European Congress of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 2025: 7,000 participants, 8 agreements, and the 35th anniversary of RIG in Katowice

The largest meeting of the SME sector in Europe. The European Congress of Small and Medium- sized Enterprises (EKMŚP), organized for fifteen years by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, is one of the key economic events in Europe dedicated to the SME sector. The congress creates a platform for the exchange of experiences and cooperation between business, public administration, and science.

This year’s anniversary edition was held under the slogan HERE & NOW and attracted nearly 7,000 participants – entrepreneurs, experts, representatives of local governments and institutions from 22 countries. Over the course of two days, more than 100 panels, debates, and networking meetings were held, resulting in the signing of eight agreements on economic and social cooperation.

Call from Tomasz Zjawiony: “Entrepreneurs are the foundation of the state.”

During the opening of the Congress, Tomasz Zjawiony, President of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice and Vice-President of European Entrepreneurs CEA-PME, called for systemic changes in the approach to the SME sector.:

– Over 74 percent of Poland’s GDP is generated by Polish entrepreneurs and Polish companies. It is thanks to their taxes that the state is able to implement its social projects. And yet we often treat them as a necessary evil. Meanwhile, without entrepreneurs, there is no economy, no society, no army. This is the last moment – here and now – to change our policy and give European companies the opportunity to compete with markets outside the EU.

President Zjawiony emphasized that rising regulatory costs, including those related to the Green Deal, and growing competitive pressure from Asia are weakening the ability of Polish companies to invest and maintain their technological advantages.

Eight key agreements signed in Katowice

During the Congress, eight strategic agreements were concluded to provide real support for the development of entrepreneurship, international cooperation, and legal stability in business:

1. Letter of intent on economic cooperation between the Silesian Province, the City of Katowice, the Upper Silesian-Zagłębie Metropolis (GZM), the Katowice Special Economic Zone (KSSE), and the Regional Chamber of Commerce in Katowice – for the joint promotion of investments and attracting investors. 
2. Agreement with Employers of Poland (Pracodawcy RP) – integrating the community of large companies and the SME sector, with an emphasis on innovation and economic mediation.
3. Agreement with the Polish-Spanish Chamber of Commerce – joint economic missions and technology promotion. 
4. Agreement with the Polish Canadian Business Association – strengthening trade and investment relations between Poland and Canada.
5.  Letter of intent with the Budapest Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCCI) – support for the expansion of SMEs in Central Europe. 
6. Cooperation agreement with the Polish-Saudi Business Council – development of investment and export within the International Talks forum. 
7. Cooperation agreement on commercial mediation and arbitration, signed between the Silesian Arbitration and Mediation Center, the Arbitration Center at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice, and legal partners – to promote faster, cheaper, and more effective methods of dispute resolution. 
8. Letter of intent between the District Labor Offices and the Silesian Development Fund – a partnership supporting local employment and professional activation. 

Congress partners: a shared vision for regional development

Once again, the Congress served as a meeting place for local government and institutional leaders, who emphasized the need for cooperation between the public and private sectors.

Marcin Krupa, Mayor of Katowice, spoke about the power of cooperation:

– Entrepreneurs develop our cities and regions. Katowice has gone from being an industrial city to a city of modern technologies. This is thanks to cooperation, not competition, between local government and business.

Maciej Biskupski, Vice-President of the GZM Management Board, pointed to the need to create a coherent development ecosystem:

– The metropolis must be a place where it is good to live, work, and invest. Only cooperation between local governments and entrepreneurs will ensure the sustainable development of the region.

prof. dr hab. Rafał Żelazny, President of KSEZ, added:

– Micro and small businesses now account for over 70 percent of new investments in the Katowice Special Economic Zone. We are demonstrating that local and global development can go hand in hand.

Global talks on trust and the future of the economy

The International Talks track featured numerous debates, including:

• „How to Build Global Services Around Relations”, during which Urszula Wöltjen from Invest Region Leipzig emphasized the importance of institutions supporting local investment:

– Access to a network of contacts and institutional support is invaluable to investors. That is why the role of chambers of commerce, such as RIG, is more important today than ever before.

• „Doing Business with Ukraine”, with the participation of the Consul General of Ukraine, Vyacheslav Voynarovsky, who said:

– The economy is one of the pillars of our perseverance in the war. Ukraine is already preparing to rebuild the country, counting on partnerships with Polish companies.

• Presentation by the Ministry of Development and Technology, during which advisor Grzegorz Sinacki presented tools supporting Polish companies in their expansion: Access2Markets, trade.gov.pl, and eping.

Green investments and new challenges for the labor market

During the panels on energy transition, Jarosław Makowski, Vice President of Katowice, reminded that as much as 43 percent of the city’s area is covered by forests::

– Katowice is the green lungs of the Metropolis. We have limited logging, we invest in sustainable development and environmental education.

Ewa Lipka, Vice President of KSEZ, added:

– 70 percent of our investment decisions concern the SME sector. We support them through training, consulting, and tax break.

Blanka Jędrzejewska from GZM Metropolis pointed out the need for hard data:

– This year, we measured air quality at 700 points in the Metropolis. Thanks to this, we know where to act most urgently.

35th anniversary gala of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice and EKMŚP Economic Awards

The ceremonial gala of the RIG in Katowice Community at the NOSPR headquarters, attended by nearly 1,500 guests, was the culmination of the celebrations of the 35th anniversary of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Katowice.

The laureates of the EKMŚP 2025 Economic Awards were:

• Forbes Polska – editor-in-chief  Katarzyna Dębek:

– Usually, we are the ones who award entrepreneurs. Today, we accept this award with gratitude and recognition for Polish companies, which in three decades have built one of the 20 largest economies in the world.

• Grupa Recykl S.A. – President Maciej Jasiewicz:

– Polish companies are becoming increasingly bold in expanding abroad. Their successes abroad show that we can compete in terms of quality and responsibility.

• Strabag sp. z o.o. – Board member Dariusz Kolasa:

– Our history in Silesia is one of cooperation with hundreds of local companies. It is thanks to them that we can implement large infrastructure and technology projects.

• CCC S.A. – President Dariusz Miłek:

– I started out at a market in February 1990. Today, my story shows how much Poland and its entrepreneurs have changed.

• COBI Group – President Robert Podleś:

– Everything, from design to production, is done in Poland. But Europe must protect its own industry if we want such companies to survive.

• NVIDIA Corporation – Regional Director Roman Sioda:

– Poland is our technology hub for 24 countries. Together with Kulczyk Investments, we are creating the first AI factory in Central and Eastern Europe here.

• Szeja Rally Team – driver Jarosław Szeja:

– Sport brings entrepreneurs together just as much as working together for success. Our team is proof that passion and business can go hand in hand..

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