Thanks to access to a well-qualified workforce, modern business and conference facilities as well as a good transportation system, the capital of Poland is one of the most business-friendly cities in the world. In times when the low-touch economy is becoming increasingly important, European investors should rediscover the potential of Warsaw.
Why Warsaw?
Warsaw is one of the biggest locations of IT services, attracting new investments and fostering business development. For many years now, Warsaw has been aiming to bring the concept of the smart city to life. The capital of Poland follows its digital strategy by fulfilling the Smart City Plan: raising awareness of smart and environmental-friendly solutions, building an environmentally aware community, fostering new business models, and at the same time attracting global investments.
The city is well-known for its extensive conference facilities and hotel infrastructure, including Global Expo, Expo XXI, and the most famous building: the Warsaw Palace of Culture. In terms of the quality of transportation, in 2019 Warsaw was considered the best location to do business in, according to the ABSL Business Services Sector in Poland Report.
The capital of Poland has also won multiple awards and was ranked the 3rd most business-friendly city in the world in the “European cities and regions of the future 2018/19” contest, and came 1st in the 2019/20 edition of the “Polish cities of the future” rakings. Not without reason is Warsaw – with 238 centers (in 2019) – a leader in terms of the number of IT, BPO, SCC and R&D centers in Poland.
Why Poland
Why to outsource software development to Poland
- Skilled programmers
- Remarkable English proficiency among Polish developers
- Low hiring prices
Global tycoons invest in Warsaw
Microsoft
In May 2020, Microsoft announced a huge investment of $1 billion in Poland, aiming to build a technological hub for the entire Eastern Europe region. In doing so, in cooperation with a domestic public cloud provider, Microsoft aims to build a “Polish Digital Valley”, envisioned as a digital hub for cloud data processing.
The Google Campus is a dedicated space for startups, where entrepreneurs can exchange their ideas and knowledge, taking advantage of co-working areas and several events. By setting up campuses throughout Europe, Google aims to support entrepreneurs who are just beginning to spread their wings. The Polish hub on Konesera St in Warsaw is a place where tradition meets innovation – and not simply in name only.
When it comes to global tycoons investing in Warsaw, another example is Facebook, which opened its European headquarters here in 2012. The office is dedicated to Central and Eastern Europe, which had previously been served by Facebook’s European headquarters in Dublin.
Education and business potential
Warsaw has huge academic potential: there are 15 public universities and 55 private ones, of which the most renowned are the University of Warsaw, Warsaw University of Technology and Warsaw School of Economics. The city is also a good supply base of skilled specialists. There are 10,208 people studying foreign languages, 62,413 students of administration, business and law and 17,558 students of engineering and technical faculties. It is worth bearing in mind that Warsaw attracts IT talents from other Polish cities and from abroad. The vast majority of Warsaw’s citizens are university graduates and 40% of them speak English. When it comes to business potential, there are 200,000 enterprise entities in the capital of Poland, mostly Shared Services Centers (46%) and IT centers (27%). Some of the companies that have decided to invest in Warsaw are:
- Huawei
- Johnson & Johnson
- Oerlikon Business Services Europe
- Sage
- EY
Important facts about Warsaw
- The capital is well-connected to other Polish cities, such as Lodz and Silesian Region (290 km, about 3 hours by train).
- There is a vast amount of modern office space available: 5,589,400 sq.m. of total existing A/B Class office space, and 766,600 sq.m. under construction.
- 2 airports, Chopin and Modlin Airport, offer a wide range of domestic and international flights.
- There are a number of hubs and institutions that support entrepreneurship: the Google Campus, the Smolna Center of Entrepreneurship, the Targowa Center of Creativity, Startup Hub Warsaw, and The City of Warsaw – Economic Development Department.
- Warsaw offers almost 600 km of bicycle routes and 20,000 hectares of green areas and parks, including Lazienki Krolewskie historical park and Saski Garden, the oldest in Warsaw.
PROJECT MANAGEMENT
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Inetum’s office in Warsaw
JCommerce’s office in the capital of Poland was set up in 2012. It is characterized by a unique atmosphere created by 40 of our employees who specialize in software development and Quality Assurance.
Most importantly, Warsaw is our center of IT services in:
- Business Intelligence (Qlik and Microsoft Power BI solutions),
- Enterprise Resource Planning (Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central),
- Microsoft Azure.
Our major clients in Warsaw are: Roche, Konica Minolta, Apator, Getin Bank, CORE and Bystronic.
Summary
Warsaw is the right choice for companies which appreciate the maturity of the market and are looking for a suitable location for their IT projects which ensures access to highly qualified specialists who speak foreign languages. During the pandemic, many companies started to search for cloud solutions and destinations to outsource Business Intelligence and ERP implementations. Over the years, Warsaw has proven to be the right destination for these IT services.
Sources:
Anna has over 18 years of experience in B2B sales, including 5 in the field of software development. Appreciates cooperation based on values and focuses on building long-term business relations based on mutual respect and trust. She likes challenges and is not afraid of working outside the comfort zone. The IT industry is demanding - it changes quickly and gives her the opportunity to develop constantly. Keen on broadening her knowledge, especially in the field of modern technologies and sales psychology. Privately, passionate about growing flowers, having a soft spot on white orchids, and black coffee.