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Good practice Imported

Kraków Technology Park — City–University Technology Transfer & Special Economic Zone

Poland · Kraków · See the Poland profile · See the Kraków profile

Evidence: Descriptive / self-reported Top 54% 67/100 · Ask Evidence Copilot about this practice

Kraków Technology Park, founded in 1997 by the city and three universities, now manages a 1,016-hectare special economic zone with 600 investors, 117 on-site tenants and 300 accelerator graduates — named fDi Intelligence's most innovative European zone in 2024.

1,016 ha 39 subzones, 38 municipalities
Special Economic Zone area
117
Tenant companies, home campus
300
Startups graduated from acceleration
Kraków Technology Park — City–University Technology Transfer & Special Economic Zone

Details

Maturity
Established
Promoter
Krakowski Park Technologiczny (Municipality of Kraków, Jagiellonian University, Kraków University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology)
Period
1997–present
Region (NUTS)
PL21
Keywords
Technology transfer, special economic zone, startup acceleration, Industry 4.0

Context

Krakow Technology Park (KPT) was founded in 1997 as a joint initiative of the Municipality of Krakow, the Jagiellonian University, Krakow University of Technology, AGH University of Science and Technology, and the Tadeusz Sendzimir Steelworks, to link academic research to industry and manage a new special economic zone.

Results

KPT now manages the Krakow Special Economic Zone covering 1,016 hectares across 39 subzones in 38 municipalities. On its home campus it hosts 117 tenant companies, works with 600 zone investors, and has graduated 300 companies from its acceleration programmes. In 2024, fDi Intelligence named the KPT-managed zone the 'most innovative economic zone in Europe'.

Implementation
Indicative cost
High (€500k–€5M)
Time to results
Long (> 3 years)
Staffing & skills
KPT zone management team, hub4industry consortium coordinators

Conditions for success

  • Joint mandate across three universities, a municipality, and an anchor industrial tenant
  • Special economic zone fiscal tools alongside a technology-transfer mandate
  • Sector focus in Industry 4.0 and gaming aligned to regional strengths

Commonly funded by

ERDF — European Regional Development Fund National / regional programmes

Indicative funding routes for practices of this type — always check each programme's current calls and eligibility rules.

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Data sources

Where this practice's information was retrieved from, and when.

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