InvestSlovenia

GORIŠKA REGION

Facts and figures:

Source: SORS, 2008

1. Location and transport

The Goriška Region borders on the west Italian border (Friuli) and has excellent transport infrastructure. There is a motorway that links Goriška with the Northern Italy and almost uninterrupted motorway link with the central Slovenia, as well as the railway connection. It lies on the Pan-European Transport Corridor No. 5.

2. Population

Total population of the Goriška Region is 119,500.

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

Source: Statistical Yearbook, 2007

3. Towns

The regional administrative, educational, economic and cultural centre is Nova Gorica (36,200 inhabitants). Workforce is well-educated and well-trained. Nova Gorica is home to the Polytechnics where students are educated in the field of environment protection, business and engineering vocations, and applied natural science. A number of students from the region enrol in the University of Ljubljana but also the nearby colleges and university centres on the Italian side of the border.

Other principal towns in the region include Ajdovščina (18,100), Tolmin (12,100) and Idrija (12,000).

4. Economy

The region’s economic development has not been even and the mountains in the northern part have a lot to do with it. The spurs of the Alps and deep valleys favour tourism, wine- and cheese-making but Nova Gorica and the surrounding municipalities are far better developed when measured by economic and cultural yardsticks. Industry provides most jobs and remains the key to the region’s development with the following branches as the most successful:

electrical devices & instruments

foodstuffs & beverages

furniture i.e. wood-processing

Thanks to its geostrategic position and particularly the proximity to the industrial towns of northern Italy, Goriška has excellent attributes to develop further the service sector that already is generating substantial revenue for the regional treasury. The present Schengen border has helped to develop transport and logistics services in the first place with Slovenian and Italian companies operating on either side of the border. There have been many initiatives for joint development projects to involve small and medium-sized enterprises from both countries but the lack of funding has been the major obstacle so far and only few such ventures have lifted off the ground. At present, the unemployment rate in the Goriška Region is the lowest in Slovenia.

5. Companies

The most important companies operating in the region include:
Iskra Avtoelektrika, HIT, Primorje, Fructal, Salonit, Eta, Kolektor, Hydria, Meblo, Textile Ajdovščina, Alpkomerc, Salonit, Lipa, AET, MIP