With a population of 631,000, Wroclaw is the fourth-largest city in Poland and the capital of the province of Lower Silesia. The broader metropolitan area has more than 1 million people, about one-third of Lower Silesia’s population.
Wroclaw is an important regional and national center for distribution and logistics. The first city in Poland to be incorporated into Europe’s motorway system, Wroclaw has a dense network of highways and freight railways that reach major cities in Poland and the rest of Europe. Nicolaus Copernicus Airport, just outside of Wroclaw, serves nearly 2 million passengers annually and has active cargo operations.
Wroclaw is one of the three biggest academic hubs in Poland. The city’s many public and private universities enroll some 130,000 students annually. Because of its skilled workforce and favorable business climate, Wroclaw is an important destination for investment. In fDi Magazine’s 2014/2015 rankings, Wroclaw ranked second among Eastern European cities.
Traditionally known for the manufacture of railroad cars, Wroclaw has succeeded in attracting investment in the high-technology sector since 1989 and today is home to such major corporations as Google, IBM, Hewlett-Packard, Microsoft, LG, Lufthansa and Siemens. Recently, the region has developed into a significant financial center. As a result of this metamorphosis, Lower Silesia enjoys one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country.
With more than 1.9 million square metres of logistics stock, Wroclaw is Poland’s fourth-largest market. Prologis has multiple industrial properties and warehouses in the Wroclaw area