Poland's Economy Grows, but Its Young Still Flee

The pristine metal-and-glass laboratories and landscaped lawns of the Olsztyn Science and Technology Park are emblematic of Poland’s transition from communist state to member of the European Union. Paid for with EU aid, the €16.6 million ($23 million) development 200 kilometers (124 miles) north of Warsaw opened in November and was built to attract startups. Yet with two smaller science parks nearby, half the space remains empty. The Olsztyn region has one of the highest poverty rates in Europe, and more people are leaving than arriving.

“The EU certainly helps fulfill Polish dreams—even completely idealistic and costly ones,” says Sylwia Tymicka, who set up an accounting and small-business consulting firm in Olsztyn when Poland joined the EU in 2004. “That often means spending for spending’s sake. It doesn’t correspond to basic needs.”