Katowice will host ABSL Summit 2022

The ABSL Summit – one of the most important events in Central and Eastern Europe analyzing global trends and their impact on economic and social development – this year will take place in Katowice, in the famous concert hall of the Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra. The Summit organized by the Association of Business Service Leaders (ABSL) will be held from May 30th to June 1st.  The main themes of the event will cover building strong and sustainable businesses in the face of geopolitical, economic, and social changes.

Each year, the ABSL Summit attracts over 1,000 business leaders, representatives of national and global administration, experts, academics and the most opinion-leading media. The main theme of this year’s summit will be global changes and their consequences, including building new forms of leadership, improving business resilience and the need to develop rules and regulations to ensure the development of sustainable knowledge-based economies. ABSL’s reports confirm that resilience to challenges and the availability of qualified employees with the skills required for the future is a systemic challenge that is also affecting the business services sector.

ABSL’s analyses show that social and political unrest, demographic changes, uncertainty of the law and climate change more than ever require open, conscious responses and integrated solutions. New leadership styles and responsible talent management are also necessary.

Janusz Dziurzyński, President of ABSL, emphasizes that: ‘Every ABSL Summit focuses on important subjects faced by representatives of the business services sector, which employs over 355,000 people and is one of a driving force of the Polish economy. Shaping the changes with transparent rules and regulations is an indispensable step towards building sustainable, strong, and resilient talent-based economies. This is especially important today, in the face of such a difficult psychosocial experience as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and managing business in a changing geopolitical order.’

The subjects to be discussed at the ABSL Summit 2022 will encompass three areas: (i) leadership in times of crisis, (ii) data and disinformation as phenomena affecting business decisions, and (iii) the changing socio-economic environment and the need for its transparent regulation. The City of Katowice, one of the five most important localizations for the investment in business services sector in Poland, will host the 12th ABSL Summit 2022.

Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice, stated: ‘Katowice, together with GZM Metropolis, is one of the most important centers in Poland, where the new business services sector is developing rapidly. We have seen some of the highest increases in employment in the sector over the past four years – as much as 70%. More than 27,000 people currently work here in 114 centers. This shows the excellent conditions the region has on offer for investors. However, in addition to the business thread, it is impossible to ignore the war in Ukraine, which has irreversibly changed our business everyday life and ourselves. I am extremely grateful that in organizing aid for Ukraine, we as a city can also count on the support of our investors from the business services sector. Thanks to the openness to systemic cooperation, it turns out that Katowice is not only a safe haven for business, but also for refugees from Ukraine. Facing a Challenging Future – this year’s topic of ABSL Summit will be an excellent starting point for discussions about multifaceted challenges that “teach” us far-reaching flexibility, the ability to adapt to changing reality, and cooperation.‘

The modern business services sector is one of the pillars stabilizing the Polish economy. During the pandemic alone, a total of 13,500 new jobs were created in the centers, while the whole sector employs more than 355,000 people.