Brighter prospects for CEE manufacturing

The automotive industry appears to have been one of the key drivers of this growth, with LG Chem locating a EUR 300 mln factory in Biskupice Podgórne near Wrocław, Daimler setting its engine factory in Jaworzno (also near Wrocław), and Toyota deciding to build an automatic gearbox factory in Wałbrzych. In October last year, Volkswagen also opened an EUR 800 mln delivery truck factory. “Over the last few years we have witnessed major automotive parts suppliers increase their volumes, footprints and capacities, and also relocate production functions from Western Europe to Poland. The latter has also brought with it new technological advancements and innovations, a trend we expect to continue in the coming years,” says Tom Listowski, a partner and head of the industrial and logistics agency at Cushman and Wakefield in Poland and the CEE region. As he points out, the investment coming from original equipment manufacturers is leading to a heavy influx of other automotive par