This year’s fourth edition of the two-day Forum takes place one year after the actual exit of the United Kingdom from the European Union. Brexit has started a new chapter in Polish-British relations, also in the economic sphere.

For many years, the United Kingdom has been one of our most important trading partners in Europe. In 2021, our trade amounted to more than EUR 19 billion. The United Kingdom is also one of the largest foreign investors in Poland. Almost one and a half thousand British companies have already invested more than EUR 7 billion in our country

– said the Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Grzegorz Piechowiak.

We are also glad with the growing number of Polish companies investing in the United Kingdom. I am convinced that our good bilateral cooperation, also in the economic aspect, will be continued

– added the Deputy Head of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology.

During the Polish-British Business Forum, companies from both countries can become familiar with the state-of-the-art solutions in the field of green technologies and with available instruments to support innovation. The two-day meeting, which is held in a hybrid form – in Warsaw and online, is also an opportunity for entrepreneurs to improve their knowledge about investment opportunities in Poland and the United Kingdom.

Polish-British economic relations

The United Kingdom is ranked 4th among the largest exporters of Polish goods; right after Germany, the Czech Republic and France, as well as it occupies the 16th place in import. In 2021, in Polish export to the United Kingdom, the highest growth rate was recorded by mineral products (+59%), wood and paper industry products (+18%), miscellaneous products (+15%) and electromechanical industry products (+11%). This also applied to metallurgical products (+10%) and the chemical industry (+2%).

In 2020, about 6.4 thousand companies from Poland were involved in the sale of goods to the United Kingdom, i.e. 760 more than in 2016.

Currently, the United Kingdom is ranked 9th among the largest foreign investors in Poland, and British investments account for 3.5% of the total value of capital invested in our country. At the end of 2020, in Poland there were 1,373 entities with British capital, of which 790 employed up to 9 people. British investments in Poland are located primarily in industrial processing (42% in 2020) and in trade and repair of motor vehicles (28%). The majority, i.e. as many as half of entities with British capital, were registered in the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, 13% in the Wielkopolskie Voivodeship, and 7% in the Śląskie Voivodeship. The United Kingdom is also the 6th largest recipient of Polish investments (share of 5%).