Investments worth over PLN 1 billion and even 1 500 workplaces – these are the plans of the Katowice Special Economic Zone (KSEZ) for this year. First investors have already been given permissions to conduct business operations within the zone.
In January and February this year, the zone issued two business licenses. Administration proceedings concerning three other companies will be decided in the turn of February and March. These five new investment undertakings, including two to be conducted by Polish enterprises, will enable to create 70 new workplaces, 240 places of work will be kept. The projects are worth over PLN 140 million. The zone is currently conducting negotiations with another six investors.
„The new projects are the natural elements of our assumptions to be realized in 2016, the 20th anniversary year of the KSEZ activity. We plan to issue 25 business permissions for investments worth over PLN 1 billion. It has to be mentioned that small and medium-sized enterprises were highly interested in the zone last year and the trend is continued this year. In 2015, almost 60 percent of new projects were conducted by the SME companies and this year will be along the same numbers” – said Piotr Wojaczek, president of the Katowice Special Economic Zone.
In 2016, the permissions have been already given to Sest Luve and Agrotex. The companies declared investments worth over PLN 33 million in total. Sest Luve is an Italian company operating in the mechanical industry and will operate within the Gliwice sub-zone. Agrotex is a Polish firm specializing in plastics and will expand in the Żory sub-zone.
The three new permissions, to be decided in the turn of February and March, will be issued for companies operating in the automotive and construction industries. The investors are from Poland, Great Britain and Germany.
The remaining six licenses are applied for companies representing mechanical, metal, automotive, chemical and plastics branches. The investments will total PLN 130 million, approximately 200 workplaces will be created.
In 2015, the KSEZ attracted investments of which the aggregate value was PLN 1,07 billion. 968 places of work were declared. Among the largest undertakings were project of: NGK Ceramics (PLN 317 million and 70 new workplaces), Mubea Automotive (PLN 200 million, 350 new workplaces) and Schoeller Allibert (PLN 87 million and 17 workplaces).