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:

• Highly Educated Workforce: Countries in the region have strong academic institutions with a focus on STEM disciplines, producing a steady pipeline of skilled professionals. Poland alone graduates over 80,000 students annually in engineering and IT fields.
• Competitive Cost Structure: While wages are rising, Eastern Europe remains cost-competitive compared to Western Europe and North America. Romanian IT professionals, for instance, earn 40-50% less than their counterparts in Germany while maintaining comparable skill levels.
• Strategic Geographic Positioning: The region offers proximity to major Western European markets, enabling smooth operational integration and overlapping time zones for global teams.
• Government Incentives: Many governments have implemented tax relief programs, R&D grants, and workforce training subsidies to attract multinational investments. Hungary, for example, offers a 9% corporate tax rate—the lowest in the European Union.
  

Full Report here.

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.

• Romania is a key hub for the business services industry due to its well-trained workforce, high rate of technology adoption, and competitive costs.
• The sector registers one of the highest growth rates in the region.

The latest ABSL Romania report, conducted in collaboration with Deloitte, highlights the current advantages of the business services industry and why its development should be a national priority.
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.


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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.