Małopolska Region, together with the historical capital of Poland - Krakow, is one of the most recognizable regions in Europe. Unusual landscapes, unique nature, an impressive number of monuments, including 14 inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List and a unique atmosphere - all this means that every year our region is visited by several million tourists from Poland and around the world. In addition, Małopolska Region is undoubtedly one of the most dynamically developing regions on the economic map of Poland and Europe. The strong position of our region is demonstrated by the dynamically operating companies in our region, recognized not only in the country but also abroad. It is not without reason that Małopolska is one of the leading destinations chosen for the organization of business and economic meetings, which only confirms the thesis that it is a perfect place for business development. Małopolska Region is also characterized by the large scientific and research potential of Małopolska universities and research centres. Every year, about 150,000 young people study at universities in Małopolska; research works are carried out in several hundred research and development institutions, in domestic and foreign enterprises.

Trends nad growth of export in Małopolska Region:

Export is a very important element of the Małopolska Region economy, and its volume and significance is increasing year on year. This is evidenced by a significant increase in the value of exports in 2017 as compared to 2016 by 8.2%, which constitutes 4.7% of the value of exports of the whole country. According to data for 2017, the value of goods and services exported from the region amounted to EUR 9.56 billion (6th place in the country). The total number of enterprises actively engaged in exporting from Małopolska Region in 2017 exceeded 3.8 thousand (an increase by 6.8% compared to 2016 and the 4th place in Poland). The most important areas of economic activity in the region according to PKD, in terms of export value in 2017, are: industrial processing - EUR 7.68 billion; wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles, including motorcycles - EUR 1.46 billion; information and communication - EUR 131.50 million. In terms of the structure of the value of export products according to the Combined Nomenclature (CN - Combined Nomenclature), the most important sections are: machinery and equipment, electrical and electronic equipment - EUR 2.52 billion (26.4%), base metals and products - EUR 1.44 billion (15%), transport equipment - EUR 1.35 billion (14.2%), and plastics and products - EUR 1.09 billion (11.4%).

Higher education in Małopolska Region:

The Małopolska Region is the second largest academic centre in Poland in terms of the number of students (second to the Mazowieckie Region). In the 2018/2019 academic year, 150.1 thousand people (including 8.5 thousand foreigners) studied here, including 2.6 thousand in 10 branch organisational units of 7 higher education institutions from other regions. The number of students decreased by 7.6 thousand (by 4.8%) when compared to the previous year.

If You want to know more about the market od modern technologies in Małopolska Region, read: New technologies, computer science, innovations in our publications section.

Publication has been prepared as part of the implementation of the „Power up Your Business in Małopolska 2” project, sub-measure 3.3.1 of the Regional Operational Program of the Malopolska Region for the years 2014-2020.