Foreign Direct Investment in Development of Post-Industrial Areas in Cities of the Małopolska Voivodeship

Abstract

The main goal of the paper is to analyse the impact of foreign direct investment (FDI) on the redevelopmentof post-industrial areas in the cities of Malopolska Voivodeship. This article uses informationabout foreign direct investment from the database, which is a result of research conducted at the Departmentof Regional Development in the Institute of Geography and Spatial Management of the Jagiellonian University,commissioned by the Marshal Office of the Malopolska Voivodeship. The data on the post-industrial areascome from the author’s own research. This article shows that the foreign direct investment (excluding acquisitions) amounted to more than 1.3 billion USD and has contributed to the development of about 140 hectaresof post-industrial areas. The biggest investments occurred in the Cracow Metropolitan Area and the westernpart of the Malopolska Voivodeship. Foreign investors engaged in retail trade and services mainly in Cracow.In most other cities, foreign investments focused on industrial activities. Among the main factors contributingto investments in post-industrial areas has identified large market size and attractive labor market in CracowMetropolitan Area and in the western part of the region, and good transport accessibility and pro-investmentpolicy. Redevelopment of post-industrial areas is the primary contributor to the creation of new work places,increased tax revenues, improvement in the environment and change in the image of cities.