Krakow ranks high once again!

The authors of the ranking asses cities in terms of their size, and further based on five categories: economic potential, human capital, cost-effectiveness, as well as connectivity and business friendliness.  Cities are also subject to an overall (global) assessment.

In their assessment, the fDI experts consider the number of higher education institutions, which translates into a highly qualified workforce, capable of taking on the challenges of a modern and globalised labour market. The marketing skills of cities are also important: the ability to advertise the city and attract foreign investors. What also matters is innovativeness: cities that focus on future technologies, the IT sector, and programmers rank higher. The ability to attract to the city young people with ideas, as well as offer support for start-ups, are also of value.

In the European Cities and Regions of the Future 2024 ranking, fDi recognised and acknowledged Krakow in the large European cities section in the following categories:

• 1st place in the business friendliness category
• 1st place in the human capital and lifestyle category
• 4th place in the overall ranking of large cities
• 6th place in the economic potential category

In the global assessment, among large cities Krakow was rated the highest in Poland, thus coming in fourth overall. Three German cities ranked higher than Krakow: Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and Dusseldorf. Another Polish city that was ranked highly was Poznan, coming in 7th.

This high position in the 2023 global ranking was achieved by the exceptional results in the categories “Business Friendliness” and “Human Capital and Lifestyle,” with Krakow yet again proving to be a place worth investing in. The city continues to attract the world's leading companies, despite the negative effects of the conflict in Ukraine. Krakow knows how to avail itself of available opportunities and emerges unscathed from crises, with flexibility and diversification among the most significant factors in these small and larger victories.

The European Cities and Regions of the Future ranking is prepared every year by fDi Intelligence, which belongs to the globally renowned Financial Times Group. Among others, the magazine focuses on benchmarking – predicting current and future European and global destinations for long-term investments.

All the data is provided directly by cities in an annual survey. The results of the ranking are announced in February each year, and the award ceremony takes place during the MIPIM Investment Fair in Cannes, France.