It was a remarkable week of activity for Unibep in many places in Poland. We took part in the Ukraine Reconstruction Congress and the Warmia and Mazury Road Forum. Furthermore, the Unitalent Foundation of the Unibep Group organised an inspiring meeting for youth and teachers of Businesses and Management in Białystok.
Warmia and Mazury Road Forum
On 17-19 September 2023, the 9th Warmia and Mazury Road Forum took place in Stare Sady near Mikołajki. This annual event is of strategic importance for the road industry in Poland and it is organised with the support of the Regional Road Administration in Olsztyn. The main topic of this year’s forum was the aspects of modern and safe road infrastructure and decarbonisation of transport as a key element in fighting the climate change. This year’s edition of the event has been under the golden patronage of Unibep. Our Infrastructure Branch was represented by contract managers: Dawid Kakareko and Jarosław Bera.
It is worth adding that the participation of Unibep as a Golden Partner of this event not only highlights our commitment to the development of Warmia and Mazury but also our active approach to road construction and care for the region. We are seeking for opportunities for the development of this branch of our business in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship.
The Infrastructure Branch of Unibep becomes a symbol of a new approach to business, in which sustainable development and responsibility towards the environment and society are not merely catchphrases but translate into real actions that contribute to creating a better future.
Ukraine Reconstruction Congress
The Ukraine Reconstruction Congress Common Future, which took place at the end of last week at the MTP Poznań Expo Fairgrounds, was a significant event for the Unibep Group. We had a specially prepared exhibition stand there, and our experts, president of the management board Dariusz Blocher and vice president of the management board Leszek Gołąbiecki, shared their expertise and experience in panels accompanying the event.
Dariusz Blocher, President of the Management Board of Unibep SA and concurrently Chairperson of the Polish Construction Congress, took part in the debate titled “Domestic and international opportunities and risks for the involvement of Polish construction companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine”.
Even today, we can do something important
“We can prepare for the reconstruction of Ukraine right now, without even going to Ukraine. One of my ideas is for the Polish government to establish a fund for designing, conceptualising, and creating conceptual projects. A few hundred million euro is not a significant challenge for a country like Poland. Owing to this fund, we would be able to design remotely together with the Ukrainian local governments, using both Polish and Ukrainian resources. In the next step, as we will have the projects ready and jointly developed ideas, practically every investor in the world willing to invest in the reconstruction of Ukraine will come to us,” said the president of Unibep SA. “We can also consider creating something akin to an economic treaty. How is it supposed to look like? I am thinking of creating standards and templates for contracts. That will not cost too much money, nor will it involve the risks associated with sending employees to Ukraine for fixed contracts. As Polish companies and universities, we can provide the Ukrainian employees with education and teach them high standards of modern construction.”
In this context, during the panel discussion, the potential of the labour market in Poland and Ukraine, as well as workforce training, were discussed as important elements of successful reconstruction projects. A major issue was also the recognition of international norms, certificates, and standards as a key element of safety and quality in the implementation of investments.
Another important point on the agenda of the Congress was the participation of Vice-president of the Management Board, Leszek Gołąbiecki, in the plenary session titled “Opportunities and threats for the participation of Polish companies in the reconstruction of Ukraine.”
“The amendment to the law on state-guaranteed export insurance, which regulates the activities of KUKE (Export Credit Insurance Corporation), which can insure contracts in the Ukrainian market, is a great opportunity in the context of the reconstruction of Ukraine by Polish companies. We have previously used such an opportunity for cooperation with Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego, which financed private investments. As a result, we have built two shopping centres in Ukraine, in Kyiv and Kharkiv, and these were insured by KUKE. This allowed us to compete not only in terms of contracting but also in terms of financing. I believe that currently local governments in Ukraine need such offers from Polish companies," said Leszek Gołąbiecki.
The panellists discussed their hopes, but also the reality of the operation of Polish construction companies in Ukraine. The topics also covered the expected changes in the Ukrainian market significant for international processes of Ukraine’s reconstruction as well as issues related to the transparency of implementation and investment processes, commercial and judiciary aspects, and market access. Additionally, the expected shape of the Polish government actions in supporting construction companies operating in Ukraine was discussed.
Unitalent – the foundation of the Unibep Group – for the youth and teachers
It was an inspiring and energetic event, and the diversity of panellists allowed us to gain us a dose of truly extensive knowledge. Many students from secondary schools, teachers of the subject Business and Management, and representatives from the business world, education, and local government took part in the conference “Turning an idea into a business: Inspirational Insights into Business and Management”. In total, there were nearly 300 people. Several dozen individuals from across Poland watched the conference live as the event was broadcast.
The conference took place on 21 September 2023 at the Faculty of Educational Sciences of the University of Białystok. During the meeting, a pilot lesson based on the scenario of one of the “From Idea to Business” project lessons took place, conducted by its creator, Dr Urszula Widelska. Young people present at the conference took floor in the discussion on creativity and entrepreneurship. They discussed this topic with the representatives of business, self-government and education. Another topic addressed concerned the social capital and its use in the economy, as well as the so-called MAKi, a multi-stage social project aiming to strengthen the partnership between men and women and fostering cooperation based on complementarity.
The meeting was covered, among others, by Radio Białystok, and newspapers Kurier Poranny and Gazeta Współczesna.
The originator and organiser of the project titled “Turning an idea into a business” has been the Unibep Group’s Foundation, Unitalent. There is a good chance that this project will become nationwide. Keep your fingers crossed!
