Cooperation between Taiwan and Poland has grown in various directions, ranging from economics and technology to culture, Polish Representative to Taiwan Cyryl Kozaczewski said on Friday last week in his first interview with Taiwanese media since taking office in December 2021.
Relations between Taiwan and Poland are “growing” in a “multifaceted” manner, Kozaczewski said.
On the economic front, he said that he had seen growing interest on the part of Taiwanese partners to invest in Poland and expects to announce new projects early next year.
Photo: CNA
About 30 Taiwanese companies operate in Poland and some are seeking to expand their businesses in the central European nation, Kozaczewski said.
Poland is hoping to attract Taiwanese enterprises specializing in semiconductors, machinery and other advanced technologies, he said, adding that the nation, as a member of NATO, provides a secure investment environment.
Western Poland, bordering the eastern German state of Saxony where the world’s largest contract chipmaker Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co plans to build a new chip fab, could also be a potential destination for related suppliers, he said.
Poland, a member of the EU, is prepared to provide incentives, such as EU recovery and cohesion funds, to support foreign investors looking to establish a presence in the nation and expand into central Europe, he added.
Taiwanese businesses have invested more than US$25.8 million in Poland since the two sides signed an agreement in 2018 to promote two-way investment, representing an increase of 122.8 percent, government data in June showed.
Kozaczewski said his office is also working to attract more Polish entrepreneurs to Taiwan for scientific and technological collaboration.
Taiwan and Poland have since last year signed two memorandums of understanding to facilitate collaborations on research and development into semiconductors and hydrogen power.
Through these agreements, the two sides have established working groups to “streamline” communication between research institutes, he said, adding that he hopes such mechanisms can soon be expanded to include the business sector.
Kozaczewski said that his office does “not concentrate solely on economic development,” but is also seeking to expand exchanges with Taiwan in a range of spheres, including culture and tourism.
Poland in February was the “guest of honor” at the Taipei International Book Exhibition, which hosted more than a dozen events with Polish authors and illustrators.
That was a successful example of “introducing Poland to Taiwan,” he said.
Kozaczewski said that he would work to strengthen cultural connections between the two sides through the sister-city agreement inked between Taipei and Warsaw, without providing details.
Establishing direct flights between Taiwan and Poland would further promote “direct communication” between the two sides, he said, adding that such efforts would likely take “several years,” drawing on his past experience in pushing for direct flights between Tokyo and Warsaw in his previous capacity as Polish ambassador to Japan from 2012 to 2016.
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