Multidimensional Comparative Analysis of Regional and Local Development of Special Economic Zones in Poland

The article discusses the role that special economic zones (SEZs) are to play in accordance with the Act on SEZs in Poland and their importance for the increase of regional and local competitiveness. The development model method was used to classify special economic zones in terms of the most important indicators relating to their economic activity, and the potential of the zones was shown by indicating their advantage or distance from another zone in terms of the functioning criteria of privileged areas forming a group together. The main purpose of the paper is to conduct a multidimensional method of comparative analysis to recognize the level of development of the region in the space-time system on the example of the SEZ operating in Poland in the chosen years. The research is done for the years: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2018. Data from report "Information on the implementation of the Act on Special Economic Zones" was used (first published report by the Ministry of Economy and last report by the Ministry of Enterprise and Technology). The author identified 8 variables which might impact the stock of regional development in each individual SEZ. The author used the method of multidimensional comparative analysis used to recognize the diversification of the functioning of fourteen SEZ operating in Poland to check dependencies. A constant development pattern was adopted for all the years of the study. As a result of the research, it can be stated that enterprises operating in the zones have the possibility of both local and regional development. However, it can be pointed out that there are special economic zones in which regional development is smaller than in more economically developed parts of the country.