Katowice’s game-changing regeneration plans

In April 2024, Marcin Krupa was re-elected to his third term as mayor of Katowice, located in Poland’s Silesian region. The city is often cited as an example of post-industrial revitalisation, having successfully transitioned from a heavy reliance on coal and steel industries to a diversified economy centred on services, technology and culture.

Now settled into his new term of office, the mayor spoke with Real FDI about the next stage of evolution for the city, his most pressing priorities and the sectors foreign investors should take notice of.

What are your priorities for your new term in office?

Before each term, I sign a ‘contract’ with the residents of Katowice, outlining my plans and ambitions for the next five years. Being elected for a third term signifies that the community approves of my actions.

We cannot develop and grow without investment – whether that is in infrastructure, culture, sports, or people. Investing in quality of life makes our city an attractive place to live, work, and study.

In the coming years, I will focus on several key projects, with the municipal stadium and the Katowice Gaming and Technology Hub being among the most significant.

What challenges is the city facing and how do you intend to overcome them?

Like many Polish cities, we closely monitor trends and changes in the business services sector. Remote working has impacted the labour market, making companies more cautious about renting new spaces. Rising labour costs in Poland have also led some investors to reconsider their location choices.

While other cities have seen businesses abruptly shut down, raising concerns about the future of the IT sector, Katowice has fortunately avoided significant layoffs. Our favourable local environment encourages businesses to thrive, which motivates us to continue investing in infrastructure, quality of life, and revitalisation projects. These efforts create new jobs, spaces, and enhance the quality of life for our community and companies.

Katowice has been through a remarkable post-industrial transition in recent years. What lessons could other cities learn?

We have revitalised and preserved several facilities that were once part of the mining industry, honouring our heritage while giving it a new lease on life. It’s easy to lose your identity in the pursuit of modernity, but forgetting your roots can be detrimental. Our local culture is deeply ingrained in our lives, and we are proud of our identity.

Our first major project was the restoration of the Gottwald coal mine, now the Silesia City Center shopping mall with its iconic mine shaft. This successful revitalisation paved the way for further developments, such as transforming the Katowice mine into the Silesian Museum and repurposing its underground corridors into exhibition spaces.

Currently, we are restoring another coal mine, Wieczorek, to convert it into the Katowice Gaming and Technology Hub.

What are the priority projects the city is focused on from an urban revitalisation perspective?

Our main infrastructural goal is the creation of the Katowice Gaming and Technology Hub, which involves restoring the Wieczorek coal mine facilities. This recent initiative is focused not only on physical, post-industrial area transformation, it is being leveraged and led by global corporate, technology-driven representatives. These will create values through interdisciplinary platforms building between global technological business, universities, startups and the regional IT community.

This centre will deliver unique a space for games creation and development and will include virtual reality R&D laboratories, recording and TV production studios, and training facilities as well as hosting e-sport competitions. It will help leverage the reskilling and gamification of work and foster interaction on cutting-edge technologies knowledge exchange between the academic and business environments. 

The solid vision and development strategy, combined with modern space, would attract technological companies to help create a strong community. We have already secured nearly €100 million of European funds for the first stage, and this value will double with additional funds from Katowice.

This project will preserve the unique character of the historical Nikiszowiec district, which is home to the mining community and part of the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH). We aim to bring this heritage back to the residents and showcase the hidden treasures of our city.

What sectors are you focused on for attracting FDI?

Katowice hosts more than 100 R&D,  shared service centre/global business services/business process outsourcing companies, and the aim is to further develop the technology environment focusing on the digital , artificial intelligence and gaming industry.

Hosting the Intel Extreme Masters event for the past 12 years has naturally drawn the gaming industry’s attention to our city. We already have several major and minor companies from this sector, and anticipate growth following the opening of the Hub. With AI and other technologies making headlines worldwide, companies are investing in innovative solutions, and we hope the Hub will position Katowice as a key player in this technological race.