The authorities of Lower Silesia have been striving to provide investors with favourable business environment through the creation of special economic zones and districts of economic activity.

At present, there are three Special Economic Zones and the Wrocław Technology Park. Investors in any of those areas are offered tax allowances and simplifi ed administrative procedures while setting up their activities. At the end of 2000, as many as 102 companies were licensed to conduct business activity in the Special Economic Zones, along with 28 production plants employing 5,300 people. The Legnica Special Economic Zone was founded in the most industrialized part of the Province, in the Legnica-Głogów Copper Basin (Legnicko-Głogowskie Zagłębie Miedziowe). The idea behind its foundation was to create an alternative for the dominant copper industry and to develop the areas degraded by the Soviet troops during their stationing in Poland. The Wałbrzych Special Economic Zone was created in a region where coal mining and textile industry had dominated for many years. The closing down of the coal mines in the 1990s led to a signifi - cant deterioration of the economic condition of many companies that used to cooperate with the mines, which resulted in a massive increase in the rate of unemployment. The Kamienna Góra Small Business Special Economic Zone was founded in the Sudeten region, where traditional branches of industry have been disappearing along with many companies, while the region itself has a lot of development potential for the tourist industry. In Wrocław, the Technology Park is under construction which provides conditions for taking full advantage of the scientifi c and industrial capacity of the city. The Technology Park was designed for high-tech companies as well as for laboratories and scientific, research and development institutions.