The Main Drivers of the Raw Materials and ICT Sectors in Poland Using PESTEL Analysis

Abstract

Poland is a country rich in mineral resources with a diversified resource base. Energy resources play a key role, as they are strategic resources ensuring the country’s energy security. Strategic resources, the recovery of which is highly risky and the possibilities of substitution are small, are critical resources for the Polish economy. These are the resources included in the list of critical resources for the European Union. The conducted review of mineral resources in Poland showed a large difference between the levels of actual resources and the resources of deposits. Therefore, supporting the mineral resources market is one of the key strategic areas of the Polish economy. This study aims to identify barriers that have a significant impact on the activities of entities in the raw materials sector. The tool used was the PESTEL analysis of companies operating in the raw materials sector. The aim of this study based on the assessment of experts familiar with the raw materials market and dealing with its challenges was to determine the main factors driving the raw materials market. These include the EU’s decarbonization policy, a complex system and relatively high level of taxes, a lack of qualified specialists, a market delay in terms of technological development, an environmental policy focused on a circular economy and renewables, and the problem of raw material depletion. The earlier identification of the market gap in the mineral resources industry in Poland in terms of business development opportunities indicated that IT and ICT would be possible directions of development. Therefore, an analysis of the industry was carried out in terms of business development opportunities. An assessment of the impact of individual factors on the activities of IT entities in the raw materials sector in Poland was carried out. The factors that most determine running a business in the diagnosed IT gap in the RM include a lack of government support for IT investments, new trends resulting from the growing importance of ICT in everyday life, the pandemic situation and the subsequent crisis of many companies on the market, the unstable financial condition of the main customer groups, and the lack of qualified personnel, equipment, and appropriate technology. The presented results may have practical implications, among others, for new economic players who want to establish their companies and conquer the raw materials market. On the one hand, they indicate opportunities, and on the other, they point to threats that may appear in their business life.

1. Introduction

Poland is a country rich in mineral resources with a diversified resource base. A key role in the Polish economy is played by energy raw materials, which ensure the country’s energy security.

Adopted by the Council of Ministers on 1 March 2022 the National Raw Materials Policy until 2050 is a strategy concerning the construction of an efficient and effective system of management of all types of minerals and mineral raw materials in the entire value chain and their resources held by Poland. It not only defines the demand for them, but also sets out the actions necessary to secure access to them.

The main objective of the National Raw Materials Policy will be achieved through specific objectives, which include the following [1]:

• Ensuring access to raw materials from mineral deposits;
• Exploration, prospecting, and documentation of mineral deposits;
• Ensuring a favorable legal environment for current and future investors and developing and modernizing the geological and mining industry;
• The protection of mineral deposits;
• International cooperation for securing access to raw materials;
• Sourcing raw materials from anthropogenic deposits and supporting the development of a circular economy;
• Ensuring that the strategies adopted by companies of major importance to the state economy and those pursuing a public mission are consistent with the activities of the Chief National Geologist in his capacity as Government Plenipotentiary for State Raw Materials Policy;
• The dissemination of knowledge.

Strategic raw materials are divided into two subgroups [1]:

• Strategic raw materials of fundamental importance for the proper functioning of the economy and for meeting the existing needs of societies whose sustainable supply must be ensured—both materials whose domestic resource base is large and which, thanks to their utilization, are the basis for the operation of industry, and important scarce raw materials (wholly or mostly imported).
• Strategic raw materials of primary importance for national security and innovative technologies—raw materials which are not sufficiently (at least 90%) obtained from domestic sources or whose possibilities of sustainable acquisition from these sources are limited or threatened, and other raw materials not obtained domestically (scarce) that are necessary for national defense and security and the development of innovative technologies.

Critical raw materials for the Polish economy are those strategic raw materials whose obtainability from both primary and secondary sources is either highly risky or very difficult, and the possibilities of substitution are small. These are raw materials on the list of critical raw materials for the European Union, but also raw materials which, despite their presence in large quantities, are impossible to obtain, e.g., due to planning conditions or social protests.

The purpose of this paper is to analyze the raw materials domain in Poland using a PESTEL analysis of companies operating in the raw materials sector. The authors conducted a study to identify the market gap in the mineral resources sector in Poland in terms of business [2]. Due to the large difference between the levels of RRs (real resources) and DRs (deposit resources), it was reasonable to identify such a gap in the raw materials area, especially as the pandemic period could bring about recovery in the raw materials market. An analysis of the industry was carried out in terms of business development opportunities (creation of new start-up companies). The analysis resulted in the creation of a map of potential market gaps, which indicated possible directions for the development of the raw materials industry in Poland. It turned out that the most attractive and developing area in RM is IT (software activities and IT consultancy), including the Internet and business, which is related to the broadly defined ICT and Industry 4.0, using advanced digital solutions in technological and process areas, which could enter the Polish market [3,4]. “Industry 4.0, and energy transformation, are changing and increasing the demand for raw materials” [5]. The efficient use of raw materials can stimulate technological innovation [6,7], so the identified gap in this area represents a potential opportunity and space in the RM sector that certainly needs to be developed.

This article is organized as follows. First, a review of mineral resources in Poland is presented (Section 2), followed by a review of the literature on the importance of mineral resources in Poland from an economic and energy perspective (Section 3). Section 4, Materials and Methods, discusses the research process and the tools used. Then, PESTEL analysis of the raw materials in Poland is presented (Section 5), with particular emphasis on the raw materials industry in Poland (Section 5.1) and PESTEL analysis in ICT (Section 5.2). The article ends with discussions and conclusions resulting from the conducted analyses.

2. Overview of Mineral Resources in Poland

According to World Mining Data 2021 [8], it appears that Poland leads the world in the production of minerals such as rhenium (3rd place), lignite (4th place), silver (7th place), coking coal (8th place), steam coal, and selenium (10th place).

Studies carried out and described extensively in [2,9] on mineral resources in Poland show the following:

• their occurrence is linked to the geological past;
• the amount of raw material deposits varies;
• hey are distributed basically throughout the whole country, but there is a greater concentration in the western, southern, and central parts of the country.

As shown in The Balances of Mineral Resources Deposits in Poland for 2014–2020 (the balances are a synthesis of “polish prospective mineral resource studies that include archival geological data reprocessing, mineral deposit modelling and new geological exploration projects” [10]), the number of key minerals for the Polish economy is quite extensive and they are grouped into several mineral groups. In Poland, we have four groups of minerals: energy raw resources, chemical raw resources, metalliferous minerals, and natural stone.

Table 1. The level of real resources (RRs) and deposit resources (DRs) for four groups of mineral resources in Poland (in millions of tons).

Groups of Mineral Resources		2014	2015	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020
Energy raw resources	RRs	679	685	690	692	701	710	712
	DRs	361	360	361	359	343	241	244
Metalliferous minerals	RRs	36	36	33	33	33	35	37
	DRs	9	8	9	9	9	9	9
Chemical raw	RRs	49	50	50	50	50	50	50
resources	DRs	11	11	11	11	11	12	12
Natural stones	RRs	12,646	12,815	12,994	13,175	13,351	13,546	13,718
	DRs	4729	4647	4695	4734	4681	4566	4549

Source: own study based on [11,12,13,14,15,16,17].

shows the level of real resources (RRs) and deposit resources (DRs) for each of these groups of raw materials.

The above summary shows that Poland has considerable resources of rock and energy raw materials. The resources of chemical and metalliferous raw materials are definitely less. This arrangement and distribution of raw material deposits allows us to conclude that Poland belongs to the class of countries rich in mineral raw materials [18] and that the raw material base is diversified. “In the context of raw materials, access to resources and sustainability are the key factors for the resilience of the EU” [5]. “As rare earth resources are indispensable raw materials for modern society, they have become strategic global reserve resources” [19]. Therefore, from a sustainability point of view, industry needs to use raw materials appropriately [20]. It is also important to orient the country’s raw materials policy toward a decarbonization strategy and the replacement of existing energy sources with renewable sources. This issue is most relevant for energy raw materials, which is why we are seeing an increase in the number of wind power plants, solar power plants, or hydroelectric power plants. The increasing production of biofuels also contributes to this strategy and to a cleaner environment [18].

The ongoing transition from a traditional economy to a low-carbon economy and the adaptation of the activities of raw material companies in the mining sector to the current requirements of the market and the applicable EU implementing regulations show the extent to which Poland’s mineral resources are managed (Figure 1). A decreasing share of coal in the Polish energy mix has been observed in recent years (as of 2018). Between 2014 and 2017, the utilization of energy raw material resources fell from 53% to 34%. In the other groups of raw materials, the degree of utilization of the resources remained at a similar level.

In Poland, the largest mineral deposits are as follows [2]: hard coal (Upper Silesian Coal Basin (USCB), Lublin Coal Basin (LCB), Lower Silesian Coal Basin (LSCB)), lignite (Turów, Bełchatow, Poland), rock salt (Kłodawa, Mogilno, Góra, Poland), copper ores (area from Lublin to Bytom Odrzański), zinc, and lead (Silesian–Cracow area). There are also deposits of sulfur (the Carpathian Foredeep) or oil deposits (the Carpathian Mountains, the Polish Lowlands). Among the minerals that are currently in short supply are crude oil and natural gas.

Table 2. Main groups of mineral raw materials in Poland.

Energy raw materials	hard coal; lignite; crude oil; methane from coal deposit; helium; natural gas; high nitrogen natural gas
Metallic raw materials	arsenic; zinc; lead; tin; copper and silver ores; molybdenum-nickel ores; gold ores and native gold; iron; titanium and vanadium ores; elements coexisting in ores; other metallic raw materials
Chemical raw materials	barite and fluorite; phosphorites; sulfur; diatomite rock; potassium-magnesium salt; rock salt; loamy raw materials for mineral paint; diatomaceous
Stone raw materials	bentonite and bentonite clay; loamy raw materials; kaolin raw materials; sand and gravel; silica sand; filtering gravel; dolomite; gypsum and anthracite calcite; crushed stone and stone blocks chalk; flint; quartz; shale; magnesite; limestone; marl; amber; peat; brine; medicinal water and thermal water

Source: own study.

summarizes the main groups of mineral resources found in Poland.

The most important raw materials are energy resources. They still play a key role, not only in the Polish economy [5]. They ensure both a high level of technological development and the demand for energy. “(...) coal still significantly dominates the energy mix, occupying well over a 70% share” [21]. As can be seen, hard coal is still the most important energy resource that is mined in Poland (over 70% is thermal coal, less than 30% is coking coal).

According to [22], currently exploited deposits in Poland will allow the Polish industry to meet its needs for raw materials such as the following:

• “Fossil fuels: coking coal;
• Metallic raw materials: copper (including silver);
• Construction minerals (crushed and dimension stone);
• Other minerals for various industries (kaolin, feldspar raw materials, glass sand, magnesite, industrial dolomite, foundry sand, elemental sulphur, gypsum and anhydrite)” [22].

These raw materials have been identified as key for the Polish economy. Although Poland has considerable mineral resources, their development is not at a high level. Analyzing the period 2014–2020, the levels of real resources (RRs) and deposit resources (DRs) for four groups of mineral resources in Poland were averaged (Figure 2). The averaged values of RRs and DRs show that the following amounts were managed:

• 324 million of tons out of the available 696 million of tons of energy raw resources (representing 47%);
• 9 million of tons of the available 35 million of tons of metalliferous minerals (26%);
• 11 million of tons from the available 50 million of tons of chemical raw resources (23%);
• 4657 million of tons from the available 13,178 million of tons of natural stone (35%).

3. Literature Review

The implication of mineral resources in Poland from an economic and energy perspective is a key issue that concerns both the future of the economy and the question of ensuring energy security [23,24,25,26]. Poland, as a country rich in natural resources, faces many challenges that are related to the exploitation and use of mineral resources in the context of sustainable development, energy transition, and changes in the raw materials market [27,28,29,30]. Poland has many mineral resources that play an important role in the economy. The most important mineral resources include the following [14,15,16,17]:

-

Hard coal and lignite—Poland is one of the largest coal producers in Europe;

-

Hard coal, especially from Upper Silesia, is the basis for the energy sector, and lignite from the Belchatow basin is used mainly in thermal power generation;

-

Copper and silver—Poland is one of the world’s leading producers of copper, which is important not only for industry but also for exports;

-

Rock salt, gypsum, and limestone—these raw materials are used in the construction, chemical, and many other industries;

-

Natural gas and oil—although Poland is not a large producer of oil and gas, the country is trying to diversify its energy sources and develop shale gas resources.

In Poland, mineral resources play a huge role in energy production, especially in the context of coal. Coal and lignite-based power generation has traditionally been the dominant source of energy, but due to increasing environmental and energy transition requirements, Poland faces the challenge of reducing its dependence on coal [31,32,33,34,35,36]. Hard coal and lignite are used in power and heating plants, but the country is pursuing gradual decarbonization of the energy sector [37,38]. In line with European Union policy, Poland has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, which influences the energy transition and the search for alternative energy sources. From an energy perspective, Poland is intensifying the development of renewable energy sources (RESs), such as wind, photovoltaics, and biogas. Mineral raw materials used in the production of RES technologies, such as rare metals, are also important for the development of the energy industry [38,39]. From an economic perspective, mineral resources are key to many sectors of the economy—from heavy industry to green energy technologies. However, there are challenges and opportunities associated with them. Coal mining, particularly in the context of lignite mining, comes at a high environmental cost, including land destruction, emissions, and air quality degradation. EU environmental regulations and climate policy, including obligations to reduce CO₂ emissions, challenge Poland to transform its energy mix. Despite having its own coal reserves, Poland still depends heavily on imported energy resources such as natural gas (from Russia, Norway, or Qatar) and oil. In terms of opportunities, the main ones are investment in new technologies, the development of the raw material recycling sector, and energy security. The development of new technologies related to renewable energy generation (wind energy, photovoltaics) represents an opportunity to reduce dependence on fossil raw materials and develop new industries [18,23,25]. The development of technologies for recycling raw materials, including rare metals used in modern technologies, is an alternative to the traditional exploitation of natural resources [33,35]. Poland is striving to diversify its sources of energy and raw materials, investing in shale gas, nuclear power, and the development of RES, which can strengthen the country’s energy security. Meeting the demand for primary energy is one of the main elements of Poland’s energy security. High efficiency of extraction and the use of raw materials influences more rational management of raw materials, which contributes to reducing the impact of the energy sector on the environment. The efficiency of raw material extraction affects the cost of energy production, which in turn has a direct impact on the competitiveness of the economy. In Poland, the demand for primary energy is covered by the following energy resources: hard coal, oil, natural gas, lignite, and renewable sources. Poland has resources of all of the aforementioned raw materials, but their size and potential for use are insufficient to ensure full coverage of demand. As a result, Poland imports some of its energy resources.

From an energy perspective, Poland is in a difficult position, as it still depends on coal, while at the same time it has to implement its climate policy commitments. At the same time, the country is pursuing an energy transition, developing renewable energy sources, and exploring the possibility of using hydrogen or nuclear power. Mineral resources used in the energy sector and in the production of energy equipment play an important role in this challenge. Mineral raw materials in Poland are of great importance both economically and energetically. On the one hand, they are the foundation of the country’s economy and energy sector, and on the other, they pose a major challenge in the context of sustainable development and climate policy. Poland needs to find a balance between the traditional use of raw materials and the need to adapt to the demands of environmental policies. Empirical and theoretical research and articles aimed at studying the role and implications of raw materials from an economic and energy point of view are conducted in Poland by research institutes such as the Central Mining Institute and the National Research Institute and universities, which include AGH University of Krakow and Silesian University of Technology in Gliwice [2,9,39,40]. The institutes’ activities cover the most relevant aspects of mining and geoengineering, industrial safety, and environmental engineering (in particular, protection of the environment from the effects of industrial activity). The institutes also offer certification, education, and training activities and provide services in the form of research, expertise, measurements, and analysis for many industries, institutions, and offices of state and local administration, as well as foreign partners. AGH University of Krakow as well as Silesian University of Technology are modern universities that actively participate in building a knowledge-based society and in creating innovative technologies. Excellent infrastructure, a stable budget, modern laboratories, experienced research and teaching staff, and talented and ambitious students and doctoral students are the greatest assets in terms of scientific research [39,40,41,42].

4. Materials and Methods

4.1. Research Procedure

The research was conducted in two stages. Expert assessment was used to collect data, and then quantitative methods were used for analysis.

The first part of the research aimed to identify barriers that have a key impact on the activities of entities in the raw materials sector. The prepared survey questionnaire was sent to 50 respondents. The respondents were experts who know the raw materials market and deal with its issues, problems, and challenges in the face of climate, political, and social changes. In particular, they were scientists, researchers, and practitioners (management staff of companies operating in the RM sector). The respondents were to assess the impact of individual factors in selected groups on the activities of entities in the raw materials sector on a 4-point scale (4 meant a very high rating, and 1 a very low rating). The study lasted several weeks. During this time, 35 completed surveys were received, which were subjected to further analysis.

The next stage was a Pestel analysis concerning the assessment of the impact of individual factors on the activities of IT entities in the raw materials sector in Poland because IT and ICT were identified as a market gap in the mineral resources industry. A survey questionnaire was also used for the research. Here, too, a 4-point scale was used. However, in this case, the respondents were employees of universities from faculties related to the energy and mining industries (the survey was sent to 24 experts, and 20 responses were received). The research period covered a total of 3 weeks.

4.2. PESTEL Method

Due to continuous technological development, high market competition, and the dynamic economic and political situation, companies make detailed observations. One method of examining a company is PESTEL analysis, which presents a picture of the opportunities and threats to the company. The purpose of performing PESTEL analysis is to improve a company’s condition and its position in the market, to weaken competition, to generate more profits, and to avoid failures which in turn cause financial losses. It is a simple and widely used tool employed in strategic auditing which helps analyze political, economic, cultural–social, and technological changes. By carrying out this analysis, a company can prevent many failures. In its considerations, it takes into account areas of the environment that are often overlooked or forgotten. The PESTEL analysis also makes the company aware of the various risks. With this awareness, the company can effectively combat risks and avoid disappointment. The PESTEL analysis is useful in the following areas:

• Recognizing threats as well as business opportunities;
• Identifying the direction of change in the business environment;
• Avoiding starting projects with potential problems that are out of control;
• Freeing oneself from inevitable risks when entering a new market and helping to define an objective picture of the future working environment.

As a starting point, the company’s primary external factors are categorized into six groups (Figure 3):

• P—political;
• E—economic;
• S—socio-cultural;
• T—technological;
• E—environmental;
• L—legislative.

The group of political factors are those that determine the extent to which government and government policies can influence an organization or a particular industry. They include, but are not limited to, the policy strategy adopted and its stability, including trade, fiscal, and tax policies.

The group of economic factors are economic and business issues. These factors affect the economy and its performance, which in turn directly affects the company and its profitability. It includes, but is not limited to, GDP trends, business cycles, interest rates, inflation, money supply, availability and cost of energy carriers, unemployment, government revenues, level and pace of economic development, and economic policy.

In the third group of factors, which are socio-cultural factors, social and demographic conditions emerge. These factors focus on the social environment and identify emerging trends. In marketing, this knowledge helps to better understand customer needs and desires. PESTEL analysis in this respect can include, for example, changes in family demographics, education levels, cultural trends, changes in attitudes, or changes in lifestyles.

Another group is technological factors, which include factors that refer to technological trends. They take into account the rate of technological innovation and development that may affect a market or industry. These factors may include changes in digital or mobile technology, automation, research, and development. It can be observed that there is a tendency to focus exclusively on digital developments, but companies should also pay attention to new methods of distribution, production, and logistics.

The environmental group focuses on environmental aspects. These concern the impact of the surrounding environment as well as the influence of environmental aspects on the company’s operations. This element is becoming increasingly important with the rise of CSR (Corporate Sustainability Responsibility). Environmental factors include climate, recycling procedures, carbon footprint, waste disposal, and sustainability.

The last group of PESTEL analysis comes from the word legal and refers to legal issues. Every organization needs to be aware of what is legal and permitted in the areas in which it operates. It also needs to be aware of any changes in legislation and their impact on business operations. PESTEL analysis in this regard may include, but is not limited to, labor law, consumer law, health and safety, international and trade regulations and restrictions, etc.

PESTEL analysis requires a separate look at all the factors it examines, identifying the status quo and current trends. Questions a company should answer include what changes are to be expected and when? Can the company identify the driving forces that will bring about these changes? What are the opportunities and threats to the company’s business operations, for example in terms of demand or the market behavior of customers, suppliers, and competitors? Each element under investigation should be broken down into ‘prime factors’. This is the only way to ensure that the company will be able to develop practical strategies and action plans.

5. PESTEL Analysis of the Raw Materials Sector in Poland

The raw materials sector in Poland is one that has limitations both from its macro and micro environment, but is also strongly conditioned by the geopolitical situation. The internal barriers limiting the activities of raw materials sector entities may appear unexpectedly, but there are also those of a permanent nature. Therefore, a study (expert assessment) was carried out to identify those barriers that have a key impact on the economic life of the raw materials players. With the assessment of industry experts (academics, researchers, practitioners), the factors of the PESTEL analysis were extracted and evaluated, and then assigned weights on the basis of the scoring indicators obtained, i.e., the scale. Respondents rated the impact of the individual factors in the selected groups on the activities of the raw materials industry players on a 4-point scale, with 4 representing a very high rating and 1 representing a very low rating.

For clarity of analysis, the indicators were grouped into thematically homogeneous groups, with each group proposing industry-dedicated factors that could affect the performance of players. Each factor in the group was given an individual number, as presented in

Table 3. Individual factor number.

Group Number	Factor Group Name	Factor Name	Individual Factor Number
1	Political Factors	Lack of economy-wide promotion of the Polish mining machinery industry abroad	1.1
		Acceptance by the Polish government of the EU decarbonization policy	1.2
		Lack of government support for investment in the mineral resources sector	1.3
		Progressive political marginalization of the mineral resources sector in Poland	1.4
2	Economic Factors	Economic growth	2.1
		Exchange rate	2.2
		Access to finance	2.3
		Production costs (wages, materials)	2.4
		Sales costs (promotion, agents)	2.5
		Transport costs	2.6
		Investment costs	2.7
		Tax burden	2.8
		Other costs related to the specifics of the raw materials industry (mining and geological risks)	2.9
3	Social Factors	Failure to train human resources for mining	3.1
		Professional qualifications required	3.2
		Emphasis on safety	3.3
		Health awareness	3.4
		Generation gap	3.5
		Increased environmental awareness	3.6
		The “hygge” philosophy of life	3.7
		Organizational culture—CSR	3.8
4	Technological Factors	Lack of government financial support for innovation activities	4.1
		Delays in knowledge and technology transfer	4.2
		Lack of equipment with appropriate technology	4.3
		Lack of qualified technical staff	4.4
		Large scale of investment projects	4.5
5	Environmental Factors	Environmental policy	5.1
		Climate change—global warming	5.2
		Depletion of raw materials	5.3
		Environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions	5.4
		Promoting positive business ethics and sustainable development	5.5
6	Legal Factors	Global and EU regulations	6.1
		Regional and local legislation	6.2
		Geological and Mining Law	6.3
		Environmental law	6.4
		Energy law	6.5
		Labor code	6.6

Source: own study.

. This number will be used in

Table 4. Scores obtained for individual factors.

Individual Factor Number	Average	Individual Factor Number	Average	Individual Factor Number	Average	Individual Factor Number	Average	Individual Factor Number	Average	Individual Factor Number	Average
Political Factors		Economic Factors		Social Factors		Technological Factors		Environmental Factors		Legal Factors
1.1	2.58	2.1	3.21	3.1	3.26	4.1	2.74	5.1	3.05	6.1	3.00
1.2	3.37	2.2	2.63	3.2	2.63	4.2	3.05	5.2	2.74	6.2	2.58
1.3	2.95	2.3	3.00	3.3	2.58	4.3	2.89	5.3	2.95	6.3	2.68
1.4	3.26	2.4	3.26	3.4	2.37	4.4	2.58	5.4	2.79	6.4	2.84
		2.5	2.47	3.5	2.84	4.5	2.95	5.5	2.32	6.5	2.42
		2.6	2.63	3.6	2.84					6.6	1.89
		2.7	3.26	3.7	2.00
		2.8	3.47	3.8	2.05
		2.9	2.68

Source: own study.

and subsequent figures in the article.

A list of average scores for each group of factors, taking into account the political, economic, social, technological, environmental, and legislative environment, is included in Table 4. Individual numbers were used for each factor; the average means the arithmetic mean obtained from the ratings given by respondents to each factor on a scale of 1 to 4, where 1 means the least important factor and 4 is the most important. The highest average (arithmetic average) for a given group of factors is marked in green, and the lowest in red. The average is calculated based on experts’ assessments—the expert database included a total of 35 assessments (the average results are presented in the table).

5.1. The Results Obtained from the Study on the Raw Materials Industry in Poland

Respondents identified the Polish government’s acceptance of the EU’s decarbonization policy and the progressive marginalization of the raw materials sector in Poland as significant political barriers to the operation of Polish companies in the raw materials sector (Figure 4, individual factor number designations as in Table 3). The lack of government support for investment in the sector, which could provide an additional stimulus for companies operating in the industry, was also felt acutely. The lack of economy-wide promotion of the mining machinery and equipment industry was found to be the barrier of lowest importance in this group, but against the background of the other barriers analyzed in the PESTEL analysis, it is quite significant.

In the group of economic factors, the tax burden was considered by respondents to be the barrier of greatest importance to the Polish raw materials industry. In fact, in the Polish industry, the number of taxes, both at the national and local level, is high, and successive attempts at negotiation to reduce the number of tax burdens have not yielded results for several years now. The high cost of investment in the industry and the high cost of production are further barriers that significantly determine the operation of players in the raw materials industry in Poland. In recent years, the barrier to access to sources of finance has become quite significant—banks and other financial market players are reluctant to grant loans and credits to RM operators in Poland. Within the group of economic factors, the least important barriers identified by the respondents were the cost of sales (which are secondary costs), the exchange rate, and transport costs (Figure 5, individual factor number designations as in Table 3).

Social factors are a group of barriers that are determined by society and are therefore relatively variable over time. Currently, respondents indicated as the most significant that the raw materials industry is affected by the abandonment of human resources training for mining, which makes it difficult to find qualified specialists. Among the important factors hindering the development of the industry, respondents also indicated an increase in environmental awareness and a generation gap, i.e., a structure of employees in the mining industry that is characterized by a lack of middle-aged workers. The least important, according to the respondents, is the barrier of the “hygge” philosophy of life, which, although gaining importance in Poland, does not significantly translate into the development and existence of the raw materials industry (Figure 6, individual factor number designations as in Table 3).

Technological barriers can be quite a strong constraint for companies, especially in the raw material market. According to those interviewed, the biggest threat is delays in knowledge and technology transfer (Figure 7, individual factor number designations as in Table 3). This is a worldwide trend and threat, closely related to the idea of Industry 4.0. These delays are mainly due to the following:

• The shortcomings of the strategies developed or policies implemented;
• Often, there is misallocation of EU funds which support entrepreneurship in its broadest sense, but mainly in the SME sector and not in strategically important industries;
• Excessive formalization and bureaucratization of support mechanisms leads to spending according to procedures rather than achieving development goals. This even results in the avoidance of innovative and risky pro-development undertakings (currently necessary) in favor of safe and standard measures that do not bring major developmental changes;
• The low level of competence of the public administration;
• The fact that administrative issues take up to 90% of the time at the expense of substantive activities.

The large scale of investment projects and the lack of appropriate technology are also significant barriers.

Within the group of environmental factors, respondents attributed the greatest importance to environmental policy and the problem of depletion of raw materials (Figure 8, individual factor number designations as in Table 3). These are important issues in the raw materials industry, as eco trends, green power, circular economy, etc., are systematically developing and gaining more and more supporters. This translates significantly into the operation of companies in this industry. Promoting positive business ethics was cited by respondents as the barrier with the least impact on the operation of companies in the RM industry.

In terms of legislative factors, global and EU regulations appear to be decisively important in the light of the survey. Indeed, EU regulations strongly interfere with the individual policies of the member states, so companies operating in the RM field in Poland have to reckon with the need to apply regulations stemming from EU regulations and directives. This may strongly limit the freedom of action of Polish companies. Respondents considered the labor code regulations to be the least restrictive (Figure 9, individual factor number designations as in Table 3).

5.2. PESTEL Analysis in ICT

Based on the results of the research carried out by the authors and extensively described in [2,9,42], the market for the raw materials area has been defined and identified as a market gap in the broad sense of ICT. Due to the fact that ICT in RM is determined by a number of factors, not only strictly following the classical determinants of the raw materials market, it was decided to also carry out such an analysis for the defined gap.

Pestel analysis of the assessment of the impact of individual factors on the activities of IT players in the raw materials sector in Poland was based on expert research. Twenty experts, well versed in the field of RM, made independent and anonymous assessments of individual factors grouped into six groups (

Table 5. Scores obtained for individual factors in ICT.

Group Number	Factor Group Name	Factor Name	Scores
1	Political Factors	State support within tax advantages (special economic zones, etc.)	3.1
		No government support for IT investments in the mineral resources sector	2.6
		Co-financing from EU funds	2.6
		A progressing political marginalization of the mineral resources sector in Poland	3.5
2	Economic Factors	Economic growth	3.1
		Financial performance of key target groups	3.3
		Pandemic situation	3.3
		Access to sources of funding (EU, KIC, Horizon 2020, etc.)	2.9
		Investment costs	2.7
		Tax burden	2.8
		Other costs related to the specifics of the raw materials sector	2.8
3	Social Factors	Change in education trends (more emphasis put on the IT sector)	2.4
		Required qualifications, specialized education	2.2
		Growing importance of ICT technology in everyday life—new trends	2.9
		Growing importance of IT-related professions	2.9
		Human capital investment	2.1
4	Technological Factors	Facilitating the use of large amounts of data (cloud computing)	2.6
		Delays in knowledge and technology transfer	2.9
		Innovations	2.9
		Lack of appropriate technologies	3
		Lack of qualified staff	3
		IT cluster initiatives	2.1
		Growing pressure of the idea of Industry 4.0	2.7
		Relatively large number of scientific centers (access to specialists, technologies, computing power)	2.9
		Large scale of investment ventures	2.7
5	Environmental Factors	Increasing employee awareness in terms of environmental protection	1.9
		Promoting business ethics	1.4
6	Legal Factors	Global and EU legal regulations	2.8
		Regional and local legislation	2.9
		Labor code	1.8
		Legislation for the IT sector (both in Poland and in the EU)	3.1

Source: own study.

). Most of these are factors typical for many markets, but the analysis also covers those factors that are key to the specificity of the Polish market (e.g., co-financing from EU funds or access to sources of funding (EU, KIC, Horizon 2020, etc.))

By group, the results of the analyses are as follows.

Undoubtedly, an important factor constituting a political barrier to the activities of IT entities in the raw materials sector in Poland, which was especially highlighted by experts awarding it the most points, is the progressive political marginalization of the raw materials sector in our country (Figure 10). This is evident in the lack of government support for IT investments, which was a necessary factor in the sector. Despite the lack of government support for investment in companies operating in this sector, they can apply for EU funding. Government support only includes tax facilities for Special Economic Zones (SEZs). Business activities conducted in these zones can be carried out on preferential terms, meaning that companies located in SEZs can receive state aid in the form of tax exemptions.

Social factors are a group of barriers that are determined by society and are therefore relatively variable over time. Currently, the respondents selected the constantly growing importance of IT-related professions and new trends resulting from the increasing importance of ICT in everyday life as the most relevant social factors for the activities of IT actors in raw materials (Figure 11).

The neglect of human resources training for the mining industry or for minerals in general, as indicated by respondents in an earlier survey, is evident in the responses of experts from the IT industry. Staff shortages have resulted in the growing importance of IT-related professions and higher qualification requirements for recruited employees with preferably specialized, industry-specific education. This situation has led to changes in university education with regard to the requirements of the IT industry.

In the group of economic factors, two factors were identified by the experts as the most significant barriers in the current situation in Poland: the pandemic situation, which caused crises for many enterprises in the market, and the financial performance of the main customer groups (Figure 12). The last factor seems to be strongly determined by small enterprises, just starting, which find it difficult to acquire specific customers and have standing orders. In third place, economic growth was indicated. Another barrier that significantly determines the activity of IT entities in the raw materials industry in Poland is access to sources of funding (EU, KIC, or Horizon 2020 projects). Sources of funding are extremely important for the development of these companies, all the more so as they cannot count on government support in matters of investment. In the group of economic factors, the following were identified by respondents as the least important barriers: tax burdens, other costs related to the specifics of the raw materials industry, and investment costs.

Technological barriers can be a fairly strong constraint on IT businesses. According to the experts participating in the survey, the biggest threats are the lack of qualified staff and the lack of equipment and appropriate technology. In addition, a relatively large number of research centers, as well as innovation and delays in knowledge and technology transfer, are included in this group (Figure 13).

The large scale of investment projects is also a significant barrier. The least importance was assigned to the IT cluster initiative.

Within the group of environmental factors, the group of experts attributed the greatest importance to increased environmental awareness among employees (Figure 14). This is an extremely important issue in light of current environmental awareness trends. Promoting business ethics was identified as the barrier with the least impact on the operation of companies in the IT industry.

Within the group of legislative factors, the experts identified legislation for the IT industry as the most relevant factor. This was followed by regional and local legislation and global and EU regulations (Figure 15). IT companies need to operate in compliance with legislation and regulations for the IT sector. Labor code regulations were ranked as the least restrictive factor.

6. Discussions of Results

In light of the presented considerations of key factors affecting the raw materials sector, potential market gaps indicating the directions/trends of the raw materials industry in Poland are presented. The first stage of the research includes an overview of mineral resources in Poland over a 7-year period (2014–2020), divided into the following groups:

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Energy raw resources;

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Metalliferous minerals;

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Chemical raw resources;

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natural stones.

The division of raw materials is presented in Table 1 and Table 2, while the degree of development of the four groups of mineral resources is shown in Figure 1. Technological development, competition, an extremely dynamic market, and political situation force companies to analyze and observe their situation. The analysis was performed using the PESTEL method. PESTEL analysis is a tool used in strategic management to assess external factors affecting an organization or industry. PESTEL analysis includes six groups of factors: political, economic, socio-cultural, technological, environmental, and legal. Due to the specific nature of the raw materials sector and the risks the sector faces, an expert assessment was carried out to identify barriers limiting companies’ operations. The obtained assessments for each group of factors are presented in Table 3. The results obtained from the survey highlight the barriers hindering the function of Polish enterprises in the raw materials sector. The average weights of the barriers in the individual groups of the PESTEL analysis are graphically presented in Figure 4, Figure 5, Figure 6, Figure 7, Figure 8 and Figure 9. In addition, the authors of this study took up the topic of identifying the market of widely understood ICT. In their works [2,9,18,35] and ongoing projects, which include the international LIMBRA project, the authors are engaged in conducting research in this area. An overview of the factors determining the activity of IT entities in the raw materials in Poland sector is presented in Figure 10, Figure 11, Figure 12, Figure 13, Figure 14 and Figure 15.

7. Conclusions

Based on the analysis carried out, it can be seen that the Polish raw material market is determined by several factors. These factors are not identifiable, nor are they repeatable in every country. The multitude of determinants, the different conditions of this industry, and geological, social, and cultural conditions also significantly differentiate the factors that affect the raw materials market.

The most important drivers influencing RM players and resulting from the analysis carried out in this article include the following: the EU decarbonization policy, complex system and relatively high level of taxes, a lack of skilled professionals, market lag in terms of technological development, environmental policy focusing on circular economy and renewability, and the problem of depletion of raw materials. The lack of government support for IT investment, new trends resulting from the increased importance of ICT in everyday life, the pandemic situation and the subsequent crisis of many companies in the market, the unstable and externally dependent financial condition of the main customer groups, the lack of qualified personnel, and the lack of equipment and appropriate technology are the factors most determining activity in the diagnosed IT gap in the RM sector. As can be seen, some of these factors are consistent and overlapping. This gives grounds to conclude that capturing market opportunities can provide an advantage not only in the area of the identified gap but also in the entire RM market. This versatility of action allows for flexibility of operation. The results of the analysis come from expert research, so such people know and understand the mechanisms operating in the market in a significant way.

However, it should be borne in mind that the PESTEL analysis is only valid for a specific period of time, and the variability in conditions and the environment affect the results obtained. Therefore, those wishing to use it must take this fact into account. Changing key conditions requires re-analysis, and time as a key element should be taken into account when implementing solutions.

The analysis carried out and described in this paper is directed specifically at two audiences. The first is made up of new economic players who want to set up their businesses and conquer the market. These are all kinds of start-ups, companies, or business activities of individuals. The usefulness of the results of the analysis is obvious to them; on the one hand, it indicates the opportunities that these companies can include in their vision and mission, and on the other hand, like the SWOT analysis, it indicates the threats that may arise in their business life. Such information, to which an applicant for a given market has access, can give it a competitive advantage. This is particularly important in an industry as specific as the raw materials industry, which is determined not only by classic factors, but also by the specifics of bartering. The development of the market and the number of entities in it are crucial from the point of view of economic development. Maintaining and supporting the market of mineral resources is one of the key strategic areas for each country, so the research carried out in this article seems to be all the more necessary.

The second audience comprises players who already exist in the market. The detailed tracking of the factors relevant to PESTEL analysis allows an entity to react appropriately in real time. The environment is changing dynamically, so overlooking a change can cost a lot for players in the market, especially in the raw materials sector, which, as mentioned, is characterized by high industry specificity. This becomes all the more important if we look at the multitude of conditions and frequency of changes that we note in the market of mineral resources. In addition, the development of technology and the upcoming vision of Industry 5.0 are the directions that force the use of new solutions in this market, but precisely in the area of IT and ICT.