Since the start of Russia's full-scale aggression in February 2022, Ukrainian citizens have established nearly 8,000 small and medium-sized enterprises in Poland, along with over 50,000 registrations as individual entrepreneurs.
This was announced by Dariusz Szymczycha, the First Vice President of the Polish-Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce, at the 3rd Restoration Forum in Kyiv.
"Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, over 8,000 limited liability companies involving Ukrainian capital and over 50,000 sole proprietorships have been registered in Poland," Szymczycha said at the forum organized by the Kyiv Bureau of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency.
According to Marek Belski, a board member of the National Chamber of Commerce of Poland, Ukrainian businesses in Poland have significant prospects. "Polish companies established in Germany in the early 2000s returned to the Polish market within 10-15 years and, as carriers of European experience, had a tremendous impact on the transformation of Poland," he explained.
Andrzej Dyha, Chairman of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency, emphasized that supporting cooperation between small and medium-sized businesses of both countries is a priority for the Polish government. "Large companies can establish contacts independently, and infrastructure is being created for this purpose," he added.
"In the administrative centers of the border regions of Podkarpackie and Lublin Voivodeships – Rzeszów and Lublin – regional offices of the Polish Investment and Trade Agency have been opened. Additionally, a branch of the agency will soon open in Lviv," he announced.
According to the agency's head, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, a coworking space for Ukrainian entrepreneurs and a representation of the 'Diia. Business' initiative have been established in Warsaw. Dyha also noted that holding the forum in Kyiv signals to Polish businesses that they can already engage in business here without waiting for victory.
At the same time, Gennadiy Chyzhykov, President of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, pointed out that Poland serves as an example of the largest relocation of Ukrainian capital and labor force.
"Ukrainian entrepreneurs adapt very well to the European market and successfully establish enterprises not only in Poland but also in other countries of Eastern Europe," he emphasized.
According to Eurostat data, by the end of April this year, 953.93 thousand people had left Ukraine since the start of the war and obtained temporary protection status in Poland. This represents 22.7% of all individuals with such status in the European Union.
