The idea of setting up The Technology Park dates back to October 1989 when at The founding meeting in The Institute of Fluid-Flow Machinery of The PAN (Polish Academy of Sciences) in Gdańsk attended by representatives of high schools, scientific institutes, designing and construction offices as well as some leading companies, Science and Technology Foundation „Gdańsk” was established. Its main aim was to initiate broadly understood cooperation of science and technology centers and engineering workers of Gdańsk Region and consequently to start technology transfer between home and foreign centers. The principal instrument of the so understood task would be The Technology Park situated at the neighborhood of high technical schools or other scientific institutions. The Technology Park would be a first step to establish The so-called Special Technology and Economy Zone - Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot-Tczew (ST-EZ). The ST-EZ would bind three main tasks and would functionally constitute a holding/consortium of subjects aiming at:
- advanced technologies (high-tech)
- industry, construction
- business, services
 The first task (high-tech) would be carried out by, just being considered, Business
& Innovation Centre-Technology Park Gdańsk (BIC-TP) project. It is possible and necessary to establish branches in different towns of Gdańsk Region serviced by The Business & Innovation Centre „Gdańsk” (BIC).
The second task should be taken over by the existing Kokoszki Industrial Zone planned in  early sixties.
The function of that zone should be thought over; a first step being done by establishing in 1992 The Gdańsk Technology and Business Zone Company Limited (GTBZ) comprising economic subjects from Kokoszki region, The city of Tczew, The Design Office of Municipal Engineering - Science and Technology Foundation „Gdańsk”.
 The third task could be partially carried out in Kokoszki Region, but the main activities would be in the part its industrial areas.
The statute of association of The ST-EZ would contain a number of tasks and would resemble  the so-called Special Economy Zones on which The Government has been working for last few years.
The Science-Technology Foundation „Gdańsk” has been making an attempt at turning an attention of the local and central authorities to the above mentioned problems since beginning of 1990.

 1. The Business & Innovation Centre - Technology Park „Gdańsk” (BIC-TP).
As it has already been mentioned, an idea of establishing The Technology Park was presented in October 1989.
The idea and necessity of founding an institution serving a broadly understood cooperation and community integration was unanimously accepted and this resulted in an idea of establishing The Science and Technology Foundation „Gdańsk”, which would deal with, among others:  creating and development of The Technology Park and The Science and Technology Centre or Business & Innovation Centre making use of existing potential in Gdańsk Region. Technology Parks are well known all over a world (Science, Technology and Business Parks); legal and organizing  forms are varied and their main aim is to increase a technological level by technology transfer and thereby to accelerate a regional development.

The functions and tasks of The Technology Park and The Business & Innovation Centre itself are well known, that’s why this paper isn’t going to deal with them in detail.

Further, a historical outline and an idea of establishing of The Gdańsk Technology and Economy Zone (GT-EZ) and the aim and task of economy zones will be presented in this paper taking Japan and the suggested Special Technology and Economy Zone Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot-Tczew as an example.

 2. The idea, organization and development of Gdańsk Technology and Economy Zone (GT-EZ).
The GT-EZ had been initiated in 1991 by The Science and Technology Foundation „Gdańsk” with main aim to transfer technology to Poland, and abroad, and founded as a limited company.  Gdańsk-Kokoszki Region, which in  sixties had been set up as an industrial and residential zone, was chosen for this purpose. The Kokoszki Region has an essential infrastructure i.e.: road-rail connection (a ring road), an airport, water and sewage network, heat and electric energy and reserves of space to develop The GT-EZ. The Design Office of Municipal Engineering in Gdańsk prepared a brief preliminary design of The GT-EZ, worked out preliminary urban designs with infrastructure indicated and chose some development area for potential investors.  The International Conference on establishing, organization and development of The GT-EZ was held on 12th June, 1992 at a CENTROSTAL seat, one of main promoters and shareholders. Gdańsk community was represented by members of The Gdańsk City Council, The Polish Academy of Sciences, higher schools, designing out research offices and The GTEZ shareholders that is: The Tczew City Council, CENTROSTAL, Housing Development Works Gdańsk, INSTAL, PREFABET, Gdańsk Engineering Works Enterprise, The Design Office of Municipal Engineering and Science and Technology Foundation „Gdańsk”.
The course of discussion confirmed  that accepted assumptions towards the further development of The GT-EZ are correct, as well as indicated a necessity of further efforts to prepare an offer for polish and foreign investors.

 3. Special economic areas (setting Japan as an example).
People used to think that setting up Special Technology and Economy Zones (ST-EZ) is profitable only for developing countries, which look for foreign investors being able to help develop a given region or country.  Science and Technology Parks give a chance of concentrating research and development work (High-Tech) and their attractiveness, also for highly developed countries, not only for countries entering a path of industrial development, is fully understood. Maybe, a need for establishing Special Economy Zones (SEZ) in highly industrialized countries with export-oriented economy, seams controversial.
Nevertheless Japan, for example, shows that Economy Zones, broadly understood, may turn out to be extremely profitable for highly developed countries as well. The main aims and assumptions concerning establishing of such zones by the Japanese Government will be presented below. For years, America and Europe have insisted that Japan should facilitate import. Yet, a balance surplus or mutual payments continues to increase for Japan.
 
The main point of those efforts aiming at facilitating import and foreign investment is to set up the so-called Special Economy Zones - also called Foreign Access Zones.  Foreign companies which will settle in those Zones will get tax and customs duty reductions. They will be granted those reductions not only in the case of import, but also in case of production that is machining and processing in the Zone.  This law also expresses a wish of Japanese government to improve country’s infrastructure. Among some other important factors decreasing import are: insufficiently developed ports and airports as well as inadequate storage surface.
Some additional budget means have recently been given to improve this situation.
According to a representative of The Ministry of Economy (MITI) an idea of setting up Special Economy Zones has been met with great interest in Japan. Almost every second country’s Region competes for establishing such a Zone (31 regions have sent their proposals). Places like Tokyo, Osaka and Yokohama have been taken into consideration. They stretch from the farthest north-east Hokkaido to Kageshima in the deepest south-west of the country. So far, Japan has had little experience with Special Economy Zones but The Chines People’s Republic has been working successfully with this instrument of industrialization for many years.
The Philippines have also been trying to find foreign investors for civil production on the site of the former big American base Subic Bay. Japan has get on duty-free zone in Okinawa. But, so far, very few foreign investors have been found. The economic potential of the region, regarded as underdeveloped in comparison with the whole country is to weak.
Moreover, the island is much farther from big business and economy centers. In order to speed up economic boom the Japanese Government wants to render financial means reaching hundreds of millions of dollars which, nevertheless, the amount of money is much lower than that foreign investors had counted on. In spite of that The MITI foresees a considerable increase of import in the near future.
Some further moves concerning zones are also expected. The State Development Bank promises good conditions of financing investments and facilitation of credit guarantees. The letter ones will be granted not only to High-Tech enterprises (as it has been done so far) but also to other manufacturers.
 Another idea, conceived by The MITI whose aim is to attract foreign investors, is the so-called Business Support Centre, something like „Supermarket” (One Stop Shop) for foreign firms. The government will help, first of all, small and medium - sized companies which do not have information network in Japan consulting services, training and education of co-workers should be among  tasks of the Centre. The Centre planned promises help in looking for Japanese co-operating parties. Foreign firms will able to make use (free of charge) of offices in the planned premises. A company up to 50% financed privately will control the Centre. It is foreseen that foreign banks and various consulting firms will participate in that project.

 4. Special Technology and Economy Zone Gdańsk-Gdynia-Sopot-Tczew (ST-EZ).
As it has already been mentioned Technology and Economy Zones, called Technology and Business Parks, Technology and Innovation Centres are the areas planned with a view of a potential investor wanting to start production, a prototype batch, to carry out research within the so-called advanced technology. Such zones, by their nature, stimulate the development of the given region. Firms starting to operate, usually make use of administrative help, financing and book keeping service and the so-called „know-how” provided by the administration based in the Technology Centre in the Technology Park.
The scientific and research institutions of the region will provide know-how, but not only they.
Home and foreign firms and institutions will considerable contribute to that as well.
The advantages derived from the existence of the technology and economy zones were soon appreciated both in highly developed and newly - developing countries. They are a magnet for the capital wanting to implement existing scientific and research potential to achieve its main aim - to make profits in optimal way.
Planning a Technology Zone as a duty-free zone, greatly facilitates the produce re-export procedure without time consuming legal and administrative formalities which occur in the case of customs clearance.
Poland’s technology delay in relation to The West (estimated to be several years or even a few decades in some fields) calls for decision to establish such zones as quickly as possible.
This necessary technology transfer both into the country and out of the country (for instance to the Third World) would be much easier. The is a great interest in creating such Zones in the former socialist countries; the best example is the pilot project of The Technology Centre - Technology Park „Gdańsk” initiated in December 1993 within intergovernmental agreements and financed in the conceptional phase by the German Ministry of Economy.
Technology and Economy Zones planned to satisfy various demands of potential investors, play the role of not only potential investment zones or of the contact with existing economic subjects within a given zone.
Through univocally worked out technical and economic conditions (feasibility studies) the process of decision making is not only made easier, but possible at all.
New, potential investors encounter a barrier of the, so-called, impossibility that is the lack of concretely recognized legal and administrative situation.
Such a chance, that is, removing that barrier is given by establishing a technology zone on the basis of a joint stock company or limited company comprising scientific and research institutes, designing and construction offices and enterprises of the given region, generally with participation of local authorities.
The administration of such a company conducting marketing in a professional way multiplies the chances of winning investors, who, either in the form of investment or buying out the company shares, increase its capital.
The chances of entering foreign markets by prospective cooperation with foreign partners, as well as by increasing competitiveness on the home market, are the obvious consequence; the resulting profits are considerable.
A company consisting of different profile enterprises increases cooperation chances, the division of tasks and making use of existing potential.  The dispersed efforts of single enterprises often short of qualified staff with experience in marketing have little chance of succeeding.

The Special Technology and Economy Zone (ST-EZ), as a concept expansion of Technology Park  „Gdańsk” or Technology and Trade Zone „Gdańsk”, should also include other areas administered by local authorities, or run by state.
The idea of the ST-EZ, as a separate urban area, is connected with plans of Gdańsk Region development.
The functions should be generally divided according to following key (suggestion):
A) The first group of problems connected with the so-called High-Technology should be a domain of Higher Technical Schools, Science and Research Institutes, Design and Construction Offices with The Ship Design and Research Centre and The Designing Office of Municipal Engineering as leaders whereas, a main center would be The Business & Innovation Centre - Technology Park.
B) The area occupied by the former industrial and residential district Kokoszki  should retain its function with special attention for problems connected with construction.
The area is situated near an airport, motorway and has trail connection and convenient infrastructure.
An administration and exhibition centre (permanent exposition, specialist and temporary exhibitions), zones of: research and development, implementation and production as well as housing, shopping and service and recreation centres have been foreseen.
A development stage of this area is now being worked out.
C) The third task: business and services would be carried out mainly in harbour and industrial areas with a parallel duty free zone.
Terminal built for the needs of planned, but canceled, Zarnowiec nuclear power plant, as well as the sites left by an unfinished construction should be also taken into consideration.
 Promoting modern polish and foreign technology (technology transfer) and various economic activities, the ST-EZ would become the promotor of Gdańsk Region development.
An advanced technology zone in which small dynamic firms, innovation and implementation teams, with a help of the existing scientific and research potential, would find proper conditions to carry out ideas and patents and would certainly influence a technological level of the present firms and plants.

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