Proper targeting of public intervention under government and regional authorities’ development programmes requires, above all, identifying real financial needs in specific areas of public intervention.

EPSEC is leading a consortium acting for Poland’s Ministry of Investments and Economic Development.

The main objective is to develop a methodology that first allows for the assessment of real financial needs in individual areas of implementation of development policy.

Then – in the case of areas where there is a possibility of commercial financing – estimating the financial gap.

The financial gap is the amount of financial resources required to address market failure, suboptimal investment level or investment needs.

The gap may be due to the mentioned failure of market mechanisms or the inability to finance needs from own resources or from provided by the private market.

The developed methodology will be used to assess financial needs and the financial gap that could be met with the support of public funds under instruments implemented at national and regional level.

The Partnership is a commitment to cooperate in reaching the objectives of the Polish government’s Accessibility Plus Programme. The programme is a combined effort of the government, the local governments, businesses, NGOs and representations of the disabled and seniors.

Members of the Partnership shall support the idea of accessibility and equal treatment in their activity.

They shall also jointly strive to equalise opportunities and access for all citizens to the physical, social and cultural environment, recreation, leisure, sport, health care, education, work, transport, information and communication.

By joining the Partnership EPSEC confirms its dedication to supporting development based on social inclusion and sustainability.

Financial instruments co-funded by the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) are an efficient way to invest in the growth and development of people and businesses across the EU.

In order to facilitate the use of the ESIF co-funded financial instruments, the European Commission in partnership with the European Investment Bank, launched a platform for advisory services named fi-compass. It is designed to support ESIF managing authorities, finance providers and other interested parties, by providing practical know-how and learning tools on the financial instruments.

EPSEC is involved in activities of the international research and advisory consortium supporting the fi-compass.

Despite the undeniably positive achievements of the EU Cohesion Policy, the complexity of its rules may impede managing or applying for the EU funding for the interested parties.

The European Commission as well as other EU institutions and Member States declare their interest to further simplify access to the EU funds in the budget framework 2014-2020 and post 2020.

EPSEC is highly active in research and advisory services for the EU institutions as well as the government of Poland on reducing administrative burden and costs of the ESIF delivery.

The EU funds have constituted a major part in the investment budget of the City of Warsaw over the recent 10 years.

Owing to the European funding, the City of Warsaw has increased its pace of social and economic development in the last decade.

Among the most significant EU-funded investments, there is:

• general upgrade of the public transport system (including major construction of the entire 2nd Metro Line and the new tramways and electric buses),
• new roads,
• highly complex water and waste-water management system,
• as well as many social undertakings.

Presentation of the ESIF deployment effects in the City of Warsaw based on EPSEC’s research took place in July 2017.

Further research shall focus on the ESIF effects on other Poland’s territories.

Ageing of the world’s population, particularly in more developed regions, combined with low birth rates cause serious socio-economic challenges.

Increasing proportion of older people related to younger people may lead to an increased pressure on pension systems and the risk of labour shortages. Many organisations may be prone to the risk of labour shortages. This is why both governments and employers have to adapt to changes.

EPSEC is facilitating a study in the field of management, carried out at the University of Rotterdam, aimed to investigate the motivations of persons to maintain in the employment in the retirement age.

Particular attention is paid to the role of supervisors in encouraging their employees to continue working beyond retirement. Based on self-determination theory, the relationship between supervisor’s supportive behaviour and intentions of 50+ aged employees to continue working is studied. The hypothesis is that supportive supervisory behaviour leads to basic needs satisfaction, which in turn influences the intentions to continue working.

EPSEC is facilitating the concept of using new technologies to help creating the social capital. In partnership with ENGIE, a global technology provider, we are examining the ways of applying the best-available technologies in the fields of the Internet of Things, Big Data and energy efficiency.

In the contemporary world the success of environmental, educational, cultural or healthcare projects is highly determined by direct involvement of the public. In civil societies, any top-down orders or prohibitions would not efficiently cater for the public involvement. What is needed is the so-called social capital.

Though the levels of social capital tend to be higher in the most-developed and wealthiest societies, more and more research reveal that investing in the social capital, and not only in tangible or financial capital, is vital for less-advanced economies to catch up with the leaders.

New technologies offer plenty of ways to impact building of the social capital. In our research activities we focus on the use of new technologies in the areas of the Internet of Things, Big Data and energy efficiency.

In the financial perspective of 2014-2020, with the support of the European Structural and Investment Funds, Poland is implementing a range of major infrastructure projects of motorways, expressways, railways and urban transport, of a total value of c.a. EUR 30 billion.

Given the extensive scope and substantial value of the investments, it is vital to provide their sound and timely preparation and delivery.

Therefore, the Polish government’s Centre for EU Transport Projects, responsible for overseeing of the investments, launched a technical assistance project aimed at strengthening the monitoring of the investments.

EPSEC was selected to provide research and advisory support to the above-mentioned project.

Our support will, therefore, enhance the preparation and implementation of the most important transport investments financed by the EU Funds in Poland.