Report: Unlocking Eastern Europe’s Potential: GCC, GBS, and Shared Services as Strategic Hubs
22/4/2025
According to a new report from GCC Pulse, Eastern Europe has solidified its position as a preferred destination for Global Capability Centers (GCC), Global Business Services (GBS), and shared service operations. Countries such as Poland, Romania, Hungary, the Czech Republic, and Bulgaria have become critical nodes in global corporate networks, offering specialized expertise, multilingual talent, and robust infrastructure. This article examines the factors driving growth, key industry trends, and the long-term strategic outlook for multinational enterprises operating in the region.
Evolution of GCC, GBS, and Shared Services in Eastern EuropeThe GCC and GBS models have transitioned from cost-reduction mechanisms to high-value strategic units. These centers now handle advanced business functions, including data analytics, software development, risk management, and financial planning. Several macroeconomic and structural factors have contributed to Eastern Europe’s emergence as a global business hub:
Pomerania strengthens its position as a leader in technological innovation. The Spanish company Openchip, headquartered in Barcelona, has announced recruitment for its new research and development center in Gdańsk. This is a significant step forward for the region, which is already becoming a driving force of Poland’s economy in the advanced technology sector.
Openchip is a new company specializing in the design of acceleration systems for High-Performance Computing (HPC)—advanced computing technologies capable of processing data and performing complex calculations at high speed and efficiency. These devices leverage AI capabilities, including machine learning and deep learning, to ensure global competitiveness and achieve digital sovereignty in modern microelectronics for Europe’s semiconductor ecosystem — one of the fastest-growing industries in the global economy. — The development of the semiconductor sector is crucial for the future of the economy—both globally and locally. At the same time, we prioritize technology that serves people, maintaining our responsibility toward the environment and ensuring that innovation drives progress in a sustainable way — says Francesc Guim, CEO of Openchip. The new center in Gdańsk will focus on supporting R&D projects dedicated to developing modern processors and accelerators for data centers and HPC, in line with European energy efficiency standards. The company’s accelerators will be designed using silicon node technology and the open RISC-V processor instruction set architecture. — The opening of Openchip’s office is another step in strengthening Pomerania’s position as a hub for technological innovation — says Marcin Milewski, Poland Site Lead at Openchip. Recruiting top-tier specialistsThe new center has already begun recruiting specialists, including software engineers, quality experts, DevOps specialists, and system integrators. This year, the company plans to create dozens of new jobs, offering an exciting career opportunity. — We are pleased that another global player has chosen Pomerania as its operational base in Europe. This is a testament to the effectiveness of Invest in Pomerania, an initiative coordinated by the Pomeranian Development Agency, which supports the Openchip project in Poland. The Spanish company has also levereged our region’s end-to-end support, i.e. dedicated temporary office space — emphasizes Mieczysław Struk, Marshal of the Pomeranian Voivodeship. India-headquartered business services company IGT Solutions said in early April, that it is acquiring Romania’s Outsourcing Support Services (OSSR), a subsidiary of Romanian digital transformation consulting company Connections Consult, aiming to strengthen its European presence.
"This acquisition marks a significant milestone in expanding our expertise in core BPO and technology services, as OSSR's capabilities and talented team are an excellent fit for us," IGT Solutions CEO Katie Stein said in a press release. "For Connections, it marks a strategic move that enables us to focus on building high-value solutions in key areas such as cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. Connections’ management team will work with partners in IGT Solutions in order to ensure a smooth transition and is committed to provide best in-class service quality to its clients," Connections Consult founder and co-CEO Bogdan Florea added. In a separate statement filed with the Bucharest Stock Exchange on Monday, Connections Consult said the deal also includes the sale of its Bulgarian and Serbian subsidiaries, with the buyer being IGT Services and Technologies, the Romanian unit of IGT Solutions. "The estimated price of the sale is 4.5 mil Euro and is subject to indexation conditions as negotiated and agreed by agreement," Connections Consult said. Connections Consult was founded in 2005 in Romania and started its international expansion in 2016, setting up offices in Bulgaria and Serbia. In 2022, the company established a wholly-owned subsidiary in the U.S. Established in 1998, IGT Solutions is a customer experience and tech services company operating 31 global delivery centres across 13 countries. ABSL Hungary and Brandfizz Employer Branding conducted a research focusing on employer branding trends & challenges in the BSC sector. We aim to provide a Compass for BSC leaders with comprehensive benchmark information.
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Over the past decade, the business services sector has been one of the pillars of Romania’s economy. In 2023, this sector’s contribution to GDP was the highest in the region, reaching 10.5% when including IT services. For the past 10 years, it has consistently held the largest share in the region. Furthermore, the growth rate of Romania’s business services sector has continuously outpaced overall economic growth, emphasizing its crucial role in the national economy. “In the long term, the business services sector has seen a higher growth in the number of employees compared to the dynamics of the economy as a whole. Over the last 10 years, the industry has maintained an average annual growth rate of 14% — the highest in the region. These achievements have significantly strengthened the national economy, created well-paid jobs, and contributed to a higher standard of living. However, there is a strong correlation between this sustained growth and the tax incentives the sector benefited from until the end of 2023. After this period, Romania became the only country in the region without specific governmental measures to stimulate this sector, and the negative effects are already visible, including a decline in IT employment and potential investors,” said Catalin Iorgulescu, ABSL Vice President. Full Story here. New CEO at ING Hubs Poland
22/4/2025
At the beginning of April, Przemysław Furlepa started his role as CEO of ING Hubs Poland. In his new position, he is responsible for managing the day-to-day operations and development of the competence center that provides specialised services to other units within the ING Group, located in over 20 countries.
Przemysław takes the helm at ING Hubs Poland after spending 8 years in key leadership roles at BNP Paribas. He led the retail banking and micro-enterprises segment in Poland, other European countries, and the Mediterranean region, and chaired the supervisory board of BNP Paribas investment fund (TFI). Previously, for 13 years, he was responsible for retail and electronic banking at ING Bank Śląski. The American software development and service provider will expand its Budapest operations by 124 new jobs. The EUR 93.6 million investment will focus on enhancing Diligent’s Grace platform for GRC, audit, and ESG solutions.
Diligent is a leading SaaS provider specializing in GRC (Governance, Risk, and Compliance) and ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) solutions. Its software solutions support over 700,000 leaders across 25,000 organizations in 130 countries by improving management processes, control systems, and information sharing. Following the establishment of its Budapest R&D center in 2021, Diligent at the moment employs 450 professionals in software development, governance platform development, IT services, technical support, and web development for quality assurance in the Hungarian capital. With AI revolutionizing governance, risk management, and compliance practices, Diligent’s Budapest team is not only keeping pace with the industry but also pioneering AI-powered innovations that are shaping its future. Norse Atlantic Airways founder and CEO Bjørn Tore Larsen announced the company's expansion plans in Latvia, including a long-term goal to launch transatlantic flights from Riga to the United States.
"The establishment of Norse Atlantic Airways' operations center highlights Latvia's significance as a regional aviation hub and its strong growth potential. Our goal is to take the next step by expanding the airport’s route network to more distant destinations. Flights between Latvia and the U.S. will be a key factor in strengthening Latvia's bilateral economic relations with the United States," said Minister Valainis. The first phase of Norse Atlantic Airways' entry into Latvia has been completed, with the initial 30 employees already working at the new international business center. Norse Atlantic Airways is establishing an Operations Control Center (OCC) in Latvia, marking a significant milestone for the country’s aviation industry. This move highlights Latvia’s growing importance as a strategic location for aviation operations. OCC will serve as Norse operational hub, ensuring 24/7 flight planning, crew scheduling, and real-time communication with pilots, dispatchers, and other service teams to manage changes and ensure safe and efficient operations. Norse Atlantic Airways in Latvia’s international business center plans to create 80 new jobs. The Riga office will complement the airline's existing offices in Norway, the United Kingdom, France and the United States. Bjørn Tore Larsen: “With our evolved business strategy adding charter and ACMI flying to our services, we have chosen Latvia as a center of excellence for such operations. Throughout our growth journey in Latvia, we have been highly impressed by the skilled and talented professionals who have joined our team, further solidifying our confidence in this decision. Additionally, we have had constructive and productive discussions with Latvian authorities at the highest levels, and we are grateful for their unwavering support.” The leading website building platform Wix is taking a strategic step by establishing a Vilnius Design Studio in Lithuania. This decision will not only strengthen the company’s global design capabilities but also significantly expand Wix’s team in Lithuania.
Wix, the leading SaaS website builder platform to create, manage and grow a digital presence is making an expansion in Lithuania by opening a major design center in Vilnius. The new Vilnius Design Studio will become part of Wix’s global design guild, an international community of over 300 designers specializing in various fields, joining Wix’s other two design hubs in Tel Aviv and Ukraine. This creative hub will focus on developing innovative website and branding design solutions for Wix users and agencies worldwide. "Lithuania, especially Vilnius, demonstrates outstanding potential in the tech and creative industries. Our research shows that the local design community has been growing at a double-digit rate in recent years. What’s particularly valuable is that a large portion of Lithuanian designers have studied abroad and gained international experience. This provides a unique perspective and enriches the local design scene with fresh ideas", said Monika Laukaitė, Wix Country Manager of Lithuania. The Vilnius Design Studio will be Wix’s third design center worldwide, joining existing hubs in Tel Aviv and Kyiv. The Vilnius branch will serve as a center for innovation, collaboration, and design expertise. It is expected that the new design specialists joining the team will increase Wix’s workforce in Lithuania by 10%. According to M. Laukaitė, the decision to expand Wix’s design capabilities in Vilnius was not random—Lithuania’s capital has already become a hub for technology and innovation, attracting companies focused on design, digital experiences, and web solutions. Ovivo, a leading provider of water treatment and purification solutions, has announced plans to open a design center in Kaunas, Lithuania. The new facility, scheduled to open in April 2025, will focus on piping and plant design for the company’s ultrapure water and wastewater treatment systems.
Headquartered in Montreal, Canada, Ovivo specializes in providing innovative water treatment solutions, and is renowned for its technical expertise in producing ultrapure water for the electronics industry. In the past 25 years since the first acquisition in water, the company has grown into a global leader in water purification and wastewater treatment technologies, with operations spanning 18 countries and annual revenue exceeding C$1B. Ovivo employs more than 1,500 employees worldwide. Acquired by SKion Water GmbH in 2016, Ovivo has maintained a strong growth trajectory through both organic development and strategic acquisitions, including recent additions such as Alar, Cembrane, Wastech, and E2metrix. The company’s expansion into Lithuania marks another significant step in its European growth strategy. The new design center in Kaunas will strengthen Ovivo’s European presence, focusing on developing piping and plant designs for ultrapure water and wastewater treatment plants serving the semiconductor and pharmaceutical industries. According to Stefan Lichtenegger, CEO of Ovivo Aqua Austria GmbH, Lithuania emerged as the ideal location for Ovivo’s expansion after a careful evaluation process. |
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