Poland has a chance to be a leader in modern fields – Super Express

Bawi Nerada, Senior Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Gospodarstwa Krajowego Bank on the transformation of the Polish economy.

Matthews Albin, journalist at “Super Biznes”: – We meet during a 3D conference. This “WWW” has nothing to do with the Internet, does it?

Pawe Nierada, Senior Vice Chairman of BGK: – It’s not about the Internet, but a certain affinity is intended. These 3Ws are water, hydrogen and carbon. We treat hydrogen as the fuel of the future, even though it is in fact our present. The mission of BGK is to support the sustainable social and economic development of Poland, which is why we have created a program for the smooth, long-term transformation of our economy in these modern areas. Poland is already the fifth largest hydrogen producer in the world. Right now, it’s gray hydrogen. However, I do not see any obstacles in front of us in the fight for the title of leader also in the production of green hydrogen.

What about the rest of the “W”? While the modern use of hydrogen is self-evident, there may be doubts about water, and above all carbon.

The coal on this list did not appear by chance. Today we associate it with smog, but our perspective is quite different. Coal is an essential component of the functioning of the economy. Carbon also consists of carbon fibers, pharmaceuticals, filters, nanotechnology and graphene. This is the future. I will say more. There is no more waste than burning coal. What we want to change is to bring the scientific community closer to business and create a space for exchange between business entities. It turns out that players who are fluent in the field of modern technologies have trouble finding partners right away.

– What does BGK’s participation in the Polish deal look like?

We are implementing a strategic investment program directed at local governments. We have just closed our first beta call for proposals. Each local government unit had the opportunity to present three investment projects with the possibility of obtaining financing up to 95%. Project values.

How willing are people to apply for this programme?

– Almost 8 thousand. Orders totaling over 90 billion PLN. On the first call for proposals, we expect a pool of approximately PLN 20 billion. More importantly, the investments that will be implemented under this program will contribute to the development of investments in local governments. Intelligent development. It translates not only into the development of the economy, but also introduces us to the development of new technologies.

– What to do with this money?

We have now identified 35 priority areas. It is divided into four categories. These are widely understood investments, ranging from investments in the energy sector, roads, water and sanitation infrastructure, but also issues related to water management, such as retention. Back to hydrogen, emission-free transport is very important.

Which local governments are most willing to access this money?

– Given the number of applications made, it can be said that they are all. From the communes to the provinces. Our goal was to create an easy-to-use program. No bureaucratic hurdles. The entire process is electronic. Through our website, local government representatives can log in and get an ID. The forms and requirements have been kept as simple as possible.

When will we see the effects of these investments?

– We wanted to implement the submitted projects quickly. The general intent is that it is a program that actually carries with it the potential for economic growth. Most importantly, this program does not have one dimension, it is meant to be cyclic. Now we’ve closed the first pilot. I think in the fall we will open the window for more applications. We anticipate that after trying the first two betas, the program has a chance to become a permanent mechanism for financing local government investments.

– During the pandemic, BGK was one of the entities involved in combating the economic collapse that might be caused by the coronavirus. How do you assess the current situation?

The data from the Central Statistical Office is surprisingly good. However, in my opinion, this is not a time to rest on our laurels, quite the contrary. For now, we need to mobilize all the resources at our disposal and remember design discipline. Ironically, the pandemic has opened up opportunities for our economy to reduce our potential, and we can take advantage of the chaos created by disrupting traditional supply chains. This has created space that our economy and our entrepreneurs can use to seize the business elements that competition has so far occupied.

Material partner is Bank Gospodarstwa Krajowego