23.12.2009

POMURSKA REGION / Pomurje

Facts and figures (2008):

 

Area: 1,337 km2

Population: 120,357

Density of population per km2: 90.0

Number of companies: 4,167

Persons in employment: 43,464

Unemployment rate (September 2009): 14.8%

Average monthly gross wage: EUR 1,158

Source: SORS, 2009

Location and transport

 

The Pomurska Region at the north-east of Slovenia stretches from the Mura River to the state borders with Austria, Croatia and Hungary. It is a flat country interrupted by rolling hills covering 6.6% of Slovenia.

 

The prospects for an economic upswing across the board are much more tangible since the blueprint for the modernisation of infrastructure (road network in particular) has been made.

 

 

Population

 

Pomurska has the population of 120,500. The region is multicultural and the Hungarian minority has a strong presence. There is a part of the region that has been traditionally oriented towards Austria.

 

Education structure of population aged 15 - 64 in the Pomurska Region

 

Source: Statistical Yearbook, 2007

Towns

 

The regional centre is Murska Sobota  (20,000 inhabitants) whit the College of economics. Most students study at the University of Ljubljana or the University of Maribor.

 

Other principal towns include Gornja Radgona (12,500), Lendava (12,600) and Ljutomer (12,200).

 

 

Economy

 

The region has preserved unpolluted and untouched environment with vast fertile plains that have always sustained agriculture that at present employs 6% of the working population. Among the most prosperous industries there are:

  • textile
  • agri-food
  • metal-processing
  • chemicals

 

The sunset of labour-intense industries with large enterprises accounts for 17.5% unemployment rate or around 10,000 registered job seekers. As the least developed region, Pomurska is saddled by structural problems, with the textile industry being hit particularly hard. The flagship of the garment industry not so long ago, Mura from Murska Sobota is struggling to keep afloat, and laying off workers is part of the restructuring. Nevertheless, the textile industry still employs about one quarter of the region’s workforce and thanks to skilled workers and talented fashion designers there are foreign investors who recognise value-for-money they get in the Pomurska Region. Other important sectors include service industries and building & construction employ 27.5% and 8%, respectively.

 

Appraisals of the region’s development potential reveal that Pomurska is not burdened by an outdated industrial structure. Existing enterprises and new investors can build their success on the highly educated workforce, as the number of students and other highly qualified people continues to rise.

 

 

Companies

 

The most important companies operating in the region include:

  • Panvita MIR d.d. (production and preserving of meat)
  • Radenska d.d. (production of soft drinks & mineral waters and other bottled waters)
  • Planika Turnišče d.o.o. (manufacture of footwear)
  • Nafta - petrochem d.o.o. (manufacture of other organic basic chemicals)
  • Arcont d.d. (manufacture of metal structures and parts of structures)
  • Elrad International d.o.o. (manufacture of consumer electronics)
  • Varstroj d.d. (manufacture of metal forming machinery)
  • SCT TKO d.o.o. (manufacture of special-purpose machinery)
  • SGP pomgrad - gradnje d.o.o. (construction of residential and non-residential buildings)
  • Reflex Gornja Radgona d.o.o. (building completion and finishing)
  • Varis Lendava d.d. (manufacture of concrete products for construction purposes)
  • Terme 3000 d.o.o. (baths and hotels)
  • Zdravilišče Radenci d.o.o. (spa and hotels)

 

 

Contacts:

 

Regional Development Agency Mura 

Lendavska 5a, SI-9000 Murska Sobota,

tel: +386 (0)2 536 14 61,

fax: +386 (0)2 536 14 65,

e-mail: info[@]rra-mura.si

web: http://www.investpomurje.eu 

 

Lendava Business Park

 

Murska Sobota Industrial Zone