Strefa Aktywności Gospodarczej w Bukownie

Wirtschaftszone in Bukowno

The Business Activity Zone in Bukowno

Located in the south of Poland, north-western part of the Małopolskie Province, Bukowno is part of the Olkusz County. This industrial town is situated between the Krakow agglomeration and the agglomeration of Katowice – i.e. two large economic, scientific and cultural hubs, ca. 40 km away from each. This situation offers Bukowno easy access to either of the nearby airports: Krakow-Balice (50 km away) and Katowice-Pyrzowice (48 km).

The Business Activity Zone (BAZ) area is in the town’s northern section, adjacent to Commune of Bolesław, and neighbouring on the Bolesław S.A. Mining-and-Metallurgical Plant industrial complex. On the south, the area borders on a residential-zone protection strip; on the west is a wasteland area and housing developments of Wodąca residential estate. On the east, BAZ is adjacent to Kolejowa St. whose status is that of county road. The Zone shall be accessible transport-wise with use of this road. The area has transport access to national road no. 94 (connected through the locality of Bolesław, 5 km away from BAZ) and to A4 motorway (via Dąbrowa-Górnicza – 25 km, or Jaworzno – 34 km). The Bukowno railway junction, formed of Katowice–Kielce railway line and LHS broad-gauge line (set from the Polish/Ukrainian border to a reloading terminal in Sławkow, 5 km off BAZ) is 2 km away from BAZ. 

The BAZ area spans 34.5 ha of rezoned industrial land (brownfield), slightly declining southwards. As per the local zoning (land utilisation and spatial development) plan, they are devised as a location for manufacturing, storage and warehousing facilities. Any limitations for situating a specific type of investment project may only be based on the local zoning plan or relevant provisions of EU schemes.

EU support of above 15 million zloty has enabled complete development of the area. The development project has included construction of internal roads (ca. 2.5 km in total length) with yards and parking spaces of ca. 5,181 sq. m; construction of a ca. 2.4 km long waterworks; provision of sanitary as well as a sanitary and rainwater collection system (2.6 km in length) and pipelines for telephone/teletype network (2 km long). Supplies of electricity and gas are to be based upon individual contracts with utility providers, to be effected using the terminals and connections available in the Zone’s vicinity.  

In 2010, the Bukowno Municipality undertook successful efforts in view of establishing within BAZ area a subzone of the Krakow Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Poland’s only special economic zone being an industrial park, spanning ca. 10 ha area-wise. The rules of business operations within SEZ will be aligned with the related statutory regulations.

Operations within SEZ imply an option for entrepreneurs to use public aid; yet, only those entrepreneurs that have a permit to do so may invest within SEZ. Any traditional industry business may get located there, save for manufacturers of State-licensed products (e.g. alcoholic beverages, steel, tobacco). Certain service enterprises may also apply for such permit – e.g. IT, R&D, accountancy and books-of-account inspection businesses, as well as those dealing with technical research and analyses. 

Public aid due to SEZ investment assumes the form of income-tax relieves. In specific, small-sized businesses get 55% of such aid, medium sized – 45%, and large – 35%. A relief in income tax can be obtained by enterprises carrying out new investment projects meeting both of the following two criteria:

1. a minimum of EUR 100,000 invested within the Zone;
2. their business operations are eligible for public aid.

There are two methods of how to calculate the due public aid: for newly-created jobs or for outlays an entrepreneur has incurred owing to a new investment project.

Once in place, BAZ has enabled advantageous conditions for making investments within a comprehensively prepared area, whilst developing new types of business activity. The quality of local human capital has been enhanced, and so the attractiveness of Bukowno the town.