Poznań is the second strongest city in Poland in terms of economy (after Warsaw). According to the Central Statistical Office, the gross domestic product (GDP) generated in Poznań in 2011 amounted to 42.1 billion zl. The share of the gross value added (GVA), the basic value affecting GDP, generated in Poznań represents 3% of the whole domestic GVA.
The main source of the GVA are companies from the services sector (72.2%) as well as the industry and construction sectors (27.7%).
Poznań's economy is diversified in terms of structure and well developed in terms of sectors with a dominating service sector. The economy is dominated by commerce, financial services, educational services and the real estate market. Diversified industry, the dynamically growing sector of commercial and financial services as well as the significant potential of specialised construction companies which are capable of competing with foreign constructors make Poznań one of the leaders among Polish cities which are well developed in terms of economy.
The good standing of the largest companies in Poznań is confirmed by their high rankings on the Top 500 List of Largest Polish Companies published in 2006 by the Rzeczpospolita daily newspaper. The list includes 20 companies with their head offices in Poznań (together with Katowice the highest number of companies outside of Warsaw among the large Polish cities).
The first 50 companies included three companies from Poznań, i.e. Volkswagen Poznań Sp. z o.o. (10th position), Jeronimo Martins Dystrybucja Sp. z o.o. (22th position), and Grupa Energetyczna Enea SA (27nd position). The market value of the companies from Poznań which were included in the ranking ranges from approximately PLN 22.6 to 26.9 billion, which represents approximately 4% of the market value of all the companies on the list. The highest market value exceeding PLN 2 billion is that of four companies, i.e., Volkswagen Poznań Sp. z o.o. (PLN 6.6 billion), Grupa Energetyczna Enea SA (PLN 5.7 billion), GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals SA (PLN 3.7 billion) and Kimball Electronics Poland Sp. z o.o. (PLN 3.6 billion).
An increasing number of enterprises are introducing international quality control systems. It is estimated that the majority of Poznań companies, including all those exporting their products or services, have ISO certificates in quality, environment and work safety management. Furthermore,
large manufacturers hold compliance certificates for the production of specific products in line with international good manufacturing practices26. After Poland's accession to the EU the necessity of obtaining CE marking has become an important issue for companies which manufacture electrical, electronic and construction products since this confirms the compatibility of these products with EU safety requirements. Food manufacturers, on the other hand, have to implement the HACPP system.
The economic development of Poznań is strongly influenced by the Poznań International Fair (PIF) which is one of the ten biggest industrial exhibition companies in Europe. In the nineties, after a 23 this sector generates more than 70% of GVA and employs 71% of the total employed in Poznań. This assessment is confirmed by the international rating agency, Moody's Investors Service, which upgrade Poznań's rating to the level A3 with stable outlook. It is the highest rating among Polish cities. The main criterion of this ranking is the value of sales in the year preceding the compilation of the list. E.g. GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals S.A. has a good manufacturing practice certificate for manufacturing medications in the company's Solid Forms, Creams & Ointments, Soft Gelatine Capsule and Aerosols Departments; Centra S.A. has obtained the German VDA 6.1 certificate and the US QS 9000 certificate for car batteries City Development Department Socio-Economic Situation in the City of Poznań period of significant internal changes and investment in the exhibition infrastructure, PIF strengthened its dominant position among the industrial exhibition companies in the country and joined the leading international fair events in Europe. Despite growing competition, PIF continues to be the leader among Polish exhibition companies. In terms of exhibition space, PIF has more than half of the domestic market (54%). It also ranks first in terms of the number of exhibitors (42% of the total number) and visitors (42%). In the 2005, PIF ranked first among the organisers of fair events in Central and Eastern Europe in terms of the number of events organised, second in terms of the exhibition space sold in relation to the number of exhibitors and fourth in terms of the number of visitors. The number of events and dedicated exhibitions organised by PIF is continuously growing.
The most important ones include Polagra - Farm which covers the largest exhibition space in Central and Eastern Europe and is very popular among visitors.
Numerous economic and business consultancy organisations operate in Poznań, which assist companies in developing business plans and establishing contacts in Poland and abroad. Additionally, they offer training and business consultancy and create platforms for sharing experience and promote entrepreneurship. The majority of these organisations do not limit their operations to the local market but spread their offer to the entire Wielkopolskie Province or the entire country, some are active internationally. The organisations which associate the largest number of members include the Polish Trade Fair Corporation, the Chamber of Industry and Commerce of the Wielkopolska Region, the Wielkopolska Chamber of Construction, the Wielkopolska Chamber of Crafts, the Wielkopolska
Association of Private Traders and Service Providers, the Polish Economic Chamber of Importers, Exporters and Cooperation, Wielkopolskie Capital Club and the Association of Small and Medium Enterprises.