Start! Submit a project, a team, a person to the Olivia Prize competition!

Olivia Prize is a competition with traditions! For the fifth time, we will award companies, teams and individuals whose interesting ideas change the world. The near one and the one far. It has been known for a long time that Olivia employs creative people, full of passion, innovative ideas and a big heart, so important in social and charity campaigns. The Olivia Prize competition was created to appreciate and emphasize the outstanding activity of Residents who are involved in various fields. Seeing how much you are doing, we have changed our competition categories a bit. So now think back to 2024 and remember how much you have done. And, of course, submit your projects, your people, your companies to the competition! The form is simple!

 

This year, we will award prizes in three categories:

  • Olivia Impact – for economic or business undertakings carried out by the Resident’s company or entities from its group.
  • Olivia Harmony – for social or ecological projects carried out by the Resident’s company or entities from its group. This category is under the honorary patronage of the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC).
  • Olivia Everyday Hero – for an individual, employee or associate of a Resident, for social or ecological involvement.

 

There will also be two special prizes:

  • Olivia Connect – for business environment institutions influencing the Resident or entities from his group.
  • Olivia Hero of the Future – for a young scientist associated with a Tri-City university, who can demonstrate success in the field of R+D or commercialization of research results. This category was under the patronage of the Fahrenheit Union of Universities.

 

The Olivia Prize 2024 jury will consist of:

  • Moksa Marta (O4 Coworking),
  • Sylwia Mrozowska (Univentum Labs),
  • Jolanta Szydłowska (GFKM),
  • Grzegorz Borowski (Infoshare),
  • Paweł Jemioł (Nordea),
  • Mateusz Kusznierewicz,
  • Remigiusz Wojciechowski (Bayer).

 

The contest is exactly for you! Do you have doubts?
Check out the results of previous editions: 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023.

 

 

You have until March 16 to apply. Click and apply for the competition!
The official announcement of the results will take place on March 27 during a ceremonial gala.

 

The award ceremony will take place on March 27 on the 34th floor of Olivia Star. The gala program includes a lecture by Dr. Jacek Sokołowski, author of the book “Transnation” – a broad analysis of the evolution of the political system in Poland, with particular emphasis on the formation of a new middle class.

 

Jacek Sokołowski, PhD

Born in 1975, he graduated from the Jagiellonian University in 2000; in 2005 he defended his doctoral dissertation at the University of Heidelberg, and since then he has been combining legal practice with academic work. Interests: economic analysis of law in the context of collective decisions in private and public law, law-making in empirical terms, behavior of parliamentary groups, judiciary as an element of the political system. Author of, among others: Selected aspects of the functioning of the Sejm in the years 1997-2007 and co-creator of the ISQAL database system for quantitative analysis of parliamentary votes.

Since 2013. Head of the Centre for Quantitative Policy Research at the Jagiellonian University

 

 

Competition form

 

Olivia on the trail. Hit the road.

This year we are initiating a new series entitled “Olivia on the trail”. Maybe we will be able to reveal to you places you don’t know yet? In any case, we will show them, suggest what is worth seeing and, hopefully, encourage you to get to know them.

 

First of all, we will use the suggestions of hiking routes that you will find in our album “Oliwa off the trail” (did you know that we developed and published such an album together with Tomasz Strug, a councillor of the Oliwa district?). This is a unique publication, Oliwa seen through the eyes of its lover and long-time resident, Tomasz. An amazing, extremely interesting guide to unknown places and stories not fully told was created. The album can be found in the lobbies of all our buildings, so we invite you to take a look at its pages.

 

Tomek Strug’s texts are illustrated with beautiful photos. Here are their authors: Iwo Ledwożyw, Dawid Linkowski, Aleksandra Majewska, Tomek Strug, Sebastian Wilczewski and Krzysztof Bednarski, Daria Boba, Zbigniew Czajka, Izabela Dembkowska, Krzysztof Hewelt, Iwona Karpińska, Agnieszka Suchodolska-Wamka and Beata Zarach from the Oliwia Photography Club.

 

As part of good neighbourly cooperation, the project of the map of Oliwa was made available to us by the City Initiative Association. Its author is Adam Świerżewski.

 

And as an encouragement, a few words from the introduction (by way of introduction):)

“Oliwa is a unique district, a kind of time machine. From ultra-modern or almost futuristic places, in a few moments we can move to the past and taste the best that past generations have left behind. Of course, the first associations with Oliwa are the most important icons for centuries: the “Pomeranian Wawel”, i.e. the Oliwa Cathedral, the Abbots’ Palace and the legendary Oliwa Park. Further connotations are the ubiquitous greenery and magnificent buildings, created over the last three centuries. Unlike the destroyed Main and Old Town in Gdańsk, Oliwa gives a sense of authenticity. It is also determined by lesser-known buildings, quiet streets and a huge number of details and signs connecting us with the past. I invite you to discover the “unusual” Oliwa, located off the tourist trail.”

 

 

 

In the first episode of our series “Olivia on the trail” we invite you to visit the Water Forge in the Valley of Gravity (route in the album: “Forest and Water”)

 

The Water Forge is a still functioning souvenir of the golden times of industrialization of Oliwa based on the waters of the Oliwa Stream. The forge, called the “hammer house” because of the two large hammers working in it, was mentioned for the first time in written sources in 1597. It was built in a deep depression, below the dam damming the waters of the merging Oliwa and Prochowy streams. It worked continuously until 1948.

 

The wooden building consists of two parts. They were erected on both sides of the Oliwa Stream and the roofed pier. Inside there are three antique water wheels. Two with a diameter of 4 meters drive quarter-ton hammers, the third wheel with a diameter of 3.1 meters drives eccentric shears – a guillotine. The hammers can reach speeds of up to 250 strokes per minute. In the mid-nineteenth century, the forge processed over 186 tons of iron per year. One blacksmith was able to forge about 1000 studs (nails of the time) during the day.

 

The forge has been a branch of the Museum of Gdańsk for several years. Occasional steel forging demonstrations are organized there. However, it has happened in the last two decades that larger orders were carried out here, thanks to which the hammer mill worked as it did centuries ago. The fence of the nearby Schwabe Manor, known as the “Dwór Oliwski” hotel, was built in this forge.

 

Since the Middle Ages, as many as 24 plants commonly known as mills have operated on the Oliwa Stream. These were: forges, grain mills, sawmills, powder magazines, fulling mills where cloth was made, breweries or even mills for grinding bones or wood bark.

 

Fig. Beata Zarach, Olivia Photography Club

 

See you on the road!

 

Can a difficult year be good? Olivia sums up the 12 months of 2024

Olivia Centre, the largest business centre in Poland, benefits from market changes. It develops its offer, adapts to the dynamically changing reality and prepares new projects that allow it to open up to new markets and constantly increase its attractiveness.

 

The continuing model of remote and hybrid work causes companies to optimize their space. This leads to a difficult situation in facilities of a lower standard, from where tenants move to attractive areas vacated by the largest corporations. For them, this means an opportunity to move to representative facilities and expand business opportunities in a new environment.

 

In large and modern business centers, this allows for the creation of a larger mix of industries, and thus greater independence from temporary turbulence in individual sectors of the economy, stability and predictability of business. It also allows for the creation of more diverse business hubs, and therefore a better functioning business ecosystem for tenants. The suspension of construction of new office buildings creates a lot of opportunities for existing office centers and causes developing tenants to look for space in existing facilities. This is conducive to the commercialization of high-class building surfaces, the competitiveness of which has been growing in the eyes of smaller enterprises in recent years.

 

The above theses are confirmed by numbers.

  • Olivia Centre closed 2024 with commercialization agreements for nearly 35 thousand spaces. m.kw.
  • The agreements covered 9 new residents, including Navblue from the Airbus group, Adampol, Adar, Aker, Archer, Dac.Digital and Masterlease.
  • 4 large existing residents have also extended their existing contracts: EPAM, Capgemini, Lyreco and Arrow.
  • Olivia has also expanded its offer of services with new catering (Zachcianki) and entertainment establishments: the PIXEL XL play and integration center, loved by families and young people, which has moved into a vast premises in Olivia Prime.
  • The new agreement also covered the branch of one of the most popular banks in Poland, but this agreement remains under a confidentiality clause at this stage.

 

Olivia has also started a real green revolution in its area: the patio areas are gradually undergoing a metamorphosis, as part of which the pavements are being turned into pocket gardens, green areas and places of meeting and relaxation for Olivia’s resident employees. In the spring, a real attraction is also being prepared for them: two outdoor beach volleyball courts, which will be the next edition of the project of sports clubs and employee integration through sport.

 

– Year by year, Olivia is growing – it is becoming more and more friendly, open and attractive to everyone: from resident employees, through residents of the Tri-City, to tourists – says Maciej Kotarski, director of Olivia Centre. – Recent years have also allowed us to increase our flexibility and tenant mix, which has taught us a lot and also shown us new business paths. Once again, it turns out that flexibility is the key, and even difficult business conditions can be market opportunities that our team has learned to take advantage of.

 

O4 Coworking operating in Olivia can boast of great successes. In three of the four buildings in which it offers offices, it has 100% leased space. In 2024, as many as 35 companies joined O4, expanding the O4 community by another 180 people. In this way, coworking maintains its dominant position on the Tri-City market and continues to develop its business.

 

As Marta Moksa, director of O4, emphasizes, integration, support for internal processes and response to the needs of O4 residents are also priorities for the coming years: “Our experience in working with our tenants has taught us to respond perfectly to their changing needs. We focus on the offer that allows them to develop dynamically, we relieve them of the need for active and often difficult recruitment, as well as integrate and develop competences. This trend allows us to attract more and more companies that feel measurable benefits from choosing O4. On top of that, there is the opportunity to collaborate with creative and dynamic start-ups, and something that, in these times of remote work, is hard to overestimate: we have an active, ever-present community that attracts people to work in the office. Working at O4, employees are always assured to come into a bustling office, be part of a vibrant community, and feel like the good old days when offices were bustling every day.

 

O4 focuses on the organization of a number of events that make the event calendar of coworking filled to the brim with meetings, trainings and integrations, as well as special projects. O4 closed 2024 with 15 networking meetings, a large LeadWell conference, aimed at resident management and external guests, attended by 120 people. Recruitment support was provided to 20 companies, for which speed recruitment dates were organized in cooperation with local universities. Speed dating at O4 is not only a chance for employees and employers to get to know each other during intensive personal meetings, but also training and workshops preparing young people to enter the labour market. In 2024, 100 students and almost the same number of students from schools in the Pomeranian Voivodeship took part in them.

 

Olivia expands its offer and improves the quality of space every year, thanks to which it welcomes new residents every year – says Bogusław Wieczorek, representative of the management board of Olivia Centre. The success of our projects in recent years shows that this is the right direction and will continue in the coming years. We want to develop our offer for residents, be part of a dynamically developing, open city and increase the attractiveness of Gdańsk for investors and employees.

LeadWell Meetup “Leadership without bullshit” on January 30!

Several hours filled with workshops, discussions, lectures and networking. The LeadWell 2024 conference organized by O4 Coworking attracted a hundred managers and team leaders who wanted to expand their competences in the area of management and leadership. The event was aimed not only at providing practical knowledge, but also at creating a space for the exchange of experiences, mutual inspiration and the development of skills necessary for effective team management in a dynamically changing world.

 

LeadWell’s great strength was the workshops conducted by practitioners. Among the twelve proposals, there was a space to talk about building a team based on shared values, time for training in providing effective feedback, for advice on building your own brand on LinkedIn or taking care of your well-being.

 

In addition to the substantive sessions, the conference also offered a number of opportunities to establish new contacts. The final networking meeting in Olivia Garden fostered a relaxed atmosphere. Such decompression after a day full of inspiration was an ideal opportunity to exchange impressions, establish relationships and informal conversations.

 

“When I read Leadwell’s agenda, I grabbed my head. Three rooms, and in each of them not one, nor two, nor three, but four (after all, O4!) workshop sessions, plus two lectures and two discussions, networking and afterparty. It is probably impossible that it will work. And yet! Diversity, relaxed atmosphere and many, many smiling people, drawing value by the handfuls are the best proof of this.” – Natalia Florek from Personal Branding sums up the conference.

 

Welcome to LeadWell Meetup

 

The LeadWell conference will return in the fall of 2025. In the meantime, we invite you to open a NEW LEADWELL CHAPTER with Olivia and O4 Coworking.We invite you to free LEADWELL MEETUP events! If you want to be a better leader and be effective on a daily basis, join! The January unique meeting is addressed to team leaders, managers and people responsible for team building.

 

Why?

  • You will gain practical knowledge directly from leaders.
  • You will learn new tools and ways of management.
  • You will take part in debates and workshop sessions.
  • You will meet representatives of many companies and different industries.
  • You will exchange experiences in a community of managers facing similar challenges as you.
  • In the worst case, you will learn something interesting and meet great people.
  • At best – you will become part of a great community and join the process of building leadership competences.

 

What’s on the agenda of the meeting?

  • 3 lessons from LeadWell: key takeaways from Marta Moxa from O4 Coworking that every leader should know and a few words about the LeadWell Academy.
  • Debate “Do leaders suck?”: a conversation about authentic leadership, focused on responsibility, communication, self-awareness and relationships. The challenges of a modern leader will be discussed without unnecessary sugarcoating by Ewa Sowińska, ESO Audit Partner, ESG Mentor; Ewa Szabuniewicz, Human Capital Expert; Bartłomiej Brach, Founder Brighlight and Paweł Korycki, Vice President of SprzedajFirmę.com
  • BYOP Workshop – Bring Your Own Problem: talk, integrate and develop your network in the form of thematic and networking tables.

 

By attending the event, you also have a chance to win a seat at the LeadWell Academy and Conference.

 

Check the agenda of the meeting

Join the event

 

 

Bayer’s office in Olivia, designed by Design Anatomy, among the most interesting office projects in Poland in 2024

The Bayer Group’s office in Olivia Centre in Gdańsk has been recognized by the editors of Property Design as one of the most interesting and modern in Poland.

 

The design by Design Anatomy combines a modern approach to workspace with local heritage. Not only does it functionally support the work of teams, but it also tells the story of Oliwa – one of the most beautiful districts of Gdańsk. The colors of the office refer to the greenery of the Tri-City Landscape Park, surrounding the Olivia office center, and to the reddish red brick tiles of Oliwa tenement houses. What is more, the entire project was created in the spirit of less waste, perfectly fitting into the new strategy of friendly workplaces (Bayer Next Normal Office Concept), which Bayer is implementing globally.

 

Office in the Spirit of Less Waste

The implementation of the project in the spirit of less waste allowed not only to optimize the costs of office modernization, but also to minimize the negative impact of the entire rearrangement process on the environment. What distinguishes this type of project? Maximum focus on reducing resource waste, the use of modular structural elements, precise space planning, multifunctionality of rooms or optimal use of existing infrastructure, e.g. partition walls, ceilings, ventilation systems.

 

Flexible and Welcoming Spaces

In the Bayer office, the open space has been divided into smaller, intimate zones, which is conducive to effective communication and cooperation. Private offices have given way to flexible, public rooms that allow you to meet a variety of needs – from intense work to moments of relaxation. The following were designed, m.in:ilent rooms – for focused work in silence,elax rooms – places of regeneration, and even snooze rooms – where you can, just like that, take a nap.

 

Comfort and Functionality

Design Anatomy has introduced numerous amenities to improve the comfort of work, m.in. wall panels and openwork partitions separating individual zones or carpets with high acoustic parameters. The restaurant has become more flexible and user-friendly. Greenery was also taken care of; Numerous plants appeared in the office – in pots and even… phone booths.

 

Learn more about this project

 

Fig. Tom Kurek
Fig. Tom Kurek

 

See other inspiring office projects in Poland