Kaohsiung has gained a new sister city in Europe! A delegation led by Katowice Mayor Marcin Krupa and Chairman Łukasz Borkowski of the Katowice City Council visited Kaohsiung from the 20th to the 23rd. On the 21st, Kaohsiung Mayor Chen Chi-mai and Mayor Krupa signed the Sister City Agreement between the City of Kaohsiung and the City of Katowice at the Kaohsiung City Government, formally confirming Katowice as Kaohsiung’s sister city. The ceremony was witnessed by Director Janusz Bilski of the Polish Office in Taipei, marking another significant milestone in Taiwan–Poland city diplomacy. The two sides will deepen cooperation in areas such as smart cities, industrial transformation, educational exchanges, and technological innovation.
Mayor Chen Chi-mai noted that Kaohsiung and Katowice share the core values of freedom, democracy, and human rights. Having both experienced authoritarian rule, the two sides possess a profound appreciation for the value of democracy and freedom. Building upon this foundation of friendship, both cities will forge a robust partnership to jointly address the evolving global landscape. He also noted that the two cities have followed highly similar development paths, successfully transitioning from heavy industry to technology-driven cities. In recent years, Kaohsiung has strategically advanced its semiconductor and artificial intelligence industries, with AI applications spanning transportation, environmental monitoring, and urban governance. Katowice, meanwhile, has achieved significant progress in high-tech, logistics, and innovation-led industries.
Mayor Marcin Krupa described the sister city agreement as a historic milestone for Katowice, marking a new chapter in relations between the two cities. Once known for coal mining and heavy industry, Katowice has in recent years pursued an active transformation towards high-tech and innovation sectors, successfully attracting international investment. He noted that his visit to the Smart City Summit & Expo left a strong impression of Kaohsiung’s achievements in smart city development and industrial transformation, and expressed confidence that the sister-city agreement would further strengthen the partnership between the two cities.
Chairman Łukasz Borkowski also noted the many similarities between Kaohsiung and Katowice in terms of historical development and urban transformation. The sister city agreement would provide a significant foundation for deepening cooperation across a wide range of fields. Director Janusz Bilski expressed appreciation for the Kaohsiung City Government’s longstanding and proactive efforts to promote cooperation with Polish cities and welcomed continued Taiwan–Poland collaboration across multiple sectors.
Katowice, a major city in southern Poland and the capital of the Silesian Voivodeship, was historically known for its coal mining and heavy industries. Today, with a population of nearly 300,000, it serves as the core of a metropolitan area connecting surrounding municipalities with a total population exceeding 2 million, making it a highly influential economic and population center in Poland. In recent years, Katowice has demonstrated strong urban resilience by revitalizing its century-old mining sites. It has been designated a UNESCO Creative City of Music, is often referred to as the “e-sports capital of Europe,” and is also a renowned convention and exhibition hub, standing as a model for urban transformation in Europe.
Director Chang Yen-ching of the Department of Administrative and International Affairs noted that exchanges between the two cities began with a visit by Katowice Deputy Mayor Jarosław Makowski to Kaohsiung in 2025. In September the same year, Deputy Mayor Lo Ta-sheng led a delegation to Katowice for the city’s 160th Anniversary of Being Granted Municipal Rights, where he and Mayor Krupa signed a Declaration of Friendship, laying the groundwork for closer cooperation in technology and startup sectors.
In the meantime, the Kaohsiung Municipal Renwu Senior High School also formed a sister-school partnership with Katowice’s Third Secondary School, extending the friendship between the two cities to the campus level. Within a short period, the two cities completed reciprocal visits and formalized their sister city relationship, making Katowice Kaohsiung’s second sister city in Poland. During the delegation’s visit, Mayor Krupa also spoke at the Smart City Summit & Expo forum, sharing Katowice’s experience in smart manufacturing. Through in-depth site visits, the delegation gained a fuller understanding of Kaohsiung and experienced the diversity and vibrancy of this ocean city, laying a solid foundation for the continued deepening of bilateral cooperation.