A Black Hawk helicopter, a sleek-looking, personalised motorbike and plenty of good food – this is Podkarpackie in a nutshell. This was how the Polish region promoted itself at an event hosted by the Polish Permanent Representation to the European Union. The region, whose Marshal is ECR Member Władysław Ortyl, made the most of an invitation from Poland's representative to the EU, H.E. Andrzej Sadoś.

The Polish Permanent Representation in Brussels, or more specifically "Window Polska", is an important venue for Poland's diplomacy and political and economic affairs, hosting major initiatives attended by key figures from Polish society. Podkarpackie is the first region in Poland to have been given the chance to use the venue to showcase its economic potential and the opportunities it offers for tourism. There was no shortage of ambassadors, entrepreneurs, representatives of clusters and business organisations, and journalists among those attending the Representation. It was difficult to fit everyone into our welcoming venue in Brussels. 

"Podkarpackie is one of the country's fastest growing regions, making full use of EU funding to build and develop its economy on the basis of cutting-edge technologies.  That is why we want to provide a snapshot of the region here in Brussels today. We would like to welcome you because the people of Podkarpackie are famous for their hospitality," said the Marshal, Władysław Ortyl, during his presentation.

"Today the Representation is hosting the region of Podkarpackie. We will be able to see interesting exhibits on smart specialisation. Podkarpackie is a very interesting and innovative region in terms of European funding," said Andrzej Sadoś, Permanent Representative of Poland to the European Union, during his welcome address.

The theme of the presentations was smart specialisation, which the region of Podkarpackie had included in its regional innovation strategy. Such specialisations include: aerospace, the automotive industry, IT and telecommunications and quality of life. The exhibition naturally showcased the Black Hawk helicopter and a sleek-looking, personalised motorbike, with the companies G2A and Linetech having their own stands. The Department for Economic Promotion and Cooperation of the Marshal's Office also had its own impressive stand.

"We are delighted that the Podkarpackie region has come to the capital of Europe today and that, together with our entrepreneurs and institutions, we are able to promote our region's economic potential and tourism opportunities. I hope that the form and scope of the presentations will bear true testimony to the fact that EU funds invested so far in our region have been used fairly and sensibly. I also hope that this will be taken into account when funds are allocated going forward," the Marshal added.

The event was co-financed by the European Union's European Regional Development Fund under the Podkarpackie voivodship's Regional Operational Programme for 2014-2020.