Another edition of the Property Forum Katowice conference took place in the angelo hotel last Monday, on 2nd of December. The event gathered business representatives of office, retail, hotel and warehouse markets as well as of the local government.
Potential of the Upper Silesian properties was the main topic of the inaugural session. Strong capacity of workforce is the main development asset of the region according to panelists. In connection with the best Polish transportation network, it creates favorable terms for the extension of local outsourcing sector. The availability of large number of skilled workforce was decisive for IBM, Unilever and ING Services Poland to expand its business in Katowice lately.
„The outsourcing sector grows 20% year on year in Poland in terms of workforce volume. The Katowice score is even better. At the end of 2012, there were almost 9 thousand people hired in outsourcing companies in the Katowice agglomeration. Now the number amounts to 12 thousand. The increase is 30%, ten percent above the country average level” – commented Marcin Nowak, managing director, Operation Center, Capgemini Poland. „Additionally, we have to mention that the region is the only one in Poland where three most workforce-intensive sectors – coal mining, automotive and outsourcing – are present”.
The expansion of the outsourcing sector also affects the local office market. Tomasz Czuba, director of office leasing department at Jones Lang LaSalle pointed out that 16 000 sq. meters of office space will be delivered this year in the City. „It is expected to deliver another 50 000 sq. meters next year. Another 80 000 sq. meters is planned in the years to come”. During the first three quarters of 2013, 49 500 sq. meters were leased in Katowice of which 62% were pre-let. When compared to 2012, the volume of pre-let office spaces increased by 200%.
The office market in Katowice is being developed correctly according to the analysts. Piotr Uszok, Katowice mayor, claimed that the City would not thwart plans of developers. „The City owns many plots designed for office of mixed-use purposes, for example the 2ha municipal transport company’s base on Mickiewicza St. However, we are not going to sell the plots for any new office schemes until the previously planned projects are commenced, e.g. GTC buildings on Mikołowska St. or Silesia Towers. We do not want to compete against these developers” – the mayor explained.
The Property Forum was initiated and prepared by PTWP Group. The same company organizes the European Economic Congress in Katowice.