Podlaskie aims to become an investment and innovation hub

Podlaskie, in northeastern Poland, is known for its natural beauty, including plentiful forests. But, it is also a region that wants to put itself on the map as a place to do business, including through the growth of home-grown businesses which make a mark globally.

In this edition of Focus, we visit the village of Orla, to hear why Sweden’s IKEA chose the region to establish a production facility, which makes high-density fibreboard, or HDF, used in furniture items which are sold worldwide.

We also drop by a family-run business in the town of Kolno, which customises controllers for gaming devices, to hear about its plans to expand global sales beyond Europe and North America and head into Asia.

Podlaskie, known as the ‘green lungs’ of Poland, also wants to play a bigger role in the agri-food sector and help drive up efficiency and sustainability, through the adoption of technology.

We speak to the president of a company that makes food products from locally sourced grains, to discover how it’s already investing in its own smart future.

Looking to the future, we hear how Podlaskie hopes to become an alternative market for investors, including for those looking to do business closer to home. This, in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a huge impact on supply chains