Nitra region has the resources, qualified labour force and R&D basis for the construction of industrial parks and zones; and property and land is available in plentiful supply. Geo-thermal and thermal waters in a number of areas offer the potential for the services sector for domestic and international tourism.
The region has good connections with European transport systems and is close to Slovakian capital Bratislava, Vienna and Budapest. The city of Nitra is a centre of university education and an important centre of culture and history, with a developed array of services and commerce. Several international trade fairs take place there.
2 How do you visualise investment in your region by 2006?
We have developed a regional operation plan as the basic prerequisite for investments inflow and we have taken part in the preparation of sector operation plans for the national programme of regional development.
Because the region is lagging behind in terms of some economic parameters, after consultations with the government, work on completing the region’s infrastructure has been intensified. The construction of a high speed road will begin shortly. The road will improve the connection with the central and the eastern parts of Slovakia. The road’s construction will be the basis for the creation of SMEs.
The office of Nitra self-administrative region has built on the programme of social and economic development for the region as the organisational-administrative prerequisite for the improvement of investment possibilities.
3 What steps will you take to overcome any challenges you currently face?
The prime problem at the present is preparation of the area in terms of documentation, with complicated structure of proprietary relations. The education level is good but modern technology and equipment is lacking.
Another problem is the underdevelopment of telecommunication services and transport infrastructure in the region.
4 Tell us about one or two forthcoming major FDI projects in your area.
The most important ones are: completion of the high-speed road towards the east of Slovakia; and construction of the regional thermal facility for combustion of dangerous waste. Several industrial parks and zones are also planned.
First, we will focus on sectors that do not require major investments, such as tourism. In this field, large projects are planned for using the geo-thermal waters area of Vráble.
In the field of development of human resources, the main focus is preparation of a centre for education in CNC technologies.
5 What incentives have you developed to secure investment over the coming years?
We have founded the regional development agency, whose aim is to co-operate in giving assurance for investment in the region. We co-operate with micro-regions and co-ordinate co-operation of the region’s cities and communities.
Under the scope of NUTS II, we co-operate with neighbouring regions, the Slovak chamber of commerce and industry, the Slovak agency for investment and commerce development and the Slovak tourism agency. We also co-operate with the banking sector in the field of consultancy and possibilities of co-financing projects.
We provide information for potential investors, preparing informative documents about the region and investment possibilities.
Based on international contacts, we will soon be signing contracts on co-operation with regions in France, Italy, Hungary, which will result in an increase of investments in the region.
