We are excited to share the official translation from news outlets in Poland below, you can also watch the recorded news segment in Polish by following this link: Video Link
Today, a letter of intent was signed at the Rawa.Ink Municipal Business Incubator in Katowice between the city of Katowice and the British incubator C4DI (Centre for Digital Innovation). This is another step in creating an innovation ecosystem in Katowice and an opportunity for Katowice entrepreneurs and innovators to enter the British market with their activities.
Representatives of the British C4DI visited Katowice for the first time in autumn 2021. At that time, they were looking for a local government partner in Poland open to cooperation in the field of innovation. As part of their study visits, they visited several other Polish cities, but after getting acquainted with Katowice and the rich offer and implemented by the Municipal Business Incubator Rawa.Ink, they focused on the capital of Upper Silesia.
I am glad that foreign partners recognize the potential of Katowice as an innovation-friendly city. We try to create a space for the development of innovations and an environment friendly to start-ups and technology companies in Katowice. For this purpose, the Rawa.Ink Municipal Business Incubator was created, and for two years we have been implementing - appreciated in plebiscites - the original competition "Start-up Mine". In addition, by implementing the Gaming and Technology HUB, we give a clear signal that we want to develop further in this area. Thanks to cooperation with C4DI, we want to open up new opportunities related to the British market for Katowice innovators, as well as attract partners from the islands to Katowice. I believe that this is the beginning of a very fruitful cooperation - emphasizes Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice.
C4DI is a unique, British incubator and technology accelerator based in Kingston upon Hull. On a daily basis, they implement projects with technological and public partners in the field of innovation or new technologies. It is also part of the British government's program The Northern Power House. In addition, the incubator cooperates with the British bank Barclays as part of the Eagle Lab project. Robert Spence, who represents the Polish branch of C4DI, is also an advisor on foreign trade of the British Embassy in Poland.
The partnership program concluded between the British C4DI and the Polish Rawa.Ink is a great example of how incubators supporting local entrepreneurs cooperate internationally, creating a platform for the exchange of experiences, joint business development both in Poland and Great Britain. Thus, they testify to the potential for cooperation between the two business ecosystems. For Polish and British companies, this is an opportunity to cooperate with proven partners and accelerate the process of globalization of their operations. The team of the sales department of the British Embassy in Warsaw, the Department for International Trade, from the beginning, supports C4DI in their ambitious activities to bring both business ecosystems of Hull and Katowice closer. The task of the Department for International Trade team is to support Polish entrepreneurs in the development of their companies in the UK and to help British companies export their products and services to Poland and we are very pleased that today together with our friends from C4DI and Rawa.Ink celebrate the official sealing of cooperation in Katowice - adds Bartosz Koziński, Director of the Commercial Department of the British Embassy.
The cooperation will allow to implement projects involving scaling entrepreneurs from Katowice to the United Kingdom, our entrepreneurs will also be able to offer solutions for corporate partners from the British Isles, as well as learn about cultural differences, which will facilitate business and sales talks in the UK.
C4DI is the largest private technology incubator in the UK, which is a participant in the Northern Powerhouse program. In 2021, £5.2 in VC funds went to star-tups and scale-ups from the north of England, which became a magnet for financing and innovation. In the UK, more important than what you know is who you know. We will make sure that it is worth knowing who you know. - Bob Spence, President of C4DI Ventures International based in Katowice, encourages cooperation.
From the perspective of the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice, such an international partnership is not only an opportunity for our entrepreneurs, in connection with the opportunities that have appeared on the British market. These types of opportunities generally increase the competitiveness of the local economy, attract new entrepreneurs and encourage you to prove themselves in international business. I keep my fingers crossed for joint projects and report the Chamber's willingness to cooperate. Especially since we have over 30 years of experience in helping companies in successful internationalization, providing the opportunity to establish and deepen international business relations on four continents - adds Tomasz Zjawiony, President of the Regional Chamber of Commerce.