A new BGK report reveals Polish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are increasingly recognizing the need for digitalization, but face financial and market barriers to adoption.
SME Sector: The Foundation of the Polish Economy
The SME sector is the cornerstone of the Polish economy, accounting for nearly half of the country’s GDP. However, Poland lags behind EU leaders in digital maturity.
99.8% of all entities in Poland are SMEs, generating 46.6% of GDP. Despite this dominant position, their level of digitalization remains below the EU average, a concerning trend given increasing global competition and the growing role of AI.
Barriers to Digital Transformation
Digitalization must be a cohesive strategy, not a series of random actions. Polish firms continue to encounter barriers that stifle their innovation.
The latest BGK report, “Digitalization in the SME Sector. What Will Accelerate Transformation,” indicates that a lack of skills or aversion to technology are not the primary obstacles. Instead, 80% of businesses cite market and financial barriers.
Specifically, 73% of firms complain about complicated and overly formalized funding processes, while 68% report a lack of financing tailored to the specific needs of small businesses.
Size Matters: Disparities Among SMEs
Smaller businesses, with fewer resources, are more sensitive to risk and more likely to postpone investment decisions.
Medium-sized firms, with greater financial stability, can focus more on technical aspects, such as integrating new tools with existing processes.
A Shift in Mindset: Beyond Subsidies
A positive signal from the report is that 86% of businesses would proceed with digitalization even without access to non-refundable subsidies.
This indicates a change in mindset within Polish business, with IT investments now viewed as a means to improve efficiency and optimize costs, rather than simply a way to obtain EU funds.
“Investment in technology is not just a cost, but an investment in resilience and competitiveness,” commented Eliza Kruczkowska.
Intuitive Strategy and the Need for Metrics
While 64% of firms state that digitalization is a high priority in their strategy, particularly in finance, real estate, and industry, effective management of these processes is lacking.
91.5% of SMEs do not measure the effects of their digital activities using specific KPIs, falling to 8.1% among micro-organizations.
This suggests that digitalization in Poland is still largely intuitive rather than data-driven.
Investment Plans and Budget Allocations
Financial plans for the SME sector are ambitious, though varied. The majority of firms (85.1%) intend to maintain or increase IT spending.
This trend is strongest among micro-firms, while half of medium-sized enterprises plan to reduce budgets, potentially due to cost pressures.
Average planned expenditures are: micro-firms – approx. 106,000 PLN, small firms – approx. 300,000 PLN, medium firms – over 987,000 PLN.
Concerningly, one in four firms cannot estimate their budget for these purposes, highlighting a gap in planning skills. Over 90% of firms rely on a single funding source (primarily their own funds or grants).
Pragmatic Technology Choices and Emerging Trends
Polish businesses prioritize pragmatic technology choices, opting for tools that are affordable, quick to implement, and require minimal reorganization, such as those for communication, marketing automation, HR software, and cybersecurity.
One in five firms already uses generative artificial intelligence, with another 8% planning to do so. However, the report also reveals gaps in technological awareness, with over half of firms unfamiliar with e-commerce solutions and over 40% unaware of chatbots or ticketing systems.
The biggest long-term threat is a lack of interest in systems like ERP, CRM, IoT, and Big Data, which are fundamental to modern management.
Key Requirements for Accelerated Transformation
To accelerate transformation, support is needed in two areas: simplifying access to financing (advice, reducing bureaucracy) and networking.
Firms that have not yet begun digitalization most need access to know-how and experience sharing with more advanced partners. A stable legal environment and expert support will help transform intuitive actions into an effective, digital growth strategy.
