Krakow Technology Park

Krakow Technology Park sp. z o.o. limited liability company was initially established to manage the special economic zone. In 1997, the Municipality of Kraków, the Jagiellonian University, Kraków University of Technology, the AGH–UST University of Science and Technology, Tadeusz Sendzimir Steelworks, and State Treasury established in 2000a company under the name of Centrum Zaawansowanych Technologii – Kraków sp. z o.o. (Centre for Advanced Technologies), the Małopolska Region joined the number of their shareholders. In January 2004, the name of the company was changed to Krakowski Park Technologiczny sp. z o.o. (Kraków Technology Park, KTP).

In its first years, the main objective of the company’s operation was to manage the land enjoying the status of special economic zone. Soon, the conditions accompanying the implementation of the concept of operation of the Kraków special economic zone forced the then executive board to seek for new directions for development. The basic reason limiting the progress of the zone and determining its operation in the earliest years was the refusal to contribute the land where the special economic zone was developed to the company on behalf of its founders, and later shareholders. This fact brought about numerous difficulties in the financial and substantial operation of the company, slowing down its growth as result. With no assets and no faculty to influence the quality of area for development, the company boasting an initial capital of PLN 175,000 could hardly be effective in fulfilling its basic mission.

For the reasons mentioned above, the new strategic plan for the company was prepared in 2003 for a period of five years. Besides the basic objective, namely, the development of the special economic zone, the plan set a new direction: development of the function of the technology park in the context of Poland’s accession to the European Union and access to EU funds.