Currently, there are 41 BPO, SSC, IT and R&D centres in the City. Nine have been created since 2016 and a conservative scenario predicts an increase to 50 centres by 2020, according to the latest ABSL report published in June. The number of jobs in the industry has increased in total by 28%, or slightly over 2.000 people, since 2016. Dynamically growing employment in the BPO/SSC sector exceeded 10.000 people, pointing more clearly to the City’s strong specialisation in the IT sector.
IT services, including research and development activities in the field of software development, constitute the most important category of services provided in Bydgoszcz centres and currently generate 86% of employment in the industry. The specialization of Bydgoszcz in the provision of teleinformation and programming services is also visible through the profile of investors, among which there are globally recognizable brands, such as Nokia, Atos, Asseco, Mobica, SDL, Cybercom or Teldat. Competences of the local staff, convenient location and an attractive investment offer of the City also encourage new companies from the IT industry to enter the Bydgoszcz market. Recently, Cognifide and Meelogic opened their branches in the City.
As the ABSL report indicates, the high potential of human capital in Bydgoszcz is one of the factors most appreciated by investors. As the largest academic centre in the Kuyavian-Pomeranian Voivodeship, Bydgoszcz offers entrepreneurs access to human resources with the right competencies. The training of appropriate personnel is also supported by the entrepreneurs themselves, especially in the most dynamic IT industry.
In parallel with the development of the BPO/SSC sector in Bydgoszcz, the supply and quality of office facilities are also changing. This is confirmed by the ABSL report, stating that approx. 30% of the office space resources in the City were commissioned in the last three years. This means that a large part of the office space in the City (a total of approx. 77.000 sq. m) is located in modern buildings. At the same time, the vacancy rate decreased, showing how absorptive the office market in Bydgoszcz is. The more efficient development of the office infrastructure in Bydgoszcz is aided by the resolution of the City Council of Bydgoszcz adopted at the beginning of 2018 on the exemption from property tax for high-quality offices in newly constructed buildings. In accordance with the ABSL report, it can be estimated that in the next two years, the supply of office space in Bydgoszcz will increase by another 30%.
Bydgoszcz has been successfully changing its image from the industrial centre to the centre of modern technologies and services. The consistently implemented strategy of the City authorities, local IT specialization as well as comprehensive support of investment processes on the part of the Bydgoszcz Regional Development Agency create a good climate for new investments as well as for the development of existing enterprises.