But the Jaguar factory in Slovakia. Why there and not here? – Politics

The official version is short: Slovakia won thanks to a huge network of suppliers and good logistics infrastructure. The new plant will complement existing operations in the UK, China, India and built a plant in Brazil. The plant will be built in located 100 km east of Bratislava, Nitra. From 2018 years to be produced there to 300 thousand. cars. It will be the first plant of Jaguar Land Rover in our part of Europe.

And until recently it looked like that the Indian company Tata Motors to build a factory in Jawor, where he formed the Lower Silesian Economic Activity Zone. Deputy Prime Minister Janusz Piechocinski asserted that in talks with “a serious partner in the automotive sector”, and although he withheld his name, everyone knew who it was. The value of investments estimated at approx. 1.2 billion pounds.

Slovaks are efficient not only due to good logistics infrastructure and cheap labor. They can sprinkle the investor many privileges, tax exemptions etc. at which infrastructure and numerous providers that piece of cake. They know how to fine-tune an investor, are politically predictable. They are also members of the euro zone, which reduces the problem of exchange rate risk.

In the race for the factory JLR attended several countries in our region, but the best chance was to Poland and Slovakia. Yes there were a few times in the past, and each time it Slovaks in the final straight went to the lead. As a result of this small mountainous country it has become a giant car manufacturer.

You can tell that this was a national specialty Slovaks. Last year, there were produced approx. 850 thousand. cars. It is almost two times more than in Poland. When will another plant, it will be well over a million. So on one Slovak per year it will be embarrassing 20 percent. car. Even today, the automotive sector is responsible for 26 percent. Slovak exports and 12 percent. GDP. 2.2 percent. people of working age are employed in the automotive industry.

This specialization has its advantages, but also disadvantages. Because crisis afflicting the car industry quickly translate into economic situation throughout the country. We can therefore comforting that our neighbors to increase economic risks. But the paltry consolation.