The Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship enjoys a unique combination of potential of the place and potential of the people. Regional smart specializations combined with its infrastructure and availability of human resources are the driving force of the economic growth of the voivodeship.

The voivodeship undoubtedly belongs to one of the most attractive regions of Poland in terms of tourism. The region’s natural assets, clean environment and well-developed hotel and accommodation base favor the growth of tourism in Warmia and Masuria. However, apart from the tourist aspect, the Warmia and Masuria region is also an attractive place for investors. For this reason, it is not surprising that increasingly more companies invest their capital in the area of Warmia and Masuria.

The whole voivodeship belongs to the so-called “special economic zone,” now called the Polish Investment Zone, which offers many investment incentives for investors, including tax exemptions.

The largest cities of the region are Olsztyn, Elbląg, and Ełk.

Smart specializations

The economic growth of the region relies upon so-called regional smart specializations, listed in the Strategy for Socio-Economic Development of the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship Until 2025. Currently, the leading sectors of the economy of Warmia and Mazury include tourism, healthy food production, wood industry, machinery manufacture, where clean industrial technologies and renewable energy sources are used, pro-ecological forestry, yacht manufacture and eco-tourism.

Smart specializations mean focus on a few selected areas of the economy, based on the region’s natural resources. Smart specializations, and thus leading areas of the economy of Warmia and Masuria, include:

  1. Water Economy (including tourism, ecotourism and economic activity related to the wealth of water in Warmia and Masuria – lakes, rivers, and the Vistula Lagoon, with tourism, yacht industry, etc.);
  2. High Quality Food (food industry focusing on production and processing of healthy and high-quality food). Regional agricultural traditions and favorable natural conditions for the growth of agriculture and fishery enjoying adequate scientific and research facilities nowadays allow for a network of large food production cooperators to be established. The existing food industry producers guarantee agricultural producers and breeders a stable market for their supplies.
  3. Wood and Furniture Industry (pro-ecological forest management furniture and wood industry, production of machinery and equipment, where clean industrial technologies are applied and renewable energy sources are used). The region’s favorable climatic conditions, an adequate base of own raw materials and the proximity of voivodeships with large forest complexes allowing for cooperation of producers, as well as cooperators; advanced technical infrastructure for the wood industry (many sawmills, furniture plants, etc.) and decades of tradition have made this branch of industry become the pride of the region.
  4. Healthy life – the emergence of a new smart specialization was based on the unique potential of the unpolluted environment of Warmia and Mazury and the unique economic entities operating in the region, developing in the sector related to medical and medical-related services. Examples of specialization elements: Manufacturers and distributors of medical equipment and products, Providers of medical and medical-related services, ICT sector specialized in health care, Suppliers of environmental products and services, Producers and providers of knowledge in the field of healthy living

All specializations rely upon the natural resources of Warmia and Masuria, unique in the whole country. The nature of the region favors pro-environmental projects that do not interfere with the course of the natural environment.

IT is also among the strongest industries of Warmia and Masuria.

Read more about the region’s specializations.

TOURISM

The Warmia and Masuria region is known as the Green Lungs of Poland. The region’s natural values stem from large forest complexes, with the Piska Forest (Puszcza Piska) at the forefront, numerous lakes (in Warmia and Masuria, there are more than three thousand lakes, making them knows as the Land of a Thousand Lakes), nature reserves, landscape parks, and clean air. The lakes are connected by canals and rivers, creating a many-kilometer-long system of waterways and a real paradise for sailors. Landscape parks and nature reserves, large forest complexes, architectural monuments enchant every tourist with the thought of returning to Warmia and Masuria as soon as possible, and the ecologically clean natural environment benefits them due to health resort qualities.

With the above in mind, there is no doubt that the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship is one of the most frequently visited regions of Poland by Polish and foreign tourists. The influx of tourists drives the growth of infrastructure for them– hotels, accommodation sites, and short-term stay facilities, eco-harbors, restaurants and other catering establishments, bars, canteens and catering companies. In recent years, more than a dozen modern eco-marinas have been built in Masuria, now ready to accommodate even the most demanding sailors.

There are also 109 excellent hotels in the region, of which 61 are three-star hotels, 20 are four-star hotels, and 6 are five-star hotels.

Convenient conditions for practicing sports, an array of sailing routes, a wide network of local winter sports centers, a large number of stud farms and riding schools, coupled with all other advantages, guarantee any investor a return on their investment and a fair profit. Natural advantages and clean environment are a huge potential of the region and add to the high quality of life in Warmia and Masuria.

The Warmia and Masuria region means:

  1. Easy logistics thanks to expressway “Seven,” connecting Kraków, Warsaw and Gdańsk (part of the road is located in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship), other expressways and national roads, including but not limited to:
    – expressway S16 (Mrągowo – Orzysz – Ełk), which will be expanded in the coming years and ultimately will reach the Ogrodniki border crossing (state border with Lithuania);
    – national road no. 16 (from Grudziądz, through Iława, Ostróda, Olsztyn, Mrągowo and Ełk – up to the Ogrodniki border crossing with Lithuania);
    – national road no. 22 (Grzechotki – border crossing with Russia, Braniewo, Elbląg (expressway S22 on the section Grzechotki-Elbląg), Malbork, Gorzów Wielkopolski, reaching the border crossing of Kostrzyn nad Odrą);
    – national road no. 51 (Olsztynek, Olsztyn (expressway S51 on the section Olsztyn-Olsztynek), Olsztyn – Olsztynek with the Olsztyn bypass, Lidzbark Warmiński, Bartoszyce and border crossing of Bezledy);
    – national road no. 65 (border crossing of Gołdap, through Olecko, Ełk, Grajewo, to Białystok and the Bobrowniki border crossing with Belarus);
    – expressway S61, which runs through Ełk and follows to the state border with Lithuania (Budzisko);
  2. The eastern border of the European Union – there are nine border crossings on the border with the Kaliningrad Oblast: road border crossings (Bezledy, Gołdap, Gronowo, Grzechotki), railroad border crossings (Braniewo, Głomno and Skandawa), and sea border crossings (Elbląg and Frombork);
  3. Access to the Baltic Sea provided by the port of Elbląg, the largest port of the Vistula Lagoon. It handles the lagoon and Baltic coastal shipping of goods and passenger/tourist traffic. The seaport of Elbląg is connected by railway and roads with Kaliningrad, Warsaw, Gdańsk, Olsztyn, Malbork, and Braniewo. The canal will give access to Elbląg by 100- or 180-meter-long (a set of barges), 20-meter-wide sea vessels with a draught of 4.5 meters.
  4. A network of railroad lines with a total length of over 1.2 thousand kilometers (over 745 miles) – in Warmia and Masuria, the railway provides connections between the largest cities of the region and major cities of Poland, giving an opportunity to enjoy rail transport to regional companies. There is also Logistic Terminal Braniewo – the largest and most modern transshipment terminal in the vicinity of the Braniewo – Mamonowo border crossing by the Polish-Russian border, that provides high-quality machine infrastructure and transshipment potential, renders transshipment, packaging, storage, forwarding and logistic services for goods, and customs clearance.
  5. Air connections, offered by Olsztyn-Mazury Regional Airport. The port was launched in January 2016, and for the first six months, it served 10 thousand passengers. The airport is located in Szymany, 10 km from Szczytno and 56 km from Olsztyn (the capital of the region). You can get there by train; the journey takes less than an hour. More information on current connections and the operators is available at www.mazuryairport.pl.

Office space

The business services sector is gaining importance in the economy of Warmia and Masuria. Olsztyn, the capital of the voivodeship, is one of the leading Polish cities in terms of office space under construction. At present, the office space put into use in the city covers ca. 55 thousand sq.m. (Centaurus City Park (the most modern class A office building in Olsztyn of a total area of about 8,500 sq.m.), Cezal Business Center, Sigma, Europa Center, WPB Business Center, Mars, Warmia Towers).

Alternative power generation

Scientific and research facilities researching the industrial use of renewable energy, appropriate location conditions for companies for sector development and favorable natural conditions for the cultivation of energy crops make the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship a region promoting renewable energy investment projects.

Research facilities

The Warmia and Masuria region has a significant potential for building staff for innovative economy. The region has excellent staff of a few thousand scientists.

In the voivodeship, there are scientific and R&D units enjoying national and international recognition, that produce significant scientific achievements, are highly rated for pursuit of new technologies in use, sale of licenses, and participation in international research projects. In the recent years, the Warmia and Masuria region has seen considerable successes linked to completion major R&D investment projects aimed at significant development of scientific and research facilities, and gained the position of a scientific and research center at the European and world level.

Browse our investment areas database

The investment areas database provides information concerning available investment areas and production halls in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship. Check the areas database and find your investment area.

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