According to Ernst & Young’s European Attractiveness Survey 2008, Poland is the top European location for new foreign investment. 834 international investors were surveyed by Ernst & Young, with 18% of them indicating they would invest or consider investing in Poland in the future. The investors came from a total of 43 different countries around the world.
Poland ranked second in the survey in terms of jobs created last year in Europe. There were approximately 18,400 new jobs were created in 2007, although this represented a 41% drop on the 31,000 jobs created in 2006. For all of Europe, the United Kingdom placed first, with just over 24,000 jobs created.
In terms of foreign direct investment projects, Poland ranked seventh in Europe, with 146 new projects. The UK was first in this category as well, with 713 new projects, followed by France, with 541. The total number of new FDI projects in Europe grew by five percent year over year in 2007, from 3,531 to 3,712.
Overall, Eastern Europe was perceived by the global investors as being more attractive than Western Europe. 45% of investors would consider investment in the Eastern European countries, while just 38% would look to the west.
Agnieszka Tałasiewicz, a partner at Ernst & Young, notes that Poland’s attractiveness comes in large part from expectations for the country’s development. “Investors will accept imperfect transport infrastructure and a tax system which is not completely clear if they are able to reach a good market with qualified and reliable employees,” she said.
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