Poland is at the beginning of international expansion, yet it already is the regional leader. The value of capital exported from Poland has increased 6 times in the last 6 years and the income of 38% of companies is generated from international trade’ Slawomir Majman, president of the Polish Information and Foreign Investments Agency (PAIiIZ), told a press conference.

The conference was called to present the findings of a study carried out by PAIiIZ and KPMG on the international expansion of Polish manufacturing companies.

The study showed that over 90% of Poland’s largest production companies are present on foreign markets. 88% of this group exports products, 55% cooperates with foreign partners, 23% has foreign offices and 18% has built manufacturing plants abroad. Yet the share of Poland in global capital turnover is 0.2% and 0.4% in capital turnover in Europe.

‘There are two reasons why a company could start international expansion’ Ryszard Florek, the president of Fakro, a Polish company which is the world’s number two producer of roof windows, said. ‘One is to sell the product abroad and generate more income. Another one is to start production abroad reducing costs, outsourcing labour and creating better jobs in Poland’ he explained. Up to 70% of Fakro’s revenue is generated by international trade. Currently, exports are the dominant form of expansion of Polish companies.

KPMG and PAIiIZ research showed that the most important expansion directions for Polish companies are Germany, Czech Republic and Ukraine. ‘We want to see Polish companies entering Far Eastern markets’ Majman said. Poland has completed 223 FDI projects since 2004, but the number of greenfield investment projects coming from Poland is increasing. Poland’s KOM40 carried out the 3rd largest FDI in the USA last year, developing a USD-36-million mattress and furniture manufacturing plant in Virginia.