– The Polish construction manufacture is prepared for highest and investment accumulation that is ahead of us.
– We have already proved this on the occasion of the erstwhile investment position in Poland or earlier during the Euro. We have something to brag about, many people from Europe are impressed by how efficiently we have utilized EU funds, how we have been able to make large, complicated investments. From our experience we just request to draw conclusions and not repeat mistakes – emphasizes in an interview with Newseria Rafał Kański, General manager of Aldesa Polska.
The effect of activating KPO and transferring any of the funds from the climate and energy component to the alleged safety and Defence Fund
In the coming months, large public investment in road, rail, energy and defence can take place. This is the effect of activating KPO and transferring any of the funds from the climate and energy component to the alleged safety and Defence Fund. For the industry, the challenge will be not only access to materials and their efficient delivery, but besides human resources issues that are already causing problems in the implementation of tasks.
In the years 2025 and 2026 Poland can launch exceptionally large public investment in road, rail, energy and defence. Many of them are financed from the National Reconstruction Plan.
By 25 June, Poland has already invested nearly PLN 121.5 billion from KPO
According to the Ministry of Funds and Regional Policy, by 25 June, Poland has already invested nearly PLN 121.5 billion from KPO. Since the beginning of 2024, the largest payments (from the grant part) have been received, among others, passenger rolling stock (payments for nearly PLN 1.4 billion), railway lines (nearly PLN 1.2 billion) and investments related to transport safety (more than 724 million). In September Poland will receive PLN 26.3 billion from the 4th and 5th applications for payment from KPO. In addition, about PLN 26–30 billion will be transferred from the climate and energy component of the KPO to the safety and Defence Fund (FBIO) and will hit strategical infrastructure or the construction of shelters.
According to the expert, this is an chance for the construction sector, but provided that the investment is decently prepared.
We have topics related to inflation, valorisation and hedge of financial risks
– We live in a very large geopolitical instability. We have an example of how much influence the condition of the construction manufacture and implementation of projects had COVID-19, later the war in Ukraine, inflation leaps. We should be prepared for all this. We cannot be amazed by the kind of situations that can happen. utilizing what we have been through, it is simply a truly large material to safe solutions that will reduce the risks that remainder mainly on the contractor's shoulders today," explains Rafał Kański. – So we have topics related to inflation, valorization and securing any financial risks that may happen during the implementation of infrastructure investments.
The COVID-19 pandemic affected supply chains – primarily delays in the supply of steel, wood, prefabricated products, and contributed to the increase in natural materials prices. The war in Ukraine led to a steep increase in construction materials prices, including cement, steel, asphalt, insulation. Steel prices have increased by up to 100–200 percent in a fewer months. At the inflation summit between 2022 and 2023, construction materials increased by a further fewer twelve percent. At advanced levels of investment, access to natural materials will be crucial.
Personnel shortages
– The implementation of large investment projects at 1 time in a cumulative way surely generates various risks. It is surely the availability of materials. Even if production capacity is sufficient, it is besides a substance of logistics and transport, everyone will want these materials at the same time. This is something to think about – convinces Rafał Kański.
Recent events have besides highlighted staff shortages. To a large extent, it is the consequence of the outflow of Ukrainian workers – before the war their participation in construction was about 30%.
Technical studies, including construction, all year choose less and less advanced school graduates
– The availability of qualified staff, but besides physical workers, is simply a major problem in Poland today. present we do not have access to workers from Ukraine, and the availability of human resources is limited – says Rafał Kański.
The Polish Chamber of Building Engineers states (referring to the National Chamber of Commerce Construction Committee data) that method studies, including construction, elect less and less advanced school graduates each year – interest in studying a group of courses: technology, manufacture and construction have fallen by 34 percent over the last 5 years. In the academic year 2017/2018, these courses studied 20.1% of all students, and in 2021/2022 – 14 percent.
