LOCATION ADVANTAGE
The North Croatia region, consisting of Medjimurje and Varazdin Counties, lies at the very border with Austria, Hungary and Slovenia. Direct access via the north-south highway corridor towards the Adriatic is a definite geographic advantage compared to surrounding regions of the SEE market. Situated less than 300 kilometres from Vienna, Budapest, port of Rijeka, port of Trieste and Belgrade, North Croatia is an ideal place for market entry into South Eastern Europe.
HUMAN RESOURCES The North Croatia innovative sector (R&D) has experienced substantial growth in recent years. Highlighted by the establishment of the Microsoft training and development centre in 2005, the region has followed with development of high-quality universities in the fields of Information Technology, Automation and Electronics. Continued investment in infrastructure of the biotechnology industrial park as well as education facilities and new programmes will ensure the region's ability to fulfil the demand for highly-educated personnel. Investors have rated the human resources available in North Croatia as the best value compared to the cost in the SEE region, particularly in technology fields, which are traditionally strong in the Croatian education sector.
BUSINESS CLIMATE
The local and regional governments in the North Croatia region are well known for supporting businesses. Clear and established ownership laws and regulations, an efficient court system, an accurate land registry, and low corporate tax rates (20%), have combined to make the region a thriving area of business development. Financial incentives such as tax breaks, training subsidies, and eased import/export regulations are offered for Greenfield and Brownfield investments, with an added advantage of a Free Trade Zone situated in the area.
MODERN INFRASTRUCTURE
North Croatia's modern transportation and communication infrastructure allows for excellent connections to Europe and the world. More than 800km of modern highways stretch throughout Croatia connecting EU countries to countries in SEE region. Zagreb International Airport, ports in Rijeka/Trieste (Adriatic) and Osijek (Drava/Danube rivers) have turned the region into a major transportation hub of South East Europe. The region has more than 95% of households and business covered with fixed line/ADSL access, with many businesses using fibre optic cable networks to coordinate their operations. The region also has one of Europe’s best maintained and accessible natural gas networks.
QUALITY OF LIFE
North Croatia is modern, safe and thriving. It is home to some of Croatia’s best educational institutions and offers an exceptional social infrastructure. The region provides technologically advanced health care facilities, public transportation, excellent communication facilities (70% of population can speak English, German or Italian), and schools available in English. Availability of quality housing at reasonable prices, and a low crime rate, hosting of numerous cultural events, festivals, and some of the most beautiful landscapes, all combine to make North Croatia an excellent environment to live and work in.