The inauguration of the new EY Global Delivery Services centre in Katowice on Tuesday, 27 January 2026, provided a platform for a strategic debate on the future of workforce competencies and the role of collaboration between business, local government and academia. As part of the event, a panel session entitled "Talent 2030: How business, cities and campuses create the skills of the future" was held, with the University of Economics in Katowice represented by Anna Dewalska-Opitek, PhD from the Department of Organizational Relationship Management, co-author of the new second-cycle (Master’s) study programme Global Business Services.
The discussion highlighted that the future of the labour market is not merely a consequence of technological progress, but rather the outcome of deliberate choices made by enterprises, cities and educational institutions. Panelists emphasised that effectively preparing talent for the challenges of the coming decade requires integrated actions encompassing the development of digital, analytical and social competencies, as well as innovative models of cooperation between universities and industry.
Dr Anna Dewalska-Opitek underscored the importance of long-term partnerships between universities and enterprises, in which educational programmes are co-designed with representatives of the business services sector, while students gain practical experience through projects implemented in authentic business environments. In this context, the Global Business Services programme was presented as an exemplar of a contemporary educational approach that integrates academic knowledge with market practice.
The opening of the EY GDS centre in Katowice confirms the growing significance of the region as one of the key hubs of modern business services in Poland and across Europe. In its press release, EY emphasised that the region’s technological potential, strong academic infrastructure and access to highly qualified specialists constituted decisive factors in the investment decision.
The participation of the University of Economics in Katowice in the “Talent 2030” panel forms part of the university’s long-term strategy aimed at actively co-creating the regional talent ecosystem and strengthening the relationship between academia and business practice. The event thus became not only a forum for the exchange of ideas, but also a manifestation of a new model of cooperation between universities and the global business services sector.
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