Szczecin, situated at the mouth of the Oder River on the Szczecin Lagoon, is an important economic and cultural hub in Northwest Poland. With a population of about 407,000 —and a broader metropolitan population of 690,000 —it is an important node for domestic and international trade and transit.
Szczecin offers easy access to the Baltic Sea and to markets in Scandinavia. Just a few miles from the German border, it is only 90 miles from Berlin by road. Szczecin has historically been a center of maritime-related industries. Logistics and distribution facilities can be found near the Port of Szczecin. One of Poland’s busiest, the port handles some 20 million tons of cargo annually and is expanding.
Now, Szczecin is focused on building up services and knowledge-based industries. It is a regional center of higher education, anchored by the University of Szczecin, and home to 48,000 college students. Further, the Szczecin Science and Technology Park is home to dozens of small IT companies.
Demand for logistics in the Szczecin region is being driven in part by rising consumption.