by Sylwia Pyzik
The ASPIRE Annual General Meeting 2025, held under the theme “The Dragon’s Teeth”, brought together key figures from Kraków’s business, academic, and government sectors to reflect on the city’s transformation and set a course for its future.
With a focus on strategic growth, innovation, and community collaboration, this year’s AGM highlighted the power of cross-sector partnerships to position Kraków as a European leader in business services, education, and urban development. Speakers including Mayor Aleksander Miszalski, ASPIRE Interim Chair Przemysław Roth, Philippe De Brouwer of HSBC, Krzysztof Görlich from the City of Kraków, and Rafał Serafin from ASPIRE shared their visions and called for bold, coordinated action.
Mayor Miszalski: A Golden Triangle for a Thriving City
In his keynote address, Mayor Aleksander Miszalski emphasised the city’s commitment to strengthening the „Golden Triangle” — a strategic partnership between business, education, and government. This collaborative model, he explained, is essential to building a city that is both economically competitive and socially inclusive.
Highlighting the need to improve quality of life for residents, Miszalski outlined initiatives aimed at making Kraków not only a city of work and opportunity but also a place where people want to live and flourish.
The Mayor also announced a shift in how Kraków will present itself to the world. Recognising that the city’s previous promotional efforts no longer reflect its dynamic identity, he pledged a more contemporary communication strategy that emphasises smart city development and innovation.
He concluded by thanking ASPIRE member companies for their ongoing contributions to the city’s development, calling their engagement a “key driver of growth and creativity”.
Przemysław Roth: What Kraków Can Learn from China
In a thought-provoking presentation, ASPIRE Interim Chair Przemysław Roth shared insights from his recent business trip to China. He highlighted the contrast between common perceptions of China in Poland and the realities he experienced firsthand.
Key takeaways included China’s unwavering commitment to long-term planning, substantial investment in education, and early talent development. Roth emphasised that while China focuses on executing its strategic plans without seeking external validation, Poland has the opportunity to learn from this approach.
He noted that Kraków’s strong academic traditions and Poland’s technological capabilities provide a solid foundation. To capitalise on this, Roth advocated setting clear long-term goals, prioritising innovation, acting decisively without waiting for perfect conditions, and concentrating efforts in strategic areas.
Roth discussed concepts such as Neibu (internal system) and Biaotai (external positioning), and the unvarnished truth behind what some call “sweet little lies or strategic camouflage”.
“Forget the narrative of collapsing industries or demographic doom — China moves with clarity, purpose, and patience,” Roth said. “Now is the time to channel that potential into focused, strategic action.”
Philippe De Brouwer: „Think Kraków! Think Nearshore”
That was the message from Philippe De Brouwer — Head of Academic Partnerships at ASPIRE and Head of IMR at HSBC Poland — during the ASPIRE 2025 AGM.
Philippe offered a compelling vision for Kraków’s evolution in the global business services landscape. Headcount growth in the sector is decreasing — in 2024, growth was at 6%, down from 11% in 2021 and 15% in 2019. However, Philippe said we should focus on quality, not quantity.
As the largest and most mature services hub in the region, Kraków is best placed to deliver high-value-added functions. Moreover, there are clear synergies between the sector and the education sector. Seventy per cent of the 120,000 people working in centres in Kraków are graduates of the city’s universities, and there is an evolving ecosystem of ties and cooperation established over 20 years.
In this context, Philippe challenged ASPIRE members and audience members from the city and universities to elevate Kraków to “near-shoring” status — a second headquarters destination with smoother communication, deeper collaboration, lower operational barriers, and a vibrant R&D culture tightly integrated with academia. In particular, he advocated for roles empowered by AI and quantum computing — not as fleeting trends but as transformative tools that enable unprecedented capabilities.
To support this, ASPIRE has launched the ASPIRE Education Forum as an umbrella platform to facilitate cooperation between industry and Kraków’s schools and universities. As a first step, the initiative is collating all examples of current cooperation from across the city’s 200+ technology and services centres.
The call to action was clear: universities must focus on technology, R&D, and talent, while corporations should invest in the ecosystem. Kraków possesses the ingredients; now it needs the ambition to become a second headquarters hub.
Krzysztof Görlich: Addressing Urban Challenges to Sustain Growth
At the ASPIRE AGM 2025, Krzysztof Görlich from the City of Kraków Strategy Committee highlighted the importance of proactive planning to sustain the city’s growth. He addressed key challenges including urban mobility — emphasising the urgent need for improved transport infrastructure — and housing affordability, particularly for young residents.
Görlich warned that without strategic investments and thoughtful policies, Kraków’s promising development trajectory could be at risk. His message was clear: to ensure Kraków remains a thriving, accessible, and liveable city, these issues must be confronted head-on.
Rafał Serafin: Partnerships for Community Impact
During the ASPIRE Leaders Summit 2025, Rafał Serafin, Head of Community Outreach at ASPIRE, emphasised that emerging partnerships are about sharing not only financial costs but also time, effort, and risks. He showcased how the business services industry is actively enhancing Kraków’s community through initiatives such as Education Hubs — supporting the integration of Ukrainian teenagers into the city; the Communications Academy — developing communication skills and competencies; and Oxford Debates — providing a platform for students to express their views on the business services sector in Kraków. These programmes exemplify how collaboration can foster inclusion, skill development, and mutual understanding within the community.
Summary
The ASPIRE AGM 2025 highlighted Kraków’s growing ambition to become a leading centre of innovation, education, and sustainable urban development. Speakers from across sectors emphasised the importance of long-term thinking, stronger collaboration, and community engagement. From strategic investments and smart city planning to nearshoring opportunities and inclusive programmes, the event underscored that Kraków is well-positioned to take the next step in its evolution — provided it acts with focus, cooperation,
This article was republished courtesy of Magazyn Rekruter
