Lower Silesia and Bavaria recognize the need to constantly strengthen relations between our regions, because only as strong allies can we dynamically develop our economies and care for the security of this part of Europe. Cooperation between the Lower Silesian Voivodeship and the Free State of Saxony has been ongoing for years, and now its intensity will increase significantly.
- I would like to thank everyone who worked for 10 years to make the agreement signed today possible. Bavaria is the wealthiest and most powerful German state, while Lower Silesia is the fastest-developing region in Poland. We are also united by our unique geographic and geopolitical location. I am convinced that this cooperation will be fruitful and that together we will implement many ambitious projects, thanks to which our regions will achieve ambitious economic goals, as well as goals in new technologies, agriculture and culture – says Paweł Gancarz, Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
The Free State of Bavaria invests heavily, among other things, in the development of the automotive, new technology and space industries, as well as aircraft engine production. Lower Silesian companies are also increasingly developing in these areas. Modern drones and space probes are produced in our region, and major investments, such as Intel, are also located here. Bavaria is home to 500 medical technology companies with a combined turnover of approximately ten billion euros. Poland is the largest medical device market in Central and Eastern Europe, currently estimated at €10 billion, with projected growth to €12.5 billion in 2024.
- It looks as though we are a good match, because on the one hand Lower Silesia is one of Poland’s strongest economically, while on the other hand we are Germany’s strongest region. Within the federation, we are a free state that invests in new technologies, the aviation and space industries, and artificial intelligence. The Lower Silesian economy is similar. I am very pleased that Polish-German relations have become easier in recent years. We are deeply impressed by Poland’s support for Ukraine, by the way Poles provided first aid to refugees, and also by how the country is dealing with defence. Germany can learn from Poland in this regard – says Markus Söder, Minister-President of the Free State of Bavaria.
The purpose of this joint declaration on cooperation is to deepen, promote and strengthen cooperation between the two regions. It will be implemented through programmes and projects, joint initiatives and the exchange of experience.
- Broad cooperation between Lower Silesia and Bavaria will certainly accelerate the development of both our regions even further. We see enormous potential among Lower Silesian entrepreneurs who are seeking new partners and customers from Europe and around the world. In the region, we are running the “Going Global” economic project, under which representatives of regional companies take part in international trade fairs and events. There they meet business partners and new foreign customers. Many contracts have been signed as a result of these meetings. I am convinced that, by strengthening cooperation with Bavaria, our entrepreneurs will also find opportunities there to develop their companies and, consequently, Lower Silesia – says Michał Rado, Deputy Marshal of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship.
The declaration on cooperation signed in Munich is the result of 10 years of work by Lower Silesian and Bavarian local government officials. On our side, the steps toward reaching the agreement were initiated by the then marshal and current deputy chair of the Lower Silesian regional assembly, Cezary Przybylski.
- I would like to extend my deepest thanks to everyone who worked with me, as well as in recent months, to make this agreement possible. They included councillors from the two previous terms of the regional assembly and their Bavarian counterparts. For years, we have understood that strengthening economic, agricultural, cultural and tourism cooperation with our neighbours is very important and beneficial. Lower Silesia is developing exceptionally dynamically on a European scale, and we want to maintain this trend. Cooperation with Bavaria will certainly contribute to that – says Cezary Przybylski, Deputy Chair of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Assembly.
The agreement between Lower Silesia and Bavaria primarily concerns the following areas:
- Science and higher education, research and scientific cooperation,
- Industry and energy, with particular emphasis on renewable energy sources,
- Healthcare,
- Connectivity: digitalization and cybersecurity, electronic communications, transport, infrastructure and aerospace technologies,
- Investment and trade,
- Start-ups,
- The automotive industry,
- Education, social affairs and youth exchanges,
- Culture and tourism,
- Agriculture and the food industry.
This opens up opportunities not only for entrepreneurs, but also for schools and higher education institutions, medical units and non-governmental organizations. The fact that such cooperation is necessary and beneficial is confirmed by the successes achieved through our region’s partnerships with other German states. New opportunities are now opening up before us.
- Lower Silesia has cooperated for years with Saxony, Lower Saxony and Brandenburg. Bavaria, meanwhile, is Germany’s fastest-developing region. The headquarters of global corporations and companies operating on international markets are located here. By leveraging these relations, Lower Silesia will learn how to cooperate with major corporations that, like Intel, invest in Lower Silesia. We, as local government officials and the regional business community, will follow Bavaria’s example when it comes to building relationships, defining areas of cooperation and working with these powerhouses of the global economy – says Marek Łapiński, Deputy Chair of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship Assembly.
The signing of the joint declaration on cooperation between two of Europe’s fastest-developing regions—Lower Silesia and the Free State of Bavaria—is an important step concerning the future of both our regions. Working together and developing also strengthen residents’ sense of security and shape our position on the international market.
- We are talking here about very broad cooperation in almost every field, because our regions have undergone major change. After the Second World War, from areas that were primarily agricultural and tourist in character, we increasingly shifted our focus toward the economy, industry, advanced technologies and artificial intelligence. This was repeatedly emphasized in the discussions. Lower Silesian entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to learn about the latest technologies and present their own solutions that are already operating in our region. This is a partnership agreement, and both sides will truly be able to benefit greatly from it – says Hubert Papaj, President of the Karkonosze Regional Development Agency.
With its stable economic situation, proximity to customers and well-developed infrastructure, Bavaria is gaining importance as an attractive location for Polish companies. To date, around 30 of them have opened a subsidiary or production plant in Bavaria, including such well-known brands as Comarch Software, EO Network, CAO Central Allocation Office and MATPLAST. Trade turnover with Poland amounted to €25 billion in 2023, of which Polish imports from Bavaria accounted for €10.9 billion and our exports for €14.1 billion. Poland ranks fifth in Bavaria’s foreign trade turnover and is therefore one of the state’s most important trading partners. More than 2,500 Bavarian companies maintain trade relations with Poland. Around 270 companies have branches here, 480 have representative offices and almost 70 have their own production plants. Companies from Lower Silesia will now have even better investment opportunities.
- People from Lower Silesia are highly entrepreneurial; the region is home to many companies and businesses that develop and modernize their operations year after year. I am convinced that our entrepreneurs will find excellent business partners among Bavarian companies, as well as customers who will benefit from the modern solutions they offer. We will support them in this effort because we want to build even greater potential for Lower Silesian companies – says Adam Mazur, President of the Lower Silesian Agency for Economic Cooperation.
The Lower Silesian delegation’s visit to Bavaria was also attended by regional entrepreneurs representing companies working in modern technologies, the space, drone and aviation industries, as well as industrial engineering. They had the opportunity to meet representatives of the Federation of Bavarian Industries, IABG (integrated, innovative solutions in sectors including automotive, mobility and energy, aviation and aerospace), and IBM Innovation Studio München. These meetings provided opportunities to get to know one another, as well as each other’s needs and expectations.
- This cooperation gives our company the opportunity to acquire potential contractors from the space industry who may be interested in purchasing optical systems for Earth observation or for other activities in space. Moreover, such trade missions provide us with knowledge about new companies specializing in the production of high-quality components necessary for building space telescopes. In such a case, we become a potential purchaser of these products. The visit is also a good opportunity to deepen cooperation with Lower Silesian local government bodies and establish contact with the Bavarian authorities – says Paweł Snopek from the Wrocław-based company Scanway, which produces, among other things, space telescopes designed for Earth observation.
- I hope that this cooperation will enable us to establish many business relationships with both private companies and public entities. We would like to connect our company with the German market, which may enable us to expand into that area – adds Miłosz Małachowski from the Wrocław-based company FourPoint, which manufactures industrial machinery.
After the meetings, Lower Silesian entrepreneurs emphasized that many concrete matters had been discussed and that both sides were willing to continue talks and develop mutual benefits.
- We belong to the European Union, and, for example, aviation law is the same everywhere. If, as two countries and regions, we can jointly develop solutions that will benefit our companies in Lower Silesia and Bavaria, then we absolutely must do so together. Here we see very strong support, as well as economic and human capital – says Kacper Budnik, CEO of BZB UAS, a Wrocław-based company producing drones.
The Lower Silesian delegation invited its Bavarian partners to visit our region. They announced that they would soon come to Wrocław. This will be an excellent opportunity to present other advantages of Lower Silesia and establish further business contacts.