Funkcjonowanie firm z udziałem kapitału zagranicznego w regionach słabiej rozwiniętych w perspektywie członkostwa Polski w Unii Europejskiej

The aim of this paper is to discuss some issues related to the activities and performance of firms with foreign participation located in less developed regions in Poland. Special attention is paid to the changes in their functioning in the perspective of Poland's membership in the European Union. The evaluation of the position of firms with foreign participation in the Polish economy confirms that they play an important role in its development. This group of firms seems to be better prepared for the competition within the single European market. Foreign investors, when locating their capital abroad take into consideration different location factors. Location of firms with foreign capital in less developed regions is possible, but in practise these firms tend to locate their activities in more developed regions. According to the recent surveys, the import of the foreign capital leads to the regional polarization of the Polish economy. The analysis of firms with foreign participation operating in Lodz Voivodship done in this paper also confirms this hypothesis. It seems that despite joining the EU, the FDI inflow to Poland will concentrate in more developed regions. This generally negative effect could be lessen by regional policy and policy towards foreign investors.