About the region

Wielkopolska, a Region in the Heart of Europe

Wielkopolska combines in itself many elements of contemporary life. It is a place for both business and for charming weekends or longer holidays. Wielkopolska is lakes, forests, monuments and culture with a capital C. Moreover, there is also magical Poznań, with its colleges and universities attracting thousands of young people from all over Poland every year.

The Wielkopolska region is one of the biggest in the country. It has an area of around 30,000 km² and its inhabitants number up to 3,500,000. Poznań, the capital city of Wielkopolska, is the biggest city, with Kalisz, Konin, Piła, Ostrów Wielkopolski, Gniezno, Leszno coming next.

Economic potential of the region

Wielkopolska is one of the leading regions with the highest investment attractiveness in Poland. The strengths of the region in this context include the size and quality of labor market resources, market capacity, transport accessibility, developed economic infrastructure and the general level of economic development. Wielkopolska is a major producer of furniture, clothing and food. The vast majority of economic entities operating in the Wielkopolska Region function within the private SME sector. Entities with foreign capital play a significant role in the process of building and strengthening economic potential.

The directions of economic development are directly related to the areas of activity defined in the smart specializations of the region:

• "Bio-raw materials and food for conscious consumers",
• "Interiors of the Future"
• "Tomorrow's Industry"
• "Specialized logistic processes" ,
• "ICT-based development" and,
• "Modern Medical Technologies".

The Wielkopolska Region, despite a relatively extensive base of enterprises, high labor productivity, significant export activity, a strong position of universities and research and development centers, is not one of the regions with the highest pro-innovation indicators.

Wielkopolska is a geographically diversified region in terms of economy. Poznan agglomeration has traditionally remained a definite pole of growth. It dominates in particular in the following fields: production, services and the number of business environment institutions. The remaining parts of the region are characterized by a much lower rate of economic development, which is reflected in lower values of individual macroeconomic indicators at the subregional level (NUTS 3), including gross domestic product per capita and gross value added per 1 employee (the so-called labor productivity indicator), as well as well as the general economic activity of the inhabitants. This diversity is also evidenced by the uneven level of registered unemployment (the highest in the Konin subregion, the lowest in the Poznan agglomeration).

The local government of the Wielkopolska Region pursues a policy of supporting the sustainable development of the region's economy, Wielkopolska enterprises, in particular the SME sector.

The local government is also involved in initiatives for the economic transformation of the region towards a low and zero-emission economy, with particular emphasis on hydrogen as an energy carrier. This applies to activities aimed at implementing the assumptions of the European Green Deal and the EU's climate goals. 

We Choose Education and Tourism

The opening to the West is also reflected in the field of education. More and more schools and universities offering modern specialisations are being established, attracting students from other countries. The best well-known centre of education is Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań. The teaching staff there consist of the best specialists in their respective fields, the graduates achieve many successes in their professional life and not infrequently hold important social offices. The prestige and respect the University enjoys now cannot be overrated.
Apart from the dynamic development of infrastructure, Wielkopolska can also pride itself on its picturesque landscapes and numerous tourist attractions. The Warta River flows through the greater part of the region and there are over a thousand lakes in central and northern Wielkopolska. There are forests around them where tourists can walk or cycle along many bicycle paths and enjoy the abundance of berries and mushrooms. To the south of Poznań there is the Wielkopolska National Park, which was established on account of the original post-glacial landscape.

Wielkopolska will surprise you!