Investment Competitiveness of Poland: Attractiveness, FDI and Global Value Chains

Abstract

This monograph analyses Poland’s investment competitiveness within the evolving global economy, emphasising foreign direct investment (FDI), global value chains (GVCs) and the dual green-digital transition. It combines theoretical, empirical and policy-oriented analyses to explain how Poland has leveraged foreign investment to accelerate economic development, deepen its integration into international production networks and move from a predominantly cost-based model towards a more capability- and innovation-driven pattern of growth. Moving beyond narrow cost-based views, the monograph introduces the concept of investment competitiveness as a country’s ability not only to attract capital but also to embed it productively, diffuse technology and skills, and upgrade its role in international production networks. Through this lens, the volume evaluates how Poland has combined robust GDP growth, improving labour market conditions and macroeconomic stability with persistent structural weaknesses in innovation, institutions and high-technology upgrading. Drawing on high-quality international and national data, the chapters analyse long-term trends in inward and outward FDI, the changing sectoral and geographic structure of capital flows, and Poland’s deepening integration into GVCs compared with other Visegrad economies and key EU partners. Special attention is devoted to the real scale of the American investment footprint in Poland, including its contribution to assets, employment and technological modernisation. Looking ahead, the book explores how competition for capital is shifting towards data-driven, knowledge-intensive and intangible-rich activities embedded in innovative regional ecosystems. It identifies both the risks of remaining locked into medium-technology, assembly-type roles and the opportunities for Poland to position itself as a regional hub for high-value green, digital and dual-use investments. By integrating conceptual, empirical and policy-oriented perspectives, this volume provides an essential guide for policymakers, scholars, investors and practitioners interested in understanding and shaping Poland’s evolving place in the global economy.