Poland as an important partner for Swiss companies

– “Every year we experience a new adventure; it is a continuous transformation”, this is how Artur Jankowski, President of the Management Board of Nestlé Poland, described the thirty years of Nestlé’s presence in Poland.

– “The company’s strategy is based on respect for acquired traditional brands and following innovation. Currently, the company employs more than 5,500 people at seven sites, has 70 brands, and 1,600 products on offer”.

Together with the heads of other Swiss companies present in our market, he wondered at the Economic Forum in Karpacz how to maintain the pace of Swiss companies’ investments in Poland.

– “Poland has become a significant economic partner of Switzerland. In 2022, it was ranked 14th in global trade. We have a higher trade volume with Poland than with India, South Korea, or Turkey”, recalled Ivo Germann, head of foreign economic relations at the Swiss State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO). – “When it comes to the service sector, we see Poland as a very important hub, especially in the IT area” – he added. In 2021, Switzerland was Poland’s 4th most important trade partner in services, just behind Germany, the UK, and the US.

Two hundred Swiss companies

Many of them are innovative – primarily pharmaceutical companies with research centres, food companies, or those operating in the IT, automation, robotics, or energy sectors. The total investment by Swiss companies in Poland is approximately EUR 7.2 billion. – “They have so far created more than 90,000 jobs, while in the USA, it’s around 500,000. However, given the size differences between the two countries, Poland’s potential is enormous”, added Ivo Germann.

Ulrich Schwendimann, Managing Director of the Polish-Swiss Chamber of Commerce, during the discussion, “Quality, Jobs & Innovation. How to maintain the pace of Swiss companies’ investments in Poland?”, asked the panellists, heads of Swiss companies that operate in Poland, about their experiences of doing business in Poland. They discussed on how to use the potential of Swiss companies for the economic development of Poland. He was also interested in the opinions of entrepreneurs as to what conditions are needed for further investments to maintain the upward trend in R&D spending in Poland.

Stanislaw Tański, CEO of ABB Sp. z o.o., believes that there are three success factors in the technology industry that are needed in every market: matching the offer to market needs, the ability to develop new technologies through cooperation with universities, including the development of research and development centres, and the ability to attract talented employees.

– “We have been growing along with the Polish economy for three decades. Our product range has evolved from traditional to modern, automated equipment”, says the head of ABB, and highlights that 70% of the production is for export.

The situation is similar with drug production. Sandoz has the largest in the consortium factory in Stryków near Łódź. – “We employ 1,800 highly qualified employees”. CEO Laurent Renaudie estimates that 24.6 billion tablets will be produced this year at the Warsaw and Stryków plants. They will be intended for export to more than 100 countries and for patients in Poland. – “Next year, we will open two new production lines at the Stryków plant”, added the CEO of Sandoz Polska. – “Poland is a good place for investment. The company’s medicines helped around 13.6 million patients in Poland last year”.

Necessary digitalisation

Poland is important on Roche’s global investment map. The company has earmarked PLN 1.6 billion for innovation activities and clinical trials in our country in 2022. More than 25% of Roche’s global clinical trials in 2021 will take place in Poland.