Page 69 - Ekonomija i Biznis_noemvri 2015.indd

WORLD

and a relatively low technological level of managed to increase its share at European
manufacturing. As Fiat’s example in Serbia level. During the last decade, the share of au-
shows, even when there is an automobile tomobiles manufactured in these countries
manufacturer in the country, the weakness increased from 9% in 1999 to 22.4% in 2008
of the other industries and the weakness of and 24% in 2009. The crisis strengthened the
the technological basis have a strong impact restructuring of the sector and led to a signif-
toward a relatively moderate net effect from icant reduction of earnings, however at the
the import of automobiles, because the works same time it attracted new investors: “Mer-
during assembly are primarily concentrated cedes” in Hungary, “Volkswagen” in Slovakia,
on mechanical operations. The Vojvodina In- “Bosch” in Hungary, “Renault” and “Toyota”
vestment Promotion (VIP) agency from Vojvo- in Turkey and “Fiat” in Serbia.
dina, which is most agile in Serbia in lobby-
ing among the manufacturers of automobile Currently there are no changes in the six-
components, now has ambitions to attract month orders of the companies from CEE
that are related to “Volkswagen” directly or

As Fiat’s example in Serbia shows, even when there is an
automobile manufacturer in the country, the weakness of the
other industries and the weakness of the technological basis
have a strong impact toward a relatively moderate net effect
from the import of automobiles, because the works during
assembly are primarily concentrated on mechanical operations

also research and development in Vojvodina. through a subcontractor, however in the in-
Last year the officials from Vojvodina fore- dustry, among the suppliers and the bankers,
casted that in the following couple of years words of concern are spread, stated Sezari
in the area between Belgrade, Novi Sad and Pishkovski, a Director of the Boryszew group
Shid we could expect an investment by a gi- for “Financial Times”. Boryszew Group is the
ant in the automotive industry. Such conclu- greatest Polish supplier for the European
sion was made “on the basis of the position- factories of “Volkswagen”, which is already
ing of the automobile manufacturers and the thinking about an adjustment of the struc-
manner they observe Serbia and the entire ture of its manufacturing in the newly cre-
region”. The problem of the entire region is ated circumstances.
the insufficient workforce which is far more
important factor for the investors, while the The announcement by the Hungarian
investment price is fifth on the list of priori- Minister of Economy is perhaps exaggerated,
ties of the investors. however it is actually a repetition of the old
lesson in economy, that all eggs should nev-
Anxiety er be stored in one basket. Currently this is
It is too early to make more serous esti- sweet torment because at the end of October
“Volkswagen” confirmed that it remains on
mations whether the series of “Volkswagen” its additional investment of 106 million Euros
scandals might jeopardize the automotive (somewhat more than 32 billion Hungarian
sector in CEE, as the financial crisis did. forints) in the Gyor factory, which would im-
ply opening of new 380 job positions between
The automotive sector was one of the most 2015 and 2018. According to what was writ-
threatened sectors in the financial crisis, and ten in “Hungarian Times”, the result of the
the manufacturing reduced by 10 million au- improvement of the plant would be manufac-
tomobiles only in 2009, as it was shown by turing of more efficient and environmentally
the data of OIKA, the International Organi- more advanced automobiles on gas and diesel
zation of Motor Vehicle Manufacturers. In drives. Hungary will support this project with
CEE the manufacturing has reduced by half a approximately 20 million Euros.
million of vehicles (-12%), however the region

November 2015 69