Elbląg IT POTENTIAL OF P

Elbląg IT POTENTIAL OF POLISH CITIES – ELBLĄG Elbląg is a dynamically developing city, which is especially attractive for modern IT companies. It is the second largest city in Warmian–Masurian Voivodeship and for many years it has been associated with specialized heavy industry. The Warmia–Mazury Special Economic Zone, numerous schools educating graduates in the field of modern services and institutions supporting the development of innovation, are all to be found within the borders of Elbląg. Apart from Elbląg’s favorable geographical location (it is located at the intersection of routes of various types of transport near Tricity, Olsztyn and Kaliningrad), its business is growing. Aside from the capital of the companies located here, Elbląg is becoming a satelite of Tricity in terms of attracting business and already conducts its activity in Pomeranian Voivodeship. It should be emphasized that the modernised S7 route which shortened the time of transport between the cities and the human capital of Elbląg, thanks to properly chosen type of education and which is really valuable for potential investors, influenced the aforementioned fact. In Elbląg there are two universities and the fields of study offered by them are striclty connected with the needs of the growing business.There are also a few schools offering foreign language studies i.e. philology or language courses at advanced levels. It is mainly English, German, Spanish, French and Russian. The biggest school in Elbląg – State Higher School of Vocational Education offers the following specializations: network administration, computer graphic, designing databases and utility software. At present the school of this profile is educating approximately 400 students. The Warmia-Mazury Special Economic Zone mentioned above is also located in Elbląg, with its attractive investments areas and Elbląg Technology Park based there, as the centre of innovation, which are to elevate the competitiveness of Elbląg’s economy. It is the place where ambitious technological projects are realised and top class experts from Poland are invited, but first of all own 56 Best2Invest | marzec - kwiecień 2016

Elbląg staff consisting of young, clever citizens of Elbląg and the region is created. Elbląg Technology Park helps develop its activity and turs its ideas into a successful business. The companies in the field of IT, network and electronic security systems, which came into being and working in the area of the Park may serve as examples. They offer IT services focused on designing dedicated software which with the application of an appropriate software can take any object, space or product to a virtual world. A reconstruction of the prewar Old Town of Elbląg in the virtual way may be an example here. The companies fulfill orders of domestic and foreign potentates of the real estate market and design offices. • promoting knowledge in the field of IT and similar environments via widely available channels. Elbląg makes a good atmosphere for investment accomplishments thanks to a system of tax exemptions. The effectual resolution concerning exemption from property and land tax refers to the tax concerning property and land connected with business activity, which constitute new investments or reinvestments as a result of which the entrepreneurs will make new work places. The openess of the city authorities toward new investors of the modern IT services for business is an important factor for its dynamic growth. Town Hall was an initiator in the process of constituting the ICT Cluster in 2007. A lot of Elbląg IT companies responded to this initiative. The aim of the Cluster is popularization, development of initiatives and synergistic action based on modern technologies oriented toward the following: • integration of the environment of entrepreneurs representing the telecommunications, telephone, IT industries and all companies interested in cooperation; • supporting the development of entrepreneurship and economic initiatives as well as expanding the knowledge of the society in the field of ICT; • popularization and creating the status of the ICT environment in the society; • coordination with international and domestic organizations in order to obtain a free and fast flow of information; In the city there are at least several dozen of companies offering various IT services. These are the companies which curry out the activity connected with software and consultancy in the field of IT, ICT and service activities in the area of information. Among the biggest of them there is OPEGIEKA sp. z o.o. – a leading geoinformatics company in Poland with an official status of the Research and Development Centre awarded by the Minister of Economy. The level of unemployment in Elbląg is at quite a high level, which is a confirmation for a high potential to be used. In 2015 in was 12,9% (for comparison 15,1% in 2014). Elbląg has a lot exceptionally positive features for the development and running a business. A high level of professional staff education and a potential to make innovative solutions in accordance with the latest trends encourage to invest and plan one’s professional career in Elbląg, whose potential is still not fully used. █ More informations: Municipal Office in Elbląg, Entrepreneurship Support Office tel: +48 55 239 32 91 fax: +48 55 239 33 46 bwp@umelblag.pl www.inwestycje. elblag.pl www.elblag.eu Best2Invest | March - April 2016 57