Determinants of the competitiveness of the warmińsko-mazurskie voivodeship

The aim of this study has been to identify the factors that have the strongest impact on the competitiveness of regions, with the focus on the Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodeship. To achieve the aim, the linear ordering method developed by Z. Hellwig (1968) was employed, serving to build competitiveness indices (CI) for each voivodeship in Poland. The analysis included a division into competitive performance (measured with the GDP per capita) and competitive potential (analysed with the use of the Porter’s Diamond Model). Competitiveness determinants were identified with the help of multiple regression. The study results indicate that the Warmińsko-Mazurskie voivodeship had the lowest competitive performance and competitive potential in Poland. Although most of the analysed indicators increased in years 2014-2022, and the competitiveness index showed the highest growth dynamics (63.72%), this region persistently remained at the bottom of most ranking lists. As for innovations in production, it occupied the penultimate position, scoring the lowest in terms of demand factors and business environment, and ranking third from the bottom in respect of support and associated branches. Additionally, using the regression model, it was determined that the competitive position of Polish voivodeships was most strongly affected by the level of innovativeness, followed by the business environment.