Off-Shoring Software Development? Consider Poland's Thriving Tech Scene

From startups to enterprises, companies across competitive markets have been investing in their digital transformation for years. But with an international pandemic raging and a tech talent shortage worsening, the stakes have only gotten higher for companies that need increasingly advanced digital tools if they’re going to survive.

As McKinsey senior partner Kate Smaje recently put it in an analysis of digital transformation, “The [COVID-19] crisis has forced every company into a massive experiment in how to be more nimble, flexible, and fast.” But for companies struggling to attract and keep experienced software experts — a problem predicted to cost the global economy $1.5 trillion in lost revenue by 2030 — building technologically skilled teams at a cost they can afford can be a persistent challenge.

That’s why 60% of companies off-shore their software development needs. However, off-shoring can make decision-makers apprehensive, even if teams are located in internationally respected tech hubs such as Poland. If you’re considering looking abroad for your tech talent, here’s why Poland is a wise investment.

With a long history of STEM excellence — and a STEM education system that ranks far better than countries known for tech like the United States — Poland is a prime location for finding software development experts. Poland’s higher education institutions graduate 15,000 new tech specialists annually, and the country’s top technical schools — including Warsaw University of Technology, Technical University of Lublin, and Poznań University of Technology — are internationally ranked.

Tech is a central part of Poland’s educational culture. In fact, research shows that Poland ranks fourth internationally in terms of professional developers who began coding between the ages of five and ten. This head start gives Polish developers a unique perspective on computational thinking and demonstrates that programming is a central part of many students’ educational experience from an early age.

For comparison, the US doesn’t even make the list. What’s more, while computer science education is mandatory for all Polish students, research from the Brookings Institute shows that it isn’t required in the overwhelming majority of American state school systems. And with less than half of American high schools even offering a computer science course, it’s clear that Polish developers have a leg up on any domestic hires in early technical training.

In addition to technical education, American and Western European companies may be concerned about Polish developers’ ability to fit into their own teams culturally and move their business forward. However, Polish software experts come from a pool of uniquely entrepreneurial and business-minded technical specialists trained in one of Europe’s most rapidly growing tech markets.

Companies that work with Polish developers will benefit from their uniquely entrepreneurial mindset just as much as their superior engineering skills. In fact, as the EU has looked to nurture its own version of Silicon Valley, Poland has emerged as one of the continent’s most dynamic innovation hubs.

Tech giants have already gotten the memo about the potential of Poland’s tech scene: Google recently opened an innovation-driven, startup-centric campus in Warsaw, Intel has built one of its largest global R&D labs in Gdansk, Samsung launched its startup incubator in cooperation with the Rzeszow University of Technology, and Microsoft recently pledged to invest $1 billion in Poland’s digital transformation.

This entrepreneurial determination is apparent at the national level, too. When most EU countries were sinking into recession during the 2008 financial crisis, Poland was the only member state to grow its economy. And with Polish business and tech leaders taking advantage of strong markets and a booming startup landscape, Nasdaq reports that 2019 saw more venture funding — €294 million — than Poland’s previous nine years combined.

Poland’s thriving tech scene offers cost-effective, competitive talent raised in an entrepreneurial culture for companies looking to stay lean while prioritizing their digital transformation. And, with a world-renowned education system that emphasizes STEM training and English learning, Poland ranks highly internationally in software development acumen (#3) and English language skills (#16).

If you’re looking to supplement your next product build or augment your tech team with Polish developers, VentureDevs can help. We’ll bridge the gap between the digital tools you need for your business to grow and the talent you need to build them. To tap into our network of Poland’s leading technical talent — sourced through our rigorous technical recruiting process — reach out to us today.