Specialization II: Health and quality of life

Smart specialization - Innovative industry is a specialization built on the basis of the specificity of a region characterized by a strong presence of traditional sectors of the economy, i.e. metal, automotive, wood, furniture and paper industries. These are traditional industries where an increase in employment and production volume is observed in the voivodship, but with the use of new technologies. In these sectors, in addition to large companies operating e.g. in the K-S SEZ, there are also small and medium-sized enterprises that have the appropriate knowledge and needs to use new technologies. These enterprises, due to their long-standing regional traditions, have become a permanent fixture in the industry landscape of the region and constitute one of the most important sectors of the economy of the Lubuskie Voivodeship.

This specialization covers development in the area of innovative (modern) traditional industries generated on the basis of:

automotive industry - identified as the current key industry for the Lubuskie Voivodeship. The automotive industry has for years been playing an important role in the Polish economy, both in terms of gross value added, investments and available jobs, or the income of the population. The automotive industry is a large sector for which there are also numerous industry-related complementary sectors, including: financial and business services related to the sale and maintenance of vehicles, road transport, production and sale of automotive fuels, and road construction. Sectors related to the automotive industry include, for example: banking activities related to granting car loans; leasing services relating to the purchase of motor vehicles; insurance activities related to motor insurance or road transport.

The automotive industry in the Lubuskie Voivodeship is represented, among others, by foreign investors operating in the region, including: BCC Polska (location - Nowa Sól, country of origin of the capital - France), Jost (location - Nowa Sól, country of origin of the capital - Germany), Gedia Poland Assembly (location Nowa Sól, country of origin capital - Germany), Alumetal Poland (a Polish company with its registered office in Nowa Sól, which was established on December 2, 2013 of Alumetal Nowa Sól and Alumetal Gorzyce - Podkarpackie Voivodeship); Faurecia Gorzów Sp. z o.o. (location - Gorzów Wlkp., country of origin of the capital - France); Volkswagen Poznań S.A. (location - Gorzów Wlkp., country of origin of the capital - Germany)
metal industry including enterprises dealing with the production of machines, devices, assemblies and metal parts as well as welded structures and products - the area identified as the current key industry for the Lubuskie Voivodeship. The metal industry is a very large sector concentrated in many European cities and regions, dominated by small and medium-sized enterprises acting as sub-suppliers to various industries, such as the automotive, aviation, machinery, transport, construction and energy industries. The development of this sector in Poland is significantly influenced by the investments of international concerns operating within the machinery sub-sector, including companies such as: BSH (Bosh), Samsung, LG, Electrolux, Timken, Alstom. According to the data of the Central Statistical Office of Poland, in 2013 there were about 69,000 registered offices in Poland. enterprises of the metal industry, of which over 1700 enterprises operated in the Lubuskie Voivodeship, and in the last 4 years there has been an increase in the number of registered business entities in this area. The metal industry in the Lubuskie Voivodeship is represented, among others, by: FMD "GOMAD" Sp. z o.o., AE Group Polska, Gotech, Holding - ZREMB Gorzów S.A.
the wood, furniture and paper industries - which are important industries in the Lubuskie Voivodeship. The wood industry and furniture production are industries that in the past were classified as well-developed industries in the Lubuskie Voivodeship. Recently, the economic potential of this area in the region has slightly decreased. However, this industry should be treated as important due to the balancing of the development of the region - rural and urban areas, and in particular employment of inhabitants of smaller towns and villages. According to the data of the Central Statistical Office of Poland (GUS), in 2013 there were registered in Poland: over 36 thousand enterprises from the industry producing wood and cork products, of which 1.2 thous. enterprises, approx. 5.6 thous. enterprises in the production of paper products and paper products, of which 119 enterprises, over 27.3 thousand enterprises from the furniture production industry, of which over 663 enterprises operated in the Lubuskie voivodship. These sectors in Lubuskie are represented, for example, by: Lamix in Witnica, Hanke Tissue and Arctic Paper in Kostrzyn, Lubuskie Fabryki Mebli S. A. in Świebodzin, JARMEL Fabryka Mebli in Zielona Góra,
mining industry - potential identified as a strategic area for the Lubuskie Voivodeship, offering a chance for future development; Deposits of raw materials, especially lignite, are located in the vicinity of the communes of Gubin, Lubsko and Brody. In addition to the planned extraction of this raw material, the construction of a power plant using the extracted coal is also planned. "The protection of deposits of a strategic nature (...) is one of the elements of increasing the country's energy security, included in the National Spatial Development Concept 2030". KPZK 2030 also envisages the construction of a power plant in the vicinity of Gubin with a capacity of over 800 MW.

Potential of the area of specialization:

The innovative (modern) traditional industry as an intelligent specialization of the Lubuskie Voivodeship finds its roots in the development potentials identified in the research. The potential of this area of specialization is created now or will be created in the future by:

enterprises of the automotive sector, mainly enterprises supporting this sector, within which the highest level of employment was identified in the Lubuskie Voivodeship;
enterprises of the metal sector, the presence and development of which in the Lubuskie Voivodeship is conditioned by the long-standing traditions of the region. In the Lubuskie Voivodeship, the metal industry has always been an important part of the economic potential, and its current potential is still significant;
enterprises of the wood, furniture and paper sectors, also with significant employment potential, similarly to the previous two industries identified as key areas of economic specialization in the voivodeship, mining sector enterprises constituting a strategic area for the Lubuskie voivodeship with a large development potential in the future;
the natural potential of the region - Lubuskie is a region with significant natural values, but so far little exposed and used; the dormant potential of the region, which, however, proves the specificity and perception of the voivodeship as a forested region, somewhat predestined for the development of production in the area of, for example, paper production;
developing clusters, e.g. Lubuski Metal Cluster in Gorzów Wlkp. - so far the only cluster qualified for PARP research - Cluster Benchmarking in Poland, profile of universities in Lubuskie - potential for future development based on e.g. University of Zielona Góra and PWZ in Gorzów Wlkp.

Justification of the choice:

Compliance of the proposed area of smart specialization with the identified potentials of the region and priority development directions in Poland and in the world;
the potential of the automotive sector companies that operate intensively, e.g. in the K-SSEZ;
the potential of companies from the metal sector - an industry with long traditions of operation in the Lubuskie Voivodeship;
the potential of companies in the wood, furniture and paper sectors, which, considered together, have a significant employment potential in the region;
the natural potential of the Lubuskie Voivodeship for development in the area of, for example, the wood or paper industry;
compliance of the proposed area of specialization with the tendencies observed in highly developed countries to strengthen the position and importance of small and medium-sized enterprises, particularly important, e.g. in the case of the metal industry;
dynamically growing demand for innovative products and services in the proposed area all over the world - great development potential of individual sectors of the specialization area;
close connection of the proposed area of specialization with the Green Economy specialization, enabling the creation of value chains and generating added value between these specializations, e.g. the metal industry may be an important link in the value chain in relation to such industries as agriculture, environmental technologies, and waste management;
developing institutional facilities supporting this industry, e.g. for the metal industry - University of Zielona Góra and PWSZ in Gorzów Wlkp.

Expected economic effects:

development of companies in the area of specialization;
creation of new innovative technology and service companies, also on the basis of small and medium-sized enterprises with long traditions of functioning in the voivodeship;
increasing the effectiveness and efficiency of companies in the area of specialization, also by increasing exports and imports of new innovative solutions;
focusing development on domestic and foreign recipients; growing importance of the position of local enterprises;
strengthening the scientific and research and development potential in the area of specialization;
new links within the specialization, e.g. cooperation of the metal sector with all indicated industries;
development of cooperation between the spheres of science, research and development and the enterprise sector;

Planned innovative effects:

acceptance of pro-innovative attitudes, increased interest in the sale of new or significantly improved products / services introduced to the market, new solutions both in the field of medical technologies and services, and in relation to companies from the agri-food sector and companies supporting the development of specialization, especially in the field of information technology;
growing share of companies from the Lubuskie Voivodeship in the group of leaders on both local and regional and foreign markets;
increase in the level of technological advancement of the surveyed companies;
increase in the level of involvement in international activities;
increased interest in cooperation between companies in the area of specialization and the sphere of science and business environment institutions.