?ód? - IT innovation hub in center of Europe

?ód?, strategically located in the heart of Poland, is a city with dynamic infrastructure and communications that offers IT investors unique opportunities. Its location in the center of Europe makes it an ideal place to conduct international business. In this article, I will focus on ?ód?'s infrastructure, communications and Europeanness as an attractive destination for IT investments.

As Poland's innovation hub, ?ód? offers excellent infrastructure that attracts IT investors. The city has modern office buildings, technology parks and other business space that are conducive to the development of IT companies. ?ód?'s convenient location in the center of the country allows it to efficiently connect with both Poland and other European capitals.

The road infrastructure around ?ód? is well developed. A1 and A2 highways, connecting the north-south and east-west of Poland, allows quick access to the country's major cities, such as Warsaw (less than 2 hours), Gdansk (around 3 hours) and Poznań (2,5 hours). S8 expressway will get us to Wroclaw within 2 hours. ?ód? is first major city in Poland that is fully surrounded by ring roads, what improves the city's accessibility and lowers internal traffic.

?ód? is also an important railroad hub, which provides excellent connections to other major cities in Poland and Europe. For companies operating in the IT sector, this is an important advantage, as it enables fast and efficient business travel and efficient logistics in the transportation of goods. You can be in the center of Warsaw by train in less than 1 hour and 30 minutes or visit your Poznan office in 3 hours. ?Direct train from Kutno arrives in Berlin in less than 4 hours and 30 minutes. Train gives you great opportunity to travel and work in parallel, and in just around 2,5 hours you can visit Cracow.

?ód? plays a key role in freight transportation as a logistics hub. Its strategic location on the trade route between eastern and western Europe makes the city ideal for businesses that need to transport goods quickly and efficiently. Excellent road, rail and air connections enable efficient distribution of goods within Poland and abroad.

Did you know that in the FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) ranking published by Financial Times experts, Strykow ranked in the top ten in two categories: cost efficiency and business friendliness? It took eighth and fifth place, respectively.

I asked Katarzyna Kujawiak - Development Director in Panattoni Poland - what decides that ?ód? agglomeration was the final choice for investment in logistics area?

With the right incentives for business, Lodz makes excellent use of its location potential and proximity to two highways, which allow efficient access to Poland's borders in every direction, but also to serve the key logistics centers in the country. The possibility of both local, regional, national and international operations broadens the potential base of companies that choose Lodz as the location of their warehouses and logistics centers.

The best evidence of Lodz's tremendous attractiveness is the joint history of the city and Panattoni , which has continued since the beginning of our operations in Europe - in 2005. We have delivered 2.2 million sq. m. of industrial space in the region - more than 10 percent of our whole European volume. The Lodz region is therefore inextricably linked to our success and the achievement of position as the clear industry leader in the country and Europe.

It is also in the region's capital city that our largest project, the Central European Logistics Hub, is being built, which has already reached 650,000 sq. m., becoming a business center focusing warehousing, logistics, e-commerce or manufacturing processes. The location within the city area is being used by giants of the white goods, retail, e-commerce, electronics or apparel industries, gaining access to qualified staff on the one hand, and an excellent location in central Poland and connections to such centers as Warsaw and Berlin on the other. This is a unique project in our entire portfolio in Europe, which is still being developed.

Access to skilled labor is also driving the development of the City Logistics segment from Panattoni, which we launched about 5 years ago. Within the boundaries of cities such as Lodz, Warsaw, Katowice, Wroclaw and Poznan, we are creating business centers where not only logistics or manufacturing processes are located, but also R&D departments, laboratories and showrooms. The City Logistics facilities also reveal great potential to locate a headquarters there, thanks to modern office space and an attractive location within the city area. And it was Lodz that became the first location where, within this segment, we exceeded 200,000 sq. m. of delivered space - more than 35 percent of our City Logistics volume.?

This confirms that Lodz's potential is diverse - the city and its region are becoming an excellent platform for business development of different scope, but also size and specificity. Companies can locate their central warehouses here, but also high-tech production facilities with research and development departments. Panattoni's very good experience from its 18 years of presence in the Lodz region will be an excellent foundation for further operations and further hundreds of thousands of square meters of space completed.

The Lodz Airport Central Poland (Port Lotniczy ?ód?) in ?ód? (Lublinek) offers direct connections to many European cities, making the city even more attractive to investors from abroad. The airport provides convenient connections for business travellers and allows quick access to foreign markets. Londyn, Dublin, Brussels or Milan are just few hours ahead.

The proximity of Lotnisko Chopina (Chopin Airport) in Warsaw makes travel to any city in the world quick and efficient. For example, a trip from ?ód? to New York can take just over 12 hours. A morning coffee in a charming café on Piotrkowska Street followed by a business dinner in Manhattan - it's possible!

Great connections does not only covers other Polish and European cities, but also internal communications within the city itself. ?ód? offers an extensive public transportation system, which is crucial for both local residents and employees of companies operating in the city. The streetcar and bus systems provide convenient connections within the city. Continuous investment in transportation infrastructure is making public transportation in ?ód? increasingly efficient and comfortable. Just now, new connection between ?ód?’s railways stations, are going to be finished soon. This will bring underground connections for smooth and fast traveling around the city, including its center.

?ód? continues to develop as an innovation center. One of the key projects attracting IT investors is Dupolis, an innovative concept for ?ód? and Warsaw (duopolies is a relationship between cities based on cooperation and synergy of exploiting economic dependencies). In addition, the Central Communication Port (CPK), planned as Poland's largest airport, will be located in the immediate vicinity of ?ód?. This project will have a huge impact on the city's development, attracting new investors and providing even better connections to other cities in Poland and Europe. This, all together, will bring strong economic center, connected by high-speed rail with a central airport in between, extremely beneficial to investors. ?ód? and Warsaw can ultimately support investors, share institutions, and pursue a joint tourism and cultural strategy.

I asked City of Lodz Office about factors that brings investors to ?ód?, and in case of logistic it is quite clear answer - ?ód? had a perfect location and road connection, it based in the geographical center of the Poland and it is close to other capitals. This factor is the most important for the logistic companies and it is convenient for the corporations, from the perspective of business trips as well.

As a dynamic innovation city in the center of Europe, ?ód? offers unique opportunities for investors in the IT industry. Its excellent infrastructure, efficient communication system and strategic location make it an attractive destination for companies seeking a developed technology market and convenient connections to other cities and countries. Development prospects, such as Dupolis and CPK, provide further growth and opportunities for the city, making ?ód? an ideal place for IT investments. Next time I will focus on IT services in ?ód?, stay tuned!

For more details please contact me or Invest in Lodz (Central Poland) directly.

The source of the photos: https://lodz.pl/

Statistics and data based on reports provided by Invest in Lodz (Central Poland) or as indicated in the article.