Nordic companies in Poland are no longer here just to cut costs

Swedish, Danish and Norwegian companies in Poland are increasingly moving beyond the phase of simply “getting by.” Instead of focusing on survival, more and more of them are growing, scaling their operations and turning Poland into a strategic base for production, services and development across Europe.

Their experience points to one clear conclusion: success is no longer driven by lower costs alone. What truly makes the difference is the combination of Polish entrepreneurship and highly skilled teams with the Nordic approach to quality, sustainability and long-term business relationships.

Why are Nordic companies choosing Poland now?

Poland has become one of the most attractive investment destinations in Europe. In EY’s ranking, the country moved from 16th to 6th place in 2023, largely due to the growing importance of nearshoring and the restructuring of global supply chains. Investors are drawn by Poland’s stable economic growth, the scale of its economy (the sixth largest in the EU), and a strong industrial base that has weathered recent global turbulence relatively well.

For companies from Sweden, Denmark and Norway, Poland now plays several roles at once: it is a sales market, a production hub, and a centre for services and innovation. It is no coincidence that Sweden officially recognises Poland as a priority destination for trade and investment.

Geopolitics is also becoming increasingly important. Nordic companies are actively looking for “close and predictable” locations instead of distant offshoring destinations. Poland, particularly in industry and logistics, is clearly benefiting from this shift.

What do Nordic companies actually experience on the ground?

Business climate surveys and reports from Scandinavian–Polish chambers of commerce paint a consistent picture: most companies are profitable, and outlooks for the future are cautiously optimistic, measured rather than euphoric.

Seventy-five percent of Swedish companies operating in Poland report that 2024 was financially stable (neither outstanding nor weak), while 65% expect revenue growth in 2025. Danish companies employ more than 75,000 people in Poland and generate around PLN 18 billion in value added annually, placing them among the leading Scandinavian investors in the country.

From an operational perspective, their day-to-day experience can be summarised in a few recurring observations:

• Growing market potential – after years of being seen primarily as a low-cost production base, Poland is increasingly recognised as a large end market and a hub for the CEE region.

• Flexibility and a strong appetite for change among Polish teams – Danish and Swedish managers often emphasise that Polish employees are more open to experimentation and new solutions than their counterparts in many Western European countries.

• Rising labour costs, but also rising quality – investment is shifting towards higher value-added activities such as R&D, IT and advanced manufacturing.

A significant generational shift is also taking place within organisations. Fewer key roles are held by expatriates, while an increasing number of Polish managers are leading local and regional structures of Nordic groups. For headquarters in Copenhagen, Stockholm or Oslo, Poland is no longer a “factory on the periphery” but a fully fledged pillar of the global organisation.

Where are Nordic companies growing fastest in Poland?

The structure of Nordic presence in Poland clearly shows that this is not a short-term, cost-driven play, but a long-term commitment across multiple sectors.

1. Advanced industrial manufacturing

   Danish companies alone employ more than 35,000 people in manufacturing, including food processing, building materials and components for the wind energy sector. Poland is also becoming a key production base for advanced medical devices, supported by important R&D centres developing global solutions.

2. Retail and consumer markets

   Scandinavian brands are firmly embedded in Polish households. Poland has become one of the main production and logistics hubs for Nordic retail groups, which increasingly view the country as a genuine growth market rather than a “low-cost warehouse for declining products.”

3. Business services, IT and innovation

   Cities such as Warsaw, Gdańsk, Poznań and Szczecin attract shared service centres, IT hubs and competence centres supporting global operations. Poland is moving beyond back-office functions and increasingly taking responsibility for core business processes across entire corporate groups.

4. Green transformation and energy

   Companies from Scandinavia play a key role in Poland’s energy transition—from offshore wind projects to energy efficiency and decarbonisation technologies. Joint renewable energy initiatives are becoming a permanent feature of regional economic cooperation.

   
   

Social proof: Nordic companies are already here and they are staying

Macroeconomic indicators confirm the trend, but real business decisions speak louder than statistics. Long-term investments, expanding facilities, decision-making centres and thousands of jobs send a clear message: Nordic companies are not “testing” Poland. They are building it deliberately and systematically as a core element of their European strategies.

The role of Hugin? 

As the presence of Swedish, Danish and Norwegian companies in Poland grows, so does the complexity of the decisions they face - from choosing the right market entry model and legal structure, to selecting locations, working with local authorities and building teams at the right pace.

Reports from EY, Business Sweden and Scandinavian chambers of commerce clearly identify what attracts Nordic companies to Poland: nearshoring instead of offshoring, access to skills, green transformation and supply-chain security. The real challenge, however, lies in translating these insights into concrete operational steps.

This is where Hugin Consulting comes in as a partner that translates Nordic strategies and expectations into the Polish legal, business and cultural context. Without slogans or simplifications. Instead of generic messages such as “Poland is a great place to invest,” Hugin helps design a specific path: from company registration and ownership structure, through supplier and subcontractor selection, to long-term management support and sales development.

The result? Nordic companies in Poland are not merely operating to survive. They are designing profit centres, knowledge hubs and innovation platforms here, turning well-understood market insights into tangible investment, hiring and operational decisions.