The Tricity Attracts Business: Talent, Investment and Regional Advantages

Tourism Does Not Exclude a Mature Business Market

Can a region best known for summer holidays also become a stable destination for modern business services? This question sets the stage for a discussion about the Tricity's economic potential. While tourism undoubtedly influences the rhythm of the region, it does not create workforce shortages significant enough to disrupt business operations.

Seasonality is most noticeable in recruitment. During the summer months, candidates often postpone career decisions, causing large hiring projects to accelerate after the holiday season. According to Marcin Grzegory, investors see this not as a barrier but as a local characteristic that can be factored into planning processes.

Marcin Grzegory stresses that Pomerania's economic success has been built gradually over many years. “A region is not built by a single investment. Every new company increases its credibility and shows future investors that this model works,” says the guest.

The significance of early investments goes far beyond the number of jobs created. Companies train specialists, develop management capabilities and transfer knowledge about international business processes. Over time, this creates an environment in which new investors no longer have to start from scratch.

A Coastal Location Opens Doors

The Tricity's seaside location remains one of its most recognizable strengths. It attracts attention and helps create memorable experiences for visiting investors. However, attractive scenery alone is never enough. Companies first assess talent availability, operating costs, infrastructure, operational risks and growth potential.

“The sea alone will not justify an investment project. The hard data must come first,” says Marcin Grzegory.

Only when several locations offer similar business fundamentals do qualitative factors become decisive. Beaches, green spaces, clean air, cultural attractions, safety and an outstanding quality of life help attract specialists from outside the region, encourage family relocations and increase long-term employee retention.

“Not everything can be entered into Excel. Sometimes it is only during a visit that an investor understands why people want to come here and stay,” says Marcin Grzegory.

The BSS Sector Is Moving from Scale to Specialization

In the early stages of the business services sector's development, locations competed primarily on labor costs and workforce availability. Companies sought to quickly build large teams handling standardized processes.

Today, the priorities have changed. Investors increasingly look for locations that can offer specialized expertise rather than simply large pools of workers. Technology skills, industry knowledge and the ability to manage complex, knowledge-intensive processes have become far more important.

Pomerania has developed expertise in fields such as the maritime economy, technology, research and development, aviation, and financial security processes, including KYC (Know Your Customer) and AML (Anti-Money Laundering). These specializations emerged through the interaction of business demand, investment activity and accumulated local experience.

The KPMG and Invest in Pomerania report “GBS Next Stop: Tricity” demonstrates that business services should be viewed as part of a much broader economic ecosystem linking ports, energy, technology companies, industrial businesses, universities and service centers.

“You cannot create specialization by decree. You need to create the conditions in which companies and people can build it in practice,” says Marcin Grzegory.

Talent Management Rather Than a Race for Employees

A mature business ecosystem must not only attract new investors but also respond effectively to changes affecting companies already operating in the region. This is where information sharing and cooperation become essential.

“If we know that certain skills are becoming available in one place and are needed elsewhere, our role is to connect those two worlds,” says Marcin Grzegory.

This approach helps retain talent within the region while enabling employers to access experienced professionals whose skills would otherwise be difficult and time-consuming to develop.

Competition between companies remains important, but it is increasingly accompanied by cooperation on broader workforce and ecosystem challenges. Examples include partnerships with universities, educational initiatives, skills development programs and support for international employees. The Live More Pomerania initiative also helps position the region not only as a great place to work but also as an attractive place to live.

Invest in Pomerania as the Region's Concierge

The work of supporting investors does not end when a company selects a location. In many ways, it is only the beginning.

Invest in Pomerania connects businesses with local governments, universities, recruitment firms, advisors and real estate experts. The organization also assists companies with issues related to employment and residence permits for professionals arriving from outside the European Union.

“You could say that we act as the region's concierge. We do not solve every challenge ourselves, but we know who investors should speak to and how to guide them through the local ecosystem,” says Marcin Grzegory.

Business clubs, conferences and regular investor meetings further strengthen these relationships, helping both newcomers and established organizations become more deeply integrated into the regional economy.

Port-Centric Development: Building on Regional Identity

According to Marcin Grzegory, one of Pomerania's greatest strengths is the combination of ports, logistics, industry, energy, technology and professional services. During the discussion, he refers to this concept as port-centricity.

Major global port cities such as Singapore, Hong Kong and New York provide inspiration. While these locations operate on a much larger scale, they demonstrate how ports can serve as the foundation for broad and diversified economic activity.

“A port is not merely a place for cargo handling. Around it emerge services, technology, finance and expertise that eventually benefit the entire region,” says Marcin Grzegory.

This interconnected structure increases economic resilience because growth is distributed across multiple sectors rather than concentrated in a single industry.

Startups Need More Than a Great Idea

Pomerania's innovation ecosystem faces many of the challenges common to young technology companies. Knowledge and innovative ideas do not automatically translate into scalable businesses.

Startups need access to funding, but they also need first customers, testing environments and opportunities to validate solutions in real business settings. Large organizations can provide processes, market access and implementation capabilities, while startups contribute agility, innovation and specialized expertise.

Projects such as Gdańsk Bay Tech aim to bring together local authorities, businesses, accelerators, investors and advisors to strengthen these connections and support innovation-driven growth.

Słupsk and the New Geography of Business Services

The future development of business services in Pomerania does not have to be limited to the Tricity. Słupsk could become an attractive alternative, especially for smaller projects and organizations seeking access to different talent pools.

The city's role may grow further through major investments in nuclear and offshore wind energy. Hybrid and remote working models also give companies more flexibility when choosing locations for specialized teams.

“Modern business services do not always require a single center employing thousands of people. Sometimes the right solution is a smaller team located closer to a specific talent pool,” says Marcin Grzegory.

This trend has the potential to reshape the geography of the sector, enabling smaller cities to develop specialized functions and support larger business hubs.

An Advantage That Cannot Be Built Through a Single Project

The discussion between Piotr Jarosz and Marcin Grzegory portrays a region determined to build on its own strengths. The sea attracts attention, quality of life helps attract talent and ports create a foundation for logistics, industry, energy and technology. Yet none of these elements can deliver lasting success on their own.

Long-term competitiveness depends on expertise, relationships and collaboration among businesses, educational institutions, public administration and supporting organizations.

“The best measure of success is not attracting an investor. It is seeing that company continue to grow here several years later,” concludes Marcin Grzegory.