Wrocław
General Information
Wrocław is the capital of Lower Silesia and the third largest city in Poland. The Wrocław Agglomeration with a population around 639 thousand inhabitants, thriving economic, technological and cultural center with a wide cultural offer. As a vibrant and colorful city which is constantly developing it is perfect not only to work in but also a great place to live in.
Wrocław represents a mixture of cultures and nationalities – 1 in 10 inhabitants is an expat. The city is inhabited by over 80,000 foreign students and employees from 120 countries.
Wrocław on the World Market
For years, Wrocław has been appreciated and distinguished in world rankings of cities as for its friendly approach to business
1st place in the Business Environment Assessment Study 2021, Antal – among the 8 largest cities in Poland, Wrocław is the most attractive place for business. The highest rated aspects are quality of life, educational and business potential.
3rd place in the European Cities & Regions of the Future 2022/23 ranking conducted by the fDi Intelligence magazine – Wrocław in its category of medium-sized cities is in the TOP 10 among 356 European countries. The highest ratings in the capital of Lower Silesia are business-friendliness, economic potential, human capital and lifestyle.
15th place in the Global Cities of the Future Financial Times 2021/22 ranking by fDi Intelligence magazine – TOP 20 cities of the future for direct investment.
Wrocław – Heart of the Region
Wrocław is one of the most advantageously located city in Poland, located in the center of Europe – 60 km from Ząbkowice Śląskie, between Prague, Warsaw and Berlin, each reachable by car in less than 4 hours. Due to to the excellent infrastructure – modern highways, a constantly developing airport and expanded railway network – the city is perfectly connected with the entire continent. The airport in Wrocław offers more than 80 destinations, there are daily flights to 6 transfer hubs from which you can get to any place on Earth.
The vicinity of border crossings as well as modern and extensive road infrastructure and public transport are important factors attracting residents and investors.
Main Players
In the case of the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship, industry is the most important factor in generating gross value added. Lower Silesia ranks fourth among voivodships in terms of the share of this type of activity in generating GDP. The main industries are automotive, electrical engineering and electromechanics, as well as the production of plastics and metal products.
Employment in the industrial sector amounted to nearly 25% of the total employment in Lower Silesia (Statistical Yearbook of the Lower Silesian Voivodeship 2021, GUS).
The largest employers include: KGHM Polska Miedź S.A., LG Energy Solution Wrocław, LG Electronics, PCC Rokita S.A., Mercedes-Benz Manufacturing Poland sp.z o.o., or Pfleiderer Group S.A and Volvo Polska in Wrocław.
Universities and higher education institutions
Wrocław is the 3rd largest academic center in Poland, thanks to which it can boast a real forge of engineering talents. Universities educate specialists in the areas of production, process, quality, R&D, maintenance, logistics, sales and many others. Engineering education is supplemented by financiers and IT graduates – engineering (27.8 thousand), finance (18.8 thousand) and IT (6.5 thousand). Wrocław’s universities offer teaching in many fields of study in English as a language of instruction.
- 111 000 students annually
- 27 000 graduates annually
- 8 000 foreign students in Wrocław
- 96% students speak English
Wrocław offers a wide range of 25 universities and higher education institutions. These institutions are represented mainly by the Wrocław University of Science and Technology – the leading technical university in Poland, the largest public university in the Dolnośląskie Voivodeship and the 5th best university in the country. The University of Economics in Wrocław, according to the report of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education for 2020, was placed first place among the most frequently chosen economic universities in Poland. The University of Wrocław is included in the TOP 10 of the best public universities in Poland in the Perspektywy 2022 Ranking of Universities.
Wrocław’s universities have a global approach to educating future employees. By cooperating with business organizations and the public sector, they give their partners the opportunity to have a real impact on the teaching process through the active participation of business representatives in the review, design and implementation of the study program. Universities flexibly respond to the market demand and launch new, tailor-made courses of study, responding to the needs of investors.
There are representatives of over 70 nationalities among foreign students. The largest group of foreigners are Ukrainians, the second largest group are Belarusians, there are more visitors from Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan. The number of Asian students who are more and more interested in studying in Poland has also increased. Polish universities pay more and more attention to the Asian market, adjusting their educational offer to non-European markets. There is also a sharp upward trend in Chinese students – currently 1492 Chinese students study in Poland, which is 233 more than a year ago.
Major universities in Wrocław
International schools and universities
Wrocław offers 7 international primary and secondary schools as well as nurseries. For the children who starts school, the city offers free preparation class. The offer is addressed to foreign-speaking children and adolescents aged 6 to 19 who do not speak Polish.
For foreign students, the city offers the Study in Wrocław program – a project of the city authorities and Wrocław universities promoting the city’s educational offer among young people from Eastern Europe and other regions. It aims to popularize higher education and the advantages of studying in Wrocław, as well as showing employment prospects, presenting the standard of living in Wrocław and providing support for new students. Coventry University the first British university opened a branch in Poland – in Wrocław. The university gives the opportunity to study in England, but also allows students to get a British diploma without leaving the borders of the Union. International University of Logistics and Transport is a non-public university educating in the field of logistics, offering dual studies. International universities work closely with business to maximize professional potential. The study material is constantly updated and adapted to current trends, methodology and software.
Wrocław The Meeting Place
Wrocław is visited by 5 million tourists every year. The city boasts a great cultural offer, timeless attractions and numerous festivals. The symbols of the city are figures of dwarfs which set numerous city routes for discovering Wrocław, and bridges of which Wrocław has over 120. The Old Town and the monuments located there, as well as Ostrów Tumski, which is the oldest part of Wrocław, perfectly harmonize with the business side of the city. For years Wrocław has been combining tradition with modernity.
The Centennial Hall is one of the most important objects in the world architecture of the 20th century. Today, extended with a congress center, it is a place of both regional and international congresses as well as fairs, sports and cultural events. In 2006 it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The Wrocław stadium, built for the European football championship in 2012, is the most modern multi-functional facility in Lower Silesia and can seat 42,771 spectators. It serves as an arena for sports and artistic performances.
Sky Tower is a residential, office, retail, service and recreational complex built in 2012. It is a modern recognizable sign of the city. It measures 212 meters and is the tallest building in the city and the third tallest in Poland.