conscience and religion – these are constituents of the catalogue of inalienable human rights which nowadays call for particular protection. There are by far too many sites world-wide where freedom is constrained by an oppressive political system where human dignity is violated, and where man’s most fundamental right, the right to life, is encroached upon. What raises our fundamental objection is that there are so many sites world-wide where people die because of religion they profess; for their faith which is solely the question of their conscience. We cannot stay mute in the face of the suffering of Christians, murdered in the name of religious fanaticism. The world must react to the phenomenon of religion-based genocide. That is why Poland has welcomed with particular satisfaction the fact that the protection of human rights has been placed so high among the priorities of the new development agenda. We have jointly reaffirmed a global agreement as to the interdependence that exists between development and human rights and freedoms. Only respect of human rights, not only the political ones but also social, economic and cultural, allows to fully harness human potential, and eventually, to implement a sustainable development model. Nevertheless, it must be remembered that all human rights are derived from the most fundamental one: the right to life. Our endeavours to build the world as a better place to live in will be futile if we are not capable of safeguarding the absolute primacy of international law in relations among states. Last year, in this very room I spoke about the need to base international relations on law. I went on to emphasize that all states are equally obligated to carry out their international commitments, and that any actions violating provisions of international law, among them political sovereignty and territorial integrity in particular, should be categorically denounced by the global community. Today, I wish to reiterate in most clear terms: we must abide by the rules expressed by the Roman legal maxim: Ex injuria jus non oritur – „Law is not born from lawlessness”. No aggressor

has the right to the territory occupied by them. We reject the system in which it is politics of force and aggression that predetermines destinies of nations. Peace and security are two fundamental preconditions for the achievement of sustainable development. The effectiveness of global action in this regard shall depend on international solidarity and concerted action between our states. In the meantime, any act of aggression which encroaches on international commitments undermines mutual trust among states and societies. It undermines the order which was so strenuously built in the wake of World War 2. That is why it is so crucially important to make sure that the policy of force would each time meet with a decisive opposition of the international community. In order for the law to be effective, any violation thereof must trigger off the execution of consequent measures. I also wish to highlight the fact that the realization of the principle of justice in international relations is equally endangered if we decide to base them on the division of spheres of influence among superpowers. As a result, proxy wars break out, respect for the subjective status of weaker states disappears and freedom of states and nations are encroached upon. Let us recall that any instance of peace made at the expense of someone else’s freedom can hardly ever last and is never equitable. This year, my country has been the host of two events that restore faith in the power of international cooperation among states and nations. The Summit Meeting of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in July testified to NATO’s unity in the effort to build peace and freedom in the transatlantic space. It was an expression of responsibility felt by NATO countries, which concluded an agreement leading to heightened security in the European continent. The outcomes of the Warsaw Summit are an expression of allied solidarity and respect for independence of free nations, that is the values which underpin equitable international order. Soon after the NATO Summit, in my home town of Cracow the International Youth Day was hosted, during which young people from all over the world met with Pope Francis. These days were a celebration time of joy, friendship and love. The young people gathered in Poland have shown us that the road to peace originates in human solidarity founded on preoccupation for another man, regardless of origin or religion. Responsibility, solidarity and justice: these are the pillars on which Poland would like to build international community for sustainable development of free nations and equal states. •

Address by the President of the Republic of Poland at the general debate of the 71st Session of the UN General

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Our Guest

WE NEED TO ACHIEVE A NEW EQUILIBRIUM MATEUSZ MORAWIECKI, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Finance

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ne of the most important things I try to instil in my deputies with regard to the Plan for Sustainable Development is its flexibility. I worked for 25 years in business, and I know that with the increasingly changing world and the economic reality based on technology, all entrepreneurs implement flexible solutions. We also have the humility when it comes to reality. We realise that today, for example renewable energy is very important. It is supposed to account for 15% of the total pool of energy by the year 2020. We do not want to exceed 15% because we believe that technological progress in this field is so great that perhaps the wind turbines installed in 5 years from now will be twice as cheap. Currently, they are two times cheaper than five years ago. Therefore, we have already done well in this respect. Flexibility instilled in many elements of this plan offers added value to both businesses and the entire economy. Germany has its economic strategy called “Energiewende und Industrie 4.0,” Denmark has three-year economic plans entitled “Innovation Denmark,” Finland has a powerful economic and financial agency which decides on the allocation of three quarters of the funds spend on innovation in that country. France has its strategy based on 34 key sectors. Singapore has special funds and a mid-term development strategy. If all these countries can be compared to Gierek’s plans and call them socialist then we too are like Gierek. In fact, we take advantage of the best practices of the Western countries, which, despite the Washington consensus imposed upon us, and despite adhering to these rules themselves, use very precise patterns of economic policy. We

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are reinforcing areas in our economy which have demonstrated a capacity for success and have defined their place on the map of Europe: the furniture or food sector, the aviation valley, automotive spare parts. We are very happy because of this, but at the same time we try to attract investment projects in the automotive sector: Toyota, Mercedes, Volkswagen, because we believe that Poland can be a powerhouse when it comes to car-making, and cars are highly technologically processed products with a very high added value. We should add to this electro-mobility promoted by us, meaning electrical cars and buses. Here, we combine the protection of the automotive industry with environmental and health protection and the attainment of the climate objectives of the European Union. We enter the competition battle in markets and sectors where we stand a chance of succeeding. We must remember that there are risks which require us to remain vigilant. Michael Pettis has written a book entitled “The great rebalancing,” which I recommend to you. As a result of something that prior to 2007 used to be called the “great moderation,” and should have been referred to as the great IMModeration, the world has entered into an era of gigantic imbalances amplified by three great demographic, migratory and technological trends. This means that the architects of economic policy in the most powerful in the world, when they woke up on 15 August in a different reality created by the fall of Lehman Brothers, they concluded that they had to find a response to this crisis that was different from the response used 80 years earlier. On that occasion, presidents of central banks and ministers tightened fiscal policy which proved

a huge mistake. In the case of the latest crisis, the architects of economic policy reached the correct conclusion that the opposite should be done. They launched quantitative easing and flooded the world with money. Thanks to this move, we have not been in a great depression for the last 8-9 years, as was the case 80 years ago. However, we find ourselves in a certain trap consisting in pumping the liquidity of the Central Bank. Every month, the European Central Bank and the Central Bank of Japan buy bonds worth USD 200 billion – gigantic quantitative easing. And what? And nothing! We are treading water. We need to achieve a new balance. However, we do not really know how to find it. Problems include the automation of industry and this entails a huge risk of a demand deficit. We have gigantic balances of the central banks running into 7-8 trillion dollars, but there is a shortage of demand on the other side. An investment gap of USD 400 billion has appeared and resists all the efforts to close it. Our economy is slightly better balanced because we learn from the mistakes of others. We must seek our own model of economic and social development. In the social development model we put emphasis on this demand. Hence, our bold 500+ programme. This programme builds the demand on the other side. Certainly, giving people money does not automatically create demand. If this were the case, a few countries, including Cuba, would be very rich. Social inequalities began to come to the fore in Poland and our government decided to make this move. However, we must also build productivity and innova• tion in our businesses. Statement made during the Krynica Economic Forum


Economy

26 MEETING BETWEEN BUSINESS AND POLITICS AT A MOUNTAIN SPA TH

The meeting between the Prime Ministers of the four member states of the Visegrad Group: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary

Patryk Mirecki

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he 26th Economic Forum held on September 6-8 in Krynica-Zdrój was attended by a record number of registered participants and accredited journalists. According to the figures released by the event’s organiser, the Foundation Institute for Eastern Studies, this year’s Forum attracted over 3,500 participants with media coverage provided by more than 750 journalists from a few dozens of countries. The largest media and companies, including companies owned by the State Treasury, played host to many of the two hundred plus thematic debates and special events. Those dedicated to the infrastructure and energy security stood out among the rest. Viktor Orban, Hungarian Prime Minister, was chosen as the Man of the Year of the Economic Forum in Krynica. The meeting between the Prime Ministers of the four member states of the Visegrad Group: Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary with Volodimir Hrojsman, the Prime Minister of Ukraine became an important political event.

OUR ECONOMIC HUSSARS Even before the official opening of the Forum, Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki, together with Deputy Minister of Economic Development Radosław Domagalski and President of the Polish Development Fund Paweł Borys presented in Krynica the assumptions of the new system of supporting export and foreign investments of Polish businesses. The key elements of the reform include the establishment of the Polish Trade and Investment Agency and the liquidation of the ineffective system of trade and investment promotion sections attached to Poland’s embassies, these will be replaced with a new network of foreign trade offices. "We want export to become our economic hussars. The export support model launched by us means a completely new quality. Companies may count on receiving professional help", stressed Deputy Prime Minister Morawiecki. "The PTIA will commence its activity in 2017", Deputy Minister of Economic Development Radosław Domagalski added. "It will be formed on the basis of the Polish Information

and Foreign Investment Agency. The ineffective system of trade and investment promotion sections (attached to Poland’s embassies), to be replaced with new foreign trade offices. The first such office will be opened in Tehran", the Deputy Minister added.

POLISH CHAMPIONS One of the main events of the Forum was a debate regarding leading Polish companies (champions) and their chances of making a mark on the international arena. They include the largest fuel and power sector enterprises. According to Prime Minister Beata Szydło who addressed the Forum, the role of the administration apparatus and the State is to facilitate trading and eliminate the existing barriers. In the opinion of the Prime Minister, this task of the State fits one of the programmes of the present government – the “Plan of Responsible Development” of Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki. "The implementation of this programme offers a chance that everybody who wants to operate in the 10/2016 polish market 43


Economy economy can do so without any hindrance. On the one hand, the State must create a good climate for business, and on the other hand, businesses which are able to take advantage of this climate must be created", stressed the Prime Minister. "Orlen should serve the Polish economy, but also benefit from its resources", observed Wojciech Jasiński, President of PKN Orlen. "Economic history shows that no large company in the world would have been established without appropriate economic polices of the State. This does not mean that we should maintain protectionist practices. They are forbidden under the existing Community legislation which Poland must respect – added Jasiński. "We must learn how to maintain good relations between business and State administration", said the head of PKN Orlen.

MEGAPROJECTS IN THE POWER SECTOR Those who took part in the debate entitled “Megaprojects, or the short- and long-term planning perspective in the power sector” discussed the future of the Polish power industry, the use of innovative technology in the power sector and the global trends visible in this area. "Sustainable development of the Polish economy requires more and more energy", observed Energy Minister Krzysztof Tchórzewski. "Previous governments were guided solely by the current calculations. Therefore, they considered new investment projects in the power sector to be unprofitable. Hence the decision to abandon the plans to build new power units at the Kozienice or Opole plants. However, the State remains a significant shareholder in the sector – hence the opportunity for the development of this branch of the economy", he added. "We are going to build a new 1,000 MW power unit in Ostrołęka", said Grzegorz Ksepko, Vice-President of Energa. "This project should be implemented in such a way as to ensuring its business profitability", he added. "Building the gas terminal in Świnoujście is our response to the demand for cheaper gas", said Janusz Kowalski, Vice-President of PGNiG. "Two new power units are also being constructed at the Opole Power Station. The aim is to carry out investment projects giving us cheaper energy", Kowalski summed up in his address.

EU MONEY TO HELP POLISH INFRASTRUCTURE In the debate entitled ”New financial perspective of infrastructural projects an opportunity

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Debate about leading Polish companies (champions) and their chances of making a mark on the international arenaPoland, Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary

for the development of the transport infrastructure and the power sector” the Minister of Infrastructure and Construction Andrzej Adamczyk stressed that one of the main priorities of the government was to improve the transport system, including modernisation and extension of road and rail infrastructure in our country, but also ensuring good connections with the rest of Europe through the TEN-T system financed by the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF). "So far, in two CEF contests Poland has been awarded EUR 3.84 billion, representing 93% of the national envelope of EUR 4.14 billion", the minister said. " This autumn we are going to apply for further EUR 360 million towards subsequent infrastructural investment projects." Another debate participant, Marta Towpik from the management board of PKP Energetyka observed that in the years 2019/2020 we should probably expect to see an accumulation of modernisation projects in the railway system conducted under the CEF which must be accounted for by 2023. "We must “flatten” this investment “peak,” among others, thanks to smaller projects implemented more quickly on the basis of a “notification,” instead of a building permit."

REGULATIONS OR INNOVATION? Participants in the discussion panel entitled “Regulations or innovation? What really changes the power sector?” stressed that currently changes which must be made by large firms are stimulated not by new laws, but by competition and customers. Bolesław Jankowski, Vice-President for Trade at Polska Grupa Energetyczna PGE, noted that – We want to go for modern solutions

both in the conventional power sector and in the area of new technologies. He also mentioned that the transformation plans of the company must always take into account the opportunities and threats associated with new business models that combine tradition with modernity. "We would like to set up research and development centres", he added. Piotr Zawistowski, Vice-President of Tauron, pointed out that his company wanted to use modern technologies in order to meet the growing requirements of its customers, for example, thanks to the “Smart Home” solution which allows household members to control electrical energy consumption via a smartphone.

MODERATE GROUNDS FOR OPTIMISM In the opinion of Michał Kurtyka, Deputy Energy Minister, who participated in one of the debates (“Security and new sources of supply of Central Europe in the context of changes in the global oil market”) the dynamics of the global oil market provides moderate grounds for optimism regarding the future of the Polish market. "On the one hand, we have the current diversification of oil supplies: we import it not only from Russia, but also from Saudi Arabia, Iran and Nigeria. This way our fuel companies pursue the policy of guaranteeing the energy security of the country. However, the key to real diversification are investments in infrastructure, such as the extension of the Oil Terminal in Gdańsk or building oil storage facilities", said the Deputy Minister. "Even more so, considering that we still import well over 80% of our oil from Russia" . •


bition gress

The Exhibition The Exhibition

and Congress and Congress

Centre Centre


Science

PROF. MACIEJ CHOROWSKI, Director of the National Centre for Research and Development, talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś about innovation, support for businesses and expectations regarding the Plan for Responsible Development

YOU CANNOT LEARN

ENTREPRENEURSHIP Speaking on behalf of the Government, Deputy Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki has announced that nearly PLN 3 billion from the #StartInPoland programme will be invested in the development of start-ups in Poland. Is this good news for higher education and the academic community? Putting emphasis on the development of an environment conducive to the growth of start-ups is good news for the academic community which is a natural source of innovative technologies. This program entails several positive aspects. First, its activation will affect a significant portion of people who carry the entrepreneurial gene. You have it or you do not. Surely you cannot learn entrepreneurship. Through this program many people have the opportunity for self-realization, as well as in the area of advanced technology, without having to leave the country. Good ideas, instead of staying "in the drawer", will have a greater chance of reaching the market. PM

PM So, we can count on a large number of start-ups appear-

ing at higher educational institutions…? …or ones that are created together with academics. Startups have particular potential – the ability to grow exponentially with increasing linear costs. They quickly reach the capacity for expansion with products having a competitive advantage. The time when Poland conquered foreign markets through low prices has ended. We are "doomed to innovation" and consequently sentenced to creating start-ups. Thanks to this technology will not flow from Poland, but vice versa. Many newly-established business with start-up potential reach a time when the demand for their product is growing faster than the costs. Then, unfortunately, many

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owners reach for "green apples" and decide to consume success or sell the company. The launch of the #StartInPoland programme may result in the system of incentives convincing innovators to remain in Poland and develop their startups in this country. PM Can the development of start-ups change the picture of

Polish entrepreneurship? Being at the head of an institution, which is becoming a centre of innovation development, I can only say this: we do everything to ensure that start-ups continue to sprout and grow in strength. Also because their development will have a stimulating effect on large companies with an established market position. This has already been happening in the world for several decades. For example, in the USA Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) funds work very well. It pays corporations to invest in start-ups, because this way they gain valuable information about new markets, access to new technologies or can accelerate the development of its own research and development activities. PM And how does the Centre see its role in the context of

the Plan for Responsible Development? Will it continue to support Polish industry by awarding grants and auditing individual project financing stages? The NCBR’s philosophy is clear – we help "from the inception of an idea to its application in the industry." We combine the worlds of science and business and help businesses reduce the risks of investing in innovation. Therefore, we are one of the pillars of the Plan for Responsible Development. NCBR is the only agency that has very deep historical knowledge about the possibilities inherent in various types


Science

of teams, universities and institutes. This knowledge comes from research. We know which funds are spent, what is the result of these studies, we know which technologies are really powerful and which may be subject to rapid commercialization. Undoubtedly the NCBR will be an active player when it comes to reaching specific technologies and supporting emerging start-ups. PM And what are the results of research.

Which research projects generate the greatest income? Which sectors of the economy draw from these results? Each research project which is completed with even a little commercial success, creates added value. For instance, this value comes in the form of a team of people who are consolidated around the solution of a certain problem, or in the form of research facilities and new questions that still require answers. Thanks to this we move forward in many areas, even niche ones, which may become a Polish specialty someday. However, the industries that derive most benefits from research results are the sectors which already have strong positions, such as chemistry, transport and energy, but also computer science. This is not a closed catalogue. The NCBR has funded several projects that have high potential for market success in Poland and abroad, which have been widely talked about. They include HiProMine, the company conducting research on the use of insects as feed and feed additive for animals, and as a source of protein in human nutrition. Their solution may prove to be a breakthrough in food production. An interesting project is MyWhizzy – an electronic stethoscope that allows transmission of real-time sound to the doctor. We have also co-funded Parkanizer, a solution for intelligent management on parking places in urban areas and public buildings. All three projects were supported by NCBR’s investment vehicles under the Alfa Bridge programme, from a very early stage of development, when the risk is greatest. On the opposite "pole" we have Social Wi-Fi, the company, which we supported with funds for international expansion overseas, following its considerable success in Europe. We also supported Newag or Solaris, entities with a very strong position, having the potential to be Poland’s flagship brands in the transportation industry. Our beneficiary and success is a multimillion dollar grant for Saule Technologies project of talented researcher Olga Malinkiewicz. The product invented by her – a flexible foil with overprinted solar cells – can become part of our mobile phones, making it possible to charge them using sunlight.

Sounds good, but you can hear voices from all walks of life saying that a lot of funds were simply disbursed and not invested... The truth is that huge amounts of the taxpayer’s money have been spent. They largely contributed to the development of research infrastructure, and therefore did not translate into results. The most spectacular successes can be seen in the area of small and medium-sized businesses, where the product is immediately visible. Unfortunately, there are also many examples of research funding where the research objectives have been achieved but their commercialization remains questionable. PM

PM Why? The end product turned out to be

superfluous? Yes, that too. The product was being created for a non-existent market or its creators failed to realise that the product and its market launch would be much more costly than the prototype. PM And how can this situation be improved?

What should be done to ensure that every co-financed product or technology finds its place in the market? Should we assume that every innovation requires risk? Risk must be distinguished from carelessness. Let me give you one example: we have two entrepreneurs who want to place their product in the market. Both products are very interesting. We, the NCBR, have limited resources and can help just one entrepreneur. The first entrepreneur is already at the final stage. Our help is only complimentary to the whole path travelled by him. The second one still has a long way to go before reaching the goal. Which of them should we support? PM The former, because he has invested a lot

of effort in achieving the goal and, as you say, he does not need much to succeed. And we had a tendency to assess the value of research, and not the prospects of reaching the goal. I used this example to highlight a certain carelessness. We were wrong, in my opinion, confusing the cause with the effects. It seemed to us that if we offer support to the latter entrepreneur, he will begin to thrive at the half-way stage. Meanwhile, he felt abandoned and was not able to "swim to shore." We should concentrate resources on objectives that are realistic. This is the expectation that the NCBR has with regard to the Plan for Responsible Development. We want to concentrate resources on a few selected goals and after their selection we must all implement a specific strategy.

PM When talking of carelessness, do you also

have in mind entrepreneurs who apply for grants, but submit incorrectly completed applications? If an entrepreneur makes mistakes filling in an application, and we know that he is a great entrepreneur, it means that the application is ill-prepared. If an interface is required supporting the entrepreneur in an excessively complex procedure between the entrepreneurs and the funding agency, then we are dealing with a pathology. Such events may discourage applications for the funds. A major role here is played by communication with the business community and openness to their questions or suggestions. That is why we organize, for example, a series of informational meetings at the start of each new program, launch a special hotline with experts and now we are also going to have more meetings with SMEs in the regions. PM And has there been a situation where the

NCBR had funds earmarked for a specific programme and there were no takers? Yes. The reason is the changed model of science funding. Most funds are intended for businesses which themselves make a partial contribution to their co-operation with research centres. Entrepreneurs specify their needs, receive funding for the performance of specific research work and are obligated to outsource some of that work to universities or institutes which have access to fully fledged research infrastructure. But such support never amounts to 100 percent of the costs. Thus, we are dealing with co-financing. We do not finance research. We co-finance it. In practical terms, if an entrepreneur receives co-financing of 50 percent of the costs, he must provide the reminder himself. Therefore, the decision to commence specific research is taken by the entrepreneur. Hence, on occasions some of our contests fail to attract interest. However, we have never had any problems in donating specific funds to institutions or higher education. Nonetheless, a change in the way R&D work is financed was required and the NCBR has significantly contributed to that change. Our experience tells us that private companies spends funds in the most effective way, but in order to develop new solutions it must collaborate with science. Our task is to teach entrepreneurs how to manage risks connected with investing in innovation, and develop a more market-oriented approach among scientists. Judging by the results, we are al• ready quite good at this. 10/2016 polish market 47


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INTELLIGENT RESTRUCTURING OF POLISH INDUSTRY. AN ESSENTIAL CONDITION FOR STRENGTHENING ITS COMPETITIVE POSITION IN GLOBAL MARKETS PROF. RYSZARD PREGIEL, President of the Polish Chamber of Commerce for High Technology

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olish industry has undergone a profound modernization in recent years. There has been a marked acceleration in the closing of the technological gap, with the plants and machinery significantly renewed, largely thanks to European funds. Many new businesses established in the most advanced areas of technology are beginning to play an increasingly important role in the international market. The way of thinking among industrial managers about innovation has also changed. Implementation of complete technologies based on foreign licenses increasingly gives way to implementing technological ideas generated in companies’ own R & D centres. Significant changes have also occurred in Polish science. In the years 2007 – 2015, a large scale program of building research centres located at the best Polish universities and research institutes was implemented. Many laboratories have been equipped with modern instruments and equipment to enable experimental research on a global level. The role of the National Centre for Research and Development has been strengthened. The National Science Centre has also been established.

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Science These factors mean that Poland is among the countries with a higher share of industry in GDP than the average for the European Union. In 2014, it stood at 22.2% compared with 17.1% for the 28 countries of the single market. Poland’s industry in the last decade was also characterised by a rate of growth much higher than in the remaining EU countries. In the years 2005 – 2014, the average rate of production growth in Poland was 5.7% against just 0.3% for the entire Community. Despite these successes, Poland is still in a distant place in the international innovation rankings. The tie between Polish businesses and scientific institutions too weak. Their patent activity and inventions commercialisation is low, especially on an international scale. Revenues from sale of Polish patents and licenses abroad are disproportionately small compared to the number of academic staff and research and development personnel. Despite a significant increase in recent years, the ratio of expenditure on R & D in Poland is still very low. In 2014, it amounted to only 0.94%, compared to the European average of 2.03%. A lack of innovation within the economy results in the poor competitiveness of Polish companies on a global scale. Polish export is dominated by low-processed goods. The share of high-tech industries is far below the EU average. Nearly 25 years of dynamic development of Polish entrepreneurship has not yet resulted in the emergence of national champions in the field of advanced technologies, with a recognized brand and important role in the global market. The answer to the abovementioned problems and the external environment is changing Poland’s industrial policy. Its main purpose should be to focus systemic, organizational and financial support on the emerging industries, which supply products and services based on groundbreaking technological ideas. This will be much more effective than a pursuit after global leaders in traditional industries. These new branches will be a kind of driving force behind the development of many other industries, including the development of traditional Polish industries which, thanks to the use of the achievements of advanced technologies will become much more competitive than before. The effect of such a change in the existing industrial policy will increase the degree of technological advancement of products, stimulating the creation of new technological and organizational solutions and building competitive advantages in foreign trade based to a greater extent on the quality and innovation of our products than on their prices. The

achievement of these objectives requires the development of a new model of management of national assets, including its financial and human capital. One of the key factors of low innovativeness of Polish industry is the equity gap in the access to so-called risk capital. This gap particularly affects the most innovative solutions with inherently higher risks, small and medium-sized enterprises, including spin-offs and spin-outs, which in the world are given very high importance in the implementation of new and emerging technological ideas. Typically, small financial resources of the founders and the weakness of the capital base of Polish industry makes it impossible to finance such projects using own resources. No bank will give an investment loan to a company without a sufficiently long economic history or for a high risk venture, and they always include projects aimed at the implementation of new technological ideas. Investment funds and PE / VC equity investors are not interested in putting their capital in spin-offs and spin-outs, which are typically small businesses. Polish seed funds, business angels, which are very few and have relatively small capitals, are venture capital funds more in name than the actual activities and would rather avoid financing the implementation of new technologies This is indicated by their existing equity transactions. So far, cross-border pan-European seed funds remain very weak in Poland. Practically the only currently available method of capital support for the implementation of innovative ideas is funding from the European Union or budget funds, which, cannot be treated as a normal long-term systemic solution. Creating systemic instruments to help attract the capital necessary to finance the implementation of new technological ideas is a fundamental matter determining the development of the high technology industry. It seems that the need to increase access to capital for the implementation of innovative technological ideas is also well understood by the authors of the "Strategy for Responsible Development" currently under consideration. It provides for, in addition to strong support from public funds, a much greater than before mobilisation of private capital for carrying out R & D + I activities. Such mobilisation will be helped by, among others, new guarantee instruments for SMEs, development of more attractive fiscal incentives addressed to enterprises, investors (such as venture capital funds, business angels and crowd-funding) and the use of the resources of companies belonging to the State Treasury to stimulate innovative activity of SMEs. It is

also to improve access of individual inventors to research funding at the proof of principle and proof of concept stages. They are without doubt very accurate assumptions, however, their effectiveness will be determined by the specific system instruments which are still at the analytical stage of development. Another of the most important conditions for the success of the new industrial policy, in addition to effective financial instruments, is a much improved use of Poland’s intellectual capital. After the political transformation, higher education in our country developed at an unprecedented scale. New opportunities have been created for training and development of occupational and scientific skills at the best foreign universities and research institutes. Poland has become a country of educated people prepared to take up the challenges of the future. However, as mentioned earlier, the innovation of the Polish economy is still disproportionately small in relation to the number of personnel with higher education, including scientific and research and development staff. The above state of affairs is due to many factors. One of them is the existing academic career model in technical disciplines, based mainly on the number of publications and quotations of the authors. True, in recent years, the evaluation criteria of scientific achievements in the field of technology have included the number of patents held. Nonetheless, these measures are insufficient. The number of patents does not reflect the industrial significance, or the commercial value of new technological or design ideas. Increasingly, the world is assessing achievements of a scientist-technologist by means of the market value of their research. This is very important in a country like Poland, which has relatively small funds available for financing scientific activities and urgently needs further modernisation of its industry. Strengthening the use of human and social capital in the national system of innovation is one of the main objectives of the "Strategy for Responsible Development." It provides for comprehensive actions in support of education and science in the field of innovation, development of entrepreneurial attitudes (including risk-taking) and unleashing the potential creativity of entrepreneurs. To this end promoting the entrepreneurial culture at universities and adding components to the syllabuses designed to foster pro-innovation attitudes is planned. As in the case of equity instruments, one only has to hope that these correct assumptions are translated as quickly as possible into specific and effective sys• temic solutions. 10/2016 polish market 49


Science

ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND CREATIVITY ARE OUR “NATIONAL TRAITS” MAREK ROCKI, Ph.D., Rector and Professor of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś.

PM Yet again the Decision Support and Analysis Section at

the School’s Institute of Econometrics is drawing up the Pearls of the Polish economy ranking. It differs slightly from other rankings because it is based on efficiency instead of revenues. Do you think that this is a bigger incentive for entrepreneurs to operate a balanced business? As the creator of many rankings, let me answer this question with an anecdote. During a press conference, answering a journalist's question: "Is this ranking objective?", Grzegorz Wojtowicz, PhD, a long-time chairman of the Chapter of the Ranking of Higher Schools organised by Perspektywy, replied: "In our subjective opinion, it is." Each ranking has its own criteria and it is important for its audience to know them. It is important to ensure that the methods of determining positions in the ranking are clear to everybody. I like rankings that are not based on a single criterion. And efficiency is a good measure because it shows a multitude of aspects. Efficiency is definitely a better criterion in identifying the leaders than a simple onedimensional comparison. Success in a ranking like this gives more satisfaction. PM The history of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics

goes back to 1906. Over these 110 years the School has undoubtedly changed, but is there something that has remained the same throughout this entire period? What has remained unchanged over the years is a strong internal identity. We have nurtured the tradition of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics since the very beginning of its existence. It is important that the School, where the first classes were held in 1906, is still the same institution. We care about the memory of our professors, we pride ourselves on the careers of our graduates and, if possible, use their knowledge and skills in the teaching process.

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Yes, the environment has changed. We began before the First World War. The first women appeared at the School during the First World War, because there were simply no men available. The scale of the School has also changed. At first we conducted courses in commerce for men, and now we are a research university with a broad spectrum of activities, although related to economic issues. PM We talked about the past. Let us now talk about the fu-

ture. How do you see the activity of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics in the coming years? Evolution or revolution? Evolution. The School is naturally affected by the changes in the law and this in itself causes enough trouble for its organisational structures or academics. Any change in the law forces further activities. I do not consider it necessary to conduct any additional internal reorganisation. We must observe the labour market, so as to adapt the programmes of study to its needs. That is also apparent from my observations as a – now former – President of the Polish Accreditation Committee. Many schools design their courses without taking into account market needs, but in accordance with their own resources. PM And what are the current needs of the labour market?

It needs creative and broadly educated people. Currently, employees repeatedly change their profession and place of work. Therefore, they should be properly prepared for these changes and for learning, adapting to new conditions. They should be creative. As shown by my experience, narrow education makes it difficult to find a job in the market. A phrase that I always use in the context of the attributes of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics is: "the SGH Warsaw School of Economics educates employers rather than employees.”


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PM Talking about the evolution of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics, you said that changes in the law always affect every school. What can you say about the amendment to the Higher Education Act which aims, among others, at reducing red tape at universities. The changes made by the Parliament are designed to reduce bureaucracy. One example of improvements of problematic procedures is a situation where promoting a specific employee will no longer require organising competitions. Part of the academic community even considered these provisions as pathological, because they really concerned organising competitions in order to promote an employee. Organising such competitions for the sake of promotion was in itself a sham, because in fact the competition concerned only one specific person. Another situation is hiring someone to fill a vacant position. Then of course a competition makes sense. Unfortunately, I think that some of the provisions of the Act will impede the functioning of universities. One of the most important changes is to modify the criteria used by the Polish Accreditation Commission (PKA) in the assessment of the quality of education. Previously, there was institutional assessment concerning the institution offering studies. The legislature has now abolished this possibility, leaving only the programme evaluation, which means that the Polish Accreditation Commission will assess separately each individual course, level and profile of studies. Imagine departments that offer a dozen of courses. We have an organisational problem. This is not reducing red tape but the opposite.

RECTOR MAREK ROCKI, Ph.D., PROFESSOR AT THE SGH WARSAW SCHOOL OF ECONOMICS Graduate of the Department of Finances and Statistics at the Central School of Planning and Statistics (SGPiS, now SGH Warsaw School of Economics, MA in Econometrics in 1977). He began his professional career with a job in the brewing industry. In 1978, he rejoined academia by enrolling in a post-graduate course at the Interdepartmental Economic Doctoral Section of the SGPiS. In 1981, he received his PhD degree in Econometrics at the Department of Finances and Statistics. Subsequently, he joined the Machine Industry Organisation Institute. He was appointed Reader at the Institute of Econometrics of the SGPiS in November 1981. In 1982, he additionally took over the post of scientific secretary at the School’s Institute of Cybernetics and Management. Between 1984–1988 he headed the Econometrics Section at the Institute of Econometrics. In 1988, the Council of the Department of Finances and Statistics elevated him to the degree of doctor habilitated.

PM You said that the SGH Warsaw School of Economics want-

ed to educate future employers. What, in your opinion, distinguishes us, Poles, in the world of business? Looking at your students, graduates and entrepreneurs, what are the “national traits” of Polish business people? First of all entrepreneurship. Perhaps the reason for this was more than a century of subjugation to foreign powers. As a consequence, Poles developed an instinct for taking advantage of every opportunity coming their way. We continue to do so today. Let me get back to creativity. I do not share the opinion that the Polish economy is in a bad shape. The latest information shows that at the MSPO fairs in Kielce, related to the defence industry, more than half of the exhibitors are Polish companies, and there are 300 of them taking part in this event. I would add that they are not limited to large state-owned companies, but include smaller businesses which are worthy and ready to present their products and services. Therefore, it can be said that entrepreneurship and creativity are our “national traits.” I have often met with the opinion that we do not notice Polish products. True, but we can change this also thanks to the media. If we do not feel our own value, we fear a defeat and are reluctant to present what we have to offer. On the one hand, we are creative and have business acumen, but on the other hand, we are afraid of failure. This is why the media should present Polish successes on a global scale. We can navigate the Polish market, but are not bold enough to go outside. • PM

Between 1990–1993, he was vice-rector for teaching and computerisation in the team of Professor Aleksander Müller. Between the formation of the Basic Study Centre of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics in 1991 and the election of the dean of this centre in 1992 he also acted as its dean. He was elected vice-rector for management in the team of Professor Janina Jóźwiak (1993–1996). In the 1996–1999 term he served as the dean of the Graduate Studies Centre at the SGH Warsaw School of Economics. In 1999, he was elected rector of the SGH Warsaw School of Economics for the 1999–2002 term, and subsequently for the 2002–2005 term. During the latter term he chaired the Conference of Rectors of Schools of Economics and was consequently a member of the Presidium of the Conference of Rectors of Polish Higher Schools (KRASP). He also chaired the Higher Schools Financing Committee appointed by the Conference. In 2005, he was elected dean of the Economic Analyses College for the 2005– 2008 term and then for the 2008–2012 term. Following an amendment to the Higher Education Law he resigned from this function at the end of 2011. Since 2005, we was a member of the Polish Accreditation Commission (PKA) appointed by subsequent ministers (during the 2005–2008 term he was a member of the team dealing with Economics courses), and in 2008 – 2015 he was its chairman. In 1989–1996, he also worked as a chief specialist in the Planning Commission at the Council of Ministers and subsequently at the Central Office for Planning. Since the 2005 elections, he has been elected to the Polish Senate on four occasions (from a Warsaw constituency including Mokotów, Ursynów, Wilanów and Wawer districts). 10/2016 polish market 51


Science

TEACHING HAS UNDERGONE CONSUMERISATION PROF. ALOJZY Z. NOWAK, Dean of the Faculty of Management Studies of University of Warsaw, talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś.

PM Professor, in April we talked about cele-

brating the 200th anniversary of the University of Warsaw. On that occasion you said the achievements of individual faculties and professors of the University would be presented. How did the Faculty of Management present itself? As part of the celebration of the 200th anniversary of the University of Warsaw the Faculty of Management organised two international conferences which presented the achievements of many colleagues from the Faculty. These achievements are many. It must be remembered that the Faculty of

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Management at the University of Warsaw, was the first school for directors in the region. Over almost 45 years of its existence our students and lecturers included eminent management specialists from Poland and abroad. It was here that the reform of the nineteen seventies, related to the socalled Large Economic Organisations (LEO) was developed. The reference point for these changes was the Japanese and Korean style of management, based on the famous chaebols. Although the proposed changes did not fully take, the spirit of reforms in the Faculty remained. It was well-used on the occasion of subsequent changes in democratic Poland. This was about creating the foundations of a market economy in the 1980s and 1990s. Colleagues from the Faculty drafted the first principles of privatisation (K. Lis, H. Sterniczuk, G. Jedrzejczak A. Sopocko, G. Domański, A. Zawiślak – a member of the Experience and Future think-tank and others). At the Faculty we also created the foundations of the Polish capital market and the Warsaw Stock Exchange. Also A. Kozminski, the founder of an excellent business schools, comes from the Faculty. Not to mention the people who have had outstanding teaching and research successes abroad and our international programmes, including joint studies such as GlobalMBA and ExecutiveMBA offered jointly with the best business schools in the world. It can therefore be said that the Faculty had a lot to present during the celebrations of the anniversary. PM We are talking just a few days before the

beginning of the new academic year. Was there a lot of interest in the Faculty of

Management during this year’s recruitment? Yes, the Faculty enjoys continued popularity among candidates. In these difficult times, due to the deteriorating demographics, we usually have 3-4 applicants per one place. This is no longer as it was in previous years when we had 7-8 candidates per place, but things are still relatively good. Moreover, we do a lot to attract the best candidates. We ensure that the quality of the syllabus remains high, we have created excellent conditions for studying through the modernisation of old and the construction of new research and teaching facilities. But what is perhaps most important, we have good research and teaching staff and excellent cooperation with business and other schools, both domestic and foreign. This gives our students and graduates the opportunity to pursue studies, internships and work practices not only with us, but in different places in Poland and abroad. Our analyses show that students, graduates and candidates appreciate these efforts and enrol in our undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate courses. Is the interest in the Faculty growing or falling among high school leavers? Frankly, I did not notice any particular upsurge in the interest in the Faculty among high school-graduates, but there is no decline in this respect either. On the one hand, this is a reason for rejoicing, but on the other hand it necessitates further work on external presentation of the Faculty. I would say that we represent within the Faculty much more than you see on the outside. We are currently working on modernising our presentation PM


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strategy. We really have a lot to offer. We run modern international programmes at undergraduate, graduate and doctoral level. We send students abroad and accept several hundred foreign students for single-semester, two-semester and full courses of studies leading to a certificate. Our students are able to attend work practice at domestic and foreign companies and financial institutions. As a result, a degree in Business Management from the University of Warsaw is respected by employers. I believe that one day we will be able to show all of this in greater detail, increasing the interest in our Faculty among high school graduates. PM The University of Warsaw has for many

years been ranked the best university in Poland. This year, your Faculty came second in the “Management” category, behind the Warsaw School of Economics. Are you proud of this result? Rankings in academia are treated differently, and probably rightly so. However, I prefer to be ranked higher than lower. In this case, I welcome the result of the Faculty. I know, however, that nothing is given once and for all, and the competition is not sleeping. So we have to ensure that this result was not a oneoff. We must therefore promote and conduct scientific research both nationally and internationally, deepen the internationalization of research results through publications in reputable foreign journals, improve teaching and expand and deepen our co-operation with business. These are no easy tasks to accomplish, but fortunately we have at the Faculty a staff that is well-educated, and most importantly a passion for research. I firmly believe

that our faculty members can meet the requirements of competition and that we are able to maintain this high position. PM The Faculty’s history goes back to the es-

tablishment in 1972 of the Institute of Management at University of Warsaw. Subsequently, the Faculty of Management was created in 1977. Does the University still have a lot in common with that which existed at the beginning? Have you seen many changes? What has remained unchanged over all these years? Indeed, the nucleus of the Faculty was the establishment of the Institute of Organisation and Management at the University of Warsaw and the Polish Academy of Sciences. It was created by – as we might say today – aficionados of management, coming mainly from two university faculties: law and economics. It should be emphasised that even the communist government had to give their blessing to this experiment in this part of the world. And they not only consented, but also indicated the plot in Służewiec where the headquarters of the future Faculty of Management were built. At that time many of our colleagues saw this nearly as exile, and today it is almost the city centre, and in any event, the business centre of Warsaw. I think that on the one hand the current Faculty of Management has much in common with that at the beginning of its existence, and on the other hand, it is very different. Common features certainly include a similar passion for research among the academics working in the Faculty then and today. In our case it refers to seeking the truth concerning the rules governing company management and the economic, organisational

and legal rules governing the business environment. Although the rules were very different from those of today, the perception of these issues remains almost unchanged. Then we had to deal with a centrally planned economy and today we have to deal with the free market. Today, as before, the Faculty is focused on training managers, who used to be called directors then, hence sometime the Faculty was called the school for directors. As for the differences, the way of teaching that is conducted now has certainly changed due to the process of computerisation. Teaching has undergone consumerisation. Today what counts more is form rather than the content of the subjects taught. The Faculty is now much larger than at the beginning, both in terms of the number of students and staff. The material conditions of study are also incomparable. Today, the Faculty is arranged in three beautiful modern buildings and then it occupied less than two floors of similar buildings. What has survived is the tradition of presenting various points of view regarding economic and social issues and confronting them until a consensus can be reached. Currently, faculty members are also forced to have more publications and lectures at foreign institutions. Studies have also become more international and practical. Students and staff are different too. Both groups are focused more on achieving their goals and less on the pleasure of studying. PM Professor, looking at your students, gradu-

ates and entrepreneurs, what distinguishes us, Poles, in the world of business? Optimism, dreams and the willingness to pursue them – sometimes at any price. • 10/2016 polish market 53


Sports

WIELKOPOLSKA CENTRE FOR ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES (WCAT) AND ITS MISSION

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ielkopolska is among the leading academic centres in Poland, harbouring great R&D potential. The essence of the comprehensive knowledge transfer model, generated and pursued in the city of Poznań, the capital of Wielkopolska region, called Poznań Silicon Valley is building an effective relationship between invention, pursued at universities and research institutes, and innovation, developed at the Poznań Science and Technology Park of the Adam Mickiewicz University Foundation, by creating all elements necessary for the effective transfer of knowledge, especially Polish scientific and technological achievements, to business practice. At the core of the model is the Wielkopolska Centre for Advanced Technologies (WCAT) in Poznań, a multi-disciplinary science and technology institution of high international standing and R&D center for innovative firms and high-tech industry. The main aim of Wielkopolska Centre for Advanced Technologies – Materials and Biomaterials (WCAT) in Poznan, which started its operational phase since January 2016 is to create a multidisciplinary research centre in the field of high-tech materials, biomaterials and nanomaterials based on recent achievements in the related fields of chemistry, chemical technologies, physics, biotechnology, biology, medicine, pharmacy and agricultural sciences. WCAT brings together the best specialists of natural and engineering sciences and is an infrastructural venture of the Poznań scientific community. The Centre is a consortium of five universities: the Adam Mickiewicz University (AMU), which is the project coordinator, Poznań University of Technology, Poznań University of Life Sciences, Poznań University of Medical Sciences and Poznań University

of Economics; this includes four institutes of the Polish Academy of Sciences: the Institute of Bioorganic Chemistry, Plant Genetics, Human Genetics, and Molecular Physics; Institute of Natural Fibres and Medicinal Plants; and the Poznań Science and Technology Park. The objective of the multidisciplinary activity of the centre is to develop original methods for synthesis of chemicals, biochemicals and agrochemicals, called fine chemicals, and a new generation of biomaterials and nanomaterials and their precursors, designed in cooperation between the chemists, physicochemists and biochemists. These research activities will be followed by the development of advanced technologies and biotechnologies for the production of these fine (bio)chemicals and precursors of materials to be used in optoelectronics, ceramics, medicine, pharmacy, agriculture and other fields of high-tech industry. Another objective of WCAT is to create a technological basis for a number of applications for bioorganic chemistry and biotechnology in healthcare (e.g. molecular and cellular therapies and medical diagnostics) as well as applications in agricultural engineering and in the food industry (e.g. DNA tests in plant and animal production, biodegradable packaging etc.). The special mission of WCAT is to develop multidisciplinary research projects involving fundamental research in material sciences but simultaneously leading to advanced technologies and/or products subsequently implemented in incubators of the innovative firms located either in WCAT and in Poznań Science and Technology Park, or in other industrial and technological parks, including innovative small and medium firms as well as by international industry. The start-up companies and innovative SMEs will be at the heart of WCAT mission. To reach the complex goals

mentioned above, we committed to ensure permanent cooperation between all units of WCAT i.e. Centre of Chemical Technology and Nanotechnology, Centre of Industrial Biotechnology with a Greenhouse, Centre of Medical Biotechnology with an Animal House, Centre of Material Sciences with a Regional Laboratory of Unique Equipment, functioning as one research organism. The potential of WCAT has already been displayed by the realization of 14 scientific projects from the beginning of its operational activities as well as 20 contracts with firms. The most prestigious grants from National Science Centre (e.g three MAESTRO programmes) and from National Centre for Research and Development (e.g two – Applied Research Programme, three LIDER programme) are carried out in chemistry. The variety of scientific projects in the Centre shows that frontiers as well as applied science can be successfully realized using all facilities and state-of-the-art equipment located in this new scientific entity. As emphasized, the Regional Laboratory of Unique Equipment should be of service to all other units of WCAT. The Laboratory has highly specialized equipment which is available for use by the scientific community and enterprises from the region as well as R&D centres of Polish and international (European) companies. The Service and Technical Facilities with the Technology Transfer Centre will ensure efficient collaboration among all parts of WCAT. The vision of WCAT is to include existing organizations (universities, research institutes, and science and technology parks) to act like one independent entity, which will generate synergies by combining the work of the best scientists, as an independent institute modelled on the Fraunhofer Society (most experienced of R&D Centres in Europe with 60-70 years tradition). •

The WCAT project was co-financed (85%) by the European Regional Development Fund under

the Operational Programme Innovative Economy 2007-2013 with total budget 63 million EUR.

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EDUCATION AT THE HIGHEST LEVEL

Science

PROF. STANISŁAW MOCEK, Rector of Collegium Civitas, talks to "Polish Market". PM “More than just studies!” – this is your mot-

to. What is the added value? In creating Collegium Civitas we assumed that parallel to our teaching activities we would develop all the remaining pillars of the school: research and its utility, lifelong learning, for seniors as well as children, and the internationalization and popularization of knowledge. But also those aspects that concern the existence of Collegium Civitas as an important and influential expert centre, known through the media across the country, and sometimes abroad. It is therefore the concept of Collegium Civitas as a centre for the exchange of ideas, public debate and cultural discourse resulting from the use of the knowledge and experience of people in social and political sciences, international relations, diplomacy and security, new media and journalism, art and culture. The aim is, on the one hand, for our students to benefit from access to this extremely rich offer of meetings, debates, conferences, seminars and all types of events, and on the other hand, to allow them to develop their passions and interests. In order to be an important institution for domestic and international public life it is not enough to be just a university in the traditional sense; you need something more—hence our slogan "More than just studies!". PM In recent years there has been more and

more talk of demographic decline which also affects higher education establishments. This problem must be particularly severe for institutions in the independent sector. How do you cope with the insufficient number of students? First of all, what counts is the quality of education we offer our students, for whom its symbol is the brand, which the school has built during its almost 20 years of existence. I think the most important thing is that in such a rapidly changing world, on the one hand, it is necessary to be true to the principles that have been adopted at the core, and on the other hand to be able to adapt to the requirements of modern times. Our basic aim is to open people to the world of tomorrow: one that is diverse, technologically advanced and demanding constant willingness to take on new, unexpected challenges. We have therefore adopted as our primary goal the development of people who are

56 polish market

independent, and hungry for knowledge and new skills. And above all, they need to be conscious that personal satisfaction and professional success depends on their ability to work with a multi-disciplinary environment. We want Collegium Civitas to be a school standing out in terms of the quality of teaching and the attractiveness of its courses taught both in Polish and English, due not only to these contemporary challenges and new ways of thinking, but also from the point of view of the perception of our school by employers. We are constantly developing the process of internationalization, treating it not only as a possibility to attract students from other countries, but also as an important element of academic research and development. This year we have been placed third among all public and independent universities in Poland in the most important ranking in terms of internationalization. We are pleased that in the era of globalization and multiculturalism students from more than 50 countries study at the school and that we have several dozen student exchange agreements and international student placement programmes, as well as several agreements with foreign universities outside of the Erasmus program, including American colleges. We are able to perform all these ambitious tasks thanks to the fact that since the beginning we have been a relatively small institution, which enables us to preserve the quality of education and develop the aforesaid non-teaching goals. All this would be impossible at a large institution and it is appreciated by our students. PM You have a very interesting offer of post-

graduate studies. These courses are becoming increasingly popular. Is this yet another method of surviving in the market? Postgraduate studies have for years been one of the three main segments of education at every prominent university, in addition to undergraduate, graduate and doctoral programmes. This is what is referred to as lifelong learning. We are introducing new post-graduate courses, with the participation of many partners and significant institutions from the administration, business and culture sectors. But we also develop shorter forms of education: workshops and summer schools with important foreign partners intended for foreign students, particularly from the US. It is not just about commercial

considerations, because just as we have been successfully developing highly practical postgraduate courses, for instance in the area of coaching and security risks, so we have been equally successful in offering unique courses of study in the History of Art or Philosophy and 21st century ideas. Following five successful years of the University of the Third Age, which already occupies a permanent place on the map of this type of undertakings in Warsaw and Mazovia, the time has come for a Children’s College that we are running this year together with the National Museum thereby offering a programme for children in this venerable institution. PM Collegium Civitas is a unique university not

only in terms of its location or faculty members, but also in terms of students. Would it be true to say that for nearly 20 years of its existence Collegium Civitas has been putting emphasis mostly on the quality of teaching? Yes, this is the absolute requirement that we have set ourselves from the beginning of the school’s existence. That —despite the changing times, circumstances and conditions— has remained true to the mission, which inspired its creation, i.e. education at the highest level of future socio-political elites, occupying key positions in public administration and local government, the media, centres of social research, and analytical centres. And there is also the shaping of civic attitudes and creating a community, as the name of our institution implies. A developed system of internships and work practices which is a unique resource of the institution and of considerable value to our students constitutes an important part of learning. We have created a modern programme of interaction, with graduates including many other activities, which means that we do not part with our alumni after graduation and they remain part of the university. We manage to maintain the quality and high level of teaching offered by our faculty who combine academic training with outstanding practices of public life in Poland and beyond its borders: journalists, diplomats, security experts, market and opinion research specialists, coaches and artists. It was and still is the unique value of Collegium Civitas, which endeavours to meet the challenges of our times. •



Science

INNOVATION – THE KEY TO SUCCESS JÓZEF GROMEK, Ph.D. Eng., Director of Tele & Radio Research Institute (ITR) talks to"Polish Market". PM The Tele & Radio Research Institute celebrates its 60th

anniversary this year. How would you summarise this period? During its 60 years the ITR has designed and supervised the implementation of several hundred projects. Most of them constitute achievements determining the development of domestic electronics and electrical power engineering. These achievements undoubtedly demonstrate that the Institute not only follows trends set by others, but also sets these trends. Since I am a proponent of the optimistic analysis of history I believe that the most important thing is the assessment of the degree to which the opportunities created by the activity of the Institute have been seized. These opportunities include the high position and good name of the ITR as a leading research institution and a centre of process and product innovation for various sectors of the economy, in particular, the electronic and electrical power engineering industry. The source of this success are our employees – always creative, competent and responsible. Creating this intellectual capital, which shapes pro-innovation attitudes in the Institute’s community is out greatest achievement. PM What can you tell us about the strategic co-operation of

the Institute with industry? I want to establish permanent relations with enterprises of key importance to the Institute. We achieve this by concluding co-operation agreements which enable the Institute to create the enterprise’s business strategy and allow the enterprise to influence the “road map” of our research. Owing to this, the offer of the Institute is increasingly

58 polish market

adjusted to the real needs of the market. We have positive examples – many companies in the electrical power engineering sector are taking up challenges connected with the development of smart power grids, are using the results of our work in this field. Some of these results came about in the course of implementation of joint development projects co-financed under the applied research programme or by structural funds. During the last three years we completed 12 such projects where the industry partners included Elektrobudowa, Elektromontaż-Lublin, Martech-Plus or Ekop. Besides, a significant part of the innovations result from our statutory work where the Institute supplies specialised products to a wide spectrum of businesses operating in various industries. For example, the key recipients of our solutions are: – ITC systems: Elektrobudowa, ZPuE-Włoszczowa, Elektrometal, Elektromontaż, ABB, – ultrasound technology: Zgoda, Lubacell, Instar, ZelmerMarket, – thermal-chemical processes: Arcelor-Mittal, US Steel, CLPB, Siewierstal, – advanced electronic technologies: Semicon, Astri, WIł, PCO, ATM, – vacuum technology: Comef, Oram, Zd IEN, Woltan, Elgór+Hansen. The Institute pays particular attention to this group of customers since selling the results of our research work to these companies covers almost half of the operating costs of the Institute. However, I would like to stress that the ITR maintains business relations with over 1,000 companies and these ties are certain to create a strong pro-development impulse in the near future. PM Which innovations introduced in recent years are

a source of particular satisfaction for the Institute?


Science

SEM – family of Smart Grid modular controllers

I am convinced that we can be satisfied with all our solutions that have been put into practice. However, a special mention has to be made of those which highlight our fields of expertise among a wide group of interested economic entities. Bearing in mind this assessment criterion, we can undoubtedly be proud of innovations for companies operating in the electrical power engineering sector. Let me remind you that, as the first in the country, more than ten years ago we offered businesses a microprocessor measurement, automation, control and security device (MuPASZ) intended for medium voltage power stations. The market success of this controller inspired us to develop further generations of such devices, most importantly, the 7.XX series field. They all contain modern hardware and software solutions in digital signal processing, registration of interference, programmable logic and co-operation with superior systems while using different transmission protocols. Several thousand controllers from this series work in various power switching stations in Poland and abroad. Our latest achievements in this respect is the SEM system and innovative current transducers. The SEM system is a family of module Smart Grid controllers developed for use by smart power grids and meeting the growing requirements of customers regarding size, energy uptake, functionality and communication capabilities. Metering current transducers with digital data transmission, manufactured on the basis of multi-layered technologies and flexible circuits with high density of connections set new standards in the electrical power engineering industry. The market attractiveness of this transducer is guaranteed by high repeatability of technical parameters, high sensitivity over a wide range of metered currents, ease of design and manufacture. Another example of significant achievements of the Institute are new designs of vacuum chambers implemented on a large scale in connectors used in transformer stations and in switches in medium voltage distribution grids. Further achievements in the area of technological innovation

are new ultrasound welding or cutting systems which improve the reliability of the welding process and extend the lifetime of vibrating systems. These systems strengthen the Institute’s position as a leader in the transfer of innovations relying on ultrasound technologies in many areas of the economy. Similar possibilities are created by new designs and implementations of thermal-chemical equipment intended for analysing the physical and chemical parameters of solid fuels. The latest achievements in this respect include a device for determining the coke expansion pressure ensuring correlation of the results with observation of the coking effects in a coke oven battery. I should also mention the development of a technology allowing the embedding of passive subassemblies inside circuit boards. We see a growing interest of enterprises in this assembly technology offering new possibilities of electronic packages miniaturisation. Protection of intellectual property is important in innovation. Does the Institute have a system securing its intellectual property rights? There is no doubt that guaranteeing benefits from one’s knowledge requires the creation of a properly functioning system protecting intellectual property rights, in particular, industrial property. We are building this system at the Institute on the basis of the existing measures adopted in the protection of industrial property rights and using the experiences gained from our co-operation with industry partners. Here, I must mention the effects achieved by the Inventions Commission which inspires our employees to submit invention designs, provides their authors with substantive assistance and evaluates the applications. Over the last 10 years these actions have resulted in over 250 invention applications, out of which 214 have been granted patent protection. This impressive output of our staff has been noticed by the Patent Office which lists us among the enti• ties obtaining the largest number of patents. PM

10/2016 polish market 59


HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS LEAGUE TABLE 2016

Infrastructure

LEAGUE TABLE OF HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS WITH THE RIGHT TO CONFER DOCTORAL DEGREES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

University of Warsaw Jagiellonian University in Kraków Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań Warsaw University of Technology Wrocław University of Science and Technology AGH University of Science and Technology University of Wrocław Medical University of Warsaw Medical University of Gdańsk Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

LEAGUE TABLE OF NON-PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS WITH THE RIGHT TO CONFER MASTER’S DEGREES 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11.

Koźmiński University in Warsaw SWPS University Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in Warsaw Łazarski University in Warsaw Vistula University in Warsaw Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Kraków University Collegium Civitas in Warsaw University of Social Sciences in Warsaw Katowice School of Economics University of Dąbrowa Górnicza University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszów

60 polish market


Infrastructure

LEAGUE TABLES BY SCHOOL TYPE UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING NON-PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

ECONOMICS SCHOOLS, INCLUDING NON-PUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

1.

University of Warsaw

2.

Jagiellonian University in Kraków

1.

Warsaw School of Economics (SGH)

3.

Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

2.

Poznań University of Economics and Business

4.

University of Wrocław

3.

Koźmiński University in Warsaw

5.

Nicolaus Copernicus University in Toruń

4.

Wrocław University of Economics

6.

University of Silesia in Katowice

5.

Cracow University of Economics

7.

University of Łódź

6.

University of Economics in Katowice

8.

University of Gdańsk

9.

Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin

10.

John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin

SCHOOLS OF EDUCATION

11.

University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn

1.

Pedagogical University of Cracow

12.

University of Białystok

3.

Jan Długosz University in Częstochowa

13.

Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński University in Warsaw

3.

Maria Grzegorzewska University

14.

SWPS University

3.

Pomeranian University in Słupsk

15.

Jan Kochanowski University in Kielce

15.

University of Opole

15.

University of Rzeszów

SCHOOLS OF PHYSICAL EDUCATION

15.

University of Szczecin

1.

University of Physical Education in Kraków

15.

University of Zielona Góra

1.

University of Physical Education in Poznań

16.

Pontifical University of John Paul II in Kraków

2.

Józef Piłsudski University of Physical Education in Warsaw

16.

Siedlce University of Natural Sciences and Humanities

2. University of Physical Education in Wrocław

17.

Kazimierz Wielki University in Bydgoszcz

3. Gdańsk University of Physical Education and Sport

3. Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice

MEDICAL SCHOOLS

TECHNICAL UNIVERSITIES, INCLUDING NONPUBLIC HIGHER EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS

1.

Collegium Medicum of the Jagiellonian University in Kraków

2.

Medical University of Warsaw

1.

3.

Medical University of Gdańsk

2.

Wrocław University of Science and Technology

4.

Poznań University of Medical Sciences

3.

AGH University of Science and Technology

5.

Wrocław Medical University

4.

Łódź University of Technology

6.

Medical University of Łódź

5.

Gdańsk University of Technology

7.

Medical University of Lublin

6.

Poznań University of Technology

8.

Medical University of Białystok

7.

Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice

9.

Medical University of Silesia in Katowice

8.

Lublin University of Technology Military University of Technology in Warsaw

Warsaw University of Technology

10.

Pomeranian Medical University in Szczecin

9.

11.

Collegium Medicum of the Nicolaus Copernicus University in Bydgoszcz

10.

West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin

11.

Tadeusz Kościuszko Cracow University of Technology

AGRICULTURAL UNIVERSITIES

12.

Częstochowa University of Technology

13.

Polish-Japanese Academy of Information Technology in Warsaw

14.

Rzeszów University of Technology

1.

Warsaw University of Life Sciences – SGGW

15.

Opole University of Technology

2.

Poznań University of Life Sciences

16.

Białystok University of Technology

3.

Wrocław University of Environmental and Life Sciences

16.

Kielce University of Technology

4.

University of Agriculture in Kraków

16.

UTP University of Science and Technology in Bydgoszcz

5.

University of Life Sciences in Lublin

17.

Koszalin University of Technology

18.

University of Bielsko-Biała

19.

Gdynia Maritime University

8-9/2016 polish market 61


Science

WE COMPILE A GUIDE FOR UNIVERSITIES AND STUDENTS WALDEMAR SIWIŃSKI, President of the Perspektywy Educational Foundation, talks to “Polish Market” about the league table of Poland’s best higher educational institutions compiled by the Foundation.

PM Deputy Minister of Science Teresa Czerwińska has said that

your league table is one of its kind, modifies the criteria and keeps pace with change. What does this change consist of and what modifications does the market require? The tertiary education system is developing fast. As a result, the league table also has to undergo change. We launched it in 2000 with three groups of criteria: Prestige, Research Power and Studying Conditions. These were measured by a set of 14 indicators. At present, we have six groups of criteria measured by 31 indicators. In 2005 we added Internationalization and in 2009 Innovation. Then, we divided the research indicators into two groups: Research Potential and Research Efficiency because this better reflects the achievements of higher educational institutions. Given the rapid development of Internet-based education, further criteria will probably be added in coming years. They may include, for example, criteria for the presence of higher educational institutions on the Internet and research networks, and their contribution to building global knowledge repositories. PM Are there any surprises in this year’s league table? Is the

higher education market stable and predictable? There are no sudden changes on our higher education market, but the league table captures multi-annual trends. One of them is the increasing disintegration of the private higher education system. There are less and less private schools and they operate under increasingly difficult conditions. The demographic situation means that this negative trend is likely to strengthen in the future. PM What should a perfect higher educational establishment

be like? What are the features of a top-ranking school? The league table is not only a tool helping secondary school graduates to choose a university and field of study. It is also a compendium of up-to-date information about the state of

62 polish market


Science Final of the Perspektywy League Table of Higher Educational Institutions 2016. Rectors of the best universities having the right to confer doctoral degrees

THE PERFECT SCHOOL DOES WORLD-CLASS RESEARCH, IS CLOSE TO THE LABOUR MARKET AND THE ECONOMY, CREATES THE BEST POSSIBLE STUDYING CONDITIONS FOR ITS STUDENTS, AND IS INNOVATIVE AND INTERNATIONAL IN ITS SPIRIT AND OPERATION.

Final of the Perspektywy League Table of Higher Educational Institutions 2016. Deans of the best faculties

the Polish higher education system – a panoramic picture of our higher educational establishments and their aspirations shown from different, but intentionally chosen, perspectives. A vision of a perfect school – a model which the League Table Committee adjusts every year to the changing reality and context in which the schools operate – is part of the league table. The perfect school does world-class research, is close to the labour market and the economy, creates the best possible studying conditions for its students, and is innovative and international in its spirit and operation. In this sense, the league table may be a lodestar for higher educational institutions. It tells them in

which direction to go in the future, which aspects of their activity to develop and what priorities to choose. The league table perceived in this way may become an important stimulus for building a culture of quality at higher educational institutions. PM What is the league table’s methodology?

Have any changes been made to it? The main methodological change in this year’s Perspektywy League Table of Higher Educational Institutions 2016 is a new format of the Course League Table, which is an integral part of the main table. The change results from our philosophy, which is to provide

information to the main group of users – secondary school graduates. What is important for them is not only the institution where they are going to study, but first of all the course and faculty where they would like to achieve their educational dreams. Until 2015 we used in the Courses League Table a methodology - based on analysis of research publications from the Scopus database and surveys among academic staff and employers – which enabled us to show a school’s rank in individual fields of study. However, with that method, it was not possible to go down to the level of faculties providing the respective courses. This year, we have decided to test a methodology which enables going down with the ranking analysis to the level of faculties offering particular fields of study. Analysts of the higher education system know the task is not easy, especially as we have decided to keep the criteria related to reputational research (Prestige criteria) and bibliometric data on publications and citations (Research Publications criteria). The obvious consequence of such extensive methodological modifications is the inability to compare in a simple way the findings of this year’s Courses League Table with last year’s table. Given such an extensive change, we should actually speak about a new version of the league table. Last year, each school appeared in the league table of a given field of study only once. This year, the number of times it may appear in the table is equal to the number of its faculties offering the course. This is why we have decided not to publish the • previous years’ ranks of the schools. 10/2016 polish market 63


Science

WORK

IS MY PASSION

PROF. HENRYK SKARŻYŃSKI, Director of the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing, talks to "Polish Market".

The Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing celebrates its 20th anniversary. There is no other similar institute in Poland which would achieve such a high position in such a short time in the country and abroad. This big success is the effect of work of Professor Henryk Skarżyński and his team. 25 years ago he has started a deafness treatment programme in Poland. He performed many pioneering operations and introduced the Polish school of otosurgery in the world science. He initiated the World Hearing Centre in Kajetany which treats over 5 thousand hearing implant users. Specialists from the Centre have performed over 400 thousand surgical procedures and provided over 3 million consultations and medical tests. 64 polish market


Science PM It has been 25 years since you started work-

ing on the cochlear implant programme and 20 years since the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing was created. How can you describe this time? It was mainly time of hard work. Today we can speak about success but this success did not come on its own. It required a lot of courage, devotion, self-discipline, determination and strength, which allowed us to work more than 10 hours a day. I often say that work is my passion. I’ve always had a concrete goal – to help patients who, because of the wrong way of treatment, did not have a chance to go back to the world of sounds. I developed and then introduced cochlear implant programme thinking about those patients. In 1993 I opened the first in Poland and second in Europe Diagnostic-Treatment-Rehabilitation Center for the Deaf and Hearing Impaired “Cochlear Center” which was the base to create the Institute of Physiology and Pathology of Hearing. Today the Institute is the leading research institute in Poland (A+ category) and a highly specialized hospital which provides complex medical care for people with hearing, speech, voice, balance or breathing disorders. The World Hearing Center, which has been opened only four years ago as part of the Institute, has very good reputation in the world! Here we perform the biggest number of hearing improving surgeries every day. It means that Polish patients have access to the newest technical solutions as the first ones in the country and one of the first ones in the world. This proves our clinical and scientific professionalism. Specialists of the Institute created and started the first in the world National Network of Teleaudiology, which allows to offer teleconsultations with the participation of patients and specialists from several centres at the same time, remote rehabilitation and telefitting – remote fitting of parameters in speech processors in patients with different hearing implants. The Centre is a unique educational institution. We have built the Educational Centre with a unique study room with 40 working stands for otosurgery and rhinosurgery, modern devices for practising on anatomical specimens and computer simulators. Each year we organize international conferences and workshops for otosurgeons, who learn for example surgical methods which involve only minimal level of invasiveness and allow to preserve residual hearing and the structure of the inner ear. We perform surgeries in Live International Otolaryngology Network LION once or twice a year. PM All of this can also be perceived as your per-

sonal success… I think that my greatest success is the success of patients with profound hearing disorders. Thanks to the treatment based on hearing

implantation they can understand speech and communicate easily with others. They can live and work normally, they can achieve a lot in the fields of their interest. One of our patients, for example, knows several languages and defended her doctorate in quantum chemistry. Another lady is a doctor of medical science now. She is a famous in the world scientist and physician and an instrumentalist – she is a laureate of the 1st International Festival for Children, Youths and Adults with Hearing Disorders “Beats of Cochlea”. Some other laureates of this festival were also my patients. This event shows the progress in science and medicine thanks to which people with hearing problems can develop their musical talents. As a doctor, I’ve always wanted to prove that patients with hearing loss can also present their artistic talents, for example making music.

tions in Poland and how many of them have been performed in the Institute? As part of partial and total deafness treatment programmes in the Institute we performed 5 thousand different implant surgeries. In the remaining 5 centres in Poland the total number of such surgeries performed is about one thousand. However, the numbers do not say everything. Many projects, pioneering scientific and clinical programs have been realized in the Institute. The obtained results were the beginnings of new standards in therapeutic proceedings in modern international medicine. Besides cochlear implantations, in the Institute we developed possibilities to treat hearing disorders with brainstem implants (in 1998 we were one of the first counties in the world to perform such an operation) and with all other modern middle ear implants.

PM Patients wouldn’t have had such a chance

PM An example is a partial deafness treatment

if you hadn’t pursued your goal to develop the cochlear implant programme to treat deafness 25 years ago. Please tell us more about the beginnings. I saw the first presentation on cochlear implants at the 1st European Congress of European Federation of Oto-Rhino-Laryngological Societies EUFOS in 1988 in Paris, where I represented Poland in a regional round table together with representatives from Hungary, Czechoslovakia and the German Democratic Republic. A few months later during my next visit in France I visited a clinic run by professor J. M. Sterkers. Thanks to his help I took part in a meeting of French otolaryngologists, where I heard about the results of research of prof. Claude Henry Chouard, the pioneer in the deafness treatment with cochlear implants in Europe. Then I completed additional practical studies in his Parisian clinic in Saint-Antoine Hospital. With this experience I came back to Warsaw and started preparations to introduce the cochlear implant programme in Poland. The formal possibilities of the clinical hospital of the Medical Academy in Warsaw were restricted. Because of this, together with many prominent scientists and friends I started a non-government organization – the Foundation of Medicine Development “Homo-Homini”. The first goal was to organize the staff and place for work, which was to change the fate of people who were born with hearing loss and those who lost their hearing. This was a very complex and multidisciplinary program which involved many specialists – doctors, psychologists, speech therapists, teachers, engineers and implant fitting specialists. In 1991 I presented the possibility to treat deafness in Poland and on the 16th and 17th July 1992 I performed the first surgeries in an adult and in a child.

PM What is the number of cochlear implanta-

program that started in 2002. You also developed a method of electrode insertion through the round window. Today this method is used in all big centres in the world. Yes, this technique is used by those who perform minimally invasive surgeries, who want to preserve the preoperative residual hearing, and who do not want to limit their possibilities of benefiting from future, new, and improved technologies to get better hearing results. In 2002 I performed the first in the world cochlear implantation surgery in an adult with partial deafness, and in 2004 I performed the same type of surgery in a child. It was a big achievement – until that moment cochlear implants had been used only in cases of profound hearing loss and total deafness. I was ready to operate an inner ear with residual hearing, which at some frequencies was normal, to complement what is missing with an electrode. My recent achievement is the combination of natural acoustic hearing with electric stimulation. It is a big chance for millions of elderly people – almost ¾ of them suffer from partial deafness. Until now the efficiency of this method is surprising even for the most prominent specialists. We have performed this kind of surgeries in the biggest group of patients with partial deafness in the world – over 2.5 thousand children and adults. The works on medical procedures to solve the problem of partial deafness open new prospects of development. PM What can I wish you on the occasion of

this jubilee? To keep our present high position in the world's science. We plan to implement new scientific experience into the everyday clinical practice. One of our main tasks for the coming years is also to strengthen the “Polish school” in the global science and medicine. • 10/2016 polish market 65


Tourism

THE ECONOMY AND ITS ROOTS IN SOCIAL RELATIONS PROF. ELŻBIETA MĄCZYŃSKA, Warsaw School of Economics, President of the Polish Economic Society

A

characteristic feature of the contemporary global economy is the presence in it, and with increasing frequency, of various types of interference, turbulence and crises. For several decades the world has been responding to these phenomena through the use of conventional anti-crisis methods and tools typical of industrial civilization. However, the practice shows that currently these tools fail. Consequently, we are faced with the question of why is this happening? Studies show that the reasons for this are many, complex and inter-connected. Two of them, however, come to the fore. The first is cultural changes related to the information revolution, and the other is the insufficient rooting of the economy in social relations, which is expressed in the escalation of social inequalities and various forms of social exclusion. Moving from the model of industrial civilization to a new model of the economy, to the information age, means that there is a kind of cultural regression, cultural anchoring in the old system. This type of effect, described in the literature and the “lock-in effect”, or the effect of sticking to the existing framework and system solutions, is a barrier

66 polish market

to development. Practice shows more often and more strongly that in the new economy the traditional solutions turn out to be not only ineffective, but actually increase the risk of taking wrong socio-economic decisions at different institutional levels. This also applies to decisions in the sphere of broadly understood human and social capital, resulting in a lack of harmony between economic growth and social progress. This is not a new phenomenon and has for a long time been the subject of many publications. It was vividly presented by Karl Polanyi in his famous work published in 1944, entitled "The Great Transformation”. This author argued that" the economy is not rooted in social relations." At the same time he pointed to the risk resulting from the "commodification of everything." He warned that allowing market mechanisms to determine human fate and shape the human environment would only lead to the disintegration of society . Although Polanyi's warnings related to industrial civilization, they retain a validity, and even strengthen them, now that the digital revolution brings fundamental changes in areas including the labor market, through the disappearance of certain professions. In his futuristic and quite controversial book

entitled “The Singularity is Near”, one of the researchers of this issue, Raymond "Ray" Kurzweil, points to the inevitable processes of the disappearance of jobs resulting from the development of artificial intelligence, and biomedical engineering. Kurzweil defines this singularity as a period in the future, in which the pace of technological change will be so rapid, its impact so deep, that human life will change irreversibly. All this points to the need to look for and implement new patterns of development, enabling the prevention of dysfunctions of the modern economy and wasting of development potential due to a variety of maladjustments, generated by the crisis of civilization. Polish authors devoting particular attention to this issue include Grzegorz W. Kołodko, Jerzy Kleer and Andrzej Wierzbicki.. Research confirms the need for a new, inclusive model of shaping the socio-economic reality, a model that is more socially rooted, aimed at reconciling social, economic and ecological goals while optimising the potential of socio-economic development. There is an increasing body of evidence showing that growing global economic barriers to growth are closely related to the fact that the economy is not rooted in social relations. •


POLISH ECONOMIC Innovation

SOCIETY

The Polish version of the book will soon be available in the online bookshop of the Polish Economic Society (PTE). 10/2016 polish market 67 For the full selection of our publications, check www.ksiazkiekonomiczne.pl. Books can be ordered online, in scientific bookshops, or directly with PTE: 49 Nowy Świat St. 00-042 Warsaw tel.: +48 22 551 54 01 e-mail: zk@pte.pl


Economy

STANISŁAW KLUZA, acting President of the Management Board, Bank Ochrony Środowiska, talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś.

ECOLOGY IT’S OUR MAJOR

DISTINGUISHING FEATURE PM You have served as President of BOŚ since

March this year. What are the business objectives of BOŚ set out in the Bank’s Framework Development Strategy for the years 2016-2020? As far as I know, the bank’s development is based on four pillars. You are right, we are talking of four important areas: a specialist pro-environmental offer, co-operation with shareholders, including the NFOŚiGW, State Forests, fast credit process and professional customer support, known as the Ecology of Time. It is important that BOŚ is returning to its roots,

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meaning ecology. We are increasing financial exposure of the Bank to projects in the area of environmental protection. Here I mean investment projects improving energy efficiency, such as modernisation of technological lines, renewable energy projects, such as geothermal energy or bio-gas power plants and waste management projects. Generally speaking, we offer both companies and individual customers our assistance in selecting the optimum product meeting the needs and abilities of the investor. In the case of “ecological” projects every choice may be correct because such undertakings usually

contribute to reducing the operating costs of production lines or simply current charges paid by households. This specialisation is our major distinguishing feature. We try to be better than other market players in the area of environmental protection. However, specialisation does not mean narrowing the offer. On the contrary – we offer the entire spectrum of banking products dedicated to companies and individual customers, while conducting a number of activities which go well beyond the standards of banking. We provide real support for environmental protection by


Economy

promoting pro-environmental solutions offered in co-operation with partners such as the NFOŚiGW, voivodship (regional) funds and foreign banks in the form of credit lines facilitating financing environmentally-friendly projects and undertakings. This is our unquestionable strong suit. In many interviews you stress the importance of the “ecology of time”. Could you explain this term? This term defines the proper relations between bank and customer. We believe that ecology applies to the protection of rare resources of unique and irreversible character. Time is such an irreversible resource. If we have many things to do, a sequence of operations carried out daily, then we want to perform them as quickly as possible to have more time left for things we consider important. We notice that more and more customers value time and the possibility of attending to simple matters at the bank quickly. Therefore, we adapt our products to customer expectations. Let’s consider simple bill-paying. This is a basic and necessary operation. But it can be performed fast and efficiently. PM

In which strategic projects has Bank Ochrony Środowiska participated? Over 25 years of the Bank’s existence we have significantly altered Poland’s economic reality, in particular, in the area of the environment. Owing to our support proenvironmental projects worth PLN 48 billion have been implemented. The Bank has taken part in a number of individual projects and in consortia. Another distinguishing feature are projects changing the appearance of Polish cities. We are actively involved in the JESSICA Initiative in three regions: Zachodniopomorskie, Pomorskie and Śląskie voivodships. Under this programme the Bank has signed 50 JESSICA loan agreements financing urban projects with a value exceeding PLN 1.2 billion. Today, we are facing yet further challenges in the context of the new EU perspective and governmental plans to develop the economy. Proenvironmental projects may count on strong support in the form of financing both from domestic and EU funds sources. However, it is clear that support of the banks will also be needed. BOŚ is the bank of first choice for investors preparing such undertakings. We are convinced that we will play a significant role in the forthcoming transformation of the Polish economy. PM

Do you have the required personnel? Specialists employed at BOŚ, such as engineers, actively participate in a number of projects supported by the Bank as Chief Ecologists for corporate customers and mass market customers. Not without reason, environmental projects are complex in terms of technology and legal regulations. In the case of many preferential credits it is also necessary to demonstrate the environmental effects of a given undertaking. Assistance of environmental experts is also valuable at the beginning, during the preparation of the business plan, or at the stage of selecting the parameters, for example, of RES micro-installations chosen by individual customers. The presence of environmental experts is PM

a significant marker and competition advantage of BOŚ in the environmental protection projects market. Does the fact that the main shareholder is the State give you a sense of security enabling the Bank to take decisions on co-financing projects with increased risk? A bank must always be guided by profit versus risk, regardless of its ownership structure. Adherence to banking standards and protection of customers’ deposits are our priorities. The banking business must be conducted in a balanced way. On the one hand, one should not be afraid to finance good projects offering interesting prospects. On the other hand, one should not grant credits “left, right and centre”. It is necessary to bear in mind that a bank does not have its own money but uses funds entrusted to it by its investors and shareholders. Therefore, every credit decision must take into account not only the interest of our customer, but also the security of deposits and the entire bank. In the case of BOŚ close co-operation with shareholders is important. Synergies with the National Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Management, offering a number of pro-environmental financing lines, are obvious. We also collaborate closely with the Voivodship Funds by granting credits with subsidies financed from their budgets. Equally important are our relations with State Forests, for example, in view of the prospective market linked to forest economy. I mean here providers of forestry services, timber processing, paper mills, furniture makers. PM

PM The net profit of the BOŚ Bank Group in the 2nd quar-

ter of 2016 was PLN 1.2 million. What are the results expected by you for the end of the year? The most important thing is a correction of the business model aimed at adjusting the Bank to the fast-changing economic realities. We are striving towards rebuilding the Bank’s potential and generating a positive result over a longer period. Certain actions materially affecting the financial standing of the Bank and its future results have already been taken. We have finalized an increase of the share capital of PLN 400 million with a share issuance. It is worth stressing that we carried out the entire operation under very difficult market conditions. Lowering the Bank’s financing costs is an important element of the new strategy of Bank Ochrony Środowiska. In May 2016, we redeemed high-yield Eurobonds worth EUR 250 million, replacing them with cheaper financing in the PLN deposit market. All this will be reflected in the Bank’s results. However, it is necessary to take a look at our actions from a broader perspective. Over the next few years we want to become the best bank for the environmental protection business, and also a bank of the first choice for those who value the “organic” lifestyle. We cannot waste our competition advantage in this field. We have unique competencies, long experience in supporting environmental protection projects. This is a huge advantage, especially in the light of the new EU perspective and the ambitious plans to develop the Polish economy. • 10/2016 polish market 69


Economy

IMBALANCE IN ONE SECTOR CAUSES IMBALANCE IN OTHERS KRZYSZTOF KALICKI, Ph.D., President of the Board of Deutsche Bank Polska, talks to Marcin Haber. PM The years 2015 and 2016 are full of challeng-

es for the banking sector. How do you see the future of this sector in Poland? Indeed, during this period several events took place that negatively affected the situation in the banking sector. First of all, its profitability greatly decreased. This was due to effects that resulted from the events of 2015 years: the cost of restructuring the credit unions (SKOK), higher payments to the Bank Guarantee Fund due to, among others, the bankruptcy of Bank Spółdzielczy in Wołomin, PLN 600 million in the form of aid under the Assistance Act given to mortgage borrowers who found themselves in a difficult financial situation. At the same time the sector has adopted the so-called “six-pack” principle, which is a deliberate abandonment of part of the revenues in order to "buffer" the effect caused by the appreciation of the Swiss Franc. All this took place accompanied by the decision to compensate the negative interest rate of loans in Swiss Franc. In this atmosphere in 2016 another calamity happened in the form of the so-called banking tax. PM Is this tax really such a great calamity?

Yes, it is. It reduces by almost half the profitability of the banking sector. In other countries, there are similar types of taxes, but 8-10 times lower than in Poland. You can already see the negative impact of this additional levy on the economy. First of all, as could be expected, banks must try to minimize the cost of this burden by changing pricing tariffs, margins, commissions. It must be remembered that the tax was imposed on all existing assets that the sector has built for 25 years. The

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burden on this account is about 50 base points (0.5%) and this means that as of this moment, the cost of mortgage and consumer loans have increased. On the other hand, banks must also reduce the rate offered on deposits. These decisions have a negative impact on the supply of credit. This also reduces the demand for credit, as the higher cost requirements reduce the creditworthiness of the individual entities. This reduces the scale of housing finance, which is one of the driving engines of the economy. The second, fatal effect of the banking tax, which occurred despite the intention of its creators is that the multinationals have begun to contract more obligations abroad, thus avoiding any additional credit costs. Polish companies and Polish consumers have to pay a rate of about half a percent higher. It is difficult to justify the profitability of the banking sector at a level of a few percent in relation to other sectors where profitability is much higher. All these elements contribute to the fact that many banks signal their readiness to leave Poland. This situation is very unfavorable from the point of view of the development strategy of our country. In economic theory, all sectoral taxes are considered decisions bringing highly negative economic effects. They can upset the economic equilibrium of the country. According to the Walras law – an imbalance in one sector causes an imbalance in the others. This is just one theory, but there is probably no economist who would say that sectoral taxes lead to the optimisation of the economy. PM You paint the recent years in very grey, not

to say black colours. And what can you say

about the past 27 years? How did the banking sector develop in the free Poland? We entered the transformation phase at a great disadvantage. Most of the banking portfolio was threatened, financial institutions lacked capital, knowledge, procedures and skills. Decisions were taken about the socalled "Twin agreements", meaning agreements with foreign banks which, as part of the support for Poland, transferred to us their knowhow, solutions and technology. Some of them engaged later in the privatisation process. At this stage, the government issued restructuring bonds from the privatization fund, which complemented own funds of financial institutions. The Central Bank also extended credit on special conditions for taking over the failing private banks. Co-operative banks and bank associations also received support. On the one hand, these measures meant that the banking sector became a lot healthier, better capitalised and safer, with better procedures and technology. On the other hand, the economic situation at that time was very favourable. It should also be noted that the funds of banks and credit capabilities were far too small in relation to the requirements of the real economy. PM I would not like our conversation to end on

a completely pessimistic note with regards the current situation… I am an optimist. I believe that we will return to ideas having a positive effect on the economy. After all, there is a need for funds and for investments. Hungary has withdrawn partly from the banking tax. Let’s take the example from other countries, but only if what they do is wise. •



Medicine

WE ARE BOUND BY A FEELING OF SECURITY “POLISA-ŻYCIE” Towarzystwo Ubezpieczeń Spółka Akcyjna Vienna Insurance Group is a subsidiary of the Austrian Vienna Insurance Group, a leading insurer in Central and Eastern Europe. WIESŁAW SZERMACH, President of the Board of “Polisa–Życie” TU S.A. Vienna Insurance Group.

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e have enjoyed a reputation of a stable company for years and our positive results demonstrate that our strategy is successful – said Wiesław Szermach, President of the Board of “Polisa–Życie” TU S.A. Vienna Insurance Group. We have been present in the market for 21 years and continue to develop dynamically. We successfully implement our strategic plans. Our sales keep increasing and the financial results are kept at the planned level or even exceed it. The company has for years seen a growth of the premium written, giving us a strong position in the Polish insurance market. Our offer meets the European standards. It was drawn up on the basis of extensive experience and continuous market monitoring. At any moment it can be adjusted to the needs and financial capabilities of customers and the changing economic situation. Modern insurance combines security for the future, investments and safety – President Wiesław Szermach added. Our offer includes products meeting the needs of the insurance market. Our success is due to a number of factors, from constant building of the organisational structure, through the acquisition and training of new agents and brokers. Despite the traditional sales model we launch modern IT tools which several years from now will determine our market position. Our solutions enable customers to access information and monitor their finances. They highly value this ability. In the case of group insurance we offer full online support. At the same time we improve your insurance programmes and systematically develop new products to ensure that our offer is attractive and meets customer expectations. During its long market presence “Polisa-Życie” has built a robust nation-wide sales network ensuring professional and comprehensive customer support at 16 Regional Sales

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Anna Arwaniti Offices, 30 Agencies and through more than 2,010 agents whose number continues to increase. More than 240,000 customers have put their trust in us. I believe that constant development is the basis of success – stressed President Szermach. We have an action plan until the year 2019 which provides for focusing on protective, capital and savings insurance with a regular premium. We continue company computerisation. We conduct regular intensive training courses. We develop the e-learning base supplemented by dedicated courses for individual levels of the sales structure designed to boost management and sales capabilities. We create new insurance packages responding to the needs of the insurance market. The mission of the company is to give customers a feeling of security and financial protection by offering modern and unique insurance packages with very wide cover for the insured and their families. “Polisa- Życie” TU S.A. Vienna Insurance Group is the recipient of numerous awards, including: • INSURANCE COMPANY OF 2016 – Certificate of the Central National Certification Bureau • SUPER WIKTORIA 2015 – Company of the 25th Anniversary of Polish Transformation Quality Mark • “Large Pearl of the Polish Economy” awarded by Polish Market and the Institute of Economic Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences, • VIP Product – a statuette awarded by VIP for VIP Open Life Assurance • Gold Medal of the Academy of Polish Success • Nomination of the “Teraz Polska” Promotional Emblem Foundation for Group Life Assurance with Super Guarantee Funds Option. The company builds insurance portfolios in accordance with the motto: "With new life prospects in mind." •


Economy

CO-OPERATION THE KEY TO TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

WOJCIECH FEDYK, Ph.D., President of Polish Tourist Organization

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trong competition in the international tourist market is forcing all those who want to profit from tourism to intensify promotional activities. They promote the Czech Republic, but also Spain and Italy – tourist giants - with seemingly unchallengeable market position. So, if countries with such long-recognized attractive tourist potential spend millions of euros to bring in tourists themselves, what can Poland do, considering that it does not have comparable amounts in its promotion budget and its image is still distorted by old stereotypes? Corporate social responsibility (CSR) also extends to how companies do business with their external partners. Perhaps it is this aspect extended to a larger area covering co-operation and participation in projects, which reinforce the area of which the entrepreneur is indirectly a beneficiary, that should be developed. Tourist-related services seem to be a good example. Without the customer there is no business. Entrepreneurs selling their services profit from promoting the city, region or even the entire country. In such a case should they not realize this simple mechanism of dependency and begin to actively support it? "Our goal is not to "extract" money for our statutory tasks from entrepreneurs", says Wojciech Fedyk, Ph.D., president of the Polish Tourist Organisation. "We want touristrelated beneficiaries to see that including promotional activities will benefit everyone. Every year we invite nearly 700 foreign journalists to study tours in Poland. Our foreign centres co-operate with opinion-forming titles, journalists trusted by their readers, and

recently bloggers who are becoming increasingly important, whose opinions count primarily among a young audience", said Wojciech Fedyk, Ph.D. „The value of published / broadcasted articles as well as radio and television broadcasts, calculated according to the advertising price-list in EUR last year amounted to PLN 31,964,474. Does this figure not appeal to the Imagination?", asks president Fedyk. In our budget we do not have the money to finance campaigns in the media having the equivalent efect and the more press trips there are to Poland the more information about our country and and what it can offer will appear in the world. So what can be done to enhance the effects of even this single task? The answer seems to be simple. According to Fedyk, Ph.D. support in the form of discounts on the services required to host a foreign visitor would allow us to operate on a wider scale. Participation today is a word that could change the approach to co-operation. The goal is not always to generate a profit but ensure that a larger number of entities will benefit in the long term. So how do you persuade companies profiting from tourists to contribute to the financing of specific actions? According to Fedyk, Ph.D. partner’s credibility is a key feature of the business and the Polish Tourist Organisation is a serious institution that has carried out many successful campaigns and project implementations. "We are an institution that has carried out the biggest Polish media campaigns abroad and our experts have collaborated with well-known artists and advertising photographers to come up with creative lines - and the effects of this cooperation have been repeatedly awarded in

international competitions. We know which tools to use to create “bespoke” solutions", says president Fedyk. According to its president, the inclusion of the representatives of the entire tourism industry and companies offering their services to tourists in the activities carried out by the Polish Tourist Organization are a testimony of the responsibility for this area of socio-eco​​ nomic life, the development of which benefits them. There is another profit in the form of increased social capital. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is increasingly mentioned as one of the leading concepts of strategic management in business. Voluntary achievement of social and environmental goals and thus the implementation of the concept of sustainable development was supported by 62% of respondents in the CSR Barometer survey. 28% of respondents felt that companies should act for the benefit of the community using business mechanisms. Will this understanding of CSR in tourism presented by Wojciech Fedyk, Ph.D. increase the range of promotional activities? Everything depends on whether we manage to convince those who profit from the tourism industry that they should co-operate. Another example is the creation of a tourist observatory, whose data is to assist in predicting the developments in tourism and ultimately facilitate business decision making and strategy development. We are trying to attract partners to reduce the cost of implementation of this project - says Fedyk, Ph.D. In his opinion, such action not only helps raise funds for projects but also to integrate all entities operating in the field of tourism around a common cause the development of Polish tourism - and this is priceless. • 10/2016 polish market 73


Smart City

NOT CARS, BUT AN ENTIRELY NEW ELECTROMOBILITY PARADIGM

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ast June, the Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Economic Development launched a joint initiative dedicated to the creation of a new industry based on large-scale deployment of electric vehicles (EVs). As ambitious as it may seem at first, global competences in the field of electromobility are still spread around the world with a few centres of gravity emerging from China to Japan to California to Detroit. There is clearly space for the Polish economy to become a strong contributor to the global trend towards electromobility if inherent strengths of local skills can be mustered - including a leading role in the market of modern electric buses. However beneficial conditions have to be established to achieve this. There is Norway, a global success story in the deployment of EVs, with sales of new electric cars reaching 30% of total sales in Oslo and Bergen. The country boasts the

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fastest diffusion rate of electric vehicle technology in the world with 50,000 cars sold in 7 years, way more than at any other European market. On the other hand the whole development was possible thanks to full dedication of the country and a significant purchase incentive (thousands of EUR per car). While taking into consideration wealth and beneficial geographical distribution of the Norwegian population, it is worthwhile to examine lessons from the Scandinavian country. Despite high environmental awareness of Scandinavians, concerns regarding shortcomings of electric vehicles were hampering the development of the local market. A study was commissioned to explore citizen attitudes. One of the most profound conclusions, largely absent from the public debate in Poland yet, was that batteries and appropriate charging infrastructure was essential for the demand to take off.


Smart City Batteries remain a key challenge for largescale adoption of the technology. At this stage, with standards still not set and life expectancy unknown – many buyers are concerned about the value of the car after a few years of use. While typical EV range is sufficient for 90% of trips, longer routes require a network of charging stations. Lack of infrastructure would reduce the revolution merely to a fizzle. Poland, like other members of the European Union, is obliged to prepare in 2016 a national plan for the development of renewable fuels infrastructure. In the context of insufficient availability of charging stations as the key barrier for the deployment of EVs, this strategic paper should set a clear roadmap for constructing and financing such a network. A sneak peek at Norwegian statistics regarding the behaviour of EV drivers: 97% of users plug their vehicle at home, 55% - at work and 39% - at a public charger. Currently the CEF instrument is a key source of financing for the construction of charging stations across Europe, but Member States embarking on ambitious EV programmes allocate additional resources to advance the infrastructure and create incentives for private companies to operate chargers. It may sound obvious but even in the case of wealthy societies, “incentive” is the key word at the initial stage of market development. 81% of electric vehicle buyers choose them today because of low operational costs and 64% indicate other benefits – primarily toll-free roads and use of bus lanes. Cars are a very expensive assets in Norway, both to acquire and to maintain. In such a context, tax breaks applied to reduce operational costs of EVs are a major factor for the electric boom. In order to deploy a large-scale fleet of EVs in Poland, a comprehensive policy is necessary to stimulate domestic demand. Oslo legislators applied a very broad spectrum of stimuli to achieve that objective, but hardly any other country in Europe can afford such an approach. It is essential then to examine efficiency of adopted tools, as conclusions may be striking. In Norway, the two most cost-effective measures were free access to bus lanes for EVs and exemption from annual tax imposed on conventional cars. Free parking was also an important factor. Other tools including VAT exemption, reduced tolls and free parking, were essential in driving the market, but they turned out to be very expensive fiscally. The Netherlands, another growing market, is known for common adoption of corporate and private car lease contracts, driving the replacement of the existing fleet with modern, energy-efficient vehicles – EVs were clearly beneficiaries of the

scheme. Other countries offered customers various mixes of tax breaks, grants and purchase incentives – as it is clear by now that it was not a single measure, but rather a package of incentives tailored to a local market that is capable of triggering the development of the market. As EVs are not an independent technology on their own and require the construction of new infrastructure, most countries in Europe decided to focus on promoting electromobility for corporate fleets first, encouraging business to invest in charging stations – that was the case for the UK, Germany, Sweden, Finland and Denmark. With increasingly electric corporate fleets and appropriate infrastructure catching up, individuals are keener to embrace the technology. Green public procurement regulations usually follow encouraging public administration to choose EVs. Last but not least, the customer base is critical for success of market development. Who is the natural customer of an electric car in the European Union? More than 50% of users and 75% of Norwegians buying an EV have a second car. Electric cars are the perfect solution for middle-class families travelling every day from suburbs to work and shopping malls, taking advantage of privileges related to the possession of an EV – use of bus lanes, free parking, toll-free roads and lower maintenance costs. Residents of rural areas and households with a single car are much more cautious with regard to the electric technology, because of range concerns and limited charging infrastructure. What should be the starting point then? The Ministry of Energy and Ministry of Economic Development have announced recently that to boost electromobility they will introduce a zero VAT programme for electric cars, no excise, financial incentives for the first 100 thousand electric cars, use of bus lanes and free parking. Additionally the Ebus programme is the perfectstep towards the new paradigm of electromobility. Many pieces are already on the table: recognized bus brands are international success stories and some of them are in the forefront of the electric transition. Metropolitan transport companies will have to replace old fleets in the forthcoming years and massive European funds are available within the 2014-2020 EU Multiannual Financial Framework. Now only a coordinated effort is required to move forward and review regulations to optimize the framework for the new paradigm, from public procurement to local taxes, from construction provisions to public roads act. The time is ripe for the urban electric mobility revolution. •

PIOTR MICHALCZYK, partner at PwC Polska

BARTOSZ KWIATKOWSKI, public policy manager at PwC Polska 10/2016 polish market 75


Smart City

POLAND HAS A GOOD REPUTATION! MACIEJ WITUCKI, President of the Managment Board of Work Service, talks to Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś. PM Work Service has been operating in the

Polish market since 1999 and is considered the largest provider of comprehensive HR services. Has the attitude of business people to using companies such Work Service changed over those 17 years? Of course it has. The change we see today relates to the current conditions existing in Poland and in the Polish economy. Production is being modernised. The customers often include global players. In connection with the changes in the manufacturing systems we observe changes in the requirements concerning employees. At present, the labour market is characterised by significant seasonality, frequently connected with global orders. For example, during the UEFA Euro football tournament in 2016 we needed many more television sets and manufactured more LCDs. Towards the end of the year we are seeing increased car sales and factories delivering subassemblies accelerate their work. We depend on the global economy. And its rhythm is irregular. We are currently working for the Polish and global market. We live at times of considerable uncertainty. Even a small change in the economy or politics can have an impact upon production. We must be flexible to stay competitive. Looking at the Western markets, which we associate with employment stability, we can see that there the scale of temporary employment is several times higher than in Poland. In our country civil law contracts are common, with temporary employment contracts which are safer for the employee less so. And this seems surprising considering the discussion on the stability of employment and civil law contracts. PM Are companies more willing to use HR con-

sultancy services, or maybe they still prefer to recruit staff themselves? Employers have a problem with the search for candidates. By employers, I mean not only

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large companies but also those from the small and medium-sized enterprises sector. Companies are increasingly moving away from setting up their own recruitment departments and come with such tasks to us instead. As a result, our recruitment business is growing. PM Work Service is a leader in Poland. And one

could also say without exaggeration that also in Europe. Work Service operates in 16 countries. I am interested in the debut of the company in China. Whence this idea? Indeed, Work Service is present in several European markets. But the case of China is somewhat different. Our Group includes specialised companies, such as Exact Systems (dedicated to the outsourcing of quality control for the automotive sector), which has just opened its subsidiary in China. But it is a model in which our company "follows the customer." In this case, the involvement of Exact Systems in the Chinese market resulted from long-term co-operation with customers in Europe, who have factories in China and who invited our company to work with them in a new market. But a similar situation also occurs in the case of our IT Kontrakt company, dealing with outsourcing specialists, which is opening its branch in Malaysia. Work Service has a unique history. We are present in several markets. I believe that we have accumulated some very valuable experience. Poland is a good brand and Polish companies, managers and employees are well received in the world. PM While most entrepreneurs in Poland con-

sider listing their companies on the Warsaw Stock Exchange, they are much more cautious when it comes to the London Stock Exchange (LSE). And last February Work Service took the plunge and entered London’s trading floor. Was this a deliberate

and strategic decision – to expand in Europe and float the company on the LSE? We see how the Warsaw Stock Exchange has been performing. Thus, the floation on the London Stock Exchange means the opening of a potential channel of capital acquisition. If it turns out that the Warsaw Stock Exchange does not allow us to smoothly raise capital, we can always take advantage of the London Stock Exchange. Although these are the plans for unspecified future. But a thing that is extremely important for us are the instantaneous effects felt after taking this decision. Namely, in operations in Western Europe the London Stock Exchange label helps and adds credibility. Please note that this label largely confirms our quality. Thereby, we increase our attractiveness in the eyes of our foreign partners. PM In Poland, innovation is associated main-

ly with technological processes, which are supposed to lead to the development of new or improved products. However, modern technologies also allow for innovation and organizational innovations to be implemented within the company. Innovation in the field of HR services and recruitment is also of great importance. Access to the candidates is now quite different than it was 4-5 years ago. Currently, candidates are sought by using new tools. Our recruitment is conducted through Internet portals. We are helped in this by the appropriate software, which places advertisements in a space dedicated to specific groups of candidates. On the other hand, we have tools that scan the CVs of the candidates in order to best match the education and the skills to a specific position. We are also working on mobile solutions that allow external employees to contact us directly, thus staying informed of their payments, the number of hours worked or the available job • offers.


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13 października 2016 Hotel Westin, Warszawa

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Innovation

4TH SMART CITY FORUM The 4th Smart City Forum, an event dedicated to propagating the idea of smart cities, was held on September 14-15, 2016 at the Westin Hotel in Warsaw. The conference was attended by more than 655 guests, including mayors of Polish towns, representatives of marshal offices, local administration and business.

MARIUSZ GACA, Chairman of the Programme Council of Smart City Forum, Vice-President of the Board of Orange Polska

Ewelina Janczylik-Foryś

he conference was officially opened by Mariusz Gaca, Chairman of the Programme Council of Smart City Forum, Vice-President of the Board of Orange Polska. The first day of the forum was attended by guests of honour Hanna Gronkiewicz-Waltz, Mayor of Warsaw, and Tom Voege, ITS and Transport Expert, Policy Analyst, International Transport Forum, OECD. Opening the Forum, Mariusz Gaca expressed satisfaction that the idea of "smartness" was becoming increasingly popular among private companies and State institutions alike. He said: "During the 3rd Forum we discussed the Smart City 3.0 idea pertaining to engaging citizens in the development of their cities. The effects of this competition can already be seen. Citizens turn cities into places where people want to live. During the 4th Smart City Forum we are raising the bar. We are going to give even more space to the idea of smart citizens. These inhabitants not only accept smart solutions, but demand their implementation in order to improve the comfort of their lives. A smart citizen is a person who is engaged and aware of the benefits that the implementation of smart systems or applications can bring. In possession of this knowledge, such people begin to demand more and care strongly about their ‘Little Homeland’." In keeping with the address by Mariusz Gaca, the subjects broached on day one of Smart City Forum included developing a sustainable city as a smart city. The binding force in this case, is the smart citizen. The issue of ‘Little Homeland’ is highly significant. Most solutions applied at the regional level can be moved to the central government level. Solutions should meet certain basic criteria: their use should increase safety at various levels smart city tools must allow savings, which are of great importance in cities and smart solutions must be environmentally friendly.

With regards to improved security, there was a presentation of the Video Alert system which is currently used in Łomianki near Warsaw. The system allows for monitoring any situation inside public transport vehicles, thanks to the integration of the vehicles surveillance system and digital safety controls. In the event of a threat, the driver can push a button that sends an alert signal to the control room. Other presentations during the conference included that of an innovative municipal waste management system, in the form of Big Belly Smartbins supplied by Orange Polska together with Integrated Solutions. These bins are fitted with a rubbish crushing module and a system which monitors the inside of the container. This system also enables monitoring of how full the bins are. It may seem strange, but by using bins such as these it is possible to optimise the frequency at which they are emptied. Even minor things that we usually overlook can be classified as smart equipment. Another important aspect was the effective use of the available data and making it available to the inhabitants. Day one of the Forum ended with a block of topics pertaining to payments “in and to the city” – modern cashless payment systems, experiences and conclusions for the future. Speakers included Krzysztof Żuk, Mayor of Lublin, Tadeusz Kościński, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Economic Development, Maciej Bluj, Deputy Mayor of Wrocław, Ronald Binkofski, Director General, Microsoft in Poland, Danuta Kamińska, Treasurer of Katowice and Adrian Kurowski, Director, Visa Europe in Poland. Interestingly, the event was attended not only by representatives of municipal authorities from large cities such as Warsaw, Wrocław, Lublin and Katowice, but also by the mayors of small and medium-sized towns, such as Legnica and Świdnica. As it turns out, smart technologies are very important in every town in

T

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Poland. Of course, those in charge of big cities have different needs than mayors of small towns. But in every case the aim is to improve the comfort of citizens, for instance, by allowing them to pay by card at the offices of local authorities. Day two of the conference was opened by Michał Kurtyka, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Energy. The first thematic block concerned municipal energy, including issues relating to energy saving solutions, smart grid and personal energy management by citizens. Another debate during the Forum focused on urban mobility and transport management systems. The panel discussed matters such as transport automation, use of geo-location in transport and smart parking. The debate ending day two, concerning education was no less important. Topics discussed included the delivery of digital education resources, co-operation between schools, enterprises and administration, as well as the standardisation of education programmes. Speakers on the second day of the event included Marcin Pluta, Mayor of Brzeziny, Rafał Soja, President of the Board, TAURON Sprzedaż, Mirosław Kozłowicz, Deputy Mayor of Bydgoszcz, Alain Van Gaever, Policy Officer, Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, European Commission, Mariusz Wiśniewski, Deputy Mayor of Poznań, Tomasz Żuchowski, Under-Secretary of State, Ministry of Infrastructure and Construction, Tadeusz Truskolaski, Mayor of Białystok and Bartosz Bartoszewicz, Deputy Mayor of Gdynia. Smart City Forum is an event providing a platform for exchanging opinions regarding the latest technologies and opportunities offered by smart solutions. With every new edition it presents more and more practical smart city applications. The 4th Forum attracted experts, leaders and authorities not only from Poland, but also from abroad. •


MZA

Innovation

HUGE ACHIEVEMENTS, GREAT PLANS FOR THE FUTURE

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ore than a thousand buses purchased, i nve st me nt s in cut t i n g- e d ge environmental technologies, hybrid and electric – this is the metropolitan Municipal Bus Company. The future of the company is even even bright. Municipal Bus Company is the largest transport company in Poland and one of the largest in Europe. The four depots house more than 1,400 buses, and every day 1,200 vehicles leave them for the streets. In the last nine years investments in the rolling stock exceeded a billion zlotys, which made it possible to renew the fleet by more than 70%. The average age of our fleet is just over six years. This is already a splendid result, which shows a huge leap made by the Municipal Bus Company. It is worth noting that all our investment projects to-date have been carried out without external aid. Municipal Bus Company has for years been setting trends in the use of modern technology in public transport. It was the Warsaw company that first decided to buy a larger batch of hybrid buses. Previously, the capital was also a pioneer in the application of modern security systems, including automatic fire-fighting kits. Warsaw is a city with some of the first buses in Europe running on liquefied natural gas, LNG, and is home to Poland's biggest batch of electric buses. Currently Municipal Bus Company has in its fleet 35 articulated buses powered by LNG (along with Poland's first stationary LNG service station), ten Solaris Urbino 12 electric buses, and four hybrid articulated buses. Purchases of all these vehicles involved lengthy tests, which meant that employees had already gathered a lot of experience, which they now share with the representatives of other enterprises.

The successful experience of the Company in the use of buses running on alternative fuels has led other Polish cities to investing in environmentally-friendly solutions. Currently, this is done on a large scale in cities such as Zielona Góra, Kraków, Włocławek, Częstochowa and Inowrocław. Pro-environmental activities are not limited to the purchase of rolling stock. Warsaw is the first city in Poland and one of the first in Europe where the new rolling stock is factory-fitted with photovoltaic panels. This solution allows a few percent savings in fuel consumption, as well as smooth operation of electronic devices while the vehicle is stationary with the engine switched off (validators, ticket machines, electronic inside information). Energysaving solutions are also becoming standard in the depots where there is LED lighting, and plans for installation of alternative energy sources in the form of photovoltaic panels on the roofs of the buildings. Plans for the future of the Company are extremely ambitious. We will soon begin the construction of the most modern depot in Poland - the first equipped with a multistorey garage for buses, 100 stations for charging electric vehicles, but also energy-efficient heat pumps and solar panels. The solutions are to ensure that a large industrial plant that is the depot, will be a friendly neighbour, for the near-by housing estates. In the coming years, the Company will also not forget about the continued gradual replacement of its rolling stock. The most important investment in this area will be: the purchase of 130 low-emission vehicles co-financed by the European Union and the delivery of hybrid buses under the “Gazelle” programme organised by the National Fund for Environmental Protection. • 10/2016 polish market 79


Construction

CREATING CONDITIONS FOR LIVING AND WORKING IN A FRIENDLY ENVIRONMENT IS OUR PRIORITY JANUSZ ZALESKI, EurBE, Vice-President of PSMB

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olish Association of Building Managers (PSMB) is an organization of people with verified high professional qualifications, operating on a non-profit basis. The substantive goals of the Association are aligning the qualifications of Polish construction managers to the European standards and preparing them for conducting business in the international market. Our co-operation with the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology and membership in international organizations such as The Association of European Building Surveyors and Construction Experts (AEEBC) and The Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB), allowed the establishment of the National Monitoring Committee, selecting eligible candidates for the status of the European Construction Expert (EurBE) in accordance with the requirements of the AEEBC. In pursuing the substantive goal of the Association, together with the Faculty of Civil Engineering of Warsaw University of Technology in the framework of the "Education of Construction Managers" cycle, we are the organisers of a conference at the Mazury Congress Centre in Gołębiewski Hotel in Mikolajki on November 24-26 (details at www.psmb.pl). The theme of the conference is "Socially Responsible Business in an Irresponsible World - Social Responsibility of a Construction Company." The aim of the conference is to draw attention and to indicate the social impact of the activities of construction companies which voluntarily take into account social interests, environmental protection, as well as relationships with various stakeholder groups in their management strategy. The growing expectations of the business environment increasingly necessitate practical use by entrepreneurs of the

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idea of corporate social responsibility. However, without an understanding of the idea and without translating it into the daily practice it becomes a philanthropic PR ploy which does not build the competitiveness of the company. During the conference we will also turn attention to the interactions between social responsibility and public procurement, BIM, competitiveness and innovation. After all, social responsibility is a way of doing business, which combines the pursuit of profit with care (not at any price) so that it is shared not only by the company, but also by its stakeholders and the surroundings. It is a widely understood concept including issues such as transparency towards shareholders, commitment to the development of the local community, up to and including ethical standards implemented, for example, with regard to suppliers. Responsibility in the construction industry is not limited to investment responsibility but extends also to society and the environment. It stems from the fact that a building project is a process that is not limited to the construction site. Very important is co-operation with the surroundings where it is implemented. The priority, however, is always to create the best conditions to live and work in a friendly environment. In the panel discussion ending the conference we will consider whether the current laws create conditions that inspire construction contractors to promote the principles of socially responsible business in their activities. We will also present for consultations the thematic scope of a manual entitled "Corporate Social Responsibility" drawn up by the Association under the Erasmus+ programme and will hold a poster session disseminating the EU programmes im• plemented by the Association.


NEW FACE OF PGE NARODOWY

Economy

JAKUB OPARA, President of PL.2012+, talks to "Polish Market".

PM PGE Narodowy is not just a stadium. It has

become an entertainment and recreation centre. Is this your goal? PGE Narodowy is a multi-functional arena and it relies on events which use the whole stadium. However, events in the B2B market were supposed to generate the highest revenues. And this indeed is what has happened. Almost every day business events of various calibres are organised at PGE Narodowy. They include fairs, conferences, congresses or company events. Their number approaches 300 per year. Commercialisation of the facility was very important in the development of PGE Narodowy. An office rental offer was created in 2014. In just under 12 months the entire space earmarked for this purpose – in excess of 10,000 square metres, was rented. PL.2012+ also decided to open the stadium to the people of Warsaw and those living in other cities. A sightseeing offer has been created (we handle 300,000 visitors per year) and the external areas opened to the residents. Today, PGE Narodowy is a vibrant, lively place, friendly and open to everybody who is looking for attractive ways of spending free time. As part of our CSR activities, together with various associations, the operator is running a number of free sport workshops: running, roller-skating or long-boarding. The stadium hosts approximately 200 civic events per annum. PGE Narodowy has been “growing” every year. The number of events and visitors have increased along with the revenues. Today, we have reached some 500 events per year attracting nearly 2 million visitors. Our aim is to maintain this level. PM Many fairs and conferences are held at PGE

Narodowy. Examples include the recent book fair or the NATO summit. This is a highly versatile facility and it seems that sport is being eclipsed.

PGE Narodowy is much more than a football pitch, although I will always stress that we are the “Home of the Polish National Squad”. As I mentioned earlier, this is a multi-functional arena ideal for organising different types of events. From sport, through business, entertainment, culture and science. Our aim has been to create a place which is attractive every day, and not just on special occasions. We want PGE Narodowy to be attractive to visitors every day. Hence, our decision to rely on permanent attractions. Apart from excursions, we have our Go-carting Centre and the Tyrol Railway. We also rely on exhibitions. We have hosted the largest Lego blocks exhibition in Poland entitled “Pompeii. Life in the shadow of a volcano”, the “Dinosaurs Live” exhibition and now a railway mock-up. Each of them proved very popular. It clearly shows that the way Poles spend their free time continues to change. The demand for new forms of activities available to all age groups is growing. Changes in the events market can also be seen in the B2B segment. Companies increasingly invest in organising image-building business events, seeing the benefits offered by such activities. We are glad that we can be part of these changes by providing space for such events at one of the most prestigious venues in Poland. But the most important event this year was undoubtedly the NATO summit. Our role in the organization of this event was significant because we supported logistically and technically the main organizer - the Ministry of Defence. The summit was a huge success not only because of the decisions taken, but also thanks to its perfect organisation. PM You have also managed to resolve the prob-

lem of “seasonality” of attractions. In the summer period you offer a skate-park, concerts, open-air attractions and in winter a huge ice rink. Are there plans to extend the range of attractions? What can we expect?

We still want to be number one in the socalled free time industry. It will not be easy because new, very nice facilities continue to appear in our country. However, I believe that thanks to our consistency we will maintain attendance of 2 million visitors per year. The plan for the coming years assumes maintaining the highest quality of tried-and-tested formats such as football matches and concerts and searching for completely new forms. I can reveal that in 2017 we have plans to hold a huge eGaming event. The “Dancing PGE Narodowy” concert which took place at the stadium towards the end of September attracted more than 37,000 fans of disco music, showing that there is a demand for such events. Combining disco stars from the 1970s and 1980s such as Alphaville or Boney M. with Polish artists including Zenek Martyniuk or the band Weekend proved a masterstroke. It was the largest event of this type in Poland. PM The example of PGE Narodowy is an excel-

lent argument against opinions that the stadiums built for Euro 2012 are unable to earn their keep. Do you think that other similar venues can follow in your footsteps? True, in 2015 PL.2012+ posted a profit of PLN 2.1 million. Thanks to revenues of PLN 48 million the operator of the venue covered all the costs of running the company and PGE Narodowy. There is no need for PL.2012+ to receive any subsidies from the State budget. It should be stressed that the company has been self-financing since 2015. The profit was due to two main factors: diversification of revenues coupled with costs optimisation. Operating revenues of the operator are based on three pillars: all-stadium events, business activity (B2B events, hire of boxes, corporate partnerships) and rental of space. This year we plan an even bigger profit thanks to a wider offer, maximised effectiveness and venue management cost optimisation. • 10/2016 polish market 81


Construction

PORR POLSKA

COMPREHENSIVE SERVICES

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ORR Polska is among the leaders in the Polish construction market. Since its establishment as a modern construction group. PORR has been active in almost all branches of the building sector, from civil engineering, through underground engineering, construction of hotels, tunnels, shopping centres to bridges and railway lines. Thanks to synergy within the group PORR is able to offer services far exceeding standard construction orders.

INFRASTRUCTURAL CONSTRUCTION The key part of PORR’s business in Poland is road and bridge construction. The company has completed: • S7 – the Southern Ring Road of Gdańsk

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• Plac Wilsona underground station in Warsaw • Reconstruction of Prosta Street in Warsaw • Tadeusz Mazowiecki Bridge in Rzeszów The S-2 dual carriageway between Konotopa and the Okęcie Airport was a very important project for Warsaw. On a 10.44 km section the Company has built three junctions, including two incorporating the existing, reconstructed road system: Jerozolimskie Avenue and Krakowska Avenue and one with the newly-constructed Salomea-Wolica road (S-8), Opacz junction. The entire route includes 24 new engineering structures, such as bridges and overpasses in the course of the route and above it, and foot bridges and tunnels for pedestrians. It was a complex project and its completion in 2013 has improved the traffic conditions in the capital city. The end of 2015 and the beginning of


Construction the present year saw the commencement of four new road contracts awarded to PORR. They are the contracts for the construction of the following roads: • The S6 dual carriageway (Kołobrzeg Zachód) – including Kołobrzeg’s ring road. • The S6/S11 dual carriageway – Koszalin’s and Sianów’s ring road in the course of the S6 road and a section of the S11 road from Bielice junction to Koszalin Zachód junction. • The S8 dual carriageway, Poręba junction (excluding the junction) – the start of Ostrów Mazowiecka’s ring road. • The S17 dual carriageway – from the border of Lubelskie province, Skrudki junction. The total value of the projects is almost PLN 2 billion and the combined length of the newly-built roads will be in excess of 70 km. Work on the sections of the S6 and the S17 will be carried out by PORR alone, while work on the S6/ S11 and the S8 will be performed by a consortium. One of the projects implemented by PORR in recent years which received wide media coverage was the rebuilding of the burned Łazienkowski Bridge in Warsaw. It was an unusual project due to the complexity of the works and an extremely tight schedule, but also in view of the interest shown in its progress by Varsovians.

CONSTRUCTION OF BUILDINGS PORR Polska also delivers turn-key buildings erected using high quality materials and exacting workmanship standards. Such buildings include hotels, office buildings, residential buildings, schools, shopping centres and industrial facilities. PORR Polska is conducting a number of projects all over the country, among others, the Baltic Building in Poznań and a shopping centre in Tomaszów Mazowiecki. One of the most interesting and prestigious projects implemented by the Company is the Józef Piłsudski Museum Complex in Sulejówek. The design-and-build contract includes the construction of a museum and education building with three underground and three above-ground storeys. The above-ground part comprises two cuboids of identical height. The building will be constructed using architectural concrete with visible wood grains. The interior will be left in unfinished architectural concrete as the dominant material of the walls and ceilings, also with visible wood grains. The project, launched in May, includes not only the construction of the museum, but also the restoration of the historical Willa Bzów building and greenery revitalisation. One of the most recognisable buildings erected by PORR in Poland is Gdynia Waterfront at Nabrzeże Prezydenta in Gdynia. It was built by PORR – the general contractor of the first phase of the project. Gdynia Waterfront is a multi-functional project offering commercial spaces, as well as cultural and recreation facilities. The complex is situated near Skwer Kościuszki Square in Gdynia. The total floorage space is 3,468.90 m2, the usable space is 14,065.80 m2. All works were completed in 25 months. This project was one of the main criteria for granting the Company the Building of the Year 2016 award.

RAILWAY INFRASTRUCTURE The group has competencies including the construction and maintenance of slab tracks. The range of services includes the construction of new and reconstruction and modernisation of old tracks, maintenance, substructure repairs, allocation of machinery and rails machining. This division has successfully completed numerous projects and continues to receive new and interesting contracts. In March, PORR won the contract for the construction of the new Biała Rawska signalling centre on the main line No 4 linking Warsaw with Katowice and Kraków. Apart from erecting a new signalling centre building with the complete train traffic control equipment, the contract also included the construction of four new R-1200 junctions with a railroad bed and adaptation of the contact line system. The entire project involved closing the line for just several days and traffic was restored six hours ahead of schedule. This required not only the use of the relatively new technology of production and transport of whole junction spans, but also appropriate organisation and logistic of the building site. The replacement completed over such short time was undoubtedly a success auguring well for the future. In just six days, apart from replacing four junctions, the Company replaced station tracks, supplemented the contact line system and connected and commissioned a new traffic control system. According to experts, in the event of using the traditional method for building junctions, the entire operation would have taken at least 20 days, exposing the network operator to financial losses and passengers to lengthy delays. At the start of the year PORR also signed a contract for the modernisation of another section of line 272. In the last two years, on this line, linking Poznań with Upper Silesia, PORR successfully completed two projects with a value totalling approximately PLN 240 million. The current contract worth PLN 24 million includes the renewal of 15 km of tracks, modernisation of five railway viaducts, construction of three new viaducts, three new platforms and • adjustment of the contact line system.

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Construction

SABE IN WARSAW AND ON THE BALTIC SEA… “Villa Classica”- Warsaw

ANDRZEJ SKOWROŃSKI, president of the board of SABE Investments talks to "Polish Market" about the activity of the company to-date and discloses its plans. SABE Investments has been presented on the pages of Polish Market many times. It has operated in the property developer market since 1999. For 17 long, or maybe short years? Not only the years count, but above all the effects, satisfaction with the achievements and satisfied customers. Each of our projects is treated with due care and we make every effort to ensure that it is refined in every detail. Our projects meet the current needs of the market, both technically and architecturally. We are not a potentate in the developer sector, but we have no complexes because of it. We are pleased with our achievements. Since the beginning of our market presence we have built over 1,200 residential and commercial units with an area of nearly 75,000 m2. The company continues to develop, diversify its business geographically, and look for new challenges matching the scale of its capabilities. The property developer market is now really difficult and customers are very demanding. PM

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PM SABE Investments has in its portfolio a num-

ber of housing estates in Warsaw. Let’s remind our Readers of them. The first project was the “SONATA” apartment complex commissioned in 2003 and located near the Kamionkowski Pond next to Skaryszewski Park. We erected there three buildings with original, cascade architecture offering 326 apartments and 18 commercial units. The design solutions used and the spacious terraces and balconies offer the residents magnificent views of the pond, park and the city skyline. This housing estate boasts one of the most attractive locations in Warsaw. In 2007, we simultaneously completed two projects: “SIENNA” Residence and “SASKA” residence, with a total of more than 300 apartments and commercial units. The former is located in the centre of Warsaw, a location preferred by young business people. A modern building with eye-catching architecture, separated from the street by a glass guardhouse. The inner green courtyard

provides residents with a feeling of privacy. The four sculptures representing knights placed on the guardhouse arouse curiosity and interest of passers-by, hence the name "House of the Knights."


Construction

WE OPERATE IN THE SECTOR OF HIGH STANDARD APARTMENTS AND THERE IS SIMPLY NO ROOM HERE FOR FAULTS OR MEDIOCRITY. “SASKA” Residence was built in ul. Meksykańska, in the very heart of charming Saska Kępa. This is an ideal location for those who appreciate intimacy and the proximity of the city centre. A modern horseshoe-shaped apartment building standing at a height from 5 to 8 stories was built here. The ground floor and the mezzanine perform commercial and utility functions. A green courtyard with a playground, located at the second floor level is an innovative architectural solution. The last project completed in Warsaw was the “SYMFONIA” estate located in Wola borough. It is a complex of four buildings with 237 flats and seven commercial units connected with a green courtyard. To the satisfaction of young residents, one of the commercial units houses a crèche and a kindergarten. Until recently, Wola used to be considered a “working class borough of contrasts”. Today it is changing its image and undergoing a revival. Modern housing estates are springing up here at a brisk pace. Attractive locations, under 4 km from the centre, convinced us to go ahead with this project which we carried out during a period of downturn in the estate developer market. Nonetheless, we had no major problems with its commercialisation. Summarising, we can consider four projects in Warsaw to have been a success, indicating that we are well aware of the needs of the housing market. PM And what is the Company doing in War-

saw right now? We are completing our most prestigious investment project in Warsaw under the name "Villa Classica". It arises in the heart of old Mokotów, in ul. Merliniego 9. The name refers to the type of architecture, so characteristic of this part of town. Mokotów is one of the most beautiful districts of Warsaw and an important centre of culture and education. The district has a very well developed infrastructure and excellent transport links with other parts of the city. In close proximity of "Villa Classica"

“Villa Classica”- Warsaw

there are cultural and recreational facilities, including the club “Warszawianka" with tennis courts and a swimming pool complex. There are many parks near-by, such as Park Dreszera, Park Arkadia, and Park Morskie Oko. “Villa Classica” is an ideal place for those who value the comfort of living in an excellent location combined with active recreation options. The

building has four storeys and boasts a high quality finish. It contains 20 apartments with an area of 87 to 120 m2 and two commercial units. The apartments are 3 metres high and the layout is well thought-out and functional. Each unit has a spacious loggia and has been technically prepared for installation of air conditioning. “Villa Classica” is entered through an 10/2016 polish market 85


Construction

"AQUAMARINA - Świnoujście" elegant lobby with a reception desk, finished using materials of the highest quality. Residents also have at their disposal an underground car park with 48 parking spaces – two per apartment. “Villa Classica” stands out thanks to its original architectural concept and the highest standard of workmanship. The project will be commissioned towards the end of November. PM And what about further plans of the Com-

pany involving Warsaw? We are at the stage of preparing a number of new projects in Warsaw and intend to start their implementation in the coming years. The Board of SABE Investments strives consistently to ensure that the next projects are of similar aesthetic standards and successfully attract buyers, giving them a guarantee of satisfaction. PM I know that the SABE Group has also car-

ried out projects at the seaside. Were they profitable for the company? In the years 2008 – 2012, Marina Invest, a subsidiary of SABE, built in Międzyzdroje the “AQUAMARINA” holiday complex consisting of six modern buildings situated on a beautiful green plot. The distance to the beach, linked to the complex with a passage built by the Company, is just 150 m. Marina Invest also built a promenade at the crown of the dune which is a favourite place for walking and leads to the centre of Międzyzdroje. “AQUAMARINA” boasts 265 apartments (2- and 3-room) with an area of between 37 to over 80 m2 with spacious balconies or terraces. The apartments were finished in the “turn-key” standard with materials supplied by reputable manufacturers. They are furnished and fitted with household appliances in their kitchen annexes. Every owner of

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a unit has a parking space in an underground car park. The estate is gated and protected. Its residents have at their disposal their own forest park, bike rental and store. The area is safe and children-friendly, since there is no traffic there. The project received an award in the “Building of the Year 2010” competition organised by the Polish Union of Construction Engineers and Technicians. All apartments have been sold. PM And other seaside projects?

The considerable interest in “AQUAMARINA” in Międzyzdroje and its commercial success meant that in 2012 SABE Investments commenced work on another seaside project called “AQUAMARINA Świnoujście”. It was completed in 2015. Four attractive pension-style buildings with an underground car park were erected in an attractive part of the town, in Nadmorska district, near the main promenade and one of the most beautiful beaches of the Polish coast. They offer 178 apartments with an area between 20 and 78 m2. All were finished in the “turnkey” standard and fitted with kitchen annexes. “AQUAMARINA Świnoujście” boasts a 24/7 reception desk, SPA and restaurant. This project too proved very attractive and all units were sold before the completion of the building works. PM A customer who buys an apartment can live

there or rent it. Is the rental option popular? The demand for holiday apartments appeared quite some time ago and we exploited the opportunity. Initially, we offered a purely holiday product, but it soon turned out that for many customers investment products were also attractive. For this reason we offer the owners of apartments in Międzyzdroje and Świnoujście

management of their units. Currently, we manage some 200 apartments at both locations. For the owners the rental income exceeds profits which can now be earned from other safe forms of investment, such as bank deposits. I can say that the purchase of a holiday apartment is a very good investment “product”. In addition, the owner may also use the apartment on previously agreed dates, although this limits the rental income. PM Which is your favourite project?

I have no special preferences. Each project has its own features, advantages and deserves to be appreciated, be it due to its attractive location, solid workmanship or successful architectural design. I must stress that we operate in the sector of high standard apartments and there is simply no room here for faults or mediocrity. The attractiveness of every project is confirmed by the speed at which units are sold and positive opinions of the residents. Therefore, we should look at the achievements of SABE Investments not only from the point of view of the number of units built, but above all from the point of view of their quality. Our projects are thought-out and addressed to demanding customers. Going back to the question about my favourite project, then taking into account the scale, it must be the “SONATA” apartment complex in Warsaw’s Praga district. In terms of the standard and appearance it has to be “Villa Classica” in Mokotów. Today, after 17 years in the market, I can say with satisfaction that all our projects are a good advertisement of our company and an excellent reference for SABE as a developer. I would move to each of them with pleasure. •



Construction

Polnord has been implementing housing projects for almost 40 years, making it one of the most experienced developers in Poland. Noteworthy is its wide exposure to the market. Polnord’s current projects can be found in Warsaw, Tri-City, Olsztyn, Szczecin and Łódź. The projects implemented by the company are characterised by their high quality finish. DARIUSZ KRAWCZYK, CEO of Polnord S.A. talks to "Polish Market".

POLNORD

QUALITY AND

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Construction

PM The real estate market in Poland has evolved considera-

bly in recent years. Do you think that the expectations of buyers in relation to developers have also changed, and if so, in what way? Expectations of the customer of developers evolve with the market, although we must admit that there are some constant elements, which have not changed over the years. The flat, which for many is a dream come true and an investment of the lifetime is supposed to be a place that allows them not only to satisfy the need to have one's own place on earth. It has to be a safe and friendly sanctuary, located in an area which guarantees easy access to the most important elements of the urban infrastructure. For some it will be the proximity of schools and kindergartens, for others public transport, green spaces and leisure facilities. Others expect a combination of all these elements. It is therefore necessary to have a varied offer which corresponds to the needs of customers. When implementing our new projects we realise how many different needs we have to meet. Customers are well aware of the standards and market trends. They have clearly defined goals and preferences. They expect from the developer not only good design and workmanship, but also non-standard solutions, which distinguish their flat from the others. Depending on the location and nature of the project these elements are of course quite different. For instance, resident of the Ku Słońcu estate in Szczecin benefit from the lowest running costs of their flats, while for customers of Brama Sopocka we have designed original and functional mezzanines allowing the creation of a unique interior. PM According to data published by Polnord, in the first

half of 2016 the number of transfers increased by 24% compared to the same period in the previous year and amounted to 464 units. This demonstrates the unwavering confidence of consumers in your company. What is the recipe for gaining the confidence of buyers in today's real estate market? In my opinion, supported of course by thirty nine years of Polnord’s experience, the key is keeping the promises we make to our customers. Buying an apartment built by us they can be assured that they will get exactly what they want: a location meeting their requirements, high quality construction and finishing materials, as well as an adequate price. Without these fundamental requirements, it would be difficult to maintain our position in such a competitive market, which is the real estate development market. Customers also appreciate the personal attention we offer them - including financial matters, where our consultants are always trying to determine the optimal conditions for financing the purchase from the point of view of the customer. In March, Polnord announced its new strategy for the years 2016-2019. What it is and what does it mean for individual customers? The new strategy of the Polnord Group is oriented mainly at improving the financial parameters of the company. We optimise business processes, verify the procedures and look for new solutions. It is a constant process of PM

IMPLEMENTING OUR NEW PROJECTS WE REALISE HOW MANY DIFFERENT NEEDS WE HAVE TO MEET. CUSTOMERS ARE WELL AWARE OF THE STANDARDS AND MARKET TRENDS. self-improvement of the organisations, which on the one hand brings stable and predictable earnings for our shareholders and on the other hand, increases the sense of security for our customers. We want to give them confidence that they have invested their life savings correctly, create additional benefits and maximising the quality in relation to the price. PM What are this year’s targets of Polnord with regard to

project implementation? Our goal was to start fourteen projects in 2016, of which nine have already been put on sale. By the end of this year Polnord, together with its jointly controlled companies, plans to launch five new projects extending the offer by more than 700 units. Our newest project is building A3 at Brzozowy Zakątek estate, which includes 99 units ranging from single to four-room flats with an area between 32 and 95 square meters. The main idea of the project is coherent combination of the living space with the surrounding nature which dominates the western part of Miasteczko Wilanów. It is an offer prepared with special emphasis on the needs of families looking for both a cozy atmosphere and security, as well as access to urban infrastructure. PM Which trends in housing construction do you expect

to see next year? We expect the next year to bring the developer industry good, although not record-breaking sales. We expect the banks to continue the policy of gradual increases of the margins on mortgage loans and stricter debt security requirements. This will make financing purchases in the developer market more difficult owing to a reduced creditworthiness of customers. However, this will not be a factor in significantly slowing down the market. The government schemes related to the construction of flats for rent may translate into investor activity. The activation in January of the first tranche of funding under the MdM programme earmarked for the year 2018 is bound to stimulate the housing market. • 10/2016 polish market 89


Construction

20 YEARS OF DOM DEVELOPMENT IN THE POLISH MARKET

GRZEGORZ KIEŁPSZ, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Dom Development S.A.

F

or 20 years Dom Development has been contributing to creating an important part of the urban fabric of Warsaw in the form of housing estates. Over this time we have completed 124 housing projects and supplied our customers with 24,400 homes currently occupied by approximately 70,000 persons. These figures give us an undisputed position as a leader in the Warsaw housing market and a leader in the sales of homes with highstandard finishing. The housing market has changed dynamically over the last 20 years, and the economy has had better or worse periods. When we commenced our operations back in 1996, the developer market was only beginning to emerge (earlier new homes used to be built mostly by housing associations), there were no mortgages helping customers to finance the purchase of their homes. Thus, as one of the first developers in the market we co-created the market standards. We were pioneers in many areas. For example, we created the first show flat in Poland (Apartamenty Oaza in Ochota) or the

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first field sales office organised at the Marina Mokotów projects which set the standards which are still applied in the market. Along with the development of the housing market in Poland and the growing requirements of customers, we were the first to introduce a “turn-key” offering of fully finished homes, relieving the new owners of the burden of finishing their apartments and supervising subcontractors. Curently, approximately 30% of the persons buying homes from Dom Development choose this option. In 2009, when the housing market was recovering from the crisis and access to mortgages became more difficult, the company launched its own mortgage consultancy department. This way we still help our customers to secure funding towards the purchase of their home. Almost 80% of those who buy a home with a loan use our advice. Bearing in mind the scale of our sales, this means that Dom Development is the largest independent loan broker in Poland. Dom Development also co-created good marketing practices significantly improving the relations between customers and

developers and increasing customer security. The drafting and adoption by the Polish Union of Developers (with the company being one of its founding members) of the Code of Good Practices in the Customer-Developer Relations has made a significant contribution in this regard. Dom Development also considerably influenced the extension of the urban infrastructure at or in the vicinity of its housing estates. We have built a total of approximately 50 km of streets, the Zacisze-Wilno railway station, a sewage main with a potential for connecting 100,000 households in Białołęka, on the occasion of building Miasteczko Regaty or the gas, water and waste water system in the Derby Estate. These facilities are used both the customers have purchased homes at Dom Development and the inhabitants of the near-by areas. I think that the position of a leader obligates. Therefore, we endeavour to introduce innovative solutions at our projects. We respond to the changing market trends and the growing needs of the customers. •


Culture

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Industry

BEFORE ZETKAMA GROUP-

NOW MANGATA HOLDING

Z

ETKAMA, a well-known manufacturer and exporter of industrial valves has over 70 years of uninterrupted activity consolidated the Company's position as a leader in its sector. A strong capital group has been established as part of the business, bringing together entities operating in the metal industry. Currently, the reorganisation of ZETKAMA has been completed, resulting in the manufacturing of valves and castings being transferred to ZETKAMA Sp. o.o. ZETKAMA S.A. remains the managing entity in the Capital Group and has changed its name to MANGATA HOLDING S.A. MANGATA in Swedish means a reflection of the moon on the water surface resembling the path set out by light in darkness. MANGATA HOLDING’S mission is to build a better future, to provide investors with stable earnings and ensure that the co-operation with partners is satisfactory for both parties. MANGATA is where you need a reliable and responsible partner and investor. Its managers go beyond the beaten track and set new business standards, thus creating a transparent, sustainable and innovative company, which provides an acceptable rate of return to investors.

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Changing the company's name is aimed at separating a manufacturer of industrial valves with an established position in the world from the entity managing the capital group operating in the metal industry. The management has decided that due to the on-going projects the new structure of the holding will give transparency to the business. The HOLDING made up of a number of entities performs corporate functions in relation to its subsidiaries. Today MANGATA is a strong group in the metal industry. Its financial performance and growth of the Group in recent years is a reflection of the work done and the position achieved. The Group generates revenues of 600 million PLN. The capitalisation of the company has grown from 33 million PLN in 2005 to 850 million PLN today. Over several years of its presence on the Warsaw Stock Exchange the manufacturer of valves and castings, wellknown exporter, has acquired and invested funds for self-development, has created a group of associated entities that took advantage of its potential to create their own industrial holding structures. The MANGATA Group is effectively managed and consistently builds its position. It is a transparent listed company, which regularly

presents financial forecasts and meets with investors. For the last 16 years the company has been managed by Leszek Jurasz, currently the President of MANGATA HOLDING S.A., who stresses that MANGATA has extensive competencies to conduct business. Our industrial Holding is based on the knowledge and experience of a qualified team of managers, engineers and financiers. We constantly improve our competencies, adding newcomers to the Group. We use synergies and introduce our own management culture. We are constantly looking for new, interesting investment opportunities and we invite all who are interested in co-operation to contact us President - Leszek Jurasz The Group brings together entities located mainly in southern Poland. It operates in four business segments: automotive - components for the automotive sector; automation and industrial valves; fasteners and other nonmanufacturing activities. The headquarters of the management company in Bielsko Biała is a convenient location, allowing contact with all Group companies and investors. •



Events

CAPACITY MARKET "In order to ensure long-term continuity and stability of electricity supplies to all customers in Poland, we plan to launch a capacity market. Its key task will be to create incentives to take investment and modernisation decisions," said Krzysztof Tchórzewski, Energy Minister, during the “Capacity Market – Consultation on Functional Solutions” conference held on July 4, 2016 at the Ministry of Energy.

Jerzy Bojanowicz

A

ccording to the Minister, the energy market is disrupted by systems of support for renewable energy sources (RES). This puts conventional power plants, which determine the safe functioning of the National Power System (NPS), in a difficult situation. He also stressed that maintaining the current model could aggravate the capacity sufficiency problem which could render Poland dependent on imported energy. Piotr Naimski, government commissioner for strategic energy infrastructure, is of the opinion that the launch of the capacity market will support domestic production capacity. Without going into the extent to which the energy market is disrupted by RES, it is worth remembering that in the summer power plants carry out planned overhauls of their units while the number of air conditioning units in offices and homes is growing. In July, power stations in Ostrołęka, Pątnów and Łagisza went offline for several days. Just recently, on June 23, 2016 Poland noted a record peak demand for electricity during the summer season: 22,630 MW (the previous record was observed on September 1, 2015 – 22,490). Polskie Sieci Elektroenergetyczne S.A. (PSE S.A.), the operator of the Polish power grid informed that the record load had caused no disruption to the functioning of the National Power System. But in August 2015, a heatwave coinciding with repairs of power units

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resulted in capping supplies of energy to the largest customers in Poland. The assumptions of a project which entails changing the current energy market in Poland from a single to dual commodity market were presented at a meeting held in July at the Ministry of Energy. Introducing the capacity market is designed to ensure long-term continuity and stability of power supplies to all customers in Poland, as well as to create incentives to take investment and modernisation decisions. "We aim at creating a model enabling safe planning of the economic development of the country on the basis of the available energy resources, Maciej Bando, President of the Energy Regulatory Office, said during the meeting. "Introduction of the dual-commodity (energy and capacity) market is to guarantee that the situation from August 2015 will not be repeated in the future." In a document drawn up by a team of employees of the Ministry of Energy and experts from PSE S.A. entitled “Capacity Market Functional Solutions” (version 1.0) it was stated that in the second quarter of 2016 the achievable capacity in the National Power System (NPS) exceeded the historical barrier of 40 GW, but its growth occurs mostly in noncontrollable sources, meaning RES. In view of their characteristics they do not guarantee capacity availability during periods of peak demand for energy or during periods when electricity supplies to the end customers are

under threat. At the same time, the share of controllable conventional sources in meeting the demand for energy has been falling systematically. According to the latest report of the Transmission System Operator (TSO) over the next two decades significant controllable production capacities will be withdrawn from the NPS due to increasingly restrictive emission standards (conclusions of BAT), and the average age of a Polish power station is almost ... half a century. This may create problems with the power balance in the near future and make Poland dependent on electricity imports from foreign sources. Therefore, the purpose of the capacity market is to create incentives for taking investment and modernisation decisions and to prevent premature decommissioning of the existing energy sources which determine the security of the NPS. The product offered in the capacity market will be net available capacity in the Delivery Period with an obligation to deliver it during Periods of Threat during the Delivery Period. Unfortunately, the Ministry has set aside only two weeks for consultations regarding the project, where the capacity market costs are to be met by end customers. A capacity charge will be added to the electricity tariff, in accordance with the rate set for households and businesses. The Ministry of Energy estimates that the charge will generate additional revenues of PLN 2-3 billion per year. •



Industry

24TH MSPO – THE ARMAMENTS SECTOR AS THE DRIVING FORCE OF THE POLISH ECONOMY The 24th MSPO was deminated by the Polish defence industry, despite the fact that a record number of 614 companies from 30 countries took part in this year’s fair in Kielce. Yet again, President Andrzej Duda extended his Honorary Patronage over the event and attended the awards presentation ceremony. The MSPO was accompanied by the 22nd LOGISTYKA International Fair. Both events were visited by a total of 50 official delegations from 46 countries, and by more than 22,000 visitors. HIGH-RANKING GUESTS AT THE MSPO

HIGH IMPORTANCE OF THE EXHIBITION

Particularly large numbers of representatives of the State authorities attended this year’s defence industry fair. Polish President Andrzej Duda visited the stands of Polish manufacturers and the Armed Forces. - I watched the exhibition with great interest as a man, but above all as the commanderin-chief of the armed forces at a time when we are modernising the Polish army. I expect the programme of expenditures on the Polish armed forces and obligations towards our allies to be implemented efficiently. (…) I want the equipment to be the best available and the price to be adequate to the quality, so that safety of Polish soldiers is assured – President Andrzej Duda said during the closing gala of the 24th MSPO. The President also congratulated the Mayor of Kielce, Wojciech Lubawski, President of the Management Board of Kielce Fair, Andrzej Mochoń, PhD, and Świętokrzyskie Region Governor, Agata Wojtyszek for organising the International Defence Industry Exhibition at a truly global level. The Exhibition was also visited by Antoni Macierewicz, Minister of National Defence, who not only saw the equipment put on display, but also announced decisions important for the technical modernisation programme, such as sending a request for quotes regarding the Patriot anti-aircraft system and designating PGZ as the supplier of the Rosomak BMS system. Deputy Minister Bartosz Kownacki and Secretary of State Andrzej Szatkowski, together with Bartosz Morawiecki, Minister of Economic Development and representatives of the armed forces and the arms industry took part in conferences dealing with topics of key importance for Poland’s defence, such as “Direction priorities for technical modernisation of Poland’s Armed Forces in the years 2017 – 2019” and “Possibilities of engaging entities from the Polish Armaments Group in the implementation of priority tasks regarding technical modernisation of Poland’s Armed Forces.” These were some of the most important working meetings and panels that took place during the MSPO.

The importance of the MSPO is underlined by visits of the president and ministers from Poland and abroad, but also the presence of global defence industry giants such as Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems, Boeing, Leonardo, MBDA, Raytheon, Rheinmetall or Thales. Exhibits included the latest types of helicopters, combat vehicles, missile systems and ground armaments.

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EVENT DOMINATED BY THE POLISH DEFENCE INDUSTRY AND CONTRACTS This year’s MSPO was dominated by Poland. Our country was represented by more than 325 exhibitors comprised of both State-owned and private companies. The most extensive exposition was presented by the event’s strategic partner – the Polish Armaments Group (PGZ), and companies belonging to the group concluded a number of significant contracts. PGZ and Thales signed an agreement concerning production at the Mesko plant of modern induction guided missiles for domestic and foreign customers. PGZ has also signed a letter of intent regarding co-operation with Leonardo. The MEADS International consortium accepted a letter of intent from PGZ pertaining to cooperation under the OPL Wisła programme. These documents constitute an extension of Polish industry’s international co-operation. This year’s Exhibition was aptly summarised by Antoni Macierewicz, National Defence Minister, who said – I wish to thank the organisers for the excellent Exhibition, one that Poland can be proud of thanks to your efforts. During the MSPO 2016 awards presentation gala statuettes went to companies such as: Award of the PRESIDENT OF THE REPUBLIC OF POLAND for the best product improving safety of Polish soldiers • The consortium of MESKO SA, Skarżysko-Kamienna, (consortium-leader) + Jarosław Dąbrowski Military University of Technology, Warsaw , and Development and

Implementation Centre Telesystem – MESKO LLC, Lubiczów, for Anti-Aircraft Missile Sets (PPZR) PIORUN MINISTER OF NATIONAL DEFENCE’S distinction: • Military Institute of Armament Technology – Zielonka for Unmanned, vertical take-off warhead-carrier GK-1 / GO-1 – "DRAGONFLY" DEFENDER award • •

• • •

• •

PIT-RADWAR S.A, Warsaw, for the mobile radar station BYSTRA PCO SA, Warsaw, for Thermal imaging camera for Armoured Personal Carrier ROSOMAK-KLW-1R "ASTERIA" KenBIT Koenig and Partners General Partnership, Warsaw, for MHS PIGEON – Vessel-mounted Communication Processing and Broadcasting System compatible with ACP 127 and STANAG 5066 WB Electronics S.A., Ożarów Mazowiecki, for Unmanned Aircraft System ŁOŚ HUTA STALI JAKOŚCIOWYCH S.A., Stalowa Wola, for ARMSTAL Marine Technology Research and Development Centre S.A., Gdynia, for Stabilized submarine, sensor platform for mine-countermeasure operations Professor Józef Kosacki Military Institute of Technical Engineering, Wrocław, for Mine-set for electric detonation of MW charges Military Electronic Works S.A., Zielonka, for TR-I (Instructor's Equipment Set) IMS GRIFFIN LLC, Warsaw, for Light multi-purpose target locator MOSKITO TI Hertz Systems Ltd, Zielona Góra, (leader) + NovAtel Inc., Calgary, Canada, (partner) for HGPST T ANTI-JAM – High interference-immunity level GPS / SAASM navigation system based on the HGPST R-EFTS receiver and GAJT• 710 ML antenna.


Innovation

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Industry

“LIGHTNING” - MODERN SOLUTIONS FOR TODAY’S WORLD WALDEMAR SKOWRON, President of the Board, CEO of MESKO S.A., Director of the Ammunition – Missile Group, talks to Polish Market From right: Maciej Lew-Mirski, Vice President of the Management Board, Polish Armament Group S.A., congratulates Waldemar Skowron, President of the Management Board, MESKO S.A., on receiving the Award of the President of the Republic of Poland PM MESKO S.A., specialising in the produc-

tion of ammunition and missile systems, has for years been an undisputed leader in this sector. The plant in Skarżysko – Kamienna has a strong position both in the domestic armaments market and globally. How do you achieve success like this? This is due to the efficient and professional team which I have the honour to lead. Two years ago, our plant celebrated its 90th anniversary and 90 years is an epoch of changes. Our hard, long-term work has given results. MESKO - a company belonging to the Polish Armament Group - one of the largest defence concerns in Europe, has become a recognized brand. We are trusted by our customers in Europe, the United States, the Middle and Far East. But above all, our main task is to supply the Armed Forces and other entities responsible for the security of the Polish State with innovative, high-quality ammunition and missiles. This is possible thanks to the introduction of cutting-edge technologies. We can boast significant achievements in this regard. This allows us to properly and effectively fulfil our obligations to the Ministry of National Defence. PM The Plan for Responsible Development

of Deputy Premier Mateusz Morawiecki assumes that the Polish defence industry is to provide strong support for the

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development of the economy. What is the role of MESKO in this project? For several years all our activities have been subordinated to one goal – becoming a high class centre integrating competencies in the following areas: Missile Production Centre, Ammunition Production Centre, Rocket Fuels Centre, Gunpowder Production Centre, Superfluous Combat Assets Disposal Centre. While building these structures we also worked on strengthening the co-operation and systematising the production and co-operation chain between armament companies with a similar product profile. The Ammunition-Missile Group consisting of five companies has been set up. The assumptions of the Deputy Premier Morawiecki Plan only confirm that this tactic was correct. We hope that now our activities can accelerate significantly, supported by direct co-operation with the MoD. Our new task is to outfit the fifth type of the Armed Forces, in the form of the Territorial Defence, the formation of which is one of the most important plans of the MoD led by Minister Antoni Macierewicz. Undoubtedly, the equipment manufactured by us will be a significant reinforcement in this area. In order to properly perform our tasks it is necessary to ensure continuous technical development of our products and improvement of the production methods. Here, the key role is played by our experienced engineers and

technicians. Academic centres co-operating with us, such as as AGH, Military University of Technology, Warsaw University of Technology and Świętokrzyska University of Technology, are valuable partners. PM During the 24th International Defence In-

dustry Exhibition you were presented with an Award of the President of the Republic of Poland. The Portable Anti-aircraft Missile System (LIGHTNING) was chosen as a product best improving the safety of Polish soldiers. Is this a source of satisfaction? This is a recognition of the five year effort put into the making of this product. Our system will soon serve the Polish army, but I am convinced that it will also become an important element of export not only of MESKO, but of the entire Polish defence industry. Together with Telesystem Mesko and the MUT we have created a product which is one of the best solutions in its class in the world. The President’s Award is a valuable promotion for “LIGHTNING” and a huge honour. We value awards and distinctions, without forgetting that they are the result of hard work, implementation of innovative products and improvement of the manufacturing processes. The production of increasingly better products that meet the requirements of today’s battlefield is the goal of our com• pany.


It is not the quality that costs, but its lack DESIGNING

POWER INDUSTRY

TECHNOLOGICAL AUTOMATION

ECOLOGY

TECHNOLOGY

TELECOMMUNICATIONS

Przedsiębiorstwo AGAT S.A. 95-040 Koluszki, ul. Paderewskiego 1 tel. +48 44 714 66 10 biuro@agat-koluszki.pl

Branch Office in Płock 09-411 Płock-Biała, Nowa Biała 35 tel. +48 24 366 79 10 agatplock@agat-koluszki.pl

Commercial Office in Gdynia 81-232 Gdynia, ul. Komandorska 50 tel. +48 665 153 593 agatgdynia@agat-koluszki.pl

Technical Base 95-040 Koluszki, Zygmuntów 37 tel. +48 44 714 60 40 agatzygmuntow@agat-koluszki.pl

Commercial Office in Warsaw 00-613 Warszawa, ul. T. Chałubińskiego 8 tel. +48 22 826 02 62 agatwarszawa@agat-koluszki.pl

www.agat-koluszki.pl


Cultural Monitor

THE DIARY OF EVERY MUSIC AND CINEMA LOVER IS FILLED TO BURSTING THIS AUTUMN. MACIEJ PROLIŃSKI RECOMMENDS FESTIVALS AND CONCERTS. A prominent English conductor John Eliot Gardiner with Bach’s Passion according to St. Matthew, a French countertenor Philippe Jaroussky with arias by Italian masters, a Belgian conductor Paul Van Nevel and his vocal ensemble of contemporary music, Jordi Savall and his Hesperion XXI with music of religions of the Mediterranean – these are the biggest stars of the Wratislavia Cantans Festival, the largest and most prestigious classical music festival in Lower Silesia. The 51st edition of this event takes place on September 3-18. For the first time in the history of Wratislavia, the audience and the musicians have at their disposal a concert hall that is truly world class: the National Music Forum, a space where vocal and instrumental works can sound with the fullness of their beauty. The Festival, this year held under the slogan "Europa Cantans," has been programmed for the fourth time by Giovanni Antonini, an Italian conductor and leader of the Il Giardino Armonico ensemble. During the inauguration of the Festival in the Main Hall of the National Forum of Music (NFM) the audience will hear, among others, the monumental and moving 13th Symphony of Dmitri Shostakovich. The NFM Orchestra will play under the baton of Andrey Boreyko. The last accord of the Festival also comes in the shape of a great and moving form: the Passion according to St. Matthew by Johann Sebastian Bach under the baton of Sir John Eliot Gardiner and with the participation of his ensembles, the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir and soloists (the tenor Mark Padmore as the Evangelist!). And in between many other fantastic composers of different epochs, soloists and orchestras. For half a century, Wratislavia Cantans has been the most important festival of classical music in this part of Europe. Years ago, it offered the only opportunity for meeting world-class artists behind the Iron Curtain. The creator of the Festival was Andrzej Markowski, one of the most outstanding Polish conductors. After taking up the management of the Wrocław Philharmonic in 1965, a year later he initiated a festival of oratorios and cantatas focused on presentation of music from the Middle Ages through the Baroque period to contemporary music.

The 59th edition of the "Warsaw Autumn" International Festival of Contemporary Music will be held on September 16-24, 2016. It is the largest Polish festival of international standing dedicated to contemporary music. For many years it was also the only festival of this kind in Central Europe, and was founded in 1956 on the initiative of two outstanding Polish composers: Tadeusz Baird and Kazimierz Serocki. Ritual, mystery, story, narrative, sound in space, space sound, the sound area, multimedia area, or perhaps simply speaking – the stage... This year's Warsaw Autumn will direct our sight, hearing and attention to the literally and figuratively understood "stage" area. Its starting point will be "opera." Among the operatic events of the 59th Autumn we can enjoy the Warsaw premiere of "The Magic Mountain," the opera by Paweł Mykietyn staged in the New Theatre, the “Silent Fish” a micro-opera for children, and even for families, by Jarosław Siwiński shown as part of the Little Warsaw Autumn, the memo-opera by Marta Śniady at CCA Zamek Ujazdowski, "Le Malentendu of Fabián Panisello" based on the drama by Albert Camus and the multimedia opera "Aaron S" by Sławomir Wojciechowski. In the latter the tragic figure of Aaron Swartz, an American programmer and political activist, becomes a symbol of opposition to capitalist efforts to reduce universal access to knowledge and information. The Festival will visit both very popular and lesser-known venues all over: The National Philharmonic, the Lutosławski Concert Studio of Polish Radio, the University of Music, Artistic Pool, Królikarnia, the Centre for Contemporary Art, Zachęta and Theatres: Nowy and IMKA.

The Film Festival in Gdynia is the most important Polish film event, which has the status of a national film festival. It makes a significant contribution to the dissemination of the film culture and the promotion of Poland’s film heritage domestically and internationally. It 41st edition will be held on September 19-24, 2016. Sixteen Polish productions have been entered in the main competition of the Festival, including "The Last Family" by Jan P. Matuszyński (a drama telling the moving story of the Beksiński family: Zdzisław, a prominent painter and graphic artist and his son Tomasz, the music journalist) and "Volyn" directed by Wojciech Smarzowski (the movie is an epic tale of the events in the eastern borderlands of the Republic of Poland during the Second World War, with special emphasis placed on the description of the events of the summer of 1943, known as the slaughter of Volyn). This year, the Film Festival in Gdynia pays tribute to the memory of Krzysztof Kieslowski, who twice received the Golden Lion here: in 1979 for "Amateur" and in 1988 for "A Short Film About Love" and "A Short Film About Killing". As part of the "Pure Classics – In Memoriam" section “Blind Chance,” one of the most famous films of Krzysztof Kieslowski will be presented. Its digital reconstruction was carried out by the Digital Film Repository. The Special Screenings section also includes two documentaries: "Seven days a week" (1988), the last documentary directed by Kieslowski and "Conversation with Kieslowski" (1995), an unusual, 45-minute documentary, in which Andreas Voigt and Lothar Kompatzki talk with the director about topics such as the responsibility of a documentary maker and the camera as "a very dangerous tool…". One of the interesting events of this year's Festival will be an unusual outdoor exhibition created by Andrzej Pągowski and entitled "Krzysztof Kieslowski read again – movie posters on the 20th anniversary of the director's death." During the closing ceremony of the festival Janusz Majewski, a prominent Polish writer and director will receive the Platinum Lions. In 2015, at the 40th Festival in Gdynia he received the Silver Lions for his latest, acclaimed film "Eccentrics, or on the Sunny Side of the Street."

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CM – November 2016

Cultural Monitor

Crazy Days of Music is a hugely popular international festival of classical music, known worldwide under the name of La Folle Journée. This year, its 7th edition will be held in Warsaw on September 23-25, and the theme of the event is to be "Nature." The halls, corridors and surroundings of the Grand Theatre – National Opera will be filled with tens of thousands of students and hundreds of artists. Over the three days of the Festival nearly 60 concerts await them. They are so diverse that everyone can find something for themselves. We will hear compositions both strictly classical and slightly deviating from this trend, for instance: classical music combined with electronic music, jazz, animations, and music from the Far East. When planning the Festival children were not forgotten either. A very rich offering for different age groups, including infants and families has been prepared. The programme of the Festival concerts includes works inspired by nature, which were created over the centuries, from the Renaissance to modern times. As usual, the concerts will take place in four halls of the Grand Theatre and a tent erected on Teatralny Square. Among the artists there are distinguished soloists: violinists Olivier Charlier and Mariusz Patyra, pianists Frank Braley and Francesco Tristano, Jiang-Jian Hua who plays the er-hu, a Chinese folk instrument, ensembles: Motion Trio, Meccore String Quartet, orchestras: National Philharmonic, Grand Theatre – National Opera, Sinfonia Varsovia and the Polish Chamber Orchestra. And the conductors include Krzysztof Penderecki, Jacek Kaspszyk, Grzegorz Nowak and Robert Trevino.

The 12th edition of the Cross Culture Festival in Warsaw begins on September 24. This is one of the most important events dedicated to the world music genre in Poland. The motto of this year's edition of the Festival is "Voices." We can expect performances by eminent singers from Brazil, Lebanon, the USA, Georgia, Spain, Haiti and Poland. The Festival will last until October 1. Performers will include a singer Renata Rosa from Brazil, the Chouk Bwa Libet band experiments with African tradition and Lebanese singer Ghada Shbeir performing old-Arab tunes and sacred songs. Polish artists include: Čači Vorba – a world music band in existence since 2006, specialising in Gypsy, Carpathian and Balkan music, the excellent Motion Trio of accordion players and Tęgie Chłopy – a band propagating the traditions of dance music from the Kielce region. There will be creative music collaboration as well. A concert of “Trebunie Tutki,” an outstanding Polish ensemble specializing in the highland music will be held under the slogan "Collective Europe." The band will appear on stage together with the Urmuli Quintet from Georgia. The Cross Culture Festival will witness the premiere of the ensembles’ latest project entitled "Mountain Spirit." The Festival, initiated by the municipal authorities of the Capital City in 2005, and organized since the beginning by Stołeczna Estrada, is a presentation of the most interesting phenomena of world music and culture, one of the largest events of its kind in Poland and in our part of Europe. Its main goal is to open the Warsaw inhabitants and visitors to the wealth of cultures of the modern world.

The Warsaw International Film Festival is a prime event in the region and perhaps the most important film event in Poland. Its 32nd edition will be held on October 7-16. The organiser of the events – the Warsaw Film Foundation – is trying to present the best films from around the world, including Asia and Africa, of the past and upcoming season. The Festival is also an opportunity to see films that have little chance of coming to the Polish screens. Every year an audience plebiscite is organised to select the most popular movies. The programme includes several main competition categories of various profiles. The films presented in them are judged by several juries. The contests include: The Warsaw Competition (an international competition of feature films), The European Short Films Competition, The Full-Length Documentatries Competition. In 2009, the Warsaw Film Festival joined an elite group of events, accredited by the International Federation of Film Producers Associations, as an international competition film festival next to the festivals such as Cannes, Venice, Berlin, Karlovy Vary, Tokyo, Moscow and Tallinn. Great directors such as Michael Haneke, Pawel Pawlikowski, Ari Folman, and hundreds of others were past guests prior to achieving their greatest successes. „As every year, I invite you to the next edition of the Festival, hoping that it will be a wonderful adventure for viewers!” – said Stefan Laudyn, director of the event.

The jubilee 15th International H. Wieniawski Violin Competition will be held in Poznań on October 8-23, 2016. The world's oldest violin competition plays a key role in promoting the most promising talents in classical music. It is organised by the Henryk Wieniawski Music Society in Poznan. Among the winners of prizes and awards presented over the years were a French musician Ginette Neveu, a Russian David Oistrakh, Ida Haendel, an English violinist of Polish origin, as well as a Pole Grażyna Bacewicz. This year the competition will be attended by 52 violinists, 10 of them Polish. The jury has chosen them out of more than 250 musicians who entered the hearings. The young violinists were judged during the pre-selection in Poland, Japan, Switzerland and Canada by the chairman of the jury Maxim Vengerov. The events in Poznan will be inaugurated by a concert of Soyoung Yoon, the winner of the previous edition of the competition. The South Korean artist will perform at the Auditorium of the Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM), with the participation of Die Deutsche Kammerphilharmonie Bremen under the baton of Krzysztof Penderecki. The programme includes Violin Concerto in D major, Op. 61 by Ludwig van Beethoven. This year's edition will culminate for the first time with two concerts of the winners. After the concert, scheduled for October 23 in the Auditorium of the UAM, the winners will perform on October 25 at the National Forum of Music in Wrocław.

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Culture

CULTURE MAY AND SHOULD PROMOTE POLAND PROF. PIOTR GLIŃSKI, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Culture and National Heritage, talks to "Polish Market".

PM Minister, my experience tells me that culture is one of the best

PM Promoting the Polish economy, science and art, "Polish Mar-

brand building vehicles. It is certainly the cheapest and best targeted one. Are we able to open Polish culture much wider to the economy, and the other way round, overcoming the still visible mental barriers? When can this moment finally happen? It would be difficult to talk of a full economic success without a properly functioning culture. If we take a look at wealthy countries, such as the USA, Japan or Germany, we will see that culture there is a very important element of development. Economic growth should go hand in hand with the development of cultural institutions. Culture may and should promote Poland as effectively as our economic and scientific achievements.

ket" continues to effectively propagate a positive image of Poland in the world. Our magazine pays a lot of attention to cultural events and presentation of outstanding personalities from the Polish art world. When you read "Polish Market", do you see an ally in us? Twenty years of building and promoting a good image of Poland certainly entitles your magazine to use this name. Effectiveness in promoting Polish culture around the world is contingent upon good co-operation of many institutions, such as diplomatic missions, where "Polish Market" is delivered in dozens of countries.

PM How do you assess the past nearly three decades of develop-

PM Which actions should Poland’s artistic community expect of

ment of Polish art, its promotion in the world, its rank and import in our homeland? What has been missing over these three decades? A lot has changes since 1989. We have travelled a very long and hard road from communism, a totalitarian system, to democracy and a market economy. There have also been many changes in Polish culture, but there is still a lot to be done, especially when it comes to regaining the proper position of Poland in the international arena. We can and should play a more prominent role in our region of Europe and in the world. Culture plays a significant role in this process because talented Polish designers, filmmakers or artists in general may be effective ambassadors of Polishness and Poland, along with politicians and business people.

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the Ministry in those complex global conditions? I want culture to be a mortar integrating Polish society, building a commonwealth. We aim at giving all artists equal opportunities, at ensuring that our grants are distributed fairly. We support grass-roots initiatives which propagate and promote culture in society. It is important to open culture to new communities and promote our culture in the world. However, it is also necessary to ensure that people working in culture, artists, are able to practise their important profession. Improving the financial situation of culture employees is one of the priorities of the Ministry under my leadership. Early this year we “unfroze” pay in cultural institutions. We want to make changes in tax regulations for the benefit of artists. •


WORLD JAZZ

Culture

IN KRYNICA!

On September 7, two European winners of the Grammy, the most famous music award in the world, met at a unique concert organised during the 24th Economic Forum in Krynica. They were: Włodek Pawlik, an outstanding Polish pianist and the composer of the “Night in Calisia” platinum album chosen by the American Academy in 2014, and Gast Waltzing, a Luxembourgian trumpeter, arranger and conductor, the composer of the album "Angélique Kidjo Sings with the Orchestre Philharmonique du Luxembourg", which received the award in 2016. Maciej Proliński

B

From left: Włodek Pawlik, Jola Pawlik and Michał Rumiński, President of EEC Ventures

Photos: Olga Garstecka

oth artists are not only the first and so far only recipients of the Grammy Award from Poland (jazz) and the Duchy of Luxembourg (world music) but also share long music careers as performers and composers working in the field of jazz, classical and film music. This meeting at the top between two giants freely operating at the junction of jazz, symphonic music and pop was engineered by Boson Energy, which also supported the release of the latest double album of Włodek Pawlik entitled “4 Works 4 Orchestra”. This Luxembourg company, entering the Polish market and producing green energy, operates under the motto “We Give Power to Music". The programme of the concert of these two outstanding personalities – consummate musicians and composers – included compositions of the Polish artists from the best-selling “Night in Calisia” and “4 Works 4 Orchestra” albums and pieces by Gast Waltzing – “Concerto for trumpet, jazz trio and symphonic orchestra”. The third musician who appeared on stage in Krynica was Łukasz, Włodek Pawlik’s son. This young artist performed the “Cellomania” viola concerto written especially for him by his father. The rhythm section included permanent members of Włodek Pawlik Trio - Paweł Pańta on double bass and Cezary Konrad on drums. The artists were accompanied by the Concertino Chamber Orchestra from Myślenice under the baton of Michał Maciaszczyk. The music was supple, colourful and combined elements of classical music with jazz in an interesting way. This fusion seems very natural to these composers and musicians. It is clear that they are great revolutionaries and think in the “here and now” categories which does not prevent their music from enchanting listeners with beautiful melodies, elegance and optimism. All this was very easy to listen to, not only thanks to the improvisations. Of equal importance was the subtle and intelligent juggling of elements of pianist

tradition (also classical) neatly woven into the otherwise modern “mainstream” playing. Włodek Pawlik summarised this concert by saying: "The more there are meetings at the top between business and culture, such as the Economic Forum, the more good energy affecting art there is. In this context it is very important that business is opening to culture, intellectually sublimed art. This complement of other walks

of life augurs well for the future. We would like to thank Boson Energy, President of EEC Ventures Michał Rumiński, Director of the Organisation Bureau of the Economic Forum Mariola Berdychowska and her co-workers for their professionalism and enthusiasm in preparing this concert. ...And last but not least –we would like to thank the audience for the standing ovation!”. • 10/2016 polish market 103


Culture PM “A legend of Polish pop music which is like a good

wine. But wine matures in a cellar and Stan remains very active and busy” – Tadeusz Deszkiewicz, president of the board of Radio Dla Ciebie station introduced you at a special jubilee concert at the Concert Studio of Polish Radio in Warsaw. This description must be both a source of comfort and an obligation? I pay no attention to adjectives and the names people call me. I have my own path which I must follow because “this wind is pushing me from the back”. Whatever word they use to describe me, be it “legend” or “icon”, I keep singing and recording albums. I could not live without it. I know that when I sing from the bottom of my heart people can feel my soul. After many years I returned to the song called “Icon”. It was gift from the composer Bogusław Klimczuk. The text, inspired by a 16th century legend, was written by the poet Tadeusz Urgacz. In the song, Yurii travels across the Bieszczady Mountains, protecting people and during a fight with a dragon he flies into the clouds never to be seen again. This is just like my life. When I “flew” from Poland to America in the mid-1970s nobody saw me. I was far away, in the clouds... I didn’t know and didn’t believe that I would ever come back because I left forever, closing the doors behind me. PM On this album, also called “Icon”, you interpret po-

I AM A BIT LIKE A BIRD... STAN BORYS – singer, composer, poet and actor, talks to Maciej Proliński.

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ems written by John Paul II, Adam Mickiewicz, Jan Lechoń, Agnieszka Osiecka, Bogdan Loebl. “In the Beginning There Was The Word” – one wants to say thinking about your very carefully selected songs... Very early in my youth I began surrounding myself with books. Poetry lifted me on its wings. In 1958, I joined Teatr Rybałtów in Rzeszów cultivating the comedia del arte style. I played the main role in “The Barber of Seville” while still 17 years old. Word will always defend itself, there is something magical and strong in it, but it must be a beautiful and grand word. Since the beginning of my artistic career I have been singing the words of poets. I always try to achieve a connection between music, melody and moving words. I try to nurture these “golden times of Polish song”, when both music and lyrics mattered. Today these values are largely forgotten. This is why I select music masters who understand “what all these words are about”... PM Have there been many songs rejected by you over

the years? I have always been guided by values. I did not want to hurt anybody. I never rejected songs, but tried to explain why they were not for me. The album "Icon" from 2014 was your first record in 30 years to be released in your homeland. It is hard to believe. How important for you is Poland’s promotion in the world through culture and music? Maybe we, Poles, sometimes think about our art very locally, forgetting that today our artists are an important national asset and we fail to sufficiently look after it in Poland? Maybe we should say: “art will defend itself, just like word”. For nearly three decades following my move to the USA in the mid-1970s I was forgotten and ignored in Poland, despite people saying that I had left at the peak


Culture of my career. However, this must have hurt me. Since coming back to Poland 10 years ago, I have always returned to California for a few months every year. In Poland, Polish music and Polish songs are not fashionable. What is fashionable is imitation, especially of songs performed in English. This is why artists sing in any way they can, provided this is not done in Polish. I find this funny. The approach of the media is funny. I am talking here about promotion and the approach taken by the media. I criticise the use of Polish versions of certain English words. During my concerts I sing a song with the following refrain: “Let hatred not pass me by – and neither love”. I always dedicate this song to all “haters” who forgot the word “nienawiść”. The Polish version of this word, in partcular, sounds bad to me. Is this not fully? If we do not look after the Polish language, in several years from now there will be very few Polish words left. Let’s go back to the true Polish language and protect it! It is also worth seeking an answer to the question why, having such excellent artists in Poland, who often succeed all over the world, we still miss the great opportunity to boast about them, while taking care of them in Poland? There is a scene from the television show of Waldemar Malicki. A man enters the stage and they ask him: Do you sing? Yes, he says. What do you sing – opera. And where have you performed? And he says: in Toruń, Ciechanów, Bydgoszcz or Grudziądz. And they turned you down?— - And where do you sing now? At La Scala... This joke is a warning. PM Culture unites and divides us at the same

time. However, this difference may also fascinate us. Observing the Polish music market, especially the rookies, I see that they are mainly interested in a fast career, but for the price of discernible secondariness. They are also afraid to sing in Poland in Polish. I simply cannot understand this. What is your take on these matters? Travelling the world, I share my artistic achievements and passion. It gives me enormous pleasure and also a feeling of fulfilment, mission. People who listen to me often ask about Poland, sometimes remembering the Polish language. I feel that my answer piques their interest in our country. They tell others about it and are certain to visit us and learn more. This is great. In order to earn a living as a singer in America, performing in clubs, I had to learn 150 songs in English. But I have not recorded a single album in Poland in English. Maybe I’ll do it in the future. So, when myself and my partner Ania, my partner, who has lived in New York for more than 25 years, listen to these artists who begin to sing in Poland and do it in English and their

English is not very good, we look at each other and smile. These young people think that if they make their debut in Poland in English the world will be their oyster. On such occasions I always say: Show me a song in Polish and I will tell you whether you can sing. Nobody is able to enchant me with a song which imitates an American performance because I know the original artists. For me this will always be a copy. The last amendment to the Broadcasting Act in 2013 obligated broadcasters to set aside at least 33% of the monthly air time for songs in Polish. Before it used to be 33% per quarter. This is a joke. I am against it. The figure should be 75%. We must protect our music market. Just like they do in the entire EU and in America! Unless we protect and support, promote our artists, we will perish. Sometimes I explain this like this: “In the States they don’t play Stan’s songs because they respect their own artists”! We should learn from them. During my travels in Europe I have never heard a Polish song being played on the radio, while we play their music. Playing the music of others is appropriate, it develops imagination, but we must look after our people first and foremost. PM Since the beginning of your career you

have been associated with the Festival of Polish Song in Opole, once a feast of songs running for several days. You won the highest awards there. How do you see this feast today? Hold your horses! What awards? I was never loved by the festival jury. This was why I received three awards from the journalists which were in opposition to the verdict of the jury. True, I did receive third, second prizes at festivals in other European countries, and once, at the Song Olympiad in Athens, I won the Best Interpreter title among 40 artists taking part in that event. This happened at the old Olympic stadium built for 100,000 spectators. PM Your voice is like a fingerprint. Would you

agree with this statement? This is an interesting comparison. Fingerprints are closer to causing the goose-bumps effect. I am glad when my song does this. “My place on Earth in the globe” – I once heard Ula Dudziak saying. Would this declaration fit you as well? I have this mental comfort that I can afford to move whenever and wherever I want. I travel a lot. I have lived in New York, Chicago, Las Vegas, in Florida, Toronto. Now, I spend several months every year in the canyons around San Diego and near Warsaw. Of course, I always remember the village of

Załęże near Rzeszów – the place of my birth and early childhood. I am like that, a little bit like a bird... PM You play concerts in the USA and Poland.

Which place is more interesting? All this offers a very interesting spectrum. From my point of view all those places are not really do different from each other. Apart from the astounding nature in the States which I always admire, between February and May I played for the Polish Diaspora at 17 venues between the Atlantic and the Pacific. It was a wonderful experience. Of course, whenever we manage to reach the hearts of the audience and pass on something important, we feel enormous satisfaction. In Poland it is very important for me to reach far-flung places, called by people the provinces. I like to be where people connect with me on stage. I find the best audiences there. Full of emotions and hungry for emotions. PM Apart from music news, on your web-

site I found the following sections: Motivation and Meditation. And some pieces of advice... I ask there if we should pause and verify our spiritual attitudes towards ourselves and the surrounding world. And my answer is – yes, we should! It is always worth to making changes. Walk your own path, recognise it, but don’t be afraid of changes. Despite age we should be open to new horizons. Hence these exercises, meditation and yoga. PM For the past 10 years you have been play-

ing concerts with a young Wrocław band called “Imię Jego 44”. It this too your “new musical horizon”? Yes. Grzegorz Stępień and Maciej Burniak on the guitars, pianist Łukasz Bryła, bassist Piotr Sypień and drummer Wojciech Buliński, and also the girls in the choirs: Magdalena Kuś, Agata Dąbrowska, Paulina Brzozowska and Kamila Abrahamowicz-Szlempo – they are all excellent and committed musicians. We complement each other. When we leave the stage we hug each other, thank each other for achieving something. I think that in art one should follow “this light” because it may turn out to be important. PM “This light” for you was also your meeting

with Anna Maleady? A few years ago, approaching my 70th birthday, I fell in love yet again. Fate sent me love at a tennis-golf tournament. We make up good tandem. Not just in our private life, because she is also my manager. We communicate in Polish and English, because we have two countries to conquer. • 10/2016 polish market 105


Culture

ON FIRST NAME TERMS WITH ART AT THE ARCADES The Royal Arcades of Art 2016 is the seventh edition of this artistic festival organised by the Royal Castle in Warsaw and launched in the summer of 2010. The objective of the project is interdisciplinary exchange of values created by the arts: theatre, dance and music. This year's festival, filled with performances and concerts, was a wonderful opportunity to get acquainted with the work of interesting Polish artists presenting their skills during the eight evening performances in the course of four consecutive Fridays and Saturdays from 5 to 27, August 2016.

5.08 – 27.08.2016 Arkady Kubickiego, Zamek Królewski w Warszawie – Muzeum

5.08 2016 (piątek)

godz. 20.00 teatr oFF Harnam spektakl PerforSens

6.08.2016 (sobota)

godz. 19.00 Wieczór z muzyką jazzową, zespół Artur Dutkiewicz trio zespół: Artur Dutkiewicz – fortepian, Michał Barański – kontrabas, Łukasz Żyta – perkusja, Jorgos skolias – śpiew

12.08.2016 (piątek)

godz. 20.00 teatr Ewolucji Cienia spektakl Czas Wilka

13.08.2016 (sobota)

godz. 19.00 Wieczór z muzyką klasyczną orkiestry Warsaw Camerata paweł Kos-nowicki dyrygent, w programie: Haydn, schubert, Béla Bartók – tańce rumuńskie

19.08.2016 (piątek)

godz. 20.00 teatr Akt spektakl Kwiaty Zła

20.08.2016 (sobota)

godz. 19.00 Wieczór z muzyką dawną, zespół wokalny Bornus Consort Kierownictwo artystyczne: Marcin Bornus szczyciński, w programie m. in.: Cyprian Bazylik, transkrypcje polskich pieśni z XIX w.

26.08.2016 (piątek)

godz. 20.00 teatr Circus Ferus spektakl Freak Show

27.08.2016 (sobota)

godz. 19.00 Wieczór z muzyką polską orkiestry sinfonia Viva tomasz Radziwonowicz dyrygent, w programie: Moniuszko, Karłowicz, szymanowski, Bacewicz, lutosławski, Górecki, Kilar

Wstęp Wolny. liczba miejsc ograniczona. organizatorzy zastrzegają sobie możliwość zmian w zaproponowanym repertuarze. szczegółowy opis poszczególnych pozycji repertuaru znajduje się na stronie www.zamek-krolewski.pl, Informacje: tel. (22) 35 55 170, plac Zamkowy 4, 00-277 Warszawa, e-mail: ttaraszkiewicz@zamek-krolewski.pl partnerzy projektu

sponsorzy Zamku Królewskiego w Warszawie – Muzeum

patroni medialni

Projekt współfinansuje m.st.Warszawa

Maciej Proliński

T

he Royal Arcades of Art is a project that was launched by the Royal Castle in Warsaw, the Warsaw Music Society, the Scena 96 Association, and ARTBALE Cultural Education and the Arts Development Association. The Festival has already become firmly established in the landscape of summer art events held in Warsaw, and for many years has served as a platform for interdisciplinary dialogue, exchange of artistic experiences or ideas. It is also an opportunity to establish new contacts and the birthplace of future artistic and cultural activities. It is based on the premise that common artistic enterprises are the most effective form of co-operation between artists. The music sounding at the Royal Castle is a natural reference to the tradition of concerts at the court of Polish kings. This part of the project included instrumental and instrumental and vocal concerts. Artists performed music from different eras, thematically varied original compositions, improvisations, transcriptions and paraphrases of popular motifs. They presented both old and contemporary pieces. This year's review of the concerts included four instalments featuring, among others, the Artur Dutkiewicz Trio & Jorgos

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partner Zamku Królewskiego w Warszawie – Muzeum oficjalny Ubezpieczyciel Zamku Królewskiego w Warszawie – Muzeum

Skolias, the Warsaw Camerata Orchestra conducted by Paul Kos-Nowicki, the Bornus Consort vocal ensemble under artistic direction of Martin Bornus-Szczyciński and Sinfonia Viva orchestra under the baton of Thomas Radziwonowicz. The programmes included: Stanisław Moniuszko, Karol Szymanowski, Grażyna Bacewicz, Witold Lutosławski, Henryk Górecki, Wojciech Kilar, transcriptions of Polish songs from the 19th century, and a great night of jazz. During the August evenings it was also possible to meet theatre groups from Łódź, Poznań and Warsaw. For years the Royal Arcades of Art Festival has also been presenting interesting achievements of Polish visual arts theatre. This time the Łódź-based OFF Harnam theatre-dance group presented the satirical play "PerforSens," which lampooned the stereotypes associated with contemporary dance and dance theatre. The Shadow Evolution Theatre, inspired by universal problems, presented "The Time of the Wolf" – a spectacular, yet dark play, addressing the problem of evil dormant in all of us. The pantomime Teatr Akt, renowned for its absurd humour, full of sophisticated gestures, presented its show, while the performance of "The Flowers of Evil" by Charles Baudelaire addressed

the search for the meaning of art and the artist's role in the discovery of the sacred, or the desire to discover the absolute beauty in the world "spleen and ideal" . The beautifully restored Kubicki Arcades at the Royal Castle in Warsaw were officially opened in the spring of 2009. The renovation of the historic Arcades lasted for almost 15 years, costing approximately PLN 130 million. Kubicki Arcades were built between 1818 and 1821 according to a design by the architect Jakub Kubicki, on a slope, on the east side of the Royal Castle in Warsaw. They were an integral part of the royal residence. Although they survived World War II, their condition deteriorated due to many years of neglect. The renovation and construction work to secure the embankment started in 1995. Today's beautifully renovated Arcades are supposed to attract the public not only by their appearance, but also thanks to their new functions. They are used as a venue for important artistic events, including exhibitions, performances and concerts and galas. The Arcades have gradually become the main entrance to the Castle, the great hall, leading the public to the main museum exhibition. However, a lot has to happen and is still happening in the Arcades! •


Culture

WE REMEMBER PADEREWSKI!

Photo: Hubert Rutkowski

The 3rd edition of the International Festival dedicated to Ignacy Jan Paderewski will be held on November 5-11, 2016 in Warsaw. The aim of the festival is to commemorate and popularise the achievements and work of this great Polish patriot and world-famous artist, recipient of the Virtutti Militari Order and Honorary Citizen of the Capital City of Warsaw. The event is organised by the “AVE ARTE” Foundation. For a third time running the monthly Polish Market is the media patron of the festival. Maciej Proliński

H

ubert Rutkowski – piano, the Polish Radio Orchestra, soloists and choir of the National Philharmonics conducted by Michał Klauza will perform during the inaugural concert held at the National Philharmonics in Warsaw. The programme includes: Teodor Leszetycki: Piano concerto, Ignacy Jan Paderewski: Polish Fantasy, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Ave Verum, Coronation Mass KV 317. Gramophone Magazine describes Hubert Rutkowski as a sensitive poet of the sound, and his interpretations as being closer to those of Friedman or Paderewski, unlike the current, often standardised performance practices. After graduating from the Fryderyk Chopin Academy of Music in Warsaw in the class of Professor Anna Jastrzębska-Quinn, he completed his doctoral studies in Warsaw supervised by Professor Alicja Paleta-Bugaj. In the years 2005-2010, he completed postgraduate studies at Hochschule für Musik und Theater in Hamburg in the class of Professor Yevgeni Koroliov. Recording the piano works by Julian Fontana and Teodor Leszetycki for Acte Préalable (2007, 2008) was an important moment in the career of Rutkowski. In the Chopin Year 2010 the artist recorded "Pupils of Chopin" for Naxos. Since then he has been playing concerts in most countries in Europe, Asia and America. In recent years historic pianos have become a passion of Hubert Rutkowski. The artist will perform in Warsaw on one such instrument belonging to Teodor Leszetycki. It will be the Polish premiere of this grand piano made by Bösendorfer in 1882! Leszetycki

taught Paderewski and a whole plethora of outstanding pianists using this piano. Its users also included Brahms! Subsequent concerts are expected to be equally interesting. On November 7, at Łazienki Królewskie, the Mexican violinist Jose Adolfo Alejo Solis accompanied by the pianist Edward Wolanin will play, among others: Paderewski’s Introduction and Toccata d-minor op. 6, Nocturne b-major, op. 16, No 4. Morning concerts for children and teenagers have been planned for November 8 at Łazienki Królewskie. The Animato ensemble who are a trio of harmonica players preparing the global preview of Paderewski’s music adapted for harmonicas will perform for the young music lovers. On November 10, the “Paderewski – Jazz – Inspirations” concert will be performed at Łazienki Królewskie. Jazz adaptations of pieces by Paderewski and Chopin, among others, will be presented by the Jazz Sextet of Włodzimierz Nahorny and Dorota Miśkiewicz, an outstanding Polish vocalist. The longest-performing Polish jazz sextet led by the famous pianist and composer Włodzimierz Nahorny has, in its repertoire, transcriptions of compositions by Szymanowski, Karłowicz and Chopin, to name just a few. The meeting with works by Paderewski is going to be a first one for these musicians, but it will undoubtedly be an event going beyond musical stereotypes. Throughout the entire Festival, an exhibition entitled “Paderewski Played for Poland on the Piano” will be held at the Open-air Gallery at Łazienki Królewskie. Ignacy Jan Paderewski (1860-1941) – great Polish pianist, composer, politician and

statesman. An example of a multi-dimensional man. A rare combination of an artist creating beauty and nobility around himself, operating in the spiritual domain, and a politician navigating in the hard reality of the new state. In 1919, he was appointed Prime Minister and Foreign Affairs Minister of the Second Republic of Poland. He scored his first major success in his music career in 1887 when he made his debut as a pianist. A year later he was performing on the biggest stages in the world. His claim to fame as a politician stemmed from being present, together with Roman Dmowski, at the Paris Peace Conference where the Treaty of Versailles ending the First World War was signed. It is also said that it was thanks to Paderewski’s influence that the famous 14 points of the US President Thomas Woodrow Wilson, presented before the congress in January 1918, contained the demand for Poland’s independence. In 1922, he went to the USA, where he continued his successful career as a performing pianist. He died in New York in 1941. He was buried with military honours at the National Arlington Cemetery in Washington, DC, among presidents, outstanding politicians and military commanders. In 1992, on the initiative of Polish President Lech Wałęsa, his ashes were brought to Poland and entered in the crypt of the Basilica of John the Baptist in Warsaw. The artistic career of Paderewski has no equal in the history of Polish music, as exemplified by the fact that his opera “Manru” was the only Polish work staged at the prestigious Metropolitan Opera in New York and performed many times in other American and European cities. • 10/2016 polish market 107


Culture

DOWN MEMORY LANE

"

I was born in Tel Aviv. I was twenty three and could not speak, write or read – just like an infant" – Maria Lewińska quoted herself during an author’s evening Maria Lewińska organised at the Bookseller’s Club in Warsaw’s Old Town on the occasion of the publication of her book “Illiterates with Higher Education” (Austeria, 2016). The title, so very contemporary, refers to many wellknown personalities who in the 1950s and after March 1968 were forced to leave Poland. Just like the author, a graduate of the Faculty of Journalism at the University of Warsaw, working in the Literature Department of Polish Radio, who in 1958 emigrated to Israel. – We left Poland, abandoning our beloved places, the familiar sound made by leaves in the autumn, various nooks and crannies which we knew like the back of our hand, our learned occupations, useless in other countries. Because the émigrés included many writers, poets and journalists who never managed to overcome the language barrier – who never “heard” the melody of this language and could only express their creativity in Polish. And they did this because at that time a lot was happening in Israeli literature written in the Polish language. During the meeting moderated by Remigiusz Grzela the author admitted that she had to “teach herself Israel”: to speak, read, write and drive. She mentioned bookstores, adding that reading rooms functioned in every town with a Polish-speaking population and there were Polish-language newspapers and weeklies. Alas, in early 21st “Kontury” and “Nowiny-Kurier,” where she had her own column entitled ”Change from my three pennies,” until the last issue was

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Jerzy Bojanowicz published in 2009. In 1997, she published a book under the same title in Tel Aviv. It was followed by: “Emigration: Day One” (Warsaw, 1999), “Move Over” (Warsaw, 2000), “With a Mask on My Face” (Warsaw, 2006) and “Stored Words” (Tel Aviv, 2008). For many years now the only Polish-language publication has been the “Bulletin of the Israeli-Polish Chamber of Commerce,” chaired by her husband Henryk. And the title appears thanks to the involvement of Oficyna Wydawnicza Rynek Polski – publishers of “Polish Market.” - It pays to live long because if one lives long one can reach a moment like today. After more than 50 years of living outside Poland, I come here and see so many people attending my evening – the author said at the beginning of the meeting. But it also pays to live long because under proper conditions one can meet some interesting people. “Illiterates with Higher Education” is a personal tale about people and interviews regarding Polish writing in Israel, about a closed epoch. - My characters had left Poland, but not Polish culture – they brought it with them. By themselves, without any help, they created an enclave of Polish literature – the author recommends them. The book begins with a conversation with Ryszard Löwe, president of the Union of Authors Writing in Polish in Israel, who speaks about a community of some 50 writers and explains how the Polish-language literary life was created. He also talks about the fate of subsequent titles. On the following pages Henryk Szafir explains the reasons behind the lack of interest in them. During the meeting Maria Lewińska mentioned Stanisław Jerzy Lec, who later wrote “The Unkempt Thoughts.” He disliked Israel from the beginning and wanted to go back to Poland. He combined writing with working as a night watchman at a building site. In the end, he came back, but paid for this with a spilt in his own family. Also Roman Frister returned. His last article in the weekly

“Polityka” was published together with the news of his death. Ida Fink who had packed the Polish language into her suitcase, failed to pay the customs duty and brought it in a very nice condition to Israel. She gave up learning Hebrew and continued to write in Polish and many years later was honoured with the highest literary award in Israel which propagates speaking and writing in Hebrew. But, as the heroine of the evening stressed, the only writer to have described contemporary Israel was a Pole, Marek Hłasko. He called himself the Wandering Goyim, because he kept wandering all over Europe from the age of 24 until his death in Germany. Although he only spent a year in Israel, almost half of his books were written during the Israeli period. - We do not consider ourselves immigrants. We see ourselves as Israeli nationals who nonetheless have created an enclave of Polish writing. It is not huge, but it still counts – stressed Maria Lewińska. – If someone becomes interested in the fate of Polish Jews who settled in Israel after World War Two, reading about it won’t be difficult. All it takes is reaching for the works by Polish-language writers in Israel. Alas, we all translate from Hebrew into Polish, but this is one-way traffic: there are practically no translations from Polish into Hebrew. I can do it, but this is not it. Although I speak and write in this language, or even teach in it, I do not feel it! On the other hand, Miriam Akavia, mentioned during the meeting, who died in 2015 at the age of 88 (the book contains an interview with her) could do this very well indeed. She came to Israel in 1946 and wrote and published her first books in Hebrew. She was a long-standing president of the Israel-Poland Society and received many awards in recognition of her works and activity promoting Polish-Israeli relations. After the official part there followed a lengthy unofficial meeting attended by many old friends not seen in years. •


Culture

PEARL OF THE POLISH ECONOMY – SYMBOLISM CONTAINED IN SIMPLICITY MAREK BICZAK, the designer of the Pearl of the Polish Economy statuette, owner of Bimart Company, talks to “Polish Market.”

did this idea come from? What inspired you to create the statuette in this form? The idea was born during a meeting with President Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek at a fair in Warsaw where we exhibited our works. It was pure chance. She simply liked our works. During a short conversation I was asked if I would design a statuette for the gala of the Pearls of the Polish Economy. When designing it, I did not limit myself to one specific purpose. I did not want to present the current moment – that of success, but rather something more futureoriented. The statuette consists of a pearl, a thing of beauty and nobility, adorned with something that evokes a whole range of associations: industry, medicine, art. I think that a hussar and his wings is something universal and yet symbolic, an epitome of something bold, brave, forwardgoing, but also its artistic opposite – Chopin and his music. I tried to combine these two symbolic elements with an unequivocal part, which is a sphere denoting the pearl. PM

Let us talk about the design of the Pearl of the Polish Economy statuette. Where

PM Do you think that despite the changes

Polish economy, the statuette still remains universal? I believe that art is above time. The artistic concept is very important if it contains an element of timelessness. Such designs should not be changed. PM We are talking about art in the context

of business awards. And what about the combination of art and business? I am asking about the place of artists in the market and about selling one’s works. Is this very difficult today? Art has always been a very difficult sector requiring sponsors. My friend once said: “Artists too must eat.” Thus, artists encounter difficulties in the sense of finding buyers for their art. Therefore we, who are sensitive to art, try to intermediate between artists and connoisseurs, people who are interested in the output of young, contemporary artists. For this reason I decided to open a small gallery. My contemporary art gallery called Nowe Inspiracje (www.pelini.pl) has been operating for two years. On the one hand, it allows me to organise vernissages and exhibitions open to the general public. On the other hand, it makes business activity possible, since we put up works of art for sale. •

taking place over the last 14 years in the

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Events

PRESENTATION OF THE AWARDS OF THE EUROPEAN BUSINESS CLUB POLAND

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he European Business Club Poland has again honoured people and companies which made a particular contribution to the development of entrepreneurship, the economy, local government activity, science, culture and sport in Poland and whose successes can be measured by the European and global scale. The Award-Giving Gala of the European Business Club Poland was held on September 24, 2016 at Teatr Stanisławowski in Łazienki Park in Warsaw – a highly symbolic place of great importance for Poland’s history. Łazienki Królewskie was the summer residence of the last king of Poland, Stanisław August. Its grand scale and beauty attract both Varsovians and scores of tourists. The complex impresses with the richness of its architecture and art. All this means that Łazienki is one of the most prestigious venues on the map of business, culture and art meetings. The Chapter of the European Business Club – Poland Awards, chaired by Professor Elżbieta Mączyńska, President of the Polish Economic Society, included outstanding representatives of business, science and sport, including Editorin-Chief and President of the Board of "Polish Market", Krystyna Woźniak-Trzosek. The main VICTORIA EUROPAE award is awarded to persons, companies, institutions, civic organisations and projects, making a particular contribution to raising the prestige of Poland in the international arena. This year, it was presented to the Economic Forum in Krynica Zdrój for its outstanding contribution to the process of reinforcing Poland’s position in the European Union and building Europe based on solidarity, fairness and competition. The remaining recipients of the European Business Club – Poland awards were: • In the ENTREPRENEUR MAGNUS (Outstanding Entrepreneur) category: Czesław Lang, Director General at Lang Team Sp. z o.o., for the creation of the most professional and recognisable Polish sport brand in the world, outstanding achievements in sport marketing and the ability to combine sport with the history of Poland. Tadeusz Wrześniak, President of the Wrześniak Glassworks Group, for creating the largest handformed glassworks in Poland and outstanding achievements in foreign expansion of original products of the highest quality. • In the BENE MERITUS (Outstanding Merits) category:

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Photo: Laureates of the awards of the European Business Club Poland

Ewa Błaszczyk, President of the ”Akogo” Foundation, for establishing the first clinic in Poland specialising in the treatment and rehabilitation of children with severe brain traumas and for her determination in initiating new systemic solutions and implementing innovative scientific-medical programmes dedicated to coma patients. Żaneta Berus, President of EXPO XXI, for her professionalism, creativity, bold and dynamic management of EXPO XXI Warszawa and outstanding and long-term achievements in the MICE sector. Rober Roguski, Mayor of Kobyłka, for his professionalism and a bold vision of the development of Kobyłka achieved through the implementation of innovative programmes using EU funding. Henryk Sobierajski, Director of Polsat News and Polsat News2 information channels, for addressing problems faced by Polish entrepreneurs in the news and journalistic programmes of TV Polsat News and for economic education of society. • In the SIGNUM TEMPORIS (Sign of the Times) category: Grzegorz Łubczyk, Vice-President of the Henryk Sławik – Pamięć i Dzieło Foundation, in recognition of this services to the popularisation of the knowledge regarding Polish refugees in Hungary in the years 1939 – 1946 and the Polish-Hungarian relations during the Second World War. Adam Zdanowicz, President of “Mad Bicycles”, for his creativity and the innovative “Bespoke Bikes” project incorporating folk

designs from Podlasie, and for his courage in conquering global markets. • In the PRO FUTURO (For the Future) category: Łazienki Królewskie w Warszawie Museum for the project entitled “The Zone of Muses and Thoughts of Stanisław August – Renovation and Conservation of the 18th Century Orangery with the Royal Theatre for the Purpose of a New Sculpture Display and Implementation of the Cultural Programme” and for restoring historical monuments to their glory. Jacek Ragus, President of Ragus, for his professionalism and high quality of comprehensive printing services. • In the PRO PUBLICO BONO (Civic Activity) category: The Council Of Women at the Polish Red Cross for providing help and sensitivity to the needs of children from the poorest families and longterm efforts to improve their world. The Gala was held under the honorary patronage of: the Ministry of Economic Development, Polish Chamber of Commerce, Polish Economic Society, Pracodawcy Rzeczypospolitej Polskiej and Polish Information and Foreign Investments Agency. Media patrons: Polsat News, "Polish Market", "Miesięcznik Gospodarczy Nowy Przemysł", portal www.wnp.pl, Eurogospodarka, WhyStory and the "Europerspektywy" monthly. The Gala was officiated by Przemysław Talkowski, last year’s recipient of the BENE MERITUS (Outstanding Merits) award. Guests were greeted by The Warsaw Dixielanders band, and then entertained by the Śląsk Song and Dance Ensemble. •



Events

MILITA NIKONOROV AT THE WARSAW FASHION WEEK

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he premier fashion show for the collection by Milita Nikonorov took place at Warsaw Fashion Week on September 16-18. It is yet another collection inspired by Polish history and culture. This time the main theme were hussars. Models, apart from dresses which were ornamented with hand-made flowers, adorned hussar wings. Milita presented the collection which was warmly welcomed by fashion critics as well as other designers, and after the shows’ finale she received a prize from Patrizia Gucci. The models presented on the catwalk were characterised by the designer’s well-known style. Flower motives printed on fabrics, lace, hand-made applications and jewellery, feminine silhouettes and wellthought out styling that women of all ages will desire. Milita has graduated from the fine arts academy in Łódź and is the winner of many prestigious awards. She is a designer valued by the stylists of stars, fashion magazines and TV productions. She has taken part in Season 1 of the Polish version of “Project Runway.” Milita Nikonorov designs for all women, not only those who wear a size S. Offering a wide range of apparel and knowing female shapes well, she overcomes the stereotype of a designer making clothes only for models. The collection is available in online boutique at nikonorov.com •

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Events

COLLECTION AUTUMN - WINTER 2016/17 On the first of September the Museum of Asia and Pacific in Warsaw was a place where demanding fashion for professionally active women combined with comfort. The latest "Chillout" collection for the autumnwinter 2016/17 season inspired by urban fashion demonstrates that functionality and femininity remain at the top. Promoting good Polish products and brands. "Polish Market" was the media patron for the presentation of the Kossmann “Chillout” collection.

A

lthough wide bell-bottom trousers rule the world catwalks, ordinary people still wear pegs. This is the end of an era of the diktat of great fashion designers and uncomfortable two-piece woman’s suits.

IWONA KOSSMANN, owner of Kossmann Fashion

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The latest Chillout collection shows that less formal apparel and a quest for comfort are the key trend-setting factors. The growing role of women in political and business life and their greater financial independence mean that elegance is giving way to cosiness. Functionality and femininity have become the basis of everyday styling of contemporary women. In the latest collection Kossmann presents natural fabrics, comfortable knitwear and velveteen. Blouses with overprints mix with plain ones. Apart from modern classics which never go out of fashion, we now have styles harking back to the 1970s – bell-bottom jeans and velvet trousers. The collection is rounded off with popular and easy to wear dresses. Dominant colours include the timeless grey, deep blue and black, enriched with magenta and pink. The styling of the models and many guests, including Beata Sadowska and Ilona Felicjańska, was completed with Eyezen glasses offering protection to the users of digital devices and technological gadgets. Not only elegant and comfortable apparel, but also appropriate technologies, are becoming increasingly important in the life of today’s women. Thus, the crowning glory of the latest Kossmann Chillout collection are Microsoft Surface Pro 4 computers because mobility and flexibility are the key to professional success. Chillout means slowing down and enjoying every moment.

Beata Sadowska, journalist The Kossmann brand is the first brand in Poland to offer business clothes addressed to active, entrepreneurial women. There is no company in the domestic market focusing its offer entirely on this segment of customers. Following the changes in mentality and the increased involvement of women in management and in the group of TOP managers, it has become necessary to create elegant, comfortable and feminine apparel. •


Apro Trade Sp. z o.o. T : +48 22 781 7777 ul. Narutowicza 37 info@tomcaffe.com 05-091 Ząbki, Poland www.tomcaffe.com


Food Industry

A FORMAT MATCHING THE NEEDS OF THE SECTOR MIŁOSZ JANKOWIAK, Director of Polagra Food Fair, the largest food sector fair in Central and Eastern Europe, and the Tastes of Regions Fair, talks to "Polish Market".

PM It is said that the development of tech-

nology, which is ubiquitous in business communication, may not be conducive to events such as fairs. Is this really the case? First of all, one must realise that fairs, including the International Polagra Food Fair, are not a venue where orders for specific products are placed. Our events are designed primarily to open new areas of co-operation, also international, or to strengthen the already existing business relations based on an agreement of the parties. All this simply cannot be done by e-mail or over the phone. However, there is no doubt that the advancing digitisation helps develop fairs and facilitates servicing the exhibitors and their visitors, opening new forms of promotion of our partners. PM Does Polagra Food go beyond being a plat-

form for developing co-operation between business partners, by becoming an event which shapes the picture of the food industry? Certainly, the way in which the food sector operates is determined by legal regulations and economic conditions, as well as the relations between its players, such as food manufacturers and distributors or sector associations and organisations. Nonetheless, the role of Polagra Food also includes educating the

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representatives of the industry and creating conditions for debating matters of importance to the food sector stemming from new legal regulations or changes in the consumption model. This is confirmed by the programme of special events accompanying the exhibition, carefully prepared by a team which not only listens to the needs of the industry, but also tries to stay ahead of its expectations. PM Two quite prominent trends can be ob-

served in the current consumption model. On the one hand, we are seeking fast solutions for a meal or specialised food. On the other hand, we seek untypical flavours, often associated with childhood. How are these trends reconciled at Polagra Food? Polagra Food is a fair dedicated first and foremost to manufacturers of mass-produced food. This area sees the largest number of innovations: a clean label product, new flavour variants of products already known to consumers, functional food or food for people suffering from nutritional allergies. Our exhibitors present hundreds of such novelties every year. We also approach with respect the work of small family farms which cultivate traditions and make products based on old recipes. With them in mind, we have created a separate event in the form of the Tastes of Regions Fair.

PM Is the Tastes of Regions Fair a business

event? Yes, but not only. The Tastes of Regions Fair lasts four days and is open to the general public. This allows us to invite the local people to a culinary journey across the entire Poland, bring back childhood flavours and educate the young in the culinary tradition of our country. However, two of those four days overlap with Polagra Food and Polagra Gastro. This enables food distributors to get acquainted with certified and traditional products or products that are typical of a given region. This is also an El Dorado for chefs and restaurant owners. PM Will Polagra Food and Tastes of Regions

retain their format in the coming years? We cannot rely in our work solely on the 30-year long tradition of Polagra Food. Observing the sector and being aware of its needs we are certain to develop the format of both these events so that they become the best vehicle for promoting our exhibitors and their products. Above all, we are going to take advantage of the huge experience in attracting suitable profiled visitors. Every year, the entire Polagra block of events is visited by more than 60,000 peo• ple.


Infrastructure

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Innovation

RECOMMENDED FOOD The food market must respond to the increasing requirements of consumers. Filling one’s belly is no longer the main goal. Food must be well designed, so that it fits the lifestyle, supplies the necessary nutrients, allows us to “taste” the places visited by us or places we would like to see. Where should we look for such food?

T

he Internet is always a good choice, but tasting the best products is only possible during fairs. In this respect the leader is Polagra Food International Trade Fair for Food held in Poznań. For over 30 years this event has been a comprehensive review of the achievements of the food sector and a venue for business negotiations which end on store shelves.

FIRST, GUARANTEE OF QUALITY In the case of food, this guarantee comes from numerous certificates issued by food-testing institutions, but not exclusively by them. Undoubtedly, the Gold Medal of Poznań International Fair is a guarantee of the highest quality of food products. This distinction has been awarded for many years by a chapter containing food sector experts. This year, as many as 27 products have been selected for this accolade. The recipients include: Nomanet Sp. z o.o., Novica Sp. z o.o., Spółdzielnia Mleczarska Mlekovita, Średzka Spółdzielnia Mleczarska Jana, Okręgowa Spółdzielnia Mleczarska in Łowicz, Zakład Przetwórstwa Mleka Mlecz, Spółdzielnia Mleczarska in Grajewo Mlekpol, Spółdzielnia Mleczarska Lazur, Agro-Danmis Gramowscy Sp. J., Pini Polska Sp. z o.o., and JSC Pieno ŽvaigŽéS (Lithuania). The competition jury appreciated the flavour, nutritional values and manufacturing technology of the products entered in the contest, which included various cheeses, butters, milks and milk drinks, yoghurts and charcuterie products. All these products can be seen and tasted during the International Trade Fair for Food held in September.

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SECOND, NOVELTIES Consumers expect not just high quality, but also choice and surprising solutions. There is never a shortage of them at the Polagra Food Fair. Exhibitors at this year’s edition of the event have submitted more than 120 products in the novelty category. They include organic products, lactose-free dairy products, healthy snacks which can form part of a balanced diet and products offering unusual combinations of flavours, such as creamy honey with cinnamon or poppy liqueur.

THIRD, FLAVOURS The Italian Food & Wine pavilion set up during this year’s Polagra Food Fair was an excellent opportunity for extending the store’s assortment addressed not just to connoisseurs of Italian cuisine, but also to people open to new tastes. The Italian Food & Wine pavilion contained a wide range of cheeses made of cow’s or ewe’s milk, cold cuts, including Parma ham, the symbol of Italy, and many types of salami, olive oil and flavoured oils (spiced, citrus, etc.), the popular balsamic vinegar dressing, balsamic vinegar with lemon and orange extract, Italian ice cream and preserves made of vegetables ripening under the Italian sun, including artichokes or dried Italian tomatoes in sunfloweroil. There will also be Italian wines. Every year, owners and managers of grocery stores face a decision which products to add to their product range. Polagra Food International Trade Fair for Food in Poznań is a place that has to be visited in order to make a good decision, offer customers a wide choice and satisfy their appetite. •



WARSAW

INTERNATIONAL

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12-13 października 2016 Hotel Westin, Warszawa

SUMMIT 9. EDYCJA

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