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PORTUGAL IN POLAND
Jolanta Wolska
Open Mind, Open Heart
José Duarte Sequeira e Serpa, Portugal’s ambassador to Poland, talks to Jolanta Wolska.
■ It’s nearly four years since you came to Poland. Has your opinion about this country changed over this time? I came to Poland with an open mind and with a lot of enthusiasm. I had Polish friends whom I had met in many places throughout the world. Poland has changed very quickly in the short time that I have been here— not always for the better, might I add. The main positive change is in the mind set of young people. That is a similar change to that in Portugal in the 1980s. In a way, the recent history of both our countries is similar. We had a dictatorship for 48 years, and Poland did too. Of course, there was a difference in that ours was a national dictatorship, while Poland’s was imported, and that makes a big difference. The economic prosperity of Poland is growing; we have many Polish tourists
in Portugal. I see that the Polish legislative system is coming closer to that of other European countries. On the minus side, bureaucracy is very heavy, though sometimes we also have similar problems in Portugal. The most negative point in fact is the Polish language, but it’s my own fault: I tried to learn it but it’s the most difficult language to learn. ■ What benefits does EU membership offer small and medium-sized countries? Perhaps I will answer that differently. We have learned by experience. We can have many benefits from the EU, but we also have to pay the price, and Portugal has always been ready to pay that price. We are now also paying the price during the economic and financial crisis, but at the same time we have the support of the other members. The crisis might be worse if we weren’t in the euro zone, but at the same time, being a June 2010
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June 2010
Martifer Renewables S.A. http://www.martifer.com/renewables Ul. Kurniki 4, 31-156 Kraków, Polska Tel. +48 12 6286625/26 Fax. +48 12 6286627 Email: info@martifer.com.pl
Martifer Renewables develops, builds and operates renewable projects in 15 countries all over the world. In Poland, MTR focuses on wind farm projects. MTR was the first Portuguese company to build a wind farm in Poland with 10MW in Leki Dukielskie, Krosno District, which is now under operation. MTR has 18MW under construction and over 400MW of pipeline under development. I’d like to see our bilateral relations improve even more, although today they are excellent. We have common interests despite the geographic distance, and I want to see these interests grow further. We have good cooperation with Poland in areas that are not considered to be our traditional areas, like advanced technology. We want to highlight our traditions, for example in “The Flavors of Portugal” food and wine week in May, and in June we will have a hi-tech exhibition in Warsaw.
■ What are your favorite places in Poland and Warsaw? I like Kazimierz Dolny and Gdaƒsk, and in Warsaw I’m particularly fond of the old part of the city. Our Portuguese air crews who stop in Warsaw always tell me how much they like coming to Warsaw. Warsaw is becoming a very popular city in Lisbon. I enjoy being here very much, although I would like to have more time to travel around your beautiful country. ■
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member of the EU, we have common responsibilities, and whatever happens we have to work together. I compare our membership to being in a family where sometimes there are discussions, disagreements and fights, but in the end we have many things that unite us and we have to work together. It is not always easy. If Portugal is affected by the crisis, we are not the only ones, other countries are suffering too. ■ Are small and medium-sized countries able to influence the way the EU functions? I think so. The bigger countries have to listen to the smaller ones. During Portugal’s 24 years in the EU we have felt that when we explained our points of view and our interests, the big powers did take them into consideration. Of course, we have to give up a part of our sovereignty. But there is always a compromise. ■ What are your greatest achievements as ambassador to Poland and what would you still like to accomplish here? I had two important priorities when I came here. The first was the Portuguese presidency of the European Union when we negotiated the Lisbon Treaty. We have a very small embassy in Warsaw and with a team of three it was quite a challenge. The second was the visit of our president, Mr. Cavaco Silva to Poland in 2008. President Lech Kaczyƒski was to have been in Lisbon this May.
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Lisbon MBA
The Lisbon MBA program is a joint initiative by two universities in Portugal and the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States. The Lisbon MBA aspires to become a key educational program for future economic leaders in Europe and beyond. ■ The 12-month program comprises classes at the Catolica and Nova universities in Lisbon and a summer course at the prestigious MIT Sloan School of Management in Boston, Massachusetts, during which the students learn about American business. The students also do brief summer internships at one of several European companies which take part in the project. The company and the type of internship are chosen depending on which sector of the economy the students want to pursue a career in after they finish their studies. As they make the choice, they are aided by the Career Management Center at the campus in Lisbon, where they go to meetings and discussions with people working for partner companies and headhunting agencies. Trying to decide on the kind of internship, and thus choose their career path, they can also consult an association of graduates who monitor the course of the summer internships and help students find jobs after graduation. Learning to work in teams is an integral part of the course. The Lisbon MBA is designed to teach students about teamwork through analysis of business case studies and encouraging joint initiatives in the students’ spare time. For example, as part of one of the most unconventional assignments, the students get to stage plays by William Shakespeare. This is more than a challenge for them as actors, as they have to take care of the whole of the production themselves, from renting the costumes to arranging the venues, rehearsing and selling tickets to the shows. Creativity and team building are the objectives of such projects which are sponsored by leading Portuguese institutions, such as the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation. This academic year, almost 38 percent of the Lisbon MBA students come from outside Portugal, which the program’s founders consider to be a major success. The students are aged 29 on average and most of them have five to six years of work experience behind them. Graduates of business and technological studies account for 75 percent of all students. Over 40 percent of them are women. Research conducted by the program’s coordinators shows that 68 percent of Lisbon MBA graduates find jobs directly after graduation. Almost half the graduates take jobs in a different sector of the economy— compared with what they did before they enrolled for the Lisbon MBA program, and 70 percent of the graduates change their jobs. A quarter of the graduates go to work in a different country. Lisbon MBA graduates can look forward to 25-percent pay raise on average. They earn 55,000 euros per year on average. The managers of the schools taking part in the project say that those enrolling for the program can expect this investment to pay off within three years after graduation. W.˚.
Betting on Quality ■ Poland’s grocery store market is a demanding one and has given market players many headaches. But one company has come up with a simple recipe for success and has achieved results others can only dream of. That company is JMD, the owner of the Biedronka chain, and the recipe they found is high quality products for low prices, available everywhere in Poland. This high availability is to a great extent the result of an effective expansion of the network, which continues to open no less than 130-150 new stores per year and does not shy away from large acquisitions. As a result, residents in more than 600 locations across Poland have their own Biedronka outlets. According to JMD’s suppliers, the company’s expectations with regard to the quality of delivered products “border on the obsessive.” Importantly, the company has bet on Polish suppliers and, in cooperation with them, developed a range of products that match customer needs. In effect, nearly 50 percent of Polish people say they shop regularly at Biedronka. Interestingly, studies show that, contrary to the stereotype, Biedronka groceries are shopping destinations also for people with higher education and above-average incomes. Recent announcements suggest that the total number of Biedronka grocery stores nationwide will exceed 2,000 by 2012. Consequently, it is safe to assume that their leading market position will remain unchallenged, especially as Biedronka has proven that low prices and high quality can go together.
Editor in Charge: Ewa Hancock – ewa.hancock@warsawvoice.pl Special Section Coordinators: Ewa Andrzejczak, Bo˝enna Osucha, tel. (+48 22) 335 97 38
June 2010
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Pluses of Portugal Pedro Pereira da Silva, President of the Polish-Portuguese Chamber of Commerce, talks to Jolanta Wolska. ■ Why is Poland an important economic partner for Portugal in the CEE region and which Portuguese industries are most active in Poland? Poland has proved its leadership among new European economies and a big, future-oriented market is a natural destination for our investment. That is why Poland is the most important country in Central and Eastern Europe for Portuguese foreign direct investment (FDI). Currently in Poland there are about 100 Polish companies with Portuguese capital. Due to the significant investment that Portuguese companies have been making for the past 10 years, Poland has naturally became one of the strategic markets for the Portuguese economy and it is perceived by the Portuguese entrepreneurs as one of the most attractive destinations for investing. It is worth emphasizing that Portuguese companies are active in many areas, such as retail, banking, industry, construction, real estate, renewable energy, IT, medical care and legal services. Innovative solutions are an integral element of what Portuguese companies offer. ■ Why are Portuguese wines less popular in Poland than those from your neighbor Spain or from New World countries? The wine market is very competitive in Poland and is changing very fast. It has huge potential and we expect big growth in wine consumption in the coming years. Portuguese brands started to be introduced on the Polish market a couple of years ago and the distribution is still under development. Portuguese wine producers are still establishing new partnerships with Polish import companies. Awareness and customer acceptance of Portuguese wine in Poland is growing rapidly, as can be seen through increased sales. Restaurant wine lists in Polish restaurants already include, June 2010
for example, the famous Porto wine, the great strong Douro red wine, the fruity white wine from Alentejo and the unique and special green wine from Minho. ■ You held a successful “Flavors of Portugal” gastronomic week at the InterContinental Warsaw hotel at the end of May. How hard is it to change Poles’ taste in food, which tends to be conservative? This is yet another stereotype that needs to be changed. All the Poles I know are very open to a varied culinary experience. Many of them are already in love with Portuguese food. Seafood, fish, meat, appetizers combined with some of the best wines in the world is something that no one can resist. We treat the Flavors of Portugal gastronomic week as a platform to do more than just promote great Portuguese cuisine. Our aim is to strengthen bilateral relations between Poland and Portugal. During the week the Polish-Por tuguese Chamber of Commerce focused on promoting the best of Portuguese cuisine, as well as Portuguese culture, history and tourism. The event was a big success, fully booked every evening.
13 ■ What type of companies are members of the PPCC, which was established two years ago? Which of your services are most in demand? PPCC activities focus on three main areas: contacts and events, communication and consultancy. The Chamber of Commerce organizes and promotes events and meetings, which are important in the process of facilitating and developing business activity, for example, seminars, conferences, business mixers and business breakfasts. Communication is also one of the most important areas of our activities. Through our website, newsletter, publications, annual membership directory and events, the PPCC plans to deliver top-quality information to its members and strengthen ties between Polish and Portuguese business organizations. We always try to develop our range of services. Currently, we can assist not only our members, but also other interested companies in market research, preparation of potential business partner lists, translation and interpreter services, organization of trade missions and various kinds of promotion. We also give access to our CV database and can help companies in finding employees. The PPCC has 65 members. Sixty percent of our membership is formed by Portuguese companies, and the remaining ones are Polish and multinational companies. Our target is to have 100 members by the end of the year. ■