The Świętokrzyskie Province is situated in the south-east part of central Poland. The region is located at the crossroads of major transport routes. It borders on six Provinces: Mazowieckie, Lubelskie, Podkarpackie, Małopolskie, Śląskie and Łódzkie. It is one of the smallest Provinces in the country, and it covers the area of 11 710 sq. km, which accounts for 3.7% of the area of Poland. It is ranked the fifteenth Province in Poland in terms of its size. The population is 1 223 961 people (approx. 3.2% of Polish population). There are approx. 105 inhabitants per 1 sq. km, compared with the national average of 123 people per 1 sq. km, and the unemployment rate is 8%.
The Świętokrzyskie Province neighbours the largest Polish agglomerations: Warsaw, Kraków, Katowice, Lublin and Łódź. The natural resources of the land allow the production of cement and gypsum, and the products of local gypsum industry and cement plants are well-known both on the domestic and the international markets. The largest construction industry companies in Poland are based here. The business hallmark of the Province is Targi Kielce (Kielce Trade Fairs), the second largest expo centre in Poland, situated at the junction of major domestic and international roads. It is one of the least polluted areas in Poland.
The assets of the Province
- numerous highly-qualified staff for heavy industry and other sectors;
- developed business infrastructure, including financial institutions, in Kielce and in other towns of the region;
- developed educational base – 10 higher-education institutions with 20 155 students;
- huge potential for the growth of the food production industry;
- rich mineral resources used for the manufacture of building materials;
- rich resource of therapeutic mineral waters;
- and extensive base of healthcare facilities, health resorts, tourist resorts and private accommodation.
- successive upgrade of the road network (S7 road, and national roads 74 and 73) and a base of available investment areas;
- labour costs being relatively lower in relation to the other regions of the country.
The industry of the Świętokrzyskie Province was shaped in close relation to the resources of stone, chemical, and energy materials, as well as long-standing traditions related to the production and processing of metals. Vast deposits of various minerals have constituted a base for the development of the manufacture of building materials. The Kielce area and in the south-west part of the Province are characterised by the concentration of mineral mining industry and stone material processing plants, including limestone (for the cement industry), and the limestone processing industry.
The metallurgy, machine and precision industries are also representative of the region, including the manufacture of casts, pipes, fittings, rolling bearings, and central heating boilers.
Steel and steel mill products are also manufactured in the Province (ironworks in Ostrowiec Świętokrzyski).
The food industry also plays a significant role here – it accounts for approximately 16.1% of the Province’s marketed production. The sector is dominated by medium-sized and large private enterprises. The most rapidly developing sectors include the meat, milk, milling, confectionery and fruit and vegetable industries. One of the largest conventional block power plants in the country is located in Połaniec (use of biomass).
High potential sectors:
Metal industry
- the industrial traditions of the region;
- The Świętokrzyskie Casting Cooperation Region;
- potential business partners and sub-suppliers representing the metal industry;
- a network of technical schools of a proper profile, for example: Kielce University of Technology (mechanical engineering and machine construction, automation and robotics, and electrical engineering), secondary technical schools.
Construction industry
- major construction companies in Poland
- the largest foreign investors in the region include companies from the UK, France, Germany, Japan, Belgium and the USA;
- well-prepared and highly qualified staff;
- an extensive network of subcontractors and suppliers of finishing materials;
- an extensive network of technical schools: Kielce University of Technology; course programmes (civil engineering, electrical engineering), secondary technical schools of civil engineering with numerous specialities, post-secondary construction schools;
- the presence of multinational companies operating in the industry.
Healthcare – heath resort – physical therapy sector
- areas of unique natural resources; legally protected areas comprise 66% of the total area of the Province;
- Świętokrzyski National Park and numerous landscape parks, huge forest complexes, attractive water bodies, good condition of the natural environment;
- rich mineral water deposits: the Province is ranked third in Poland in terms of mineral water deposits, mainly waters with sulphide and bromide content.
- the vicinity of other large agglomerations: Kraków, Katowice, Warsaw, Łódź, easy access to the region for potential tourists;
- extensive sanatorium base with a comprehensive healthcare profile: health resort and physical therapy services;
- the most popular health resorts are Busko-Zdrój, and Solec-Zdrój;
- a total of 12 sanatoria and 4 sanatorium hospitals are located in Busko Zdrój and Solec Zdrój;
- natural environment contributing to the development of health resort facilities, well-trained and highly qualified medical staff.