2026-06-03-莱坊-Katowice_city_attractiveness_and_office_market_Q1_2026_8页_871kb

Summary of Katowice and Poland's Office Market in Q1 2026

Core Content

Katowice, located in southern Poland, is a significant city in terms of size, population, and economic activity. It is recognized as one of the most attractive cities for investment in Poland, with a strong focus on sustainability, education, and innovation.

City Overview

• City Area: 164.7 sq km
• Population: 277,900 (2025) and 2,113,023 (GZM, 2024)
• Population Forecast (2030): 261,050
• Unemployment Rate (Q2 2026): 1.7%
• GDP Growth: 3.6%
• GDP per Capita: PLN 97,509
• Average Salary (Gross): PLN 11,773.84 (Business Sector)

Investment Attractiveness

• Rankings:

  • 5th in Poland's office market
  • 1st in the "school" category of the "Polish Cities of the Future 2050" ranking
  • Recognized as "European City of Science" 2024 by EuroScience Association
  • Silver Award at LivCom Awards 2024 for Technology and Solution Project

• Investment Incentives:

  • Investors Assistance Department in Katowice City Hall supports various sectors including business services, residential, and SMEs
  • Offers tailored services such as market analysis, image-building, and coordination with universities
  • Katowice Special Economic Zone is among the best in Europe and the world, providing income tax exemptions

Quality of Life

• Rankings:

  • Best city to live in Poland (Business Insider)
  • Most ecological Polish city (Europolis, Schuman Foundation)
  • Top municipal investment of the decade (Culture Zone, Portal Samorządowy)
  • Among cities with over 100,000 residents in "Perły Samorządu 2025" and "Newsweek" rankings

• Quality of Life Indicators:

  • Implements 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals
  • 43 electric buses, 22 hybrid buses, and 8 CNG buses
  • 197 EV charging points
  • 157,000 registered Katowice Resident Cards
  • Participatory Budgeting: over PLN 20m, including PLN 3m for the Green Budget

Office Market in Katowice

• Total Office Stock: Over 742,000 sq m

• Supply Under Construction: 30,000 sq m

• Vacancy Rate (Q1 2026): 22.1% (up 0.5 pp quarter-on-quarter)

• Take-up (Q1 2026): 10,300 sq m (down 54% quarter-on-quarter and 44% year-on-year)

• Lease Structure:

  • New leases: 70%
  • Renegotiations: 18%
  • Expansions: 12%

• Standard Lease Terms:

  • Service charge: PLN 14.00–26.00 per sq m per month
  • Rent-free period: 1–1.5 months per contract year
  • Fit-out budget: EUR 350.00–500.00 per sq m

Office Market Trends in Poland

• Office Market Size:

  • Katowice: 742,000 sq m (22.1% of total Polish supply)
  • Other major cities: Szczecin (7.9%), Poznań (13.8%), Wrocław (21.9%), Kraków (18.4%), Warsaw (9.5%), Łódź (19.6%)

• Investment Trends:

  • Poland is reasserting itself as a top investment destination in Central and Eastern Europe
  • Investment projects are growing in scale, with some involving several hundred to thousands of employees
  • Business services and technology are experiencing strong acceleration in investment

Business Services and Technology

• German Investment: Poland remains the leading destination for German investment in the region, with 56% of respondents citing it as such
• US and Nordic Investors: Also showing increased interest, with three recent projects supported by Michael Page accounting for 1,200 planned hires
• Talent Demand: Increased focus on labor market intelligence, including talent availability assessments and skills mapping
• Key Sectors: Shared services, global business services, outsourcing, cybersecurity, data analytics, automation, AI

Manufacturing and Logistics

• Nearshoring: Poland is becoming a key beneficiary of nearshoring due to geopolitical risks and supply chain resilience
• Logistics Demand: Large-scale facilities (70,000–100,000 sq m) are now routine, with larger developments under consideration
• Key Factors: Labour availability, access to land, energy capacity, and supply chain reliability

Defence and Dual-Use Technologies

• Defence Sector Growth: Moving beyond traditional military production, dual-use technologies are gaining prominence
• Spillover Effects: Impacting various industrial sectors such as automation, electronics, chemicals, and advanced materials
• Investment Focus: Modernizing production, expanding automation, and building advanced capabilities in precision engineering and materials science
• Funding Sources: Rising NATO defence budgets and EU funding mechanisms like the European Defence Industry Programme

Investment Outlook

• Shift from Caution to Commitment: 2026 marks a turning point with larger, longer-term investments
• Market Position: Poland is no longer a secondary option but a primary destination for European companies seeking to scale

Contacts and Further Information

• Knight Frank Poland: Provides strategic advice, forecasting, and consultancy services in commercial real estate
• Investors Assistance Department: Offers comprehensive support for investment projects in Katowice
• Michael Page: Krzysztof Tuszyński, Head of Business Development, krzysztoftuszynski@michaelpage.pl, +48 798 506 871

Report Disclaimer

• This report is for general information only and not to be relied upon for decision-making
• No liability is accepted for any loss or damage resulting from its use
• Reproduction is not allowed without prior written approval from Knight Frank