POLAND has great potential as a key centre for investment in new technologies, boosted by its natural advantages, and Singapore is the perfect partner to explore this exciting new market together.

Among the Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) region tech powerhouse’s main strengths is its deep pool of highly educated professionals, which it has been building up for years, primarily among engineers and in the research and development (R&D) sector.

With about half a million-strong workforce in the IT/ICT sector and 11,000 fresh IT graduates annually, Poland benefits from having the CEE’s largest pool of IT experts.

The country also ranks in the top 10 for technological skills and data science in Coursera’s Global Skills Index.

Poland’s impetus in developing infrastructure in Central Europe also burnishes its reputation as a mover and shaker in the region. The Three Seas Initiative to promote economic growth in the area between the Baltic, the Adriatic and the Black Seas will leverage its strengths in the areas of energy, transport and digital economy to boost infrastructure development along Europe’s relatively undeveloped North-South axis.

Not only does Poland attract know-how from established companies, it is also a source of new ideas and a partner for technology giants such as Google, Microsoft and Intel, supporting their development while promoting Polish technological solutions globally.

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With their strong technological base, Polish companies have been expanding overseas to Africa, the Middle East and Asia.

While exports have traditionally been directed mainly at Europe due to the proximity of its markets, Polish exporters are now reaching out beyond Europe, where Singapore is seen as a future-oriented market that also provides an opportunity for easier access to other Asian countries.

Even though Polish investors know of Singapore as an advanced economy and a good business location to expand to South-east Asia, entering this market requires preparation and a long-term strategy.

To connect entrepreneurs from both countries, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH) Singapore office has been helping companies to make their first steps here since 2016.

“Our main task is to help Polish entrepreneurs by equipping them with knowledge and support in entering the market,” said Magdalena Smolak, head of PAIH’s office in Singapore.

“For Polish exporters, we provide personal direct assistance on the spot in Singapore,” she adds.

“We are also the first contact for Singaporean companies interested in Poland, and we are always happy to provide information and help in finding Polish partners,” said Smolak.

PAIH works hard to facilitate the cooperation of all market participants in the development of new technologies, organising activities to promote interactions between investors and local partners, including universities and SMEs.

“We are here to strengthen cooperation between our countries,” she concluded.

The agency believes that effective cooperation between the science and business sectors and other public and private institutions is extremely important for the effective transfer of innovations.

The inflow of foreign direct investments helps Polish SMEs gain access to new knowledge and technology, and promote economic development in national and regional economies.

In fact, many Polish companies already operate in Singapore, including those from the new technologies sector.

One of them is Fintech as a Service platform Verestro, which has been part of the Mastercard investment portfolio since 2020 and serves financial customers in over 30 markets, from Colombia to Singapore.

Another is Ailleron, a Polish software company operating globally, with a Singapore-based regional office. Employing over 1,500 experts and serving more than 200 clients in 40 countries, the company provides world-class technology services and solutions for the financial industry.

One of the company’s greatest successes within the Asia-Pacific region is the implementation of its flagship LiveBank solution - a communications and collaboration platform - in multiple locations for top international banks Standard Chartered and Citibank.

Meanwhile, RTB House uses Singapore as a launchpad to provide state-of-the-art marketing technologies for top brands and agencies across the EMEA, Asia-Pacific, and Americas regions using its proprietary ad-buying engine, a world-first in being powered entirely by Deep Learning algorithms.

RTB House serves more than 3,000 campaigns worldwide, enabling advertisers to generate outstanding results and reach their goals at every stage.

A specialist in business services for telecommunications operators, Suntech is another Polish company that is thriving in the Singapore market.

Focusing on developing innovative operations and business support systems, clients for their SunVizion brand software include renowned companies such as StarHub, where they have successfully implemented a solution to upgrade the service fulfilment platforms.

Many examples of successful Polish-Singaporean cooperation clearly show that both countries are suitable partners for each other.

PAIH is confident there will be even more cooperation in the future and encourages all potential investors to contact its Singapore office.