Quality of life

Quality of life. Subjectively speaking, this term carries a lot of meaning and each of us understands it in a different way. However, the Smart Specialization ‘Quality of Life’ [SS Quality of Life] was selected based on both the objective criteria and a comprehensive assessment of the resources available in the Podkarpackie. In the Regional Innovation Strategy of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship, it was defined as a set of related factors enabling sustainable and smart development of the region. This is of great importance when statistics are taken into account. The mean gross monthly salary in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship has for years been lower than the average in Poland. In June 2024, these figures amounted to 6,796 PLN and 8,000 PLN respectively, giving us the third lowest position in the country.  However, in terms of life expectancy, the region has been one of the leaders for years.  

The SS Quality of Life consists of four pillars also called sub-specializations. These include sustainable tourism, quality food, medical and fitness services and products, as well as environmentally friendly energy. They are all interrelated. As an example, sustainable tourism makes use of quality food produced in the region. Importantly, the SS Quality of Life applies to the entire territory of the region, since sustainable tourism and food production encompass the whole region, including small towns and rural areas, and this definitely promotes social inclusion. The SS Quality of Life comprises areas which separately have not yet achieved sufficient progress to become independent smart specialisations, however each has considerable potential, and jointly they significantly impact the sustainable socio-economic development of the Podkarpackie.  

The Podkarpackie Voivodeship has a lot to offer to tourists. Most importantly, it is one of the least polluted regions in Poland, and comprises large forest complexes, as well as legally protected areas of special natural beauty covering nearly 45% of its total territory. The region has been investing in its road network for many years, and today it is definitely more accessible owing to the newly built A4 motorway and S19 express way. The Rzeszów Jasionka Airport is also gaining in importance, and today it offers regular flights to Warsaw, London and Munich, and many more.

The term sustainable tourism comprises all types of tourism-related operations that are economically viable. In other words, the objective of sustainable tourism is to efficiently and effectively use the natural resources of the environment and to respect the social and cultural traditions of the community while providing socio-economic gains.

In 2022, the accommodation facilities in the Podkarpackie had a total of 32,900 bed places (ranking at number 9th in Poland), hotels and guest houses in the health resorts proportionally accounting for the largest number of bed places, 29.7% and 10.0%, respectively.  

The accommodation options meet the needs of both more affluent tourists looking for hotels with wellness services, and for visitors with more modest resources who look for agrotourism farms and private accommodation. In 2022, the tourist accommodation facilities in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship reported 3.4 million overnight stays, nearly 42% more than in 2021.

A survey related to tourist traffic conducted by the Podkarpackie Regional Tourist Organisation (PROT) shows that more than 80% of visitors to the region are interested in active leisure. In the Podkarpackie there are over 2,100 km of marked hiking, cycling and horse riding trails. PROT has designated five tourist regions in the Podkarpackie as a result of which it is easier to promote them and support the cooperation of entities providing services in the specific areas.

The Bieszczady mountains have for years been one of the most recognisable tourist brands. According to the Central Statistical Office, the Bieszczady and Lesko districts have the largest number of accommodation places in the Podkarpackie region. There are also more and more attractions, therefore a visit to this area is no longer associated exclusively with hiking trips. Sanok, the gateway to the Bieszczady, is home to the Ethnographic Park and the Beksiński Gallery. A gondola lift has been built along the dam in Solina, and in Polańczyk a unique pedestrian and bicycle bridge will be built to connect the Patelnia peninsula with the centre of the spa village. In the northern part of the Bieszczady Mountains in the Olszanica municipality, a modern Bieszczad.ski centre has been launched. In winter, it is a ski station, while in the warm seasons visitors can enjoy the longest zip line in Central and Eastern Europe, a tubing track, a rope park, and mountain scooters which can be used to ride across the slope along two specially marked routes.

Other regions include the Low Beskids and the Roztocze, both with unique natural environments and a fairly well-developed tourism infrastructure, including agrotourism facilities, as a result of which they are attractive destinations for those wanting to relax in a peaceful setting. In the Low Beskids, there are two spa resorts - Rymanów-Zdrój and Iwonicz-Zdrój, and the unique attractions here include the Glass Heritage Centre in Krosno and the Ignacy Łukasiewicz Museum of Oil and Gas Industry in Bóbrka. This area also comprises the Magura National Park with its head office in Krempna, and the Wooden Architecture Route with the beautiful Greek-Catholic churches, part of the heritage of the Lemkos - the former inhabitants of this area. In Haczów and Blizne there are beautiful wooden Roman-Catholic churches designated by the UNESCO as World Heritage Sites. In winter, you can go skiing on the slope in Puławy.

The Roztocze highland in the north-eastern part of the Podkarpackie region is particularly popular with cyclists. The unique landmarks here include the magnificent wooden Greek Catholic church complex in Radruż, another World Heritage Site, roadside crosses and old cemeteries – works of  stonecraft masters from Brusno as well as bunkers of the Molotov Line.

There is also a lot to see in Rzeszów and its surroundings. The tourist attractions here include the Museum-Castle in Łańcut, the WWII railway bunker in Stępina-Cieszyna and the bunker tunnel in Strzyżów, the Open Air Museum in Kolbuszowa. Visitors can also enjoy kayaking trips on the Wisłok River. And finally, there is the large area of the Valley of the Wisłok and San rivers, with Przemyśl and the forts of Przemyśl. Here tourists can take canoeing trips, as well as rafting trips near Ulanów, they can relax on the shore of Lake Tarnobrzeg or visit the Museum of the Central Industrial Region in Stalowa Wola.

The unpolluted environment, high forest cover and traditional agriculture, as chemicals have never been used extensively here, provide excellent conditions for production of high-quality food. This industry will play an increasingly important role due to the growing consumer awareness and expectations. The Podkarpackie Voivodeship is ranked second in Poland in terms of the number of traditional products on the list of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Food producers from the region registered 254 such foods by June 2024. Food processing companies and farm owners producing tasty local products are associated in the Subcarpathian Flavours Cluster, administered by the Pro Carpathia Association from Rzeszów. They learn from each other, they promote their products at trade fairs and cooperate by creating joint advertising campaigns.  The association has also delineated the Subcarpathian Flavours Culinary Trail, an itinerary leading to restaurants which offer dishes made from regional products, as well as high-quality local foods. This is an excellent option for tourists wanting to explore the wealth of the local culinary tradition. The Podkarpackie region embraces the concepts of slow food and slow life-style, in which the most important thing is to enjoy good food, in a human-friendly environment.

The region also has favourable conditions for vine cultivation and for production of high-quality wine. The Association of Winemakers of the Podkarpacie Region, which has operated since 2008, organises training sessions and technical assistance enabling winemakers to learn from one another. In response to the growing interest in wine tourism, vineyards and wineries operating in the Podkarpackie and Slovakia have created the Carpathian Wine Route. Local producers of wines and cider successfully participate in national and international competitions, and wine-related events in the Podkarpackie region, such as the International Wine Days in Jasło, are attracting more and more attention.

The Podkarpackie Voivodeship has a potential in the production of pharmaceuticals and dietary supplements. Entities operating in this sector include Sanofi, Bausch Health Poland Sp. z o.o. (formerly Polfa Rzeszów), Olimp Labs or Zakłady Farmaceutyczne S.A Polpharma production branch in Nowa Dęba. In fact, pharmaceuticals are among the most important export products of the Podkarpackie region.

The spa resorts in the Podkarpackie, popular among tourists because of their attractive location and natural medicinal resources, are expanding their catalogue of options on offer. There are five spa towns and villages in the region: Iwonicz-Zdrój, Rymanów-Zdrój, Horyniec-Zdrój, Polańczyk and Latoszyn near Dębica. Apart from Polańczyk, they all have their own lines of beauty products based on local raw materials such as healing mud or mineral water. More than 41,000 people used the services of these facilities in 2021, accounting for 7.7 % of the total number of clients visiting health resort facilities in Poland. The health resorts are also part of the growing spa & wellness sector in the Podkarpackie, which is also important from the viewpoint of physical and mental fitness.

Entities operating in the medical sector are associated in two clusters. Technomed - Technology in Medicine, comprises the Rzeszów University of Technology and the University of Rzeszów, as well as hospitals and medical technology companies. It focuses on developing and implementation of innovative technological and organisational solutions enabled by joint operation of academic institutions and businesses. The Podkarpackie Cluster for Health Promotion and Disease Prevention was created by medical and healthcare professionals as well as scientists.  It focuses on research, education and training related to healthcare and disease prevention, as well as screening and diagnostic methods aided by artificial intelligence.

Given the European Commission's increasing emphasis on the environment conservation and the need to develop renewable energy sources, this sector will become more and more important for the region's economy. The natural conditions of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship present advantages for the advancement in RES-related infrastructure. These include relatively high solar insolation, which makes it profitable to install photovoltaic panels. Umbrella projects implemented by municipalities as well as ‘My Electricity’ program have proved highly successful as they made it possible for hundreds of households to receive RES installations. Local authorities are also investing significantly in photovoltaics for public facilities and in energy storage facilities. The electricity grid is being upgraded to handle the multiple sources of energy.

The region also has excellent conditions for production of energy from wind. Hydroelectric power plants, including the largest one, i.e. Solina-Myczkowce Hydropower Plant, have a significant share in the production of renewable energy. The widespread use of solar panels, solar collectors and heat pumps, besides reducing the negative impact on the environment, also contributes to reducing costs of conducting business operations.

As recently as 2010, only 10% of the energy generated in the Podkarpackie Voivodeship came from renewable energy sources. In 2021, it was 18.2%, and in 2022 as much as 49.5%. 

Another opportunity for the region is the advancement of hydrogen technologies. The Podkarpacka Dolina Wodorowa Association, established in November 2021, aims to exploit the potential of Rzeszów and the region related to modern hydrogen-related technologies. The organisation plans to initiate production of fuel cells and hydrogen buses, and to introduce widespread use of low-emission hydrogen. In line with the Polish Hydrogen Strategy, various operations should aim to launch green hydrogen production facilities, build hydrogen refuelling and storage stations, and establish at least five hydrogen valleys. The Podkarpackie Valley is the first one. This is an important step towards the decarbonisation of industry and transport.

The SS Quality of Life matches the objectives of an environmentally oriented closed-loop economy and complies with the EU's Green Deal policy. The related advancement is expected to contribute to the affluence of society while preserving the landscape qualities and natural resources of the region.