The beginning of this month brought an event that is difficult to overestimate for the importance of Polish-French cooperation. On May 9, in Nancy Polska and France, they included a treaty with strengthened cooperation and friendship. The document symbolizing deeper relations between Warsaw and Paris was signed on Europe’s day.
A few days later, during Impact 2025 in Poznań, representatives of the French business present in Poland discussed the prospects for the development of cooperation in the area of innovation and green transformation. French companies have invested PLN 113 billion in Poland, and France is one of the four largest foreign investors on the Vistula. Participants of the discussion wondered how to build a strong, competitive and green Europe together, and the center of attention was found by areas of cooperation corresponding to the most current business trends. During the debate organized by the French-Polish Chamber of Commerce, there were examples showing how much has already been achieved.
Innovation strength
Innovations, one of the key factors affecting competitiveness, have a global and local dimension. He talked about this by opening the discussion, Valéry Gaucherand, president of the board of L’Oréal Polska and the Baltic States, president of the French-Polish Chamber of Commerce. Innovation is of great importance for the cosmetics industry. As Valéry Gaucherand said, his company allocates EUR 1.3 billion annually for research and development. L’Oréal has an internal Venture Capital fund that allows investing in local ecosystems. This also applies to Poland. The best example of the effectiveness of such a strategy are successful companies, such as Cosmose, which is the beneficiary of this fund. L’Oréal invests, among others In marketing technologies, which are then used in various markets (derived from Poland, Cosmose develops solutions using artificial intelligence).
Veolia is another example of a company emphasizing innovation and local partnerships. Luiz Hanania, president and general director of the Veolia Group in Poland, emphasized during the discussion the company’s faith in “Perfect Triangle”, i.e. cooperation between local government, science and research centers and business. An example of such a partnership for ecology and economy is the project implemented with Innargi in cooperation with the authorities of the city of Poznań, regarding geothermal. The capital of Greater Poland can be the first of large Polish cities in which the heating network will be powered to a significant extent from geothermal deposits, a clean and stable source of renewable energy. It is to cover as much as 20 percent. Cognition demand for heat, in the perspective of three years.
Veolia is carried out together with Volkswagen Poznań. It involves heat recovery from production processes (so -called waste heat), then supplying 6.5 thousand. apartments.
– For Veolia, partnerships are extremely important. The company is looking for partners sharing values and a vision of sustainable development – described Luiz Hania.
It’s not just about capital
An important point of discussion was financing innovation, especially in industry. Damian Ragan, vice president of the board of Credit Agricole Bank Polska, emphasized that banks are very interested in creating innovation in both their own organizations and for local environments and on a macro scale. He presented the concept of Le Village. As part of it, Credit Agricole animates the innovations of entrepreneurs, most often young startups, taking care of them from birth for about two or three years and helping to develop structure, organization, HR, in conducting accounting and tax issues.
– The Polish banking sector is assessed as one of the most modern and innovative in Europe, mainly thanks to the internal ability to innovation, adaptation and partnerships – emphasized Damian Ragan, giving an example of the availability of many bank and non -bank services on phones, such as buying tickets or highway fees provided by partners. – The ability to build such alliances is one of the main features of the system that has become so modern – described the vice president of the board of Credit Agricole Bank Polska.
Banks play a key role in financing the economy, including the implementation of green solutions. Globally, in the previous year, instruments financing a sustainable economy for approx. EUR 820 billion were launched. Banks’ involvement in this type of instruments ranges from 1 percent. up to over 10 percent Meanwhile, Poland needs up to EUR 140 billion in the perspective of 2045. The Credit Agricole Bank Polska vice president emphasized the need to mobilize capital to become possible.
At the same time, it’s not just about money, as is the case of industry investors, such as L’Oréal or Veolia. Damian Ragan pointed out that banks can also support green transformation through education and the tools offered. An example is the Credit Agricole carbon trail calculator available to anyone who would like to measure their impact on the environment.
– There is a second edition, allowing comparison with others in the group. Another initiative is a platform for farmers, who, unlike large companies, often need support in regulatory and transformation issues. The platform based on intuitive questions is to help in the diagnosis of the farm, propose energy transformation, count outings and effects, as well as suggest suppliers and financing – mentioned Damian Ragan.
Caring for the environment pays off
Innovations and sustainable development are important in the construction sector, which has a significant impact on the environment. Henryk Kwapisz, director of institutional relations Saint-Gobain in Poland, emphasized the long history of Polish-French cooperation with the participation of his company, which this year celebrates 360 years of existence. Saint-Gobain focuses on innovation, and at the same time, as Henryk Kwapisz said, he listens carefully to the market.
– The company is investigating the market in 27 countries, including in Poland, as part of the annual Barometer of sustainable construction.
These studies indicate that the declared awareness and the growing interest of experts and society in sustainable construction does not go hand in hand with what is actually built-said Henryk Kwapisz and added that in this connection Saint-Gobain prepares innovation, slightly ahead of the market, believing that the growing social awareness is overwhelming in practical activities in the next years. There are many of this type of innovation, they relate to lowering the carbon trace of products or supporting modular construction, which in the opinion of Saint-Gobain is the future. The company consistently reduces its industrial environmental trace within 25 plants operating in the country. All such projects are planned and monitored in detail. They concern the issue of energy demand management, closing water cycles and the economy of the circuit closed in the area of obtaining raw materials.
Decarbonization, crucial for green transformation, must have a positive impact on the economy. As Luiz Hanania said, Veolia does not implement it only to achieve the effects of climate, but because such projects are economically effective. An example is the design of the thermal waste transformation installation in Łódź, which on the one hand enables waste management, and on the other – the production of pure energy for residents and entrepreneurs.
Good and stable law is necessary
The discussion emphasizes the importance of regulation. Valéry Gaucherand said, among others about the need for “smart regulation”. He pointed out that in the Beauty industry, changes are going in the wrong direction, which is manifested by a proposal to ban the use of ethanol, a key ingredient in many cosmetics, not just a perfume for which there is no alternative. Another controversial example is Urban Waste Water Treatment Directive, which assumes the imposition of a fee for the Quaternary Cleansing of Municipal Sewage only to two industries: pharmaceutical and cosmetic under the new EU law and then implemented in the country. It is not the sectors that contribute to micro -cleanes, but the ingredients contained in products produced by many different industries. We want to contribute to the implementation of the tasks set by the sewage directive, but according to the principle “real pollutants pays” we want to pay for its pollution – emphasized Valéry Gaucherand.
– Europe is a leader in innovations in the Beauty sector. I am talking about the amount of EUR 180 billion in the EU GDP and employment of 3.2 million people; Regulations should support his strength – noted the representative of L’Oréal.
For Henryk Kwapisz, “Deregulation” is a word of lockpick.
– The company is not afraid of the amount of law, but its inconsistent implementation – he defined and mentioned examples, such as: Public Procurement Act, the National Plan of Renovation of Buildings, no energy classes for buildings. – Companies are able to adapt to changes in law, but they need predictability and consistency in their implementation. An example is the switching of Saint-Gobain to a low-emission economy. In the first quarter of this year, the company purchased over 40 percent. energy from renewable sources. To strive to fully cover your needs, it seems necessary to transform the entire power network in the country – he noted.
At the end of the discussion, the importance of stability and predictability of law for entrepreneurs, and benefits that can be achieved thanks to the further development of Polish-French cooperation, were emphasized. The new treaty creates a good framework for this.
The debate was led by Joanna Jaroch-Pszeniczna, general director of the French-Polish Chamber of Commerce.
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