Lublin

Infrastructure is not just roads — it is a well-thought-out operational logic. In this respect, Lublin is well prepared.

The modern Metropolitan Station integrates urban, regional and national transport, becoming one of the key transport hubs in Poland. Lublin Airport, enriched with a cargo terminal, facilitates access to domestic and international markets.

The road system based on S17, S19 and S12 routes provides efficient connections to Europe’s main trade corridors, supporting exports, imports and mobility of employees.

Another advantage of Lublin is its well-coordinated ecosystem of support for investors. Investment processes run smoothly thanks to effective cooperation between local government, universities, contractors and the business community.

For entrepreneurs, this means shorter project lead times, greater predictability and lower operational risk.

Renata Krzyżanowska

Leasing Manager, Associate, Leasing Agency – Industrial, Cushman & Wakefield

Expert commentary

Lublin, as the largest city in eastern Poland, has been strengthening its position as a regional economic, logistical and academic centre for years. Its dynamic growth in recent decades is largely due to consistent investment in transport, energy and technical infrastructure.

One of Lublin’s greatest advantages is the constantly expanding network of expressways that connects the city to major centres in Poland and abroad. S17 (Warsaw–Lublin) and S19 expressways are of key importance, as they form a part of the international Via Carpatia corridor, which will ultimately connect the north of Europe with its south, opening up new opportunities for the development of logistics and industry.

Lublin is actively developing its logistics and warehouse facilities. Industrial parks and economic activity zones attract investors from the industrial and production sectors. The areas located near the ring road and in the eastern part of the agglomeration, where modern logistics centres with direct access to expressways are being built, have great development potential.

Despite its numerous successes, Lublin faces several challenges – the key ones being the further modernisation of its railway infrastructure (including the development of intermodal connections) and improvement in the accessibility of air transport. Lublin Airport has great potential, but requires intensified promotional activities and an increase in the number of regular and charter flights.

In summary, Lublin has a solid infrastructure foundation which, combined with its academic potential, qualified staff and favourable investment climate, makes it an attractive location for the development of business, industry and logistics.

Marcin Siewierski

Associate, Regional Head/Western Poland, Office Department, Cushman & Wakefield

Expert commentary

The office market in Lublin, like other regional office markets in Poland, is currently experiencing a period of stabilisation with cautious development activity.

Transaction volume is largely driven by renewals and renegotiations, with tenants seeking flexibility and cost efficiency. New leases are most often signed for well-located, modern buildings, which reflects tenants’ shift towards quality. Demand is expected to remain stable, but new investment will be limited.

Even though the vacancy rate in Lublin (approx. 11%) is one of the lowest among regional markets (average approx. 18%), it still favours tenants that continue to have the opportunity to negotiate rents and lease terms.

The Lublin office market is following trends that have been observed for a long time in larger markets. Modern spaces increasingly incorporate technologies that enhance energy efficiency and user comfort. Tenants are looking for office spaces that promote teamwork, offer relaxation zones, green spaces, and advanced technological solutions such as smart building management systems, water conservation solutions and air quality improvement technologies.

Another significant trend is increased environmental awareness. More and more companies are looking for offices with environmental certificates such as LEED and BREEAM, which is in line with ESG strategies and is standard on developed office markets.

The city is committed to transparency, accessibility and effective communication. Every investor can count on the support of a dedicated project manager from the Strategy and Investor Service Department – a person with experience, knowledge of the local market and an extensive network of contacts. The manager knows who to cooperate with, which stages of the process can be streamlined, and how to manage the project so that the investor can quickly and effectively start to operate in the city.

Lublin offers real support at every stage of the investment process — from site preparation, through cooperation with business partners and universities, to activities on the labour market. Thanks to close cooperation with key institutions, the city provides investors with specific solutions that facilitate the rapid start and development of their business.

In Lublin, cooperation with investors is based on efficient action and practical support.

Lublin is one of the most important academic centres in Poland, offering a wide range of educational opportunities in various fields. The city’s potential is built not only on the scale of education, but also on its focus on the needs of the modern economy.

Local universities — including Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), Lublin University of Technology, the Catholic University of Lublin (KUL), the Medical University, the University of Life Sciences, the University College of Enterprise and Administration, Lublin WSEI Academy, the Academy of Applied Sciences and the Academy of Social and Medical Sciences — actively cooperate with the business sector, adapting their curricula to the changing needs of the labour market.

Every year, universities in Lublin educate thousands of specialists in areas such as IT, finance, HR, sales, customer service and data analysis. Another advantage of the city is that many graduates choose to continue their professional careers in Lublin, appreciating both the quality of job offers and the living conditions that encourage them to stay in the region.

Therefore, when planning the development of teams serving European markets or business process centres, companies can count on access to candidates with the right competences and foreign language skills in Lublin.

Monika Kiliańska

Regional Manager, Antal IT Services

Expert commentary

Lublin stands out for its renowned universities and research and development base, making it attractive to both students and investors. The availability of qualified specialists increases the city’s competitiveness and its innovation potential.

Lublin universities are responding dynamically to the constantly changing labour market by investing in the development of their educational offer and infrastructure. In response to the changing needs of the economy, universities in Lublin are opening new attractive courses of study that are relevant to emerging business needs and are systematically updating existing ones to meet the expectations of employers. Strategic activities include launching innovative study programmes and developing technological facilities.

The new courses of study include data engineering, multimedia, digital sociology, artificial intelligence in IT systems, sustainable development in economy, and tax consultancy.

The newly created courses of study not only respond very well to the challenges posed by the world, but above all increase the competitiveness of graduates on the labour market and build a strong educational position for the region. Universities, in order to meet the expectations of new student candidates, demonstrate their responsibility in the context of educating future resources.

By choosing Lublin, investors gain access to a well-trained staff on a balanced and stable labour market. The city and region offer adequate availability of employees, accompanied by a high level of competence and willingness to work in an international environment.

A significant percentage of graduates in the courses of study relevant to the BPO/SSC sector, good knowledge of foreign languages ​​and openness to cooperation with foreign partners are conducive to building teams tailored to the needs of modern business processes.

The growing presence of qualified workforce from abroad actively participating in the local labour market and enriching it with new competencies and points of view is an additional advantage of Lublin.

For companies, this translates into more efficient recruitment processes, lower turnover risk, and greater stability and alignment of teams with the adopted operating model.

Martyna Grunt-Mejer

Team Leader, Antal IT Services

Expert commentary

Lublin has great employment potential, which is confirmed by the growing interest of investors and statistical data. At the end of January 2025, there were 7,596 registered unemployed persons in the city, and the unemployment rate was 4.1% – lower than the national average (5.1%) and significantly lower than in the entire Lublin Voivodeship (7.4%). Lublin’s strength is the availability of young, educated staff – every year, several thousand students graduate from Lublin universities, many of whom find employment in growing sectors such as BPO/SSC, IT, finance and logistics. A well-developed educational infrastructure increases the region’s investment attractiveness, providing companies with access to specialists in various fields. The city offers competitive labour costs, making it an attractive location for companies looking for cost efficiency and highly qualified employees. In turn, lower living costs compared to the largest cities attract from other regions to Lublin qualified employees who seek a balance between quality of life and career opportunities. Challenges? First and foremost, to retain young talent in the region and to further diversify the economic structure. Lublin is becoming increasingly visible on the Polish investment map as a city with great potential for development and innovation.

Lublin is a city that knows how the modern business services sector works and is able to support it. Over 40 BPO/SSC/IT centres operate there, serving customers from all over Europe. The centres already employ over 10,000 people. Companies choose Lublin not only because of costs, but also because of high operational quality and availability of resources.

The city offers:

• modern Class A+ office space.
• availability of investment areas in locations with excellent transport links.
• an extensive network of universities cooperating with business.
• institutions supporting HR, automation and digitalisation of processes.

In 2024, Lublin took second place in the ranking prepared by Business Insider. Moreover, 48 companies from Lublin were included in the Forbes Diamonds 2024 ranking in the category of medium-sized companies. 

Małgorzata Kowal

Head of Lublin Delivery Center, Capgemini Polska

Expert commentary

We can safely say that Lublin is a unique cultural melting pot. The city’s energy constantly attracts not only tourists, but above all those who want to study or work here. As a result, the city is constantly developing and it is this “human capital” with diverse competencies that is the first of advantages worth mentioning. For many years, residents of Lublin have had the opportunity to observe the development of its infrastructure and the expanding portfolio of cultural events. Local government institutions are very keen to involve various companies in cooperation aimed at the aforementioned development, thereby facilitating a variety of platforms for business promotion and recruitment. We also should keep in mind the positive perception of attractiveness of the expanding market offer by university graduates, who are increasingly deciding to stay in Lublin. Capgemini’s Lublin office currently employs over 200 people. Many of them graduated from local universities or decided to relocate from other urban centres due to the intimate nature of the city which at the same time offers all the metropolitan attractions.

Wiktor Doktór

CEO, Pro Progressio

Expert commentary

Lublin is the most active city in eastern Poland. The city is home to companies from many sectors, including BPO and IT industries. Over the years, the development of the modern technology sector has contributed to the emergence of the term “Lublin IT Upland”, thus emphasising the strong position of the IT sector in this city.

Experienced staff, a growing office infrastructure and convenient logistics make Lublin develop every year in many areas of business and the economy.

Lublin should definitely be considered a strong player on the Polish map of locations for GBS/BPO investment. Here, the new investment index is positive every year, and it looks like this trend will continue.

Lublin offers attractive living conditions, combining a rich historical heritage with a dynamic range of cultural options and modern urban infrastructure. This is an important asset for both residents and companies attracting talent to work in the city.

Theatre performances, concerts, cabaret performances and stand-up as well as numerous outdoor events are held regularly in Lublin. The offer is complemented by art galleries and student clubs, which attract both young residents and guests from other regions. The city also stands out for its interesting tourist attractions and monuments. The Old Town, Lublin Castle and Grodzka Gate are places eagerly visited by both residents and tourists. An additional modern feature is an interactive city portal enabling real-time virtual connection with Vilnius and Dublin, located near Litewski Square. The square itself is an important point of the city’s cultural life – especially in the summer season, when spectacular multimedia fountain shows take place there, illustrating the history and culture of the region.

The diverse cultural offer and attractive urban environment contribute to the high quality of life in Lublin, which is an important factor in attracting and retaining qualified employees.

The city in figures*

• nearly 2 million tourists.
• over 200 tourist accommodation facilities.
• over 35 hotels.
• over 30 museums and interesting tourist facilities.
• over 100 parks, squares and communal gardens.
• over 2500 hectares of green areas.