Dortmund 15.11.2016 – Today, around 300 top executives and experts from Poland and Germany gathered in the Signal Iduna Park in Dortmund for the NRW Economic Conference Poland. The conference focused on the development of economic cooperation. In two panels on the topics "Megatrend Industry" and "Megatrend Internationalization" the participants held a discussion about influences on the economies of the two states. The experts agreed that NRW and Poland should enter into a strategic partnership in order to successfully promote the industrial locations by means of digitization, among others things, and to strengthen their international market positions.
"With an industrial share of 23 per cent of gross value added, Poland is one of the most industrialized economies in the EU – and is an important strategic partner for NRW," said Dr. Günther Horzetzky, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Energy and Industry of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. "Polish industry is focusing increasingly on internationalization and digitalization. The economies of Poland and NRW offer exciting market potential in these areas," said Horzetzky. "We know that NRW has a wealth of valuable experience in transforming its economy in the direction of modern technologies," underlined Paweł Chorąży, Undersecretary of State in the Ministry of Economic Development of the Republic of Poland. "We would very much like to exchange information in order to strengthen the innovative capacity and competitiveness of the Polish economy." Chorąży welcomed the opening of the representative office of NRW.INVEST in Warsaw in April this year as an important step in the expansion of bilateral cooperation.
The trade volume between NRW and Poland amounts to around 17.4 billion euros. Poland ranks 8th among the top trading partners, just behind the USA. Some 300 Polish firms are located in NRW, including companies such as Amica International, Econ Tires, FLT Bearings, Forte Furniture, GWI Construction, Hoesch Design, Inglot, K.B.P. Chains, Meyra, Raben, Sanplast, Secespol, Stomil Sanok, Tele-Fonika Kable and Track TEC. NRW companies have invested around five billion euros in Poland, including Evonik Industries, Metro, Pfeifer & Landen, Remondis, RWE and many more. "We still see significant development potential in the areas of foreign trade and direct investment," emphasized Petra Wassner, CEO of NRW.INVEST. "The intensification of these relations will benefit both the Polish and the North Rhine-Westphalian economy," said Wassner.
NRW Economic Conference Poland
The NRW Economic Conference Poland 2016 is a joint event organized by NRW.INVEST, IHK (Chamber of Industry and Commerce) NRW (represented by the IHK Dortmund), the economic development agencies Wirtschaftsförderung metropoleruhr and Wirtschaftsförderung Dortmund in cooperation with the German-Polish Chamber of Industry and Commerce and the Department of Trade and Industry Investments of the General Consulate of the Republic of Poland in Cologne.
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