THE POLISH INVESTMENT ZONE AS A NEW SOLUTION FOR SUPPORTING INVESTMENTS AND SUSTAINABLE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT

• Main Author: Miklinska, Joanna
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: Area planning & development; Entrepreneurship; Investment; Investments; Objectives; Regional development; Regional planning; Regions; Regulation; Sustainable development
• ISSN: 1849-6903; 1849-6903

Poland as a country that went through the political and economic transformation has significant experience in supporting the investments and regional development. Already in the 1990s, Special Economic Zones (SEZs) were established in Poland. In accordance with the laws, the end of SEZs in Poland has been scheduled for 2026. Without waiting for this moment, in 2018 it was decided to introduce a new instrument supporting the investments. The whole country has become the Polish Investment Zone (PIZ). The aim of this article is twofold: 1) to present the basic assumptions of the new solution regarding the support of investments in Poland and the first experience of various stakeholders resulting from the implementation of this solution, 2) to indicate how the new instrument helps to fulfil the objectives of sustainable development. In order to achieve the main objective of this paper, the author performed analysis of reference literature, legal acts and documents published during the legislative process, as well as reports and publications of public institutions and consulting companies, the information published by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Technology, and boards of SEZs in Poland. The paper provides formal and legal grounds for the new instrument and modes of its implementation during the time when SEZs and the Polish Investment Zone will still be in operation in parallel for several years. The paper compares the „old" and „new" models of investment support in Poland and presents the basic quantitative and qualitative criteria. The main objectives related to the implementation of the new instrument have been analysed, regarding in particular meeting the assumptions of sustainable development. The paper presents the expectations as well as concerns related to this solution, expressed by various groups of stakeholders. The first experience in Poland may constitute guidelines for countries planning some changes in supporting the investments.