Infrastruktura - Środowisko - Energia
Dodatek lobbingowy do "RZECZPOSPOLITEJ".
18 października 2007 r.

po polsku

Poland - a challenge to French specialists

Interview with Mr. Frédéric Nicolon, member of the Management Board of Egis Poland Sp. z o.o.

2007 proved to be a breakthrough for the Egis Group...

2007 is a breakthrough year for companies in the Egis Group - a European leader in transportation infrastructure. In response to the fact development of the infrastructure market and in line with the approved consolidation strategy, the Egis Group in Poland starting this year has been providing services under new names and with new logos, corresponding to the special services offered.

Adoption of uniform names for all companies in the Group is to stress the synergies between them, and making our clients and partners aware of the comprehensive character of services offered by the new strong brand of EGIS. I think that this type of comprehensive approach may become an exceptional value in view of the planned expenditures of about 24 billion zlotys for the development for the road system.

What transportation projects in Poland are most interesting for the Group?

First of all, the planned expansion of a network of roads and highways, also within public and private partnership. Obviously, our interests are not restricted just to the road sector since the resources of Egis are sufficient to carry out all kinds of infrastructure projects co-financed by EU. The PPP Model in Poland is just beginning to develop and the Egis Group, in particular Egis Projects, already has relevant Polish experience, such as licences for A2 and A4 highways. The company may act as a long-term contractor and investor, system integrator and manage infrastructure operation and maintenance.

Furthermore, Egis intends to continue the provision of advisory services for inter alia such key clients as GDDKiA, PKP, Transportation Managers and MPWiK, basing on the experience of 200 engineers employed not at almost 30 projects in Poland as well as the know-how of over 500 specialists in subsidiary companies. Egis also participates in the development of airports in Poland. This is in particular important in consideration of existing investment plans of Polish airports for over 1.2 billion zlotys and the related update of Master Plans. The forecasts have it that within the coming 25 years Polish airports will be servicing over 70 million passengers annually.

Can you specify some details on the competence of the Egis Group?

The Group has been present in the Polish market for almost 20 years through its specialised companies. i.e. Scetauroute, Semaly, Nexel Polska, Egis Projects, BCEOM, Sofreavia, Isis, Transroute. Combining the offer of the companies you can acquire a complete picture of the operations of the Egis Group in Poland. The offer covers comprehensive project services in the area of transportation and environment protection, starting from the stage of investment planning, through designing, design supervision until technical assistance, infrastructure operation and maintenance. Egis Poland, formerly Nexel Polska, will be providing all the services offered by the entire Group.

Which projects now carried out by Egis Poland are key projects?

It is easy to notice that Egis Poland clearly marks its presence on the map of Poland in the areas of road, railway investments as well as water supply and sewage management. Among the key projects now carried out by Egis Poland there is the major project of construction of the Wrocław Ring A-8. We are proud to have been awarded the contract since this is a prestigious investment among this year’s public procurement orders.

Another reason we are proud of is the contract for the preparation of a Master Plan for the most dynamically developing airport in Poland - Katowice-Pyrzowice. It is worth a few words: collaborating with Polish experienced companies, in line with the relevant international standards, we offer a Master Plan that is a long-time development vision of the airport development in the European and global markets. We also notice the growing ambitions of some voivodeships and local governments with respect to development of local and regional airports. This is a positive phenomenon; however, we are of the opinion that the regional authorities should draw on European experience, in particular the recent French experience where there was a time that there were over 400 airports that are not being consolidated. It is the right time in Poland - like several years ago in France - that airports should have a development strategy cohesive with the national transportation development plan. You should follow the best - Poland has no time to commit costly errors and lose time, in particular faced with such challenges as the coming Euro 2012.

KH