Life science as the key to Poland’s economic development

With a booming innovation ecosystem, an attractive investment climate, and a highly skilled talent pool, Poland is becoming a major player in fields such as biotechnology, pharmaceuticals, regenerative medicine, and personalized healthcare. An up-to-date picture of the entire sector can be found in the report "The life science sector in Poland" created by the Polish Investment and Trade Agency together with the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland, the Association of Employers of Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies INFARMA, the Polish Association of Innovative Medical Biotechnology Companies BioInMed, the Association of Biotechnology Companies BioForum and the global recruitment company Hays.

Our country is systematically strengthening its position on the international arena and attracting more and more investors. Poland offers a favorable environment for investment, especially in fast-growing areas such as the life science industry. The aim of our report is to present the current strengths of the sector to a wide audience and to indicate the future directions of its development - emphasizes Paweł Pudłowski, Deputy Chairman of the Management Board of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.

The Polish life science sector is becoming more and more competitive and innovative. The industry is shaped by talented graduates on the one hand, and domestic and foreign companies on the other, which have created a vibrant ecosystem of cooperation between companies, non-profit organizations and public institutions.

Investments of innovative pharmaceutical companies in Poland confirm the potential of our country to develop the life science industry. An attractive element is not only access to staff with high competences in many fields, but also other criteria important for business, such as Poland’s location and its connection with other international centres. As a result, our industry's commitment, which is mainly in the area of research and development, including clinical trials, also includes investments in shared service centres for global operations in areas such as HR, IT, finance and global procurement. Most importantly, these are mutual benefits, companies, in addition to making a significant contribution to Poland’s GDP, also create a unique opportunity for the development of staff, services and, above all, the scientific potential and development of the health care system - emphasizes Michał Byliniak, General Director of the Association of Employers of Innovative Pharmaceutical Companies INFARMA.

Due to the favorable business climate, an increasing number of international companies have recently decided to move some research projects and business processes to Poland. For investors, the availability of qualified talent was the key factor they considered when choosing a location. As the most important advantages of Polish employees, which they pointed to, was their knowledge of foreign languages and knowledge of medical sciences and modern technologies. Many investors also mentioned Poland’s convenient location.

For Investors Poland is an attractive source of candidates with a medical education and experience . This applies to both foreign companies sponsoring clinical trials and entities involved in other medical processes. Although our market is no longer perceived as a source of cheap labour, it is still recognisable due to its relatively wide access to highly qualified specialists - comments Mariusz Popin, Executive Manager at Hays Poland.

However, the Polish macroeconomic landscape and the availability of a qualified workforce are not all that was included in the report. The joint publication by PAIH, AmCham, INFARMY, BioInMed, BioForum and Hays also includes, among other things, information on investment incentives and examples of cooperation between business and academia.

The report was premiered during the BIO International Convention - one of the world's largest and most important events in the biotechnology industry. This year's edition of the fair was attended by nearly 20,000 industry leaders from around the world, including numerous biotechnology companies, academic institutions, biotechnology centres and related organizations. The report is available for downloading from PAIH’s website.

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About the Polish Investment and Trade Agency

The Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) is an advisory institution that is part of the Polish Development Fund (PFR) Group. It is the first point of contact for exporters and investors. It operates both in Poland and through a network of its offices around the world. It strengthens the recognition of Polish brands on international markets, promotes domestic products and services as well as technological solutions made in Poland. The agency helps entrepreneurs choose their optimal path of expansion abroad. It also supports the inflow of foreign direct investment to Poland and the implementation of Polish investments in the country. PAIH cooperates with the public sector and regional partners, offering, among others: training, audit and promotion of investment properties, cooperation in the organization of business missions and communication support in the implementation of joint projects.