In an interview with “FT”, prof. Simon Stockley from the University of Cambridge, co-founder of the consortium supporting entrepreneurship in Silesianoticed that the city has great potential thanks to talented employees. In his opinion, Katowice has achieved impressive success during the transformation period, although the future of the latest projects still remains an open question.
The British daily reminds that only one of seven hard coal mines is currently operating in Katowice. The reconstruction of the mining areas brought new life to the city – shopping centers, a museum, a concert hall and a complex of residential and office skyscrapers were built in place of the former industrial buildings. In the latest phase of transformation, the city is implementing a project worth EUR 233 million, which is to transform the century-old buildings of an abandoned coal mine into a center for the development of technology and computer games. The initiative is financed both from city funds and EU funds.
Prof. Marcin Piątkowski from the Kozminski University compared Katowice to the American Pittsburgh, which also followed a similar path from heavy industry to new branches of the economy. He noted that the city has become an example of a successful transformation that has contributed to improving the quality of life of its residents.
The rest of the article below the video:
However, as noted by prof. Stockley, the success of the transformation depends on the availability of talented entrepreneurs and innovators. – You can build all the wonderful centers and incubators of entrepreneurship, but if they do not include talented entrepreneurs and innovators, it will be a complete waste of money – said the expert in an interview with “FT”. He also emphasized that although Katowice has great potential, it is not known whether the latest project will attract highly qualified workers from abroad.
The Financial Times also drew attention to the political aspects of the city's functioning. Katowice stands out from the rest of the country in that for years it has elected city mayors who are not affiliated with either of the two large national parties that dominate Polish politics. The British daily described the city as “politically unusual.”
