Polish companies are setting their sights on distant markets, but going global alone is not enough. A coordinated state-backed ecosystem, built around the Team Poland brand, is now part of the equation.
The Team Poland brand is an initiative of the PFR Group, launched by the Polish Development Fund to create a single, coherent ecosystem of support for foreign expansion. The project is designed as a one-stop shop, with coordinated access to instruments from PFR, PARP, PAIH, KUKE, BGK and ARP.
– Team Poland is an initiative of the PFR Group, launched by the Polish Development Fund to create a single, coherent ecosystem of support for foreign expansion – said Piotr Dmuchowski, president of PFR TFI.
For PFR TFI, the umbrella brand makes it easier to combine investment financing with other tools. A company receives capital, risk mitigation and access to business networks, which are essential for foreign contracts.
A track record built with partners
One of the examples cited by Dmuchowski is VIGO Photonics’ investment in the United States. The Foreign Expansion Fund 2 FIZ AN, managed by PFR TFI, supplied financing, while KUKE handled business risk protection and PKO BP joined in. VIGO Photonics had previously used PARP support.
Another deal was announced at the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Gdańsk. Rohlig SUUS Logistics, one of Poland’s leading logistics operators, received PFR financing to expand in Central-Eastern Europe and Central Asia, with KUKE again covering risk.
– For the Foreign Expansion Fund, which finances greenfield and M&A projects, KUKE is a natural partner. Working together, we can offer a comprehensive package adjusted to the specifics of doing business abroad – Dmuchowski said.
Ukraine remains a key direction
The Team Poland formula was first used for Polish investments in Ukraine. Under the Team Poland for Ukraine programme, the Foreign Expansion Fund financed Grupa Euvic’s takeover of five Ukrainian IT companies. Finance Minister Andrzej Domański announced that the project would later be extended to the Balkans and Central Asia.
Support for foreign expansion is one of five strategic pillars of PFR, adopted at the end of last year. Ukraine is a natural direction for Polish businesses despite the higher risk.
– Just a few years ago, Polish companies focused on Europe, especially the EU. Today we see growing interest in more distant markets – Dmuchowski said.
Team Poland institutions have also launched a series of meetings for entrepreneurs planning international expansion. PAIH helps organise trade missions; in recent months, around 250 companies took part in such events. The groups represent IT services, dual-use industries, manufacturing and food processing.
Resilience and the US pull
The global economy has learned to function under pressure. During the recent oil shock, it adjusted by limiting consumption and reshaping supply chains, Dmuchowski argues. Markets such as Syria and Iraq are slowly returning to the global economy, and the Gulf region remains attractive for Polish IT, food and dual-use exporters.
– The global economy has turned out to be more resilient than it seemed. During the current oil shock, we notice that the economy managed to switch, limit consumption to some extent and change supply chains – Dmuchowski said.
The US remains the world leader in attracting foreign investment. Polish entrepreneurs increasingly treat it as a place for direct investment; in a PFR survey “Global horizons of Polish investments”, more than 60 percent of respondents rated the US market highly. The Foreign Expansion Fund has seven projects in the US, including Vigo Photonics, a dual-use venture with significant know-how transfer.
Polish foreign direct investment stock is only about 4-5 percent of GDP, far behind around 20 percent in Central European peer countries and roughly 50 percent in the EU. The gap is a challenge, but also a sign of how much room Polish business still has to grow.
– Polish companies have gone through many difficulties over the past several dozen years. They are now more mature, better prepared and bolder. In uncertain times, it is comprehensive institutional support that decides who wins the race for future markets – Dmuchowski said.
Źródło: WNP.PL, Fot. PFR TFI / Shutterstock / Rosen Ivanov Iliev
