A conference “Silesia Metropolis – Investments and Energy” was held yesterday in the angelo Hotel. The meeting was organized by the City of Katowice, the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland and the Metropolitan Association of Upper Silesia.
A main purpose of the conference was to present to the audience an increasing role of Katowice and the region as a good place for doing business in this part of Europe. Piotr Uszok – Mayor of Katowice, Krzysztof Wilgus – Vice President of the Council of Regional Chamber of Commerce and Andrzej Pasek – Vice President of the Katowice Special Economic Zone, presented possibilities of investing in the region and main assets of the Upper Silesian Agglomeration.
Jolanta Jaworska, Governmental Programs Executive CEE of IBM, reviewed the Executive Service Corps initiative in Katowice and talked over recommendations for the City prepared by the company during two 3-weeks visits in May and July this year. “We see a positive feedback from the City Hall of Katowice and our Polish and foreign employees are still involved in the initiative to help the City” – Jolanta Jaworska said during her speech.
Paul Fogo, AmCham Board Member at American Chamber of Commerce, showed American investments in Poland and the region in a short brief.
The investment panel was also attended by participants of Colorado delegation which were introduced by Windham Loopesko, W.E. Loopesko & Associates, the organizer of the Colorado – Silesia trade mission.
- Among the American participants were:
– Bartlett Ellis LLC
– Karl Dakin (Sanz Corporation, Varitek Ore Processing)
– Tomasz Skotnicki (Honorary Polish Consul)
– Sunlight Sciences
– University of Colorado at Colorado Springs
The delegation spent a week in the region to talk with locals institutions and businesspersons about investment matters and a knowledge transfer.
The only developer among panelists – Skanska Property Poland represented by its Leasing Negotiator, Łukasz Kwieciński – introduced the planned office scheme in Katowice. Silesia Business Park will be the first green office project in the region, the whole complex of four buildings will be developed in accordance with LEED standards. Skanska depends on its own finances and do not need external financing, anyway the company requires to secure pre-lease agreements for the Katowice’s project to start construction works. “We are looking for tenants at present and we would like to sign pre-lease contracts by the end of the year. Then the construction works of the first building would launch. If everything goes according to schedule, it would be delivered in the turn of Q2 and Q3 2012” – Łukasz Kwieciński said during his presentation.
The yesterday’s event was the second conference this year concerning the investment potential of Katowice and the Agglomeration. The previous meeting was held in May.