Upper Silesia, Poland’s Industrial Heartland Poland, Central Europe

Upper Silesia, located in the south of Poland and bordering the Czech Republic and Slovakia, is the most industrialized and urbanized of Poland’s 16 provinces. The region’s 70-plus cities have a combined population of approximately 4.8 million.

Katowice, the economic, industrial, cultural and administrative capital of Upper Silesia, has a population of about 310,000. Important industries in Upper Silesia include coal mining, iron and steel production, power plants and chemicals. Several auto companies have manufacturing operations in the region.

Just 300 kilometers from Warsaw, Katowice is a distribution center for Upper Silesia’s rising consumer class. With more than 1.9 million square meters of industrial properties and warehouses, Upper Silesia is the second-largest logistics market in Poland. A network of highways connects Katowice to major population centers in the immediate region and the rest of Poland.

In 2015, Katowice International Airport handled 3 million passengers, doubling its 2006 figure. In the same time period, the airport’s cargo volume also doubled.

Prologis is the leading provider of industrial properties and warehouses in Upper Silesia.