Foreign direct investment into Poland has slowed sharply. After averaging around 3% of GDP between 2000 and 2024, inflows fell in 2024 from 125.7 billion Polish złoty (€29.8bn) to 56.5 billion złoty (€13.4bn) — a drop from 3.7% to 1.6% of GDP.
Yet Poland remains heavily internationalised: the total stock of foreign investment climbed to nearly 1.4 trillion złoty (€332bn) by the end of 2024, up on the previous year.
The largest volumes came from the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg, while Germany, the United States and France dominated by parent-company origin.
Against this backdrop, another source of capital is coming into focus: Turkey. Among those betting on Poland is FAF Global, a Turkish business process outsourcing firm that chose the country as its European headquarters and now employs hundreds of people locally, many of them Turkish nationals.
As Utku Sarper, Group CEO at FAF Global, told Euronews, the decision to enter the Polish market was driven by pragmatic considerations.
“Poland is very open to foreign investors. It is a business-friendly country, especially in corporate matters. On top of that, there is a great infrastructure — high-speed internet, modern offices, high-quality buildings, which are often lacking in other parts of Europe,” he said.
The company’s move to Poland was followed by rapid expansion. From a team of just over a dozen employees based in Ukraine, FAF Global now employs more than 500 people in Poland.
“When we grew the team from 15 to more than 500 people, it became clear that this location makes it very easy to scale the business. The working conditions, office space and environment motivated people and allowed us to grow quickly,” Sarper emphasised.
Poland also became the base for the group’s holding company, under which all of its entities now operate.
FAF Global operates in business process outsourcing for the online gaming and betting industry. As Sarper explains, a clear separation from the activities of the operators themselves is central to the model.
“Our clients have their own licences and run their platforms independently. We do not interfere in their operations or gaming processes. We only provide BPO services,” he explained.
Each partnership is preceded by detailed due diligence, with revenues fully taxed and transparent. Sarper notes that this operating model has long been established in markets such as Malta, Cyprus, Romania, Sweden and the UK.
“In Poland, this type of company used to be not so common, but I believe that more and more industry players will choose this country,” he added.
One of Poland’s key advantages, Sarper said, is the regulatory stability and predictability that comes with European Union membership.
“Employment, labour law, VAT, taxes, social contributions — everything is clearly defined and regulated. Outside the EU, it is difficult to have a similar level of consistency,” he continued.
Challenges remain, particularly around work and residence permits for foreign employees, but the company treats this as part of its employment package and says it is able to manage the process efficiently.
The education system is another major draw.
“A strong university ecosystem is a huge advantage for Poland. Completing your studies in Poland often gives you the opportunity to obtain a long-term work permit — even for 10 years or indefinitely. For companies like ours, this is an opportunity to build a stable workforce for years to come,” Sarper emphasised.
For now, the core of FAF Global’s Polish workforce is made up of employees from Turkey, reflecting the company’s largest current talent pool.
At the same time, it is expanding its European footprint, with additional offices in Portugal and Spain aimed at serving Latin American, African and Middle Eastern markets and building multilingual teams.
The scale of the company's operations translates into tangible revenue for the Polish public finance system.
"I cannot disclose the rates, but I can tell you that we pay more than €600,000 a month in Poland in taxes and employee contributions alone," said the entrepreneur.
"This shows our real contribution to the labour market and public finances. We are proud of that."
In discussions with foreign investors, security concerns are increasingly part of the conversation.
Russia’s ongoing invasion and Poland’s proximity to Ukraine and Belarus, as well as broader tensions on NATO’s eastern flank have led some to view Poland as a “frontline” state.
Sarper acknowledged these anxieties, but also stressed they often oversimplify the reality on the ground.
“Of course there is always a certain level of anxiety. But capital, business and investment flows to where there is stability and a real sense of security,” he said.
Despite geopolitical strains, he notes that major European players have not pulled out of Poland. On the contrary, German, Scandinavian and Austrian firms, as well as investors from Israel — among the most cautious and long-term-oriented market participants — remain active.
“These are the owners of the largest assets in Europe. If they are staying, it means that they see something that gives them confidence in the future of this country,” he said.
Sarper argued that Poland is in a relatively strong strategic position. As a NATO member with the largest economy and population in Central and Eastern Europe, it plays a pivotal logistical and political role in the region.
“Yes, the neighbourhood of Ukraine and Belarus brings risks — from transport disruptions to incidents such as drones. But at the same time, Poland is very much in control of who enters the country and who operates here. This [then] increases stability,” he concluded.