Lublin Modern Metropolis – 2023 in Review

January is a special month, marking the onset of new challenges and goals. It is also a time for reflection on past accomplishments. The year 2023 proved demanding, yet it brought forth opportunities that our team adeptly seized.

In Lublin, we welcomed new businesses and contributed to the continued growth of the local business community:

Foodcom S.A. – With a decade of experience in global chemical, food, feed, and FMCG trading, Foodcom S.A. strategically opened a new office in Lublin. The decision was fueled by the city’s entrepreneurial potential, rising demand for the company’s services in this part of Poland, and the dynamic development of the Lublin Voivodeship. For more details, visit here.

Tutlo.com – Tutlo’s second office in Lublin officially opened on April 19, 2023, in collaboration with the Lublin City Hall. This marked the 17th branch of the company in the country. The decision to expand in Lublin was driven by the city’s conducive business environment. Further information is available here.

Global Support for Performance (GSP) Orange – In April 2023, the Global Support for Performance Europe was established in Lublin, taking over specific accounting, purchasing, and controlling processes. This new unit has provided employment opportunities for local talents, fostering collaboration with colleagues from Slovakia, Romania, Belgium, Luxembourg, and Moldova. More information is available here.

PwC Financial Crime Unit: The PwC Financial Crime Unit Competency Center is a hub that assists companies worldwide in combating money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The Polish Financial Crime Unit stands as the largest team of its kind within the PwC global network. By providing both operational and advisory support, it collaborates with other teams across the PwC global network. Learn more here

ROHLIG SUUS Logistics – a comprehensive logistics operator, relocated its Lublin branch, increasing operational capacity in the region by 30%. The investment included a cross-dock warehouse, optimizing costs related to last-mile deliveries. Further details can be found here.

Hüttenes-Albertus Chemische Werke GmbH – Hüttenes-Albertus Polska, a subsidiary of the German conglomerate producing chemical materials for the foundry industry, launched its photovoltaic farm in June 2023. This initiative aims to reduce the company’s carbon footprint in line with sustainable development strategies. Additional information can be found here.

Megatem EC-Lublin – On June 20, 2023, Megatem EC-Lublin inaugurated a new cogeneration power block fueled by biomass, with electric power of 11.7 MW and thermal power of 39.5 MW. The power plant, located in the former Heavy Duty Truck Factory, continues to modernize its production sources. Additional details about the investment are available here.

Lingaro Laboratory – Since January 2023, the Higher School of Entrepreneurship and Administration has housed a modern data analytics laboratory, a result of collaboration with Lingaro. This initiative allows students to engage in educational activities through the “Data Analysis” research circle and practical sessions conducted by Lingaro employees as part of jointly established postgraduate studies in “Data Analytics.” Additional details can be found here.

EUROPIEK Bakery Flagship Store – EUROPIEK’s new production facility at 13 Vetterów Street, equipped with a modern machine and technological park, accompanied by social and office facilities, represents an investment exceeding PLN 25 million. Further information is available here.

Steel and Casting Services Ltd – A part of the GMH Group, one of the largest private metal processing groups in Europe, Steel and Casting Services Sp. z o.o. in Lublin produces castings used in various industries. Additional information about the new investor can be found here.

Ball Packaging – Ball Beverage Packaging EMEA launched two modern modules for producing aluminium lids for beverage cans at its Lublin factory. Details can be found here.

Biomaxima – The new production facility in Felin district is one of only four in Europe producing gradient tests. The investment includes office, laboratory, and warehouse facilities. More information is available here.

These endeavours underscore Lublin’s dynamic and diverse economic landscape, showcasing a commitment to sustainable development, innovation, and collaborative growth.

Establishing an economic ecosystem conducive to ongoing collaboration with local businesses, we have continued our efforts through clusters and cluster initiatives such as Lublin IT Upland and Lublin Medicine Cluster.

Lublin IT Upland

The Lublin IT Upland project, implemented by the Lublin City Hall, aims to showcase the potential and foster a favourable climate for the development of the IT industry in Lublin, currently the fastest-growing sector of the local economy. The project’s top priority is to support the local IT foundation in Lublin by establishing mutual connections within academic and business environments related to IT and ICT technology. For more details, visit the website.

Lublin Medicine Cluster

Lublin Medicine Cluster is a collaborative platform in the field of medical practice and sciences, bringing together higher education institutions, research units, medical entities, entrepreneurs, business environment institutions, and local government units. The cluster is coordinated by the Lublin City Hall and the Medical University of Lublin. Currently, the cluster involves 171 entities, including 139 businesses. The cluster conducts member meetings, workshops, and training sessions, organizes inbound and outbound missions, study visits, and meetings with investors (medycyna.Lublin.eu).

Flagship initiatives promoting the economic and export potential of Lublin’s companies include participation in international missions and fairs such as the EU-Singapore Matchmaking Event 2023, the International Rehabilitation Forum, and the trade fair for rehabilitation equipment in Lviv. Additionally, a series of interviews, #LublinHighTech, features representatives of Lublin’s businesses presenting the high and medium-high technologies used in the city, aiming to showcase Lublin’s technological potential. More details can be found here.

Integral to the continuous development of cities is collaboration between business, academia, and local government. Building a robust academic environment is our common goal, and we actively implement projects and activities for the synergy of city and academia, as well as the internationalization of universities. Examples include:

Visiting Professors in Lublin is an initiative by the Lublin City Hall, inspired by the actions of Maria Curie-Skłodowska University in Lublin as part of the Research in Lublin programme. The programme aims to increase the internationalization of the university’s staff potential. The Visiting Professors in Lublin programme seeks to create Lublin’s image as a city-friendly to academic environment, strengthen international research cooperation, and support the development of educational potential. It also aims to facilitate the process of establishing and maintaining international contacts with scientific centres worldwide by Lublin’s higher education institutions and research institutes.

The “Study in Lublin” project encourages foreigners to pursue studies in Lublin.

Lublin Urban Club offers participants the opportunity to design the city of their dreams through workshops conducted under the supervision of experts in collaboration with students from Lublin’s universities.

The competition for the best diploma thesis aims to increase students’ interest in issues related to broad local development, particularly in the economic, social, cultural, and environmental context. It also encourages students to address these topics in their research work.

Peer Tutoring – through peer tutoring, Lublin students not only provide free tutoring but also introduce younger colleagues to the offerings of universities, as well as the educational and professional development prospects in our city.

LublinUp! is a project that identifies projects with significant business potential and supports young individuals in commercializing their ideas. The Competition is organized by the Association of Lublin Universities and the Lublin Municipality.

Lublin Science Festival, one of the largest scientific festivals in the country, aims to popularize science and scientific research in society. The last year’s edition of the festival gathered over 39,000 participants. The Lublin Student Council is the only body of this type in Poland.

Thanks to these and other initiatives, Lublin has become one of the most recognizable academic centres in Poland, achieving the highest university internationalization index in the country in 2023 – 15%.

For more information about current activities, visit https://student.lublin.eu/ and https://nauka.lublin.eu/.

Creative and Entrepreneurial Lublin

Our projects in entrepreneurship and creativity reached 9,000 participants, and we conducted 400 business-themed workshops in collaboration with 300 Lublin partners.

Some of these projects include:

Entrepreneurial Kids – The main goals of the project are to shape key competencies in entrepreneurship among children aged 6-10, encourage creative thinking, develop interests and passions, promote a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship, and promote the economic image of the city.

Student of the Future – is a project that focuses on the development of competencies and technical skills of students in Lublin’s primary schools and their teachers, using equipment purchased by schools as part of the Laboratories of the Future programme. The main goal of the project is to support the development of qualifications using school-owned equipment and the use of the FabLab idea to creatively learn new technologies.

Entrepreneurial Youth – The project aims to develop entrepreneurship competencies in participants and support the shaping of entrepreneurial attitudes. Entrepreneurship is understood here as the ability and readiness to creatively solve problems, improve oneself, and contribute to the development of the surrounding environment. Possessing entrepreneurial traits is a value for a young person, influencing the development of their entire environment.

CheckIT – one of the largest IT events, primarily aimed at high school students and IT teachers.

MATCH – is one of the City’s initiatives to support the development of creativity and innovation in the economy. The idea of this project is to connect students from artistic and creative fields seeking professional experience with entrepreneurs looking for innovative solutions. The results of the collaboration initiated by the City between universities and entrepreneurs include neons, furniture, or video presentations.

Creative (Kreatywni) – The goal of the competition is to support young creators in the creative sector, belonging to priority sectors of the local economy, through the presentation of their profiles and activities in photographic and film form during the final gala, as well as on social media.

“Discover Economic Lublin” Rides (Poznaj Gospodarczy Lublin) – are aimed at all residents of Lublin who want to get to know the economic aspect of the city. The condition for participating in free rides is to register, which is available below. The history of Lublin companies and the profile of companies engaged in economic activities on the route of the rides are presented to participants by an employee of the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship of the Lublin City Office. More: https://gospodarczy.lublin.eu/przejazdy/.

“Competences of tomorrow – Lublin inspires the future” programme – was initiated by the Department of Strategy and Entrepreneurship of the Lublin City Hall in collaboration with the modern business services sector, Lublin’s higher education institutions, and the educational environment. The functioning of the education system, the development of participants’ competencies, and the future of teaching and learning, especially in the context of the concept of lifelong learning, are areas that guide the idea of the “Competences of tomorrow – Lublin inspires the future” programme. This year’s edition attracted more than 200 participants|from all over Poland. Learn more: https://kompetencjejutra.lublin.eu/.

Business scholarships programme was created as a joint initiative in the important cooperation between local government, business, and universities. It is a response to the interest of companies in supporting students from Lublin’s universities, while also giving students the opportunity to collaborate with the best in business.

“Cafes” project – the main goal of which is to enable Lublin students to enter the job market in the modern business services sector in Lublin and to support project partners in acquiring new talents. The last edition of the project reached to 122 students from Lublin universities, who had the opportunity to develop their linguistic and business skills and competences. More info: https://kompetencjejutra.lublin.eu/cafes/?lang=en

More information about the projects: https://przedsiebiorczy.lublin.eu/.

Thanks to the active promotion of Lublin’s economic and technological potential, including organizing industry conferences, ongoing publications, and initiatives promoting Lublin’s companies and institutions, we have received recognition from national and international bodies. Some of the accolades include European Cities and Regions of the Future 2022/2023 (6th place among European cities in foreign direct investment strategy), Prime Property Prize 2023 (nomination in the Investor-Friendly City category), Cashless Cities (finalist), as well as competitions like World Smart City Awards, Local Management Leader 2023, Innovation in Politics Awards, Innovative Practices in Public Institutions, and European Entrepreneurship Promotion Award 2023 (honourable mention).