ECONOMY

The denizens of the Western Pomerania take advantage of the opportunities given by the  membership  in  the  European  Union  and are  practically  active  in  favour  of  the  Pomerania Euroregion and the Region of the Baltic Sea. For years the voivodship has been broadly co-operating with many foreign partners with measurable effects, both in investments as well as the sensitive area of interpersonal relations.Participation  in  the  Common  European Market  has  given  another  great  impulse  to the  Western  Pomeranian  entrepreneurship. The present advantages of the region, such as maritime economy and agriculture, is supplemented  by  unique  natural  conditions,  which create ideal opportunities for development of tourism  sector,  including  health  resort  services. Development of economy is supported by the local authorities of the Western Pomerania, which  are  actively  striving  for  new  investors creating attractive conditions for business activity, such as within the frames of economic areas. Being aware that economy cannot effectively  function  in  infrastructural  void,  we  are striving not only for development of regional network of roads and airports, but also to take advantage of the water route, namely the River Odra, as a development axis for an entire borderland belt.The  Zachodniopomorskie  Voivodship,  the  fifth  largest  voivodship,  out  of  the  16 voivodships in Poland, is situated in the heart  of  Europe  connecting  the  north  with  the south via a system of international roads (Scandinavia  –  Zachodniopomorskie  Voivodship  – Prague) and the west with the east (Berlin – Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship – Gdańsk – St. Petersburg). International airport in Goleniów (around 30 km from Szczecin) and the airport in Berlin are the windows to the world next to the sea ports.Szczecin,  with  a  population  of  around 400,000  (24.4%  of  the  region’s  population) create the Metropolitan Area of Szczecin with the adjacent communes, which is running for one of the most competitive regions in Europe. We offer an access to well-qualified workforce – over 70,000 students studying at 19 universities and around 17,000 graduates a year.Koszalin,  with  a  population  of  around 108  thousand,  prevails  in  the  north-eastern part. The following centres are also the largest regional  centres  of  the  Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship:  Stargard  Szczeciński  –  around  71 thousand, Kołobrzeg – around 45 thousand, Świnoujście – around 41 thousand, Szczecinek –  around  39  thousand  and  Police  –  around  35 thousand denizens.Around 4% of the Polish GDP is produced in  the  Zachodniopomorskie  Voivodship.  The voivodship’s  industry  concentrates  around 3.4%  of  the  domestic  employment  and  supplies around 3.1% of the total industry’s sold production.Industry and services associated with maritime economy, despite the crisis, determine the region-s economic potential. Trade, tourism and the remaining market services, including recreational, sanatorium and holiday facilities, are dynamically developing here. Tourist infrastructure  of  our  region  belongs  to  the  most developed  in  Poland.  Known  health  resorts, such as Kołobrzeg, Połczyn-Zdrój, Świnoujście, Kamień  Pomorski  and  Dąbki  are  functioning basing  on  rich  deposits  of  therapeutic  mud and brine. The most developed areas of industry in the  voivodship  include:  power  engineering, electric  machinery,  chemical,  timber,  furniture,  electronic  and  food  and  agricultural  processing.  The  main  branches  of  industry  are concentred  in  the  Szczecin  agglomeration. The largest enterprises operating on the area of the voivodship are: Chemical Works Police and Complex of Dolna Odra Power Plants and Kronospan.Due  to  the  beneficial  agrarian  structure, the agricultural development conditions in our region  are  better  than  the  national  average. The state of agriculture is improving and the average size of farms is enlarging (over twice bigger than the national average). Agricultural and  food  processing  is  well  developed  here. Nearly all branches of agriculture prevail here: dairying,  sugar  industry,  distillery,  meat  and potato processing.When  mentioning  the  Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship, it is impossible to omit 4 commercial  ports  operating  here,  including  the Complex  of  Ports  Szczecin  –  Świnoujście, situated closest to the Atlantic Ocean out of all ports of the Eastern Europe, with tras-shipment terminal,  container  and  passenger  terminals, offering  regular  traffic  with  the  Scandinavian countries.  LNG  gas  trans-shipment  terminal construction  is  planned  in  the  near  future  in Świnoujście.  The  Polish  Maritime  Navigation and Euroafrica Shipping Lines are the largest ship owners in Poland. They are responsible for around 90% of the passenger ferry traffic and 47%  trans-shipments  in  Poland.  In  addition, the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship offers an access  to  11  local  Baltic  ports  and  13  fishing marinas.Water routes are supplemented by Inland connections  via  the  River  Odra  with  the  southern part of Poland, with Berlin and the river ports of Europe.By the end of 2009, the REGON registry of businesses  included  215.1  thousand  entities, what puts us on the first place in the country when  it  comes  to  the  number  of  businesses per  10  thousand  denizens.  Most  businesses focus  on  trade  and  repairs  (26.8%).  Entities dealing with property and corporate services (18.1%),  construction  (12.0%)  and  industrial processing (8.6%) make up a considerable share in the total number.Relatively low costs of work (around 87% of the national average) are one of the main elements that make the Zachodniopomorskie Voivodship attractive for foreign investors.The main investment lands of the Zachodniopomorskie  Voivodship  include  Szczecin, Koszalin,  Goleniów,  Stargard  Szczeciński, Karlino,  Gryfino,  Police, Wałcz,  Szczecinek, Barlinek and also other villages, which often offer  plots  fully  provided  with  underground services  and  located  in  convenient  places  by domestic roads and motorways, with numerous tax exemptions.The  largest  foreign  investors  present  in the  Zachodniopomorskie  Voivodship  include Cargotec,  Bridgestone  Corporation,  Kronospan  Holdings,  Swedwood  Holding,  Sonion Microtronic, Carlsberg Breweries, Royal Greenland, Norhaven, Rieter Automotive, Backer and many other, which had started the investment process thanks to the support of the local authorities.