Warsaw remains one of the largest and fastest‑growing business services hubs in Europe, attracting investors with its scale, competencies, broad access to talent, and high quality of life. The city also stands out for its high share of knowledge‑based services – according to the latest report “The Business Services Sector in Warsaw 2025/2026” prepared by ABSL (The Association of Business Service Leaders) in cooperation with Colliers, Mercer, Randstad, and Randstad Enterprise.
According to ABSL data, Warsaw ranks first in Poland in terms of the number of business services centres and employment volume. The capital is home to 418 BPO, SSC/GBS, IT and R&D centres, of which 330 (79 percent) are owned by foreign companies. In 2025, employment reached 111,200 people, accounting for nearly one‑quarter of total employment in Poland’s business services sector and representing growth of 66.5 percent between 2020 and 2025. Poland’s capital is an attractive location for investors seeking a stable business environment, access to highly skilled professionals, and infrastructure that supports the development of knowledge‑based services.
Warsaw’s competency advantage is growing
Warsaw’s business services sector is undergoing a dynamic transformation: simple processes are giving way to advanced operations that require specialised knowledge and experience. The share of knowledge‑based tasks in Warsaw reaches nearly 60 percent, exceeding the national average. Warsaw also stands out for the clear growth in the role of specialised IT services – since 2015, the share of IT centres in terms of employment has increased from 18.7 to 31.6 percent.
“The maturity of Warsaw’s market is visible not only in its impressive scale, but above all in its quality – an increasing number of centres operate as Centers of Excellence (CoE), carrying out projects in IT, finance, banking, and life sciences. Along with this development, the importance of access to highly qualified talent is growing, as these skills form the foundation for further expansion,” says Dariusz Kubacki, Member of the Strategic Board, ABSL.
Capital of talent
The demand for qualified personnel continues to grow, and access to a diverse pool of young talent is one of the key investment advantages that strengthens the competitiveness of the location. Warsaw is the largest academic centre in Poland and offers exceptionally strong educational resources. A total of 258,500 students are enrolled in 69 higher‑education institutions, and each year 50,900 graduates complete their studies at universities in the capital.
Strong magnet for investors
Poland’s capital remains attractive to investors thanks to its favourable quality‑to‑cost ratio compared with business hubs such as London or New York. Warsaw is also valued for its strategic location within the European Union, operating in the Central European Time (CET) zone, and its mature office market, the largest in Central and Eastern Europe, offering over 6 million sqm of modern space.
Data from the ABSL report shows that the city attracts capital from 35 countries, making it a strong competitor to major metropolitan areas in Western and Northern Europe. The largest shares are held by companies from the U.S., UK, France, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, and Switzerland.
“Warsaw has become a place where global investors find not only talent, but also stable conditions for cooperation between business, universities, and local government. This is a strong foundation for the further growth of the business services sector in the capital,” emphasises the Mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski.
High quality of life
Warsaw ranks highly in international quality‑of‑life rankings. At the end of 2025, it reached the top of the “European Cities of the Future: 10 Places To Visit In 2026” list published by the American edition of Forbes. The city was recognised for its greenery, safety, public transportation, and the pace of urban transformation that defines the Polish capital today. In addition, the capital took 3rd place in Europe in the fDi Intelligence “European Cities and Regions of the Future” ranking, as well as 2nd place in the Human Capital and Lifestyle category. Warsaw also ranked 2nd in the global list of the most interesting travel destinations, “52 Places to Go in 2026” prepared by The New York Times.
Warsaw maintains a strong position in the ABSL location attractiveness ranking, as confirmed by the assessments of the representatives of centres participating in the study.
“The city is highly rated by investors in areas such as transport accessibility, the quality and security of telecommunications infrastructure, and the proximity of other sector companies. All these advantages further strengthen Warsaw’s competitiveness on the global investment map,” summarises Dariusz Kubacki.
