We see a fresh global order unfolding. We will be viewers of intrigues, political and economical games, attempts to grow the spheres of influence or to take control (in a friendly or forced manner) over the most crucial resources of the economies of any countries by 4 major players – the United States, China, Russia and India. In the European context, the word “visitor” appears to be important. Since the existing pillars of the European Union have been built on the foundations of a different concept of the planet order, the European community does not have a ready-to-use consequence to the multipolar power strategy present – it is simply a spectator, not an active political player. Although the European Commission announced the Compass of Competitiveness in early 20251, which aims to facilitate business activity in Europe, there is inactive a deficiency of a courageous decision by EU stakeholders to abandon conventional practices. National policy is besides a origin for concern. Prime Minister Donald Tusk presented the economical plan for 2025, covering investments of nearly PLN 700 billion. On government pages, however, it is in vain to look for a paper that would deepen the multiannual assumptions associated with an yearly plan of specified a advanced amount. There is besides a deficiency of a paper that would identify relations between national and regional levels in the context of the proposed direction of economical policy.
A fresh direction for economical improvement in Europe
The European Union task has developed for over 70 years on the pillars of multilateralism, free trade, democracy, the regulation of law and respect for diversity. associate States, under the military protection of the United States and drawing from the fruit of American technological progress, while having access to inexpensive Russian gas and inexpensive labour in China, have achieved a advanced level of prosperity. The first features in this task emerged during the global financial crisis in 2008-2009; then in 2010-2012, erstwhile further countries and banks fought the deteriorating financial situation, which many considered the beginning of the Eurozone project. During this period, the arabian Spring of Peoples took place, which resulted in the influx of refugees into Europe and initiated a discussion by associate States on the conditions for their admission. The widespread focus on events in Ukraine (including Russia's takeover of Crimea) made it impossible for anyone to take China seriously erstwhile they announced their "Made in China 2025" plan in 2015. In turn, the Paris Agreement of 2015 provided the EU with the right legal framework to take on the global leadership in sustainable development. The global governance then in force allowed to specify a imagination of improvement based on the script of achieving climate neutrality by 2050.
Today, the European Union is not ready to respond to a multi-polar agreement of forces – it is simply a spectator, not an active political player. Although the European Commission announced in early 2025 a Compass of Competitiveness, which aims to facilitate business activity in Europe, there is inactive a deficiency of a courageous decision by EU stakeholders to abandon conventional schemes.
No 1 expected a COVID-19 pandemic, a United States disaster in Afghanistan, followed by Russia's invasion of Ukraine and China's strong impact on Europe's pride, that is, the automotive sector. Subsequent wars in arabian and African countries, as well as Russia's unpunished attacks on civilian infrastructure in Syria and Ukraine have highlighted the inability of the United Nations as an institution to warrant planet peace and security. The surprise of European leaders was caused by the words of the president of the United States, who presented his plans for Panama, Canada, Greenland and Ukraine in early 2025. Their implementation would mean the end of the United Nations' thought of developing friendly relations between nations, principles of self-determination and sovereign equality. It would besides open a can of Pandora, creating a precedent for China, Russia and another countries that have an appetite for taking over another territories. At the turn of the 2024-2025 it was besides clear that China wanted to meet the "Made in China 2025" targets at all costs. For many years, the country has subsidized improvement projects in key sectors, forced abroad investors to share technology and created preferential conditions for their entities in large public procurement. As a result, Chinese companies not only displace European companies from the position of leaders, but besides invest in Europe and open up bids to take over companies in financial difficulties.
The current European economical model has stopped working. In consequence to this situation, the European Commission presented in early 2025 a fresh economical imagination for Europe as a place for the development, production and commercialisation of future technologies, services and green products and as the first continent to become climate neutral. In the Compasse of competitiveness, the EC underlines the request to deregulation, support for start-ups and scale-ups and to introduce separate rules for the steel, metallic and chemical industries in relation to the decarbonisation process. However, there is no indication that the European Union will quit its direction on the simplification targets and increase resource self-sufficiency. In this context, it is worth remembering that the EU accounts for 6-7% of global greenhouse gas emissions (cf. China: 32%, USA: 13%, India: 8.6%). In the Commission's view, it is precisely the dialog with manufacture and the implementation of the applicable support and regulation instruments that will guarantee Europe's position of global leadership in areas specified as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced materials, biotechnology, robotics, space technologies, quantum technologies, clean energy technologies or autonomous and combined vehicles. Thanks to the fresh regulation on public procurement and public-private partnerships, the road to major infrastructure projects, including the XG network, energy networks, vehicle charging infrastructure or transmission networks and carbon retention systems, is expected to be simpler. On the another hand, the fresh regulation on circular economy is intended to contribute to the creation of investments in materials recovery installations and to the re-use of alleged recyclates. The fresh guidelines relating to eco-design for circumstantial product groups are intended to establish circumstantial shares of specified recyclates in the product. Agricultural policy will besides be redefined so that the food processing industry, with the active participation of farmers, ensures food safety for Europe for decades to come.
For the next 5 years Poland will inactive be a multi-billion-dollar support measure. We can't just consume them or invest them in a distributed way. There is an urgent request to talk about how they will be used, which will let to accomplish the effect of scale and synergies erstwhile building an economical model full of modern technologies, in which respect for the human and the environment and preserve the identity of Polish voivodships.
In the light of the above conditions, optimism towards the investment plan announced by Prime Minister Donald Tusk in February this year for 2025 seems premature. It's kind of like the joy of winning a social game just before the Mundial. No 1 questions the request to invest in science, energy transformation, the improvement of fresh technologies, the expansion of ports and the modernisation of railways or the dynamisation of the capital market. We all feel China's breath on our necks and the effects of impulsive demands from the US. However, the sensible plan for this year does not relieve us of the request to make a further investment strategy – a comprehensive description of where we want to go as Poland.
Since announced by the erstwhile ruling squad Strategy for liable improvement 2020 (with a 2030 perspective) – At first, looking logical but besides ambitious and without systemic support from “up” to “down” – it did not work, it would be useful to first seriously consider the fresh model of the country's development. It is worth remembering that even a bad strategy is better than a deficiency of it. Yes – investments from American technology corporations can be greeted with open arms, due to the fact that they are linked to the presence of the American army in Poland. This arrangement gives both technologies, and work, and security. Nevertheless, this is only 1 of many models that requires comprehensive evaluation and appropriate shape. It is besides worth paying attention to the relation between the lines: energy sector – automotive sector – material sector; agricultural sector – food sector – chemical sector – material sector; public sector (local government units) – technological sector – medical sector. The last 30 years in Europe have shown that technological improvement without knowing and acceptance by the public does not translate into economical growth, leaving the destiny of start-ups, scale-ups and companies with multi-billion-dollar investigation programmes in place.
New technologies will set up fresh paradigms, requiring leaders to deviate from the rough practices. For the next 5 years Poland will inactive be a multi-billion-dollar support measure. We can't just consume them or invest them in a distributed way. There is an urgent request to talk about how they will be used, which will let to accomplish the effect of scale and synergies erstwhile building an economical model full of modern technologies, in which respect for the human and the environment and preserve the identity of Polish voivodships.
Location of voivodships in Polish economical policy
Almost 30 years ago, the decision to divide Poland into 16 voivodships was made. It awakened opposition primarily from the capitals of the then regions, which abruptly lost their position to date. The desired level of self-government of voivodships has been discussed during many debates; a number of articles have been written on this subject. However, over the last 3 decades, relations between government and regional governments in the field of economical policy have never been clearly defined. Regional Government Act2 provides that local governments may include in their improvement strategies (Article 11.1), among others, objectives concerning stimulating economical activity and expanding the level of competitiveness and innovation of the voivodship's economy. Regional innovation strategies besides identify smart regional specialisations3. The improvement of this kind of strategy utilized entrepreneurial discovery processes, i.e. the bottom-up engagement of businesses and another business environment organisations to analyse trends and specify the conditions for conducting business and implementing fresh technologies. In the sphere of public interest, voivodships may make limited liability companies, joint-stock companies or cooperatives, join specified companies or cooperatives (Article 13.1), and make a regional improvement fund in the form of a limited liability company or joint-stock company. Regional improvement funds have emerged to handle the funds from the repayable instruments of the aid schemes implemented in erstwhile years4. Outside the sphere of public interest, the voivodship may make limited liability companies and public limited companies and join them if the activities of the companies are to carry out promotional, educational, publishing and telecommunications activities for the improvement of the voivodship.
The desired level of self-government of voivodships has been discussed during many debates; a number of articles have been written on this subject. However, over the last 3 decades, relations between government and regional governments in the field of economical policy have never been clearly defined.
The deficiency of laws on regional improvement agencies, chambers of commerce or business environment institutions, as well as the long-term deficiency of links between provincial and region labour offices caused a number of inconsistencies between strategical and programming planning and regular activities of entities supporting widely understood economical improvement in voivodships. Development Institutions strategy Act5 in 2019, it only arranged relations between different institutions at national level. The study of the Chief Audit Office of 2024 summarized this situation briefly: "The business environment institutions strategy was not effective"6.
In the current systemic chaos, the Ministry of improvement and Technology has come up with a fresh model for accreditation of innovation centres, on the basis of which a competition for business environment institutions was organised. Consequently, 5 entities were selected.7. Against the background of 279 entities in the database of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centres of the Association of Organizers of Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centres in Poland, this consequence leads to a deep reflection on the state of the national business environment. Individual voivodships besides introduced their own accreditation strategy of business environment institutions and selected entities to supply a advanced level of support services to companies. However, it is worth considering what support services are expected from micro-, tiny and medium-sized enterprises. Would micro and tiny companies want to benefit from specified services and under what conditions? Can business environment institutions inactive be partners for medium-sized companies, offering them services at the right level? The legal framework deficit for business environment institutions has caused many of them to be incapable to full make their potential. In the Polish corporate structure tiny and medium-sized companies are slow disappearing. This is the last bell to hold a good debate about the Polish business environment institutions strategy in order to make a strategy that will last another 20 years.
A separate group of business environment institutions are companies of peculiar economical zones established on the basis of Special economical Zones Act8. For more than 24 years, they managed certain industrial areas and technological parks in Poland, where economical operators operate on the basis of a licence to operate in the area entitled to public aid. These companies besides supported pro-development and educational initiatives and acted as liaisons between national and regional levels in economical matters. The systematic increase in the number of subsequent investments undertaken by entities operating in peculiar economical zones is simply a sign of trust that abroad companies have in Poland.
The legal framework deficit for business environment institutions has caused many of them to be incapable to full make their potential. In the Polish corporate structure tiny and medium-sized companies are slow disappearing. This is the last bell to hold a good debate about the Polish business environment institutions strategy in order to make a strategy that will last another 20 years.
According to Act to support fresh investments9 All of Poland has become an investment zone. peculiar economical Zones companies proceed to operate in circumstantial areas. However, it is crucial to mention in Article 7 of that Act: ‘It is up to the area manager to carry out activities aimed at the creation and improvement of fresh investments in areas assigned to the area manager’. The Act so requires companies to play a more active function in the processes of economical improvement in voivodships. This approach is rather different from 20 years ago, erstwhile most of the investments came from global companies. In 2024, over 72% of the 551 support decisions (declared investment value of PLN 15.5 billion, including PLN 3.57 billion by SMEs) were allocated to tiny and medium-sized enterprises10.
Since 2004, voivodships have played an crucial function in the plan and implementation of operational programmes under European Cohesion Policy. They have a crucial pool of resources for investment projects in industrial areas, business incubators, technology parks, the refurbishment of sites and the completion of appropriate method infrastructure or the rehabilitation of post-industrial areas. In the absence of a legal framework for business environment institutions, projects appeared where the environment was ready to engage in organisational capacity building to prepare and implement the project, regardless of economical conditions. As regards the improvement of consultancy and training support services, at the beginning (2004-2006; 2007-2013) business environment institutions received backing to then be able to aid businesses. However, while noting various shortcomings in this approach, it was decided in the next period (2014-2020) that it would be companies that would receive funds to acquisition certain support services from business environment institutions. During the current financial period (the years 2021-2027), further voivodships developed a strategy of vouchers or vouchers for which companies can buy services. In case of support for investments in enterprises, voivodships organized many competitions to fund modernisation, innovative and R & D projects. The introduction of a thematic concentration around regional smart specialisations, with the allocation of funds for investment projects between 2014-2020 and then between 2021 and 1927, aimed at expanding the impact of the funds invested on the regional economy.
New way of economical improvement in Polish voivodships – more questions than answers
Poland should prepare its own responses to fresh social, economic, technological and geopolitical challenges and take steps to increase the competitiveness of home companies internationally. The situation requires decision makers to plan and keep logistics and energy infrastructure and to guarantee availability of strategical natural materials, materials and products. We request to think in 2 ways, ensuring that both economical and military are agile. In the light of European government on emissions and materials and certain products, projects that exceed the capabilities of individual voivodships, specified as modern materials recovery installations or energy installations, will be needed. They will require full commitment if they are to succeed.
Poland should prepare its own responses to fresh social, economic, technological and geopolitical challenges and take steps to increase the competitiveness of home companies internationally. The situation requires decision makers to plan and keep logistics and energy infrastructure and to guarantee availability of strategical natural materials, materials and products.
A number of hard questions must be raised here. How to plan industrial areas and logistics zones? Which road and rail networks should we upgrade and make first? Which logistics chains will proceed to guarantee that semi-finished products and products produced in Poland will scope the remainder of Europe and the planet in time? How, with school and academic staff deficits in any provinces, can students and students be given equal improvement opportunities? How crucial will it be for SMEs to be close to educational and training centres? What can companies anticipate from investigation institutes or universities that conflict with rigid models of action? Which average and large enterprises will open up to demonstrating fresh technological solutions for start-ups and scale-ups and then specify with their aid a further improvement path? And yet – who and how will guarantee that society does not stay indifferent to innovation, will be ready to test it, possibly lose it, but besides gain it? How much of the causative power in answering these questions lies with the government and how much on the voivodship side?
In the period of redefining global geopolitical, economical and technological governance, it is essential to consider how rational it would be to form economical policy on the basis of a decentralised, distributed support strategy in which each voivodship would proceed to implement its model of development. In a time of demographic change, climate change, energy transformation and the crisis of the business model of major European companies, would it be liable to disperse resources in 16 voivodships? Or should we return to a centralised support strategy with partnerships/contracts between central and regional levels? In specified a model, should voivodships be accounted for obtaining certain economical indicators or should they be allowed to make their own control mechanisms and only study on the level of accomplishment of the indicators set out in partnership agreements or contracts with the government? Or should we accept the present state of disorder and keep it? However, it is based on a number of private or public-private initiatives, so the public sector budget is comparatively low.
Which average and large enterprises will open up to demonstrating fresh technological solutions for start-ups and scale-ups and then specify with their aid a further improvement path? Who, and how will guarantee that society does not stay indifferent to innovation, will be ready to test, possibly lose, but besides gain? How much of the causative power in answering these questions lies with the government and how much on the voivodship side?
How to base the economical improvement of Poland – large projects of pseudo-civilization, which were outlined, for example, within the framework of the strategy for liable Development, or regional resources, strong hubs, i.e. exceptional clusters of innovative enterprises? How can improvement processes in regional smart specialisations be realised?
Shared responsibility, common solidarity
In the current situation, we request not idle unrest typical of platform X, but a new, structural dialog on economical improvement policy conducted between the government and voivodships. Operational programmes and European measures define, above all, the limits of responsibility, but a broader position and a multi-faceted approach are needed. At both national and regional levels, organisational units should get the fresh skills and cognition needed to analyse the situation and measure the impact of events on the economy and to plan, implement, monitor and correct economical improvement support instruments. Concepts specified as responsiveness, flexibility in matching, effectiveness in decision making and making changes and food, material and energy resilience are important. Contracts between government and voivodships, supporting regional economical improvement in the coming years, should take these aspects into account. It is crucial to guarantee the conditions for economical development, including: education strategy and continuous improvement of competences; investigation and innovation support infrastructures; "green", safe transport and logistics; "green", predictable and competitively priced energy; digital infrastructure, technologies and security; return and investment instruments; regional, strategical improvement initiatives. For the voivodships in the east of Poland, stopping the brain drain will be an crucial challenge. Unfavorable demographic changes in another parts of the country or Europe will have a strong impact on those regions with small attractive offer to their residents. This requires courageous reasoning about shaping fresh spatial governance and improving the quality of life in selected cities. In turn, the challenge for industrialised voivodships will be to pass through the process of green transformation. It will besides be the task of the voivodships to monitor the destiny of cities that disappear, characterised by a fallen industry, low quality of services or deficiency of them, the failure of young workers of working age, to stay only an older group of populations, and to prepare appropriate remedial actions. On the side of the government, challenges will remain: urgent debate and legislative action on the displacement of cities and comprehensively reorganising cities, as well as building awareness and public acceptance of specified projects. In order to avoid the social crisis between 2035 and 2050, solutions to this request to be developed today. Local and regional authorities must trust on a transparent legal framework to make specified hard decisions. Solidarity will besides be needed among the regions affected by the effects of climate change and those threatened by them, in order to jointly make solutions to guarantee safety for both society and the economy. Infrastructure for economical improvement here will have a different function than in another voivodships.
New competition is being created and developed in another areas of the planet than before, which requires our companies to decision distant from rough schemes and leave the comfort zone. Polish companies must deal in the first, second and 3rd order with business, not with the fight against bureaucracy, mediocre net connection, power shortage or shortage of employees. economical improvement is our shared responsibility.
As Polish and Polish, we are jointly liable for the improvement of Poland and Poland, together with another European countries, for the improvement of the European Union. We are not competing with Germany or France or Belgium or the Netherlands. Yes, all day Polish companies compete with companies from these countries, fighting for further customers. However, we must be aware that, in the context of BRICS+ and the weakening of global free trade agreements, fresh competition, which uses different tactics and uses different conditions (and frequently a package of privileges), is born and develops in another areas of the planet than before, which requires our companies to decision distant from the patterns and leave the comfort zone. This means that Polish companies gotta deal in the first, second and 3rd order with business, not with bureaucracy, mediocre net connection, power shortages or shortages of employees. economical improvement is our shared responsibility.
1An EU compass to reconstruct competitiveness and guarantee sustainable prosperity, European Commission – press release, Brussels, 29.01.2025, https://ec.europa.eu/commission/presscorner/detail/en/ip_25_339 [on-line access].
2Act of 5 June 1998 on the self-government of the voivodship, Dz. U. of 2024 items 566, 1907, 1940.
3This was a prerequisite for the usage of the Structural Funds of the European Union under Policy nonsubjective 1 (CP 1), i.e. "a more intelligent Europe through the promotion of an innovative and smart economical transition".
4As of February 2025 there are 12 regional improvement funds, see https://osrfr.org/# [on-line access].
5Law of 4 July 2019 on the strategy of improvement institutions, Dz. U. of 2024 item 923.
6Effects of the business environment institutions system, ultimate Chamber of Control, Warsaw 2024, p. 11.
7 State for February 2025.
8Law of 20 October 1994 on peculiar economical Zones, OJ 1994 No 123, item 600.
9Law of 10 May 2018 on the promotion of fresh investments, OJ 2018 item 1162.
10Poland Investment region in 2024, Ministry of improvement and Technology, https://www.gov.pl/web/development-technology/Polish-zone-investment-in-2024-r [online access].
