The value of direct investment by U.S. companies in Poland has reached approximately $30 billion, while businesses backed by American capital employ nearly 330,000 people. The figures were presented in the report A Partnership for Decades: Polish–American Economic Integration, prepared by the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland and McKinsey & Company.
According to the report, more than 1,600 companies with U.S. capital operate in Poland. In 2024, they employed approximately 329,000 people and generated combined annual revenue of $88.4 billion. The United States is described as Poland’s second-largest foreign investor and its largest investor from outside the European Union.
The report also indicates that the nature of American investment in Poland is gradually changing. Manufacturing and shared service centres remain important, but engineering, research and development, advanced analytics and knowledge-intensive business processes are playing an increasingly prominent role.
Most companies have not scaled back their plans because of the war
Research conducted for the report suggests that geopolitical tensions and the war in Ukraine have not, so far, led to a widespread reduction in U.S. investment in Poland.
According to the surveyed companies, 55% have made no changes to their investment plans because of the geopolitical situation. A further 11% said they had increased their planned expenditure.
More than three-quarters of the companies surveyed expanded their operations in Poland over the past five years. Nearly 60% also declared that they intend to increase investment over the next three to five years.
These figures reflect corporate declarations rather than binding commitments to specific projects. Their implementation will depend on factors including economic conditions, geopolitical developments, workforce availability and the regulatory environment.
“In the face of geopolitical challenges, U.S. companies are not only staying in the market but are also planning further expansion,” said Marta Poślad, Chair of the Board of Directors of the American Chamber of Commerce in Poland.
Manufacturing remains the largest area of investment
The largest share of U.S. capital invested in Poland is concentrated in manufacturing. According to data cited in the report, the sector accounts for approximately 38% of total investment, equivalent to around $11.6 billion.
The presence of manufacturing plants, warehouses and technical infrastructure generally creates stronger and more permanent ties between an investor and a particular market than business activities that can be relocated to another country relatively quickly.
U.S. companies are developing manufacturing operations, logistics facilities and engineering centres in Poland. American businesses are also involved in energy and defence projects, including preparations for the construction of Poland’s first nuclear power plant and the development of supply chains for the defence industry.
The report describes Polish–American cooperation as a “strategic corridor” covering not only capital flows and trade, but also energy, defence, logistics and technology.
This description reflects the authors’ assessment. The scale of cooperation varies between industries, while some of the largest projects remain at the planning or implementation stage.
Service centres are moving toward more advanced activities
Another important development highlighted in the report is the changing profile of the operations conducted by U.S. companies in Poland.
According to the survey, 67% of respondents said their Polish operations were shifting toward more advanced, knowledge-based processes. These include engineering, software development, research and development, cybersecurity, data analytics and business services requiring specialist expertise.
The report’s authors estimate that approximately 60% of services delivered from Poland by foreign-owned centres now fall into the “mid-office” and “front-office” categories. These activities involve more complex processes than traditional administrative or accounting support.
Export value per employee in the modern business services sector is reported to have exceeded $64,000. This would represent an increase of more than 52% compared with 2016.
The transition is significant for Poland’s labour market. More advanced functions may generate greater added value and better-paid jobs, but they also require access to highly qualified employees and increased investment in technological education and skills.
Boeing highlights the potential of Poland’s workforce
Boeing’s engineering centres are cited as one example of the development of knowledge-based activities. In Poland, the company is involved in projects related to defence programmes, autonomous systems and supply-chain development.
“For Boeing, Poland is not only a market and an industrial partner, but also a centre of engineering expertise and advanced technologies,” said Honorata Hencel, Managing Director of Boeing in Poland and Ukraine.
Her statement represents the company’s business assessment and was included in a report co-authored by an organisation representing the interests of American businesses.
Polish investment in the United States remains limited
Investment relations between the two countries remain highly asymmetrical. While U.S. companies hold assets in Poland worth more than $75 billion, direct investment by Polish businesses in the United States remains relatively modest.
According to data presented alongside the report, the value of Polish direct investment in the U.S. stood at approximately $600 million in 2024.
“The scale of Poland’s presence in the United States remains limited. Economic relations may enter a new phase, but this will depend primarily on greater expansion by Polish companies into the American market,” said Tomasz Marciniak, Managing Partner of McKinsey & Company in Poland.
The authors argue that the next stage of bilateral cooperation should involve not only continued capital inflows from the United States, but also greater activity by Polish companies in the U.S. market.
Further investment will depend on regulatory conditions
The report indicates that Poland could attract additional U.S. projects because of its geographical location, industrial base, access to qualified employees and growing importance in the fields of energy and security.
At the same time, the authors emphasise the importance of legal stability, regulatory predictability, energy availability and the development of digital skills.
The publication was prepared by AmCham and McKinsey and therefore primarily reflects the perspective of American investors and companies operating in Poland. The data demonstrate the considerable scale of their presence in the Polish economy. However, forecasts of further expansion remain dependent on the decisions of individual companies and on economic conditions in Poland, Europe and the United States.
