Leader Invest West: Entrepreneurial Image and Opportunity

With the new issue of the business weekly Lider, this week you can also read Leader Invest West. Find out what the investment climate is like in 'the west', i.e., the region also known as Opportunity, what the economic structure is, which are the largest companies, and what their plans are in the new normal.

In a special supplement, you can read a financial analysis of the western counties. In the west, there are two economically balanced counties with 11,000 business entities each, of which Istria, with 44.7% of employees and 54.8% of the region's assets, generates 45.5% of revenue and 53.2% of net profit, while Primorje-Gorski Kotar, with 51.4% of employees and 41.9% of assets, accounts for 51.2% of revenue and 43.1% of net profit. Lika participates in all these positions with three to four percent. The share of assets used, revenue, and net profit generated by small and micro entrepreneurs in the Opportunity region is significantly higher compared to Croatia. Find out the details in the text written by Jozo Knez.

Tourism is the most interesting sector for investors in the three western Croatian counties – Istria, Lika-Senj, and Primorje-Gorski Kotar; followed by trade and manufacturing industry. According to completed projects and those underway, Primorje-Gorski Kotar County (PGŽ) is a large construction site where both the real and public sectors invest: the former in the financial sector, real estate, tourism, and trade, and the latter in infrastructure, science, education, health, and culture; it involves billions of kuna. Among the investors are foreigners, who in recent years have often chosen Primorje-Gorski Kotar County as an investment destination. All about investments in the west was learned by Kata Pranić.

The estimate from the Ministry of Tourism regarding investments in tourism for 2020, based on a survey, was one billion and 76 million euros at the beginning of the year. Of course, this was before the pandemic and before the tourism sector fell to its knees. According to information from the field, large hotel companies will complete planned and agreed investments earlier, but new ones are postponed indefinitely. Everyone is tightening their belts and waiting for the outcome of the pandemic situation and government measures. Seasonal workers are not being hired, and due to the very slow return of reservations, this summer it is likely that not all hotel capacities will be open. Nevertheless, the most money from Istria flows back into Istria, and why this is the case is written by Željka Laslavić.

Primorje-Gorski Kotar and Istria counties are the most developed counties in Croatia, not only because of tourism and tourist activities but also due to a developed industry and entrepreneurial climate. In the former, alongside maritime activities, other economic activities have developed, among which the most important are manufacturing and creative industries, construction, transport, trade, and tourism. Gorski Kotar is traditionally a strong forestry and wood processing area, while the islands are focused on tourism but also on industrial activities. How they succeed in this was learned by Ksenija Puškarić.