On Monday, PwC presented a detailed report on the growth potential of the Katowice metropolis. Conclusions are mildly positive. Authors also pointed out that it is hard to make an unequivocal statement concerning some of the development factors. Investment attractiveness of Katowice gathered the best score.
In the overall ranking of the „Report on Polish metropolises 2015”, Katowice was ranked fourth after Warsaw, Wrocław and Kraków. The combined value of the 7 capitals of Katowice is 109 (the average for the 12 cities: 100). Warsaw, Wrocław and Kraków reached the levels of 136, 114 and 112 respectively.
As usual, PwC uses the concept of 7 capitals, each of which is important for the city’s development: human and social (in this category the city obtained the value of 101), culture and image (125), quality of life (100), technical and infrastructure (100), institutional and democratic (107), investment attractiveness (126), sources of finance (102).
The four out of the seven factors were improved since the last version of the report in 2011. These are investments, image, public institutions and quality of life. Human capital, infrastructure and finance were noted at the lower level in comparison to the previous publication’s data five years ago.
„Katowice is one the most unusual cities out of all the 12 Polish metropolis. On the one hand, a very strong economy, on the other hand – a very low growth index of gross domestic product below the national average. The local job market offers high salaries, but people are still leaving the city. Also, unemployment rate is low, however the proportion of people that have completed higher education is significantly lower than in other Polish agglomerations. Investment undertakings were spectacular in recent years, but the city was not so active to use European Union funds per capita when compared to others” – commented professor Wojciech Orłowski, chief economic adviser at PwC.
The company’s analysts pointed out that to strengthen the position, the city has to improve its image, focus on the better use of the EU financing and prevent losing well educated inhabitants. PwC mentions that Katowice offers excellent possibilities to invest and has highly improved its cultural offer. The city is very well located, transport infrastructure is highly developed and the city budget is in a good condition.