Bartosz Siepracki of Enterprise Ireland’s Warsaw office describes why Polish and Irish companies make great partners.
With more than 122,000 Polish people living in the Republic of Ireland, the largest group of non-nationals resident in the country is no longer the British but the Poles. Although Ireland has two official languages, English and Irish or ‘Gaeilge’, more of the country’s population now speak Polszczyzna than speak Irish.
Commercially, the value of trade between the two countries is more than €3.4bln. Poland is Ireland’s 15th largest overseas market, accounting for more than €2bln in exports.
Irish Advantage for Polish partners
The value of this trade continues to grow rapidly because there are many good reasons for the two countries to do business together. Polish businesses will be assured of Ireland’s success in international benchmarks, with Irish SMEs ranked first for innovation, first for flexibility and third for supply chain resilience in the EU.
While Ireland remains very committed to the European Union, its economy is more open than some European neighbours. For decades, the world’s largest IT and pharmaceutical companies have located significant facilities in the country. The presence of these companies in the ecosystem enabled Irish suppliers of products and services to gain significant experience in providing world-class levels of quality assurance.
Ireland has also proven very successful in forging collaborative links between business and third-level institutions, rating in the top ten for scientific research. The areas in which it has performed particularly well for R&D are: #1 Nanotechnology, #2 Animal and Dairy, #3 Chemistry, #3 Immunology, #3 Materials Sciences, #3 Agricultural Sciences and #4 Mathematics.
The areas of innovation in which Irish companies are succeeding in are well suited to Polish interests, particularly in developing sectors such as business process outsourcing (BPO). Both Dublin and Krakow are recognised as BPO hubs, with Krakow ranked eighth in the world and Dublin ranked seventh. In Poland, the number of people employed in the sector is at 240,000, in Ireland it is about 10,000. While Poland has scale, the sector in Ireland is more advanced in terms of technology and expertise, creating good opportunities for synergy.
With Ireland listed in the top ten ‘most reputable’ countries to do business, business ethics and transparency are valued and contracts are straightforward. That said, Irish business culture is not legalistic, and its people are known for their flexibility. While companies in some countries might insist on sticking to a standard contract for example, those from Ireland are usually prepared to compromise and negotiate, always looking for a win-win situation. While Irish companies generally don’t do a hard sell, they excel at creating and developing long-term relationships that are built on trust. Irish companies want you to enjoy doing business with them.
When Poland joined the EU in 2004, Ireland was one of the first countries to allow Polish immigration. As a result, you will find Polish people working in all kinds of Irish companies in all kinds of roles, marketing, accounts and production. As a result, any communication issues between Polish and Irish partners are easily overcome.
To source a partner that will deliver on their promise and that you will enjoy doing business with, choose an Irish company to assist your operations in Poland.
To learn more about how about Irish firms can help your business, contact Bartosz Siepracki at Enterprise Ireland’s Warsaw Office on + 22-583-1201.
