Poznan

The transport infrastructure in Poznań is developing rapidly. The city is very well located between Warsaw and Berlin. An additional advantage is the fact that it is an important junction of seven interregional and international roads, and the A2 motorway runs through the south of the city, ultimately intended to connect the Polish-German and Polish-Belarusian borders.

Just 15 minutes from the city centre is the Poznań-Ławica International Airport, offering connections to major European cities.

Getting around Poznań is quick and easy. The city authorities take great care to ensure a large number of convenient connections and their quality. Residents have access to 77 bus lines and two express lines, 19 tram lines, as well as a very well-developed railway network, which includes 16 stations within the city. According to data from the Railway Transport Authority, Poznań Główny station ranks among the top in the country and serves over 12 million passengers annually. An additional advantage is the constantly increasing number of bicycle paths, which is already approaching 400 km.

Paulina Machałowska

Associate, Industrial & Logistics Agency

Expert commentary

Poznań is a city located in a strategic point in Poland, which provides easy access to other large agglomerations. With an extensive network of motorways and expressways, it is perfectly connected to the rest of the country. A2 motorway, connecting Poznań with Warsaw and Berlin, is one of the key transit corridors in the region. Furthermore, S5 and S11 expressways improve the region’s accessibility and reduce transport time. Poznań also has a well-developed air and rail transport network. Ławica International Airport offers connections to many European cities and regular domestic flights. Poznań Główny Railway Station is one of the largest in Poland in terms of the number of passengers transported and the average number of trains per hour. The extensive railway infrastructure enables efficient transshipment of containers between rail and road transport. Furthermore, intermodal terminals play an important role in the logistics chain, enabling the efficient transport of goods. This is one of the reasons why Greater Poland is one of the most dynamically developing warehouse markets in Poland – it offers modern Class A space for both logistics and production operations.

Grzegorz Bobrowski

Manager of Poznań Office, Leasing Agency – Office, Cushman & Wakefield

Expert commentary

The Poznań office market favours companies looking for modern workspace that will enable them to improve the working environment standard and provide an attractive business environment. Given the increasingly established hybrid working model, the shift in the role of the office towards a space for collaboration, relationship building and team integration, as well as the implementation of new technologies and process automation, tenants are analysing their actual space requirements more and more carefully.

In Poznań, as in other regional markets, we observe moderate but stable interest in office space. In recent years, the rental volume has fluctuated around 50,000-70,000 sq m per year. With limited new supply – no new office space will be delivered in 2025 – and a small number of projects starting in the coming years, it can be expected that, in the medium and long term, the best quality offices will increase in value. This applies in particular to large tenants looking for space exceeding 1,000 sq m, for whom the choice of attractive locations may be increasingly limited.

Owners of older office buildings who decide to modernise, raise technical standards and improve their offer for tenants (e.g. service zones, facilities for cyclists, greenery, ESG) may in the coming years pose real competition to new projects and successfully win larger contracts. However, this requires determination, capital and acceptance of investment risk, especially in the context of rising costs of construction, materials and financing.

The vacancy rate in Poznań currently fluctuates around 14–15%, meaning that every seventh square metre is vacant, which still gives tenants a relatively favourable negotiating position. However, we can see that in the segment of prime locations and modern buildings this percentage is significantly lower, which already translates into less flexibility in negotiations on the part of owners.

Rising fit-out costs mean that companies are increasingly opting for longer lease agreements, allowing them to spread their initial investment costs and maintain an acceptable level of total rent.

It is also worth mentioning the increasingly clear trend of changing the function of some planned office investment projects into residential or mixed-use projects, which is a response to tougher financing terms and changing investor preferences.

Magdalena Makuch

Leasing Manager, Vastint Poland

Expert commentary

The Poznań office market in 2025 remains stable. New supply will be limited over the next two years, which strengthens the position of prime landlords. Demand in 2024 and early 2025 was driven by manufacturing, energy and BSS firms, with growing interest from technology and engineering companies – confirming the city’s appeal through talent availability and competitive costs. Poznań is also gaining investor attention: in the fDi 2025 ranking it was placed among the top cities for business friendliness and human capital. To maintain this advantage, older buildings are being modernised – from upgrading common areas to ESG-compliant solutions and energy improvements – extending their lifecycle and helping to retain tenants. Additional amenities play an equally important role. Our Business Garden Poznań, for example, combines modern office space with green areas, sports facilities and employee engagement programmes, supporting well-being and employer branding. Over the next 18 months, a balanced supply-demand dynamic and further IT, engineering and BSS entries will reinforce the city’s long-term potential.

Poznań is strengthening its position as a dynamic business centre, characterised by effective cooperation between entrepreneurs and public administration. The city stands out for its proactive approach to supporting entrepreneurship, offering numerous initiatives, tax reliefs and dedicated units that foster business growth.

Poznań actively participates in programmes supporting the development of entrepreneurship, such as the European Funds for Modern Economy (FENG), which offer financing for research and development projects and international promotional activities. In addition, the city is involved in initiatives related to digitisation, innovation and environmental friendliness, which is an important element of the local economy development strategy.

The Greater Poland Agency for Enterprise Development (WARP), operating in Poznań, supports micro, small and medium-sized enterprises through the implementation of EU, public and commercial projects. WARP offers loans, grants, advisory services and training, thereby supporting the growth of local business. In 2025, entrepreneurs in Poznań have access to various forms of financial support, such as non-repayable grants for infrastructure modernisation, digitisation and innovation implementation. These programmes cover a significant part of investment costs, providing important support for companies planning to grow and modernise their operations. Furthermore, tax reliefs and preferential terms for leasing premises are available to entrepreneurs, which further encourages investment in the city.

Thanks to the synergy of activities of public administration and institutions supporting entrepreneurship, in 2025 Poznań is an attractive place for business development, offering favourable conditions for both entrepreneurs and investors.

Poznań is one of the most important academic centres in Poland, with over 100,000 students. The city stands out for its strong scientific base and cooperation between universities, business and industry.

Adam Mickiewicz University (UAM) has been at the top of educational rankings for years, especially in humanities, social sciences and natural sciences.

The Poznań University of Technology is one of the leading technical universities in Poland, known for its close cooperation with the IT sector and the automotive industry. Its graduates are highly valued on the labour market, and the university itself carries out numerous research and development projects in cooperation with global companies, like Volkswagen or Huawei.

Poznań also stands out for its economic and artistic universities – the University of Economics is a member of international academic networks, while Magdalena Abakanowicz University of Arts is gaining international recognition for its innovative projects in design and new media art. With dynamic development of the modern technology sector, Poznań has become a hub for start-ups and IT companies, and cooperation between universities and businesses includes numerous internship programmes, innovation incubators and joint research projects.

Marieta Brzykcy

Team Leader, Antal Engineering & Operations

Expert commentary

In Poznań, we have been observing for years the development of universities that list the improvement of quality and innovation of education as important goals in their development strategies, which allows attracting as many students as possible and developing cooperation between the scientific and business communities.

Poznań is perceived as a city that guarantees the opportunity to study at prestigious universities with a high degree of internationalisation, scientific potential and very good facilities for students.

What makes Poznań stand out is the wide range of technical, economic, humanities and language courses offered to students by universities.

Universities adapt it to the needs of businesses and students by introducing new fields of study. Such measures are a response to changing development needs. Twenty-six universities, including Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań University of Technology, WSB University and Poznań University of Economics guarantee a rich competency base.

The high degree of openness to cooperation between academic and business communities means that by the time they complete their education, students have already completed internships, often in international organisations, allowing them to enter the labour market with a wealth of experience and interesting competencies.

Poznań dynamically develops its office infrastructure and modern technology sector, which directly translates into growing employment potential in the region. The local labour market offers extensive professional development opportunities for candidates with varying levels of education and experience.

In particular, there is a high demand for IT specialists — database designers and administrators, as well as developers.

The stable development of key industries and a favourable investment environment make Poznań an attractive location for both employers and people seeking new professional challenges.

Sylwia Sochacka

Senior Consultant, Antal IT Services

Expert commentary

The capital city of Greater Poland is characterised by high employment potential. The dynamic inflow of investors is conducive to creation of new jobs, which translates into a low unemployment rate. The city is considered an attractive place to live – this helps to attract new employees and affects their decision to stay and build a long-term relationship with the city.

Poznań effectively attracts foreign investors, which contributes to the growing demand for specialists and fosters the development of new companies. The city is attractive to foreign enterprises thanks to its well-developed services and logistics sector, as well as investment in the modernisation of infrastructure – roads, public transport and buildings. These activities translate into improved quality of life of residents and support the development of the city. As a result, sectors such as IT, logistics and services are booming there. In recent years, Poznań has seen significant increase in new investment also in the modern business services sector and in projects and initiatives that support the development of outsourcing companies and shared service centres.

The city has high employment potential due to its talented workforce, good location and diverse economy. It attracts residents and investors due to its attractive offer guaranteeing a high quality of life, access to well-paid jobs and safety.

Poznań is consistently strengthening its position as one of the most attractive places to invest in Central and Eastern Europe. In the latest European Cities and Regions of the Future 2025 ranking prepared by fDi Intelligence, the city ranked second among large European cities in the categories of business friendliness, human capital and quality of life, which confirms its strong economic potential and high-quality business environment. Poznań took second place among large European cities in the categories of business friendliness as well as human capital and quality of life.

These results confirm that Poznań is one of the most dynamically developing business centres in the region, offering a stable and competitive investment environment.

The city was also awarded the title of City of the Year in the prestigious nationwide CEE Investment Awards competition. The increase in the number of new investment projects in the modern business services sector (BSS) and initiatives supporting the development of companies in the outsourcing and shared services centres (SSC) industry were particularly appreciated.

The organisation of the jubilee 10th edition of the Impact’25 congress was an additional impetus for strengthening Poznań’s position as a centre of innovation and business. The event attracted leaders in business, politics, technology and science from around the world. The special guest at this year’s congress was Barack Obama, the 44th President of the United States, whose participation further highlighted the international importance of the event and the city.

Impact’25 reinforced the perception of Poznań as a global hub of innovation, promoting the development of new technologies, start-ups and sustainable business models. The presence of opinion leaders and investors from around the world contributes to increasing the city’s recognition and creates new opportunities for the implementation of modern economic projects.

Izabella Krzywosądzka-Pajdak

Member of the Management Board/HR Director at Carlsberg Shared Services

Expert commentary

For almost twenty years, Carlsberg Shared Services – one of the oldest shared services centres in Poznań – has had its well-established position on the business map of the capital city of Greater Poland.

The choice of Poznań as the location for our operations provided to the Western European markets of the Carlsberg Group was not accidental.

It is here that we have not only a well-developed infrastructure, but also a dynamic labour market and access to qualified, experienced staff, as well as a very vibrant academic environment with which we actively collaborate under partnership agreements.

Convenient flight connections from Poznań to Copenhagen, where our headquarters is located, as well as to key destinations in Europe and around the world is a cherry on the top.

In April 2025, we moved to a modern office in Nowy Rynek, thus confirming the Carlsberg Group’s strategy for the coming years, which focuses on strengthening the company’s position and its further development.

Our vision for the future goes far beyond the transactional activities that were the original reason for the centre’s creation. The overarching goal is to be a driving force behind the standardisation and centralisation of business processes in Western Europe. That’s why we are constantly expanding our collaboration with local markets and global functions to deliver high-quality solutions to today’s challenges and create long-term value for tomorrow.

Rainer Holler

CEO at VIER

Expert commentary

The technology company VIER has made an informed decision to open a branch in Poznań and thus expand its operations to Poland. In the capital city of Greater Poland, we find highly qualified specialists, especially in IT and artificial intelligence. The city is home to several universities and has a student population of over 100,000 — that speaks for itself!

Poznań is a renowned centre of industry, trade and scientific research, as well as an important trade fair venue. As one of the key locations on the economic map of Central and Eastern Europe, Poznań also impresses with its stable development, excellent transport links and high quality of life.

As an innovative company, we need many talented minds to help us further develop our software products, which is why Poznań is undoubtedly the place to be for us. In addition to excellent technical preparation, we were also greatly impressed by the high work ethic of the residents. We are really happy to be here and are delighted to meet our new colleagues. We feel at home here and will certainly continue to develop our Poznań branch.

Wiktor Doktór

CEO, Pro Progressio

Expert commentary

For nearly two decades, the capital city of Greater Poland has enjoyed unflagging interest among investors from various sectors, including the automotive, IT, BPO and GBS industries.

For years, Poznań has been at the forefront of cities that record an increase in the number of new investment projects every year. Poznań is trusted not only by entities from Europe, but also from other continents.

The city has an excellent academic base and a constantly developing modern office space offered to tenants both under traditional and serviced office models.

It is here, at the Poznań Trade Fair, that the most important economic and business events in Poland take place, thanks to which Poznań is constantly strengthening its positive image on the international stage.

Poznań is bustling with life, offering residents and tourists a wealth of cultural and sporting events. The city hosts well-renowned festivals such as Santander Summer Sounds, Enter Enea Festival and Rockowizna, which attract art lovers from all over the country and even from abroad. These events extend beyond music to include cinema, theatre and visual arts, creating a comprehensive and engaging experience.

Poznań is also a thriving sports centre. Football and hockey matches, as well as international tournaments and athletics competitions, are regularly held here, providing excitement for fans of various disciplines.

The city also stands out for its impressive number of green and recreational areas. Residents can enjoy the charm of the Warta River area, Cytadela Park and many other places ideal for relaxation and active leisure. In addition, an extensive network of cycling and running paths and numerous swimming pools create excellent conditions for practising sports. What is more, Poznań is home to the country’s longest and most modern racing track – Tor Poznań Główny – which is a true attraction for motorsport enthusiasts.

The city in figures*

• over 1 million of tourists.
• over 80 accommodation facilities.
• over 50 hotels.
• nearly 30 museums and art galleries.
• over 170 parks, squares and communal gardens.
• over 1,000 hectares of green areas and 2,000 hectares of forests within the city.