Bydgoszcz, April 27, 2023. - Data from the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL) shows that Bydgoszcz has become the eighth city in Poland where business service centers employ more than 10,000 people. ABSL has now chosen the city as the location for its eighth chapter, due to its potential for further growth in the business services industry.

Cities with populations of more than 100,000 are becoming increasingly attractive to companies in the modern business services sector, which for years has been one of the most rapidly growing branches of the economy. Access to university graduates and students who have a knowledge of foreign languages, the lower cost of living and, consequently, attractive business costs, including rental of office space in relation to the largest Polish cities, are all factors that benefit Bydgoszcz.

Bydgoszcz at the forefront of developing cities

According to ABSL data, there are already 47 business service centers in the city, three of which employ more than 500 people. The main category of services provided is IT services, building on the city's strong specialization in technology and innovation. At the end of
H1 2022, there were about 11,500 people working in the business services sector in Bydgoszcz. The city recorded very high employment growth in the industry - 16.2 percent, second only to Warsaw (17 percent), with overall employment growth of 11.6 percent.

- Bydgoszcz has great potential for growth. So does the modern business services sector, which is growing steadily, and creating new, valuable jobs. I welcome the news that ABSL intends to have a permanent presence in our city. This is good news for local business, which will contribute to making Bydgoszcz more attractive in the eyes of investors," says Bydgoszcz Mayor Rafał Bruski.

Building relationships in the regions

ABSL has now opened its eighth chapter in Bydgoszcz. ABSL chapters represent the local community of modern business service centers in a given location. They are a source of knowledge and information for external stakeholders and also create local networks of stakeholder relations.

- The addition of medium-sized urban agglomerations, such as Bydgoszcz, to ABSL's structures in Poland is very good news for the entire sector - showing its strength, resilience, but also diversification of locations. The opening of a permanent chapter in Bydgoszcz will significantly contribute to the promotion and growth of the industry's importance for the local economy, as well as for the city and its residents," says Janusz Dziurzyński, President of ABSL. 

Permanent ABSL chapters currently function in eight Polish cities: Warsaw, Kraków, Wrocław, the Tri-City, Łódź, Katowice, Poznań and now Bydgoszcz. They are established in locations where business services play an important role in the region's economy, acting as platforms for knowledge exchange and cooperation between investors and city authorities, universities, and the entire business ecosystem.

- We are pleased to join the prestigious group of locations where business service centers already employ more than 10,000 people. What distinguishes the Bydgoszcz market is the dominant share of IT companies in the local sector structure. Global technology companies have their service centers here, and they appreciate the local IT environment, qualified specialists - especially programmers and data engineers, interesting office options, and the region's experience in supporting innovative activities," emphasizes Robert Wichłacz, Vice President, Head of Atos GDC PL and leader of the Bydgoszcz chapter.

- Bydgoszcz has consistently pursued the concept of "a city open to outsourcing," and the success stories and growth of investors present here, coupled with successful new entrants, allow the city to compete for the most advanced projects. A friendly climate for living and doing business, including Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency’s support for investors, plays a key role. The city's unique specialization in IT and the quality of its services offers the prospect of further expansion of Bydgoszcz's modern business services sector," adds Edyta Wiwatowska, CEO of Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency.

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The Association of Business Service Sector Leaders brings together 240 of the world's largest companies, representing the industry that currently employs 400,000 people in Poland. The 1,700 service centers, scattered in more than 80 locations, create a thriving sector that supports economic development through, among other things, innovative solutions implemented by multinational corporations. The goal is to build attractive and sustainable ecosystems that will create new jobs through positive engagement and responsibly grow investment and business in local communities.

ABSL operates, among other things, on the basis of local representations - chapters - platforms for knowledge exchange and cooperation between investors and city authorities, universities and the entire business ecosystem.