Guide to investment in Košice

prepared bythe City of Košice andPricewaterhouseCoopers

Guide toinvestment inKošice the investor’s Guide2010

Contents

Guide to investment in Košice

Contents 2Greetings from the Mayor 3Foreword 4Major historic Milestones 5City highlights 5A Great Place For Your Business 6A Broad Look at Business in the region 7important Facts about the City 11Business and services 12industrial Production 13research and development and information technologies 15transportation and Logistics 19Košice on a tourist Map 22healthcare services 23human resources 24Quality education 27A Wide variety of investment opportunities 30Košice - european Capital of Culture 2013 32Public Private Partnership Projects 34slovak Government state Aid 38european union Funds 40 environmental Projects 41 Life in Košice 42Košice Municipality and important Contacts 45

Ladies and Gentlemen,

All generations of people who have lived in Košice strived for its development. Creating new opportunities, formulating ideas and seeking ways of how to achieve the goals, this is a natural cycle of people with creative thinking. the fact that Košice has kept the position of a metropolis of eastern slovakia for centuries despite many historical difficulties and often dramatic events evidences that ambitious people have always lived there.

the progress of our civilization, the achievements of matured nations and developed countries of our planet have been implied in the term scientific and technological development. scientific knowledge, technical inventions and new technologies started the period of the most dynamic human development and influenced significantly all other areas of our life. We cannot change the history, we may not avoid making mistakes or make past things better, however, we have a chance to influence the future. We are the ones who can but also must make decisions, formulate and performthe goals.

Further growth of our city depends particularly on the quality of knowledge and education, presence of business entities that will find appropriate environment and adequately skilled and creative people in Košice. recently, the Košice city has concentrated on creating appropriate conditions for potential investors, supporting business development and new technologies, creating potential for high quality workforce.

everything we have done so far will once become part of the history. Also our generation, people who are living in Košice, has ambition to achieve more, wants to build new contacts and create new opportunities. We are aware that we live a period that will launch important development activities in Košice and influence significantly the future of our city. We are looking with hope to the future and are willing to be a good partner.

František Knapík Mayor the City of Košice

Greetings from the Mayor

the investor’s Guide 3

the second largest city in slovakia, Košice is situated in one of slovakia’s most attractive regions for future investment. it has also been awarded the title of european Capital of Culture for 2013, and has received the un City of Peace award.

Košice has diversified industrial production, with a focus on metallurgy and steel processing. the presence of u. s. steel Košice makes the region the largest steel producer in central europe. Košice is known for its high level of academic and industrial research. it has established an it valley to support investment in high-tech services - in particular, information technology and software solutions - and to encourage and strengthen the intellectual potential of university students.

Košice’s economic growth over the past few years has attracted many foreign investors. the future is bright for Košice, not only because of the availability and low cost of qualified labour, the availability of investment incentives, or the new highway being constructed to better connect Košice with western slovakia, but also because it is strategically located between central and eastern europe, and Košice is serious about attracting and supporting new investors. Košice is introducing several measures to attract further investment, and to stabilize the region’s economy in the wake of the global economic crisis.

this guide is intended to provide information to potential investors, and to give you a taste of what it is like to live and work in the Košice region.

todd Bradshaw Country managing partner PricewaterhouseCoopers slovensko s.r.o.

4

Foreword

Guide to investment in Košice

the investor’s Guide

Major Historic Milestones City Highlights

1230 already an established settlement – written documents referring to the city for the first time date back to this year1290 Košice is awarded the status of ‘city’ with autonomy in regard to its system of justice and governance1342 Košice is recognized as one of the capitals of the empire1369 city is awarded its own coat of arms1394 first written document about a city school1466 written proof of a statute of the society of wealthy merchants, the oldest in slovakia1453 Košice becomes one of the main centers of european trade1508 construction of st. elizabeth’s cathedral is completed1657 Košice university is founded1802 first manufacturing is established for the production of pottery1860 arrival of the first train from Miskolc (hungary)1870 first railway introduced- a 33-kilometre-long section from Košice-Kysak-Prešov1873 the first hotel, schalkház, opened to the public1891 horse-driven car line introduced as the first form of municipal transportation1891 start of the installation of telephone lines1914 start of electrifying the municipal railway1924 first Košice Peace Marathon is organized1937 first technical university in slovakia was established in Košice1938 Košice becomes part of hungary after an invasion of the hungarian army 1945 city is liberated, re-united with slovakia, and temporarily houses the President and Parliament1960 construction of the vsŽ steel plant begins (in 2001, acquired by u. s. steel)1968 city enlarges by merging with neighbouring villages 1979 population of the city reaches 200,0001988 un awards Košice the title ‘City of Peace’1993 Košice becomes the second-largest city in slovakia2001 entry of u. s. steel into Košice2006 Košice successful in bidding to host the 2011 World ice hockey Championship 2008 Košice is awarded the title of ‘european Capital of Culture’ for 2013

industrY

u. s. steel Košice – one of the largest exporters in the slovak republic, with a headcount of over 11,000 people

historY, CuLture And PoLitiCs

st. elizabeth’s Cathedral – Košice is the easternmost location of a Gothic cathedral in europe and, at the same time, the largest cathedral in slovakia; its historic town centre is the largest historical preservation in the slovak republicregional Capital – Košice is the seat of the regional government and regional parliament, constitutional court, and other important institutions

heALthCAre

hospital Košice Šaca – the first private hospital in the slovak republic

sPort And Leisure

steel Arena – the most modern multi-purpose hall in slovakia, hosting the World ice hockey Championship in 2011Košice Marathon – the Košice Peace Marathon, organized in Košice annually since 1924, is the oldest event of its kind in europe, and the second-oldest in the world (the oldest is the Boston Marathon in the usA)Largest Zoo – largest in Central europe, with total area of 288 hectaresBotanical Garden – has the largest collection of plants and cactuses (over 5,000 different types)

5

A Great Place For Your Business

strategic location of Košice in Central europe

› the centre of eastern slovakia › the second-largest city in slovakia › a great geographical location for conducting business with neighbouring countries › a centre of a cross-border region – close to the borders of hungary, Poland, and the

ukraine › a border of the schengen area › excellent accessibility – good road, railway, and airline connections › railway transportation connecting western and eastern europe. narrow gauge rail

(european standard) and wide gauge rail (eastern standard) › railway crossroads of lines connecting northern and southern europe, the city is

connected with the AGtC rail line connecting hungary and Poland › a connection of international roads e 50 (Bratislava-Košice-ukraine) and e 68 (hungary-

Košice-Prešov) with southeastern european motorways (through hungary and up to the Baltic sea)

› international airport used for passenger and cargo transport

support of the business environment

› support of foreign and local investors by the city › a high concentration of general and specialized state and municipal institutions › a stable political and economical position › the city master plan includes attractive locations for investments, enabling a fast start for

construction › the possibility to invest in greenfield industrial parks or in existing brownfields › a well-established business environment, with science, research and development, and

universities › an increasing demand for housing, quality services, and jobs › upcoming opportunities in the development of industrial and technology parks, the

construction of public service facilities, residential housing, and sport and recreational facilities

Qualified Labour force

› qualified, flexible and available › a high degree of mobility within the region › very competitive labour costs › advanced level of education › younger generation is proficient in foreign languages and it skills › excellent quality of life, pleasant living and work environments

industry in the region

› industrial production, metallurgy and steel processing prevails – the seat of a metallurgy conglomerate which is the largest steel producer in Central europe

› the presence of developed high-tech and value-added businesses, service centres › the possibility to use geothermal sources of energy

tourism

› rich historical, cultural, and sport traditions › the possibility to use geothermal water sources

other Business and services

› many opportunities for investment projects – scope for significant expansion in services to meet the demands of local residents

6 Guide to investment in Košice

Košice is the most important industrial centre in eastern slovakia. there are more than 20,000 businesses operating in Košice, accounting for more than 9% of the slovak GdP. A major share of industrial production is represented by the metallurgy giant u. s. steel Košice, a producer of higher value-added product for the packaging industry, electronics, consumer products, and the automotive industry. in 2009, the company had 11,184 employees, making it the largest employer in eastern slovakia.

other important companies include východoslovenské strojárne Košice (vss Košice) and východoslovenské tlačiarne Košice. the construction industry is represented by inžinierske stavby Košice.

the heating plant teKo Košice in the southern part of the city distributes heat to Košice and is a producer of electrical energy.

Košice is quickly becoming a centre of cutting edge information and telecommunication technology. Many it firms have been opening their offices and a variety of support centres in the city, such as t-systems slovakia, ness slovensko, siemens Pse, rWe it slovakia, Cisco systems slovakia, Microsoft slovakia and slovak telekom. in 2007, the Košice it valley association was created with around 3,000 qualified experts in the field.

A Broad Look at Business in the Region



table of largest companies organized by sales revenues in 2009

Ranking company industry sales (in thousands of euros) employees Foreign capital origin

1 u. s. steel Košice, s.r.o., Košice metallurgy 1,733,510 11,184 100 % usA

2 východoslovenská energetika, a.s., Košice energy 539,815 not available 49 % Germany

3 inžinierske stavby, a.s., Košice construction and engineering 247,878 1,604 96 % France

4 Labaš, s.r.o., Košice wholesale/food & beverages 128,374 not available 0 % -

5 eurovia sK, a.s., Košice construction and engineering 82,054 630 97 % France, Czech republic

6 tepelné hospodárstvo, s.r.o., Košice energy 50,938 195 0 % -

7 rWe Gas slovensko, s.r.o., Košice energy 50,012 not available 100 % Czech republic

8 t-systems slovakia, s.r.o., Košice it services 40,722 1,487 100 % Germany

9 steelinvest, s.r.o., Košice wholesale/metallurgy 37,257 not available 0 % -

10 Metalex, a.s., Košice metallurgy 35 103 100 % Germany, switzerland

11 eurovia – Kameňolomy, s.r.o., Košice mining 12,271 148 100 % France

12 eurocast Košice, s.r.o., Košice metallurgy 11,767 not available 100 % -

13 rWe it slovakia, s.r.o., Košice it services 11,391 176 100 % Germany

14 termostav – Mráz, s.r.o., Košice construction and engineering 11,361 210 0 % -

15 hs hsv, s.r.o., Košice construction and engineering 9,23 122 0 % -

16 telegrafia, a.s., Košice electronics 9,183 66 0 % -

17 elfa, s.r.o., Košice education 8,25 not available 0 % -

18 Antik computers & communications, s.r.o., Košice telecommunications 6,648 120 not available not available

19 izola Košice, s.r.o., Košice construction and engineering 5,153 47 not available not available

20 is – Lom Maglovec, s.r.o., Košice mining 4,765 not available not available not available

21 stomix Košice, s.r.o., Košice trade/construction materials 880 not available not available not available

22 Kremix trade, s.r.o., Košice trade/construction materials 655 not available not available not available

source: trend


the city is the centre of second-most-important region in slovakia based on its export performance and GdP contribution to the national economy. GdP per capita is around 89% of the national average in the long term, and has been showing significant yearly increases. the city of Košice is home to 40% of the businesses located in the Košice region, and the most popular location for new company registrations is the Košice i district. industrial production accounts for more than 10% of the total businesses registered in the city. however, the increased significance of other sectors as contributors to the development of the regional economy has been noted in recent years, including construction, transportation, it and telecommunications, finance and banking, wholesale, retail, and tourism.

the most important sector in the city is industrial production, creating over 5.1 billion euros in annual revenues and over 1.2 billion euro of value added. this sector has attracted the largest number of foreign direct investments in recent years, focusing mainly on the steel industry, the automotive industry, electronics, it, construction, and machine engineering. More than 600 businesses have foreign capital involved, including, but not limited to, siemens, u. s. steel, Getrag Ford, rautaruukki Finland, valeo slovakia, howe slovensko, ness slovensko, JoBeLsA slovensko, Kosit, vse (rWe), inžinierske stavby Košice, eurovia-cesty, tesco, optima Corporation and others.

Foreign investors established in Košice and the neighbouring area

company country industrial sector

východoslovenská energetika, a.s. Germany energy distribution

vALeo sLovAKiA, s.r.o. France Car industry- production of auto parts

howe slovensko, s.r.o. Australia Car industry- production of leather materials

ness slovensko, s.r.o. usA, israel, holland it- software development, system integration

JoBeLsA sLovensKo, s.r.o. spain Production of textile

Kosit, a.s. italy, slovakia Public cleaning services, office cleaning

u. s.steel Košice, s.r.o. usA Mettalurgy

inžinierske stavby, a.s. Košice France Construction industry

eurovia - Cesty, a.s. France Construction industry

t-systems slovakia Germany it and software

Magneti Marelli Powertrain sLovAKiA italy Automotive parts

GetrAG Ford transmissions slovakia, s.r.o. Germany Car industry- production of transmission

sWeP slovakia, s.r.o. sweden Production of heat exchangers

Plastipak slovakia, s.r.o. usA Plastic industry- semi finished plastic parts

Kuenz - sK, s.r.o. Austria Machine engineering

schelling slovakia, s.r.o. Austria Production of cutting machines

JisiMeX, s.r.o. ukraine, Armenia Food and Beverage industry

doppelmayr slovakia s.r.o. Austria Production of cranes

handtmann slovakia s.r.o. GermanyCar industry- production of alluminium

casting, ferrometals

evAns s.r.o. usA, slovakia Production of packaging materials

CroWn Bevcan slovakia uKProduction of cans for food

and beverage industry

Magneti Marelli slovakia italy Automotive parts

source: vÚC Košice and PricewaterhouseCoopers

Regional GDP in slovakia in millions of euros

source: slovak statistical office (2007)


the number of foreign investors in Košice, as well as the total amounts invested, increases every year, with improved infrastructure for investors, including the development of industrial parks, better support from state and local authorities, and increasing availability of suppliers of a variety of goods and services in the region.

the slovak Ministry of economy, through its specialized agency for investment support – slovak investment and trade development agency (sario), assisted 45 foreign investors who established projects in the Košice region from 2002 to 2009, including the companies Brano-sK, CrW slovakia s.r.o., handtmann slovakia s.r.o., Magneti Marelli slovakia s.r.o., ness slovakia s.r.o., sCA hygiene Products s.r.o., siteM slovakia s.r.o., t-systems slovakia s.r.o., uFt Production slovakia s.r.o., vALeo slovakia s.r.o., Yazaki Wiring technologies slovakia s.r.o., and ŽP PrAKo s.r.o.

due to increasing internationalization and the global nature of businesses establishing operations in the city, Košice has become internationally involved in various partnerships and programmes with cities across europe and the usA. A selection of partner cities is listed below.

Wuppertal, Cottbus, Germany Mobile, Alabama, usA

uzghorod, ukraine raahe, Finland

sankt Peterburg, russian Federation rzeszow, Katowice, Krosno, Poland

verona, italy Miskolc, Budapest hungary

Bursa, turkey Plovdiv, Bulgaria

niš, serbia ostrava, Czech republic


FDi inflow to slovakia in 2009 in thousands of euros

source: national Bank of slovakia

Foreign investors in slovak regions established with assistance of slovak investment and trade Development Agency (2002 – 2009)

source: slovak investment and trade development Agency


Košice is a city with a rich and glorious history. From the time it was first mentioned in a written document, almost eight centuries have elapsed. its rich history was influenced by the fact that it was located on an important trade crossroads.

in 1290, the city was awarded several privileges, including protection by city walls. in 1369, Ľudovít the Great awarded the city a coat of arms, which was a modified form of the royal coat of arms of the Anjou family. it is the oldest coat of arms document awarded to a city in all of europe.

With its economic and political influence, the city was one of the most important european medieval cities. in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, Košice experienced a unique boom of crafts and trade in metal, fur, and other commodities.

in 1657, Košice university was founded, and was converted in 1777 to the royal Academy, which by then included a printing facility. in the nineteenth century, the first manufacturing activities were established, later transformed into factories. Before the split of hungary, the city was considered one of the most developed in the entire empire. Between the world wars, the city assumed the role of industrial and administrative centre of the region. energetic post-war development of the city increased in 1960, when the giant metallurgical factory východoslovenské železiarne was established. this was the start of massive migration to Košice from all of former Czechoslovakia. As a result, the population of the city and its area rapidly increased. Presently, Košice is the second-largest city in slovakia with a population of 234,596.

it occupies an area of 244 square kilometres, at an altitude of 208 metres above sea level. the population density is 964 people per square kilometre. the city is located in southeastern slovakia and it is close to the borders with hungary to the south (20 kilometres away), Poland to the north (80 kilometres away) and ukraine to the east (90 kilometres away). Košice is a base for regional governance, as a seat of the regional government and parliament, various district offices, and state institutions, including a constitutional court. it is the political, economic, and cultural capital of eastern slovakia and the surrounding region. the city consists of 22 parts and includes four districts. it has played an important role within the wider region since the Middle Ages thanks to its strategic location on medieval trade routes. even in present times, the city continues to enjoy great diversity. its population consists of slovaks, Germans, Czechs, hungarians, ruthenians, ukrainians, and other nationalities.

the average age of the population is 35.13 years. the municipal office is in charge of 40 elementary schools. A network of secondary schools consists of gymnasiums, specialized secondary and apprentice schools, a business academy, and a school of health and arts. the highest level of education is provided by nine faculties of the technical university, four faculties of the university of Pavol Jozef Šafárik, the university of veterinary Medicine, and other institutions. For more information, see the “education” section of this guide.

the city lies in a mild climatic zone, with a continental climate and four distinct seasons. the average summer temperature in July ranges from 15°C to 25°C, while in the coldest winter month of January, average temperatures range from -5°C to 2°C. Average annual rainfall is 700.8 mm, and humidity is 76.1%. the annual average number of hours of sunshine is 2,053.20. there is no significant tectonic activity or extreme weather.

the hornád river flowing through the city from north to south, along with the Čermeľ river and the Myslavský stream, represent the main water sources in the area. Water basins on the hornád and ida rivers are the main source of water for the city. in the south part of Košice, there is an artificial public lake (Jazero). there is one source of mineral water (the former Gajdovské spa).

Important Facts about the City


the transformation from a central to a market economy has had a major impact on the development of business and services in Košice. Businesses and services have been the driving mechanism of investment processes since the 1990’s. the transformation of locations mainly on the city’s periphery to multifunctional shopping, and shopping and leisure centres, adds to the attractiveness of these places and offers shopping possibilities for people from the city and urban areas without placing a burden on the public transportation system of the city. shopping zones were constructed in three directions on the main entrance roads to the city. the major shopping zones feature the shopping malls Cassovia, optima, Kika, hornbach, bauMax-x, Asko, Mercury Market, and nAY elektrodom, with a total size of approximately 125,000 m2. Another developed shopping zone is located at the northern entrance to the city, featuring a tesCo hypermarket, bauMax-x and furniture, electronics, and garden shops, with a size of approximately 50,000 m2. A third zone is located in the nad Jazerom area, including tesCo and various local stores, with approximately 10,000 m2 of commercial space. the new shopping center Aupark is being built next to city centre. Former industrial zones have been continuously transformed into warehouses and wholesale areas of various kinds, improving their appearance and supporting other services and business in the city. these areas have a high potential for further transformation and use. Many of them are located around the hornád river, and are now being turned into multipurpose buildings taking advantage of the proximity of the downtown and the potential of the river. the most attractive is hlavná ulica, which is 1.1 kilometres long, with two shopping malls with 10,000 m2 of commercial space and many independent shops located in the old town. Commercial space in residential areas serves the daily needs of their inhabitants.

hand in hand with commercial development, accommodation and hotel services are on the rise. there are six four-star hotels: doubletree hilton (www.kosice.doubletree.com), Boutique hotel Bristol (www.hotelbristol.sk), hotel Bankov (www.hotelbankov.sk), hotel Jalta (www.jalta.sk), hotel Yasmin (www.hotel-yasmin.sk), and hotel Zlatý dukát (www.hotelzlatydukat.sk) offering business accommodation and conference facilities. the city also has a variety of two- and three-star hotels.

Banking services are provided by regional branches of major banks in slovakia, including Citibank (www.citibank.sk), volksbank slovensko (www.luba.sk), otP Banka slovensko (www.otp.sk), Československá obchodná banka v sr (www.csob.sk), dexia banka slovensko (www.dexia.sk), Poštová banka (www.pabk.sk), istrobanka (www.istrobanka.sk), Komerční

banka Bratislava (www.koba.sk), vÚB Banka (www.vub.sk), slovenská sporiteľňa (www.slsp.sk), tatra banka (www.tatrabanka.sk), and uniCredit Bank (www.unicreditbank.sk).

Modern office buildings are in the process of development around the downtown, including Cassovar (www.cassovar.sk) and Business Centre Košice i, ii and iii (www.bck.sk). new locations are being prepared for future development projects around the hornád river, offering the potential for further services, such as new business incubators and new administrative centres.

there are about 15 car rental companies, including Avis and hertZ.

Košice is the commercial and economic centre of the region, with all the necessary business and institutional infrastructure needed for running a business, including a wide range of consulting services providing financial, technical, and legal advisory, as well as tax and assurance advice. PricewaterhouseCoopers (http://www.pwc.com/sk/en/index.jhtml) has an office in Košice, as do deloitte (http://www.deloitte.com/view/sk_sK/sk/index.htm), and ernst & Young (http://www.ey.com).

Business and Services


the industrial production sector is the highest contributor to total revenues in the region, representing 6.9 billion euros in 2008, with a steady annual increase.

there are 257 industrial factories in the region, 114 of which are located in the districts of Košice.

the leading industry is metallurgy, accounting for more than 60% of the region’s industrial production, and more than half of its exports. u. s. steel Košice (www.usske.sk), the biggest producer in the region and the city, an integrated steel company, is the largest employer and a key player in this industry in the whole region, since 2000, building on the success of the former vsŽ. the company describes its operations in Košice as a “successful partnership of slovak technical skills and knowledge with strong American plant management and market-oriented business experience”. other important regional players in the industry include refrako (www.refrako.sk), reliningserv s.r.o., and vulkmont a.s. (www.vulkmont.sk). there are a few smaller metallurgy operations, mostly foundries of aluminium, zinc, and other metals, thanks to the fact that Košice is a rich location for a variety of raw materials.

Companies in the metallurgy industry are associated with the Association for Metallurgy, the Mining industry and Geology of the slovak republic (Zväz hutníctva, ťažobného priemyslu a geológie sr, tel: +421 2 48 29 13 16, email: [email protected], www.zhtpg.sk).

the automotive industry and machine engineering are well-developed industries represented in the region by local as well as global producers. With planned production of 535,000 cars in 2010 , the automotive industry is the leading industry in slovakia. Košice has experienced rapid growth in this sector. Many suppliers, including global brands such as valeo, Getrag-Ford, doppelmayr, Magneti Marelli, siemens Automotive, and Faurecia Leather decided to set up their production facilities in the region. this industry also includes some local firms such as Asko a. s., Metalprodukt s.r.o., Avin s.r.o., Mevako s.r.o., Praktis s.r.o., and sonaP s.r.o.

the Association of the Automotive industry in the slovak republic (Združenie automobilového priemyslu sr, www.zapsr.sk, tel: + 421 2 4364 2235, email: [email protected]) provides membership to companies in the automotive industry in slovakia.

there are many companies involved in machine engineering, CnC processing, profiling and shaping, and producing machine parts. the most important are Casspos a.s., Feromont a.s., Metalex a.s., Prompt s.r.o., slovres a.s., steeling s.r.o., KuenZ-sK, and Yasan slovakia.

the electronics industry is mainly represented by production of electronic machinery, connectors, cable parts, and electronic parts for the automotive industry. skip s.r.o. (www.skip.sk) produces photovoltaic cells, and is involved in the research and production of nickel-based

Industrial Production

Gross revenues in industrial production in thousands of euros


number of industrial factories in Košice districts



chips for temperature scanning. Zts vvÚ Košice a.s. is a producer of robot electronics, electric Power slovakia - ePs s.r.o. produces lead accumulators, and there are plenty of companies with various production programmes in the sector. the industry is supported by the Faculty of electronics and information technology at the technical university.

over 65 electronics and it firms are affiliated with the Association of the electronics industry in slovakia (Združenie elektrotechnického priemyslu sr, www.zep.sk, tel: +421 2 55647884, email: [email protected]).

the production of plastic parts of various kinds has increased with the importance of the automotive and electronics industries in slovakia and around the region, and is represented by the companies ehlebracht slowakei, hi-technology Mouldings slovakia, LPh, and a variety of local firms scattered around the area.

the chemical industry in the wider region is focused on the production of organic and inorganic chemistry, polymer ingredients, paper, and cellulose. the largest producer is Chemko (www.chemko.sk), established in 1952, and its daughter companies CheMZA a.s., CheMstro a.s. and ZeLMA a.s.

the mining industry has been traditionally oriented towards resources used in the construction industry, such as gravel, dolomite, calcite, clays, and other materials.

the food and beverages industry has a strong tradition and local importance. several key facilities processing food and beverages of various kinds are located here, including meat and fish processing, the production of diary products, juices, and much more. syráreň Bel slovensko a.s. (www.bel-slovakia.sk) was established in 1954 and focuses on cheese production, while Frucona a.s. (www.frucona.sk) has been producing beverages and juices since 1972.

Industrial Production


Research and Development and Information Technologies

From a state Company to a service Company

in 2002 olaf Baumann came to Košice for one week to analyse the it systems of a utility company. his employer – the German rWe Group – had just bought part of the slovak company at that time. After the analysis he was commissioned to transform the systems so that they would meet the needs of the whole Group. At the end he outsourced the local it department into a separate company and as a manager took over responsibility for personnel.

“We have social responsibility here as well.” olaf Baumann wants to give something back to his new country as well - to support the economy, which will in turn benefit his own company too. in the last few years Košice has become a centre of it services. in addition to rWe it, employers such as siemens or t-systems also need experts with good education. together they have established the association Košice it valley and the city and two universities are also participating in its activities. “For example we visit high schools and tell them about it,” olaf Baumann says. he himself taught a course on project management at the technical university during the last winter term. “our offer was accepted with great enthusiasm and it was a fulfilling task for me as well.” thus olaf Baumann is having a good time in Košice even after eight years. “i can very well imagine that i will stay here longer.” especially since he has already taken on another challenge: he is managing the company rWe it slovakia that is to provide it services for the Group in all of europe. “At the end of 2010 we will have 230 employees,” he says.

olaf Baumann Managing director rWe it slovakia s.r.o.

As an it expert olaf Baumann has a lot to do in Košice: he has upgraded a former state company, is currently building a new company and teaching at the technical university. “Both the city and its economy have grown a lot in the last few years and i can very well image that i will stay here for a few more years.”

originally olaf Baumann’s task was to adjust it systems – today he is managing a whole it company. in addition, he is involved in the modernization of education in the second largest city of slovakia. in Košice he has found an environment where he is facing new and new challenges – as a technician, managing director and as a visiting professor.


Research and Development and Information Technologiesthe region has much scientific and technical potential, and reinforcing its strong position in the transfer of knowledge and information from academic institutions to industry. the entire region is heavily focused on technical sciences, due to the academic and industrial background of the region.

support for r&d and innovation activities in the Košice region is one of the key priorities of the city, region, and central government. About 61% of expenditures for the sector are funded by the state.

there are over 5,370 employees involved in r&d jobs across the region, including sole proprietors (individually licensed entrepreneurs) and full-time employees. the majority of them are involved in the field of technical sciences.

one of the main pillars of the Košice city development strategy for the future involves a transformation into the city of innovation. Part of this ambitious programme involves support in creating innovative structures and processes, and support for the inflow of new investments that give high added value to the city. the municipality is transforming its communication interface to provide more and more services online. transformation of the full scope of electronic services is expected to take place between 2008 and 2013.

institutional support for research and development and information technologies

Key institutions providing research and development potential in the region represented by the state sector are the sAv Košice/slovak Academy of sciences (www.sav.sk). university sector is represented by the technical university (www.tuke.sk), the university of Pavol Jozef Šafárik (www.upjs.sk) and the university of veterinary Medicine (www.uvm.sk), private sector and non-state sector by r&d institutions are described below.

state-funded expenditures for R&D in the Košice region

Košice regiontotal expenditures (eUR)

2006 2007 2008

r&d expenditures total 29,602,469 30,694,682 29,528,745

Capital expenditures 3,380,269 2,405,696 2,606,452

state funds 2,470,324 1,472,681 1,969,129

operating expenditures 26,222,200 28,288,986 26,922,293

state funds 16,139,812 17,487,419 16,142,733

source: statistical office of the slovak republic

employees in R&D in the Košice region


expenditures for R&D by fields of science in the Košice region in euros



institutes of slovak Academy of sciences:

› Centre of experimental Physics › Centre for Mathematics › neurobiological Centre › Centre for Material research › Centre for social sciences › Centre for Parasitology › Centre for Zoology › Centre for Geotechnics › Centre for the Physiology of Farm Animals › Archaeological Centre

other r&d facilities (private or non-state):

› Boos - Biological substances – research in the area of organic chemistry and pharmacy › Kybernetika- applied sciences and new technologies › edis – research and development CooP for electronics and digital systems › sAM holding- testing of new plastic materials › u. s. steel- company r&d programme › research Centre for veterinary Medicine › research Centre for Construction informatics › ZŤs – research and development Centre

its main activities include supporting student programmes, supporting the creation of virtual it firms, providing grants to student organizations specializing in it, supporting students involved in ieee, formerly known as the institute of electrical and electronics engineers, inc. (www.ieee.org), organizing it-related events, and performing research in the area of it needs in the region. Presently, the Association has 22 members, including the it firms Cisco systems, Microsoft slovakia, ness KdC, siemens Program and system engineering, t-systems slovakia, rWe it slovakia, icos, ixonos slovakia, telegrafia, elfa, elcom, new horizons, sors research, vse it služby, vsL software, Procesná Automatizácia, Košice municipality (Mesto Košice) and regional government of Košice (Košický samosprávny kraj), the secondary school of electronics in Košice, the technical university, university of Pavol Jozef Šafárik, and the Board of european students of technology (Best).

sAv Košice is presently working on the use of nanotechnology in industrial practice. the technical university is focusing on core areas such as car electronics, the finish and modification of metal plates, metallurgy of coloured metals and steel, as well as a centre for the development of car parts based on aluminum, magnesium, and their castings.

the it valley Association is a joint initiative of universities, the public sector, and leading slovak as well as international it firms established in eastern slovakia, that started in 2007. it vALLeY Association Košice (www.kosiceitvalley.sk) focuses on building a Centre of excellence for information and Communication technologies in the region and making the social and economic environment more attractive, especially for young people. the Association wants to contribute to building an information and knowledge society in the region, creating a communication platform between public administration, the business sector, and educational institutions that will lead to the acceleration of the development of the it industry in the region. its goal is to create jobs in the it sector in Košice with high added value, to support the sector with quality education and the opportunity for proper qualifications, to contribute to implementing strategies for the development of a “knowledge-based region”, to implement digital ecosystems, and to stimulate the business environment for all kinds of innovations.

An it team formed by the university of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in Košice, the company disig a.s., and the Youth Parliament was recognized at the it suMMit 2009 in september for its project on modern european elections (the first simulation of electronic parliamentary elections in slovakia, the benefit of project testing the registration of voters, the process of voting, the testing of voice applications, and the evaluation of results.)


Research and Development and Information Technologies

A Business and innovation Centre (www.bicke.sk) has been operating in Košice since 1993. the main purpose of this centre is to actively promote selected entrepreneurial projects related to innovation in the region, and to provide long-term support to ensure continuous development of the region, as listed below through following support:

› r&d incubator › providing office space with equipment and technology for clients of a high-tech

incubator; and › providing advisory services in processing business, financial, and marketing plans

involving an innovation project. › processing investment projects and sector analyses for firms focused on innovation; › looking for partners for creating clusters and partnerships using eu funds for r&d

programmes.

research and development incentives of the slovak government

research and development incentives are part of the state aid programme designated for legal entities and entrepreneurs, and are aimed at improving the quality of research and development activities. Conditions for granting and using the incentives are stipulated in the Act on research and development incentives (“the Act”). under the Act, the following areas of research and development are supported:

› fundamental research, applied research, or experimental development; › the development of feasibility studies; › industrial ownership protection; and › the temporary lease of highly qualified research and development staff.

For more information, see the “slovak Government state Aid” section of this guide.

the technical university in Košice operates a division for science and research (www.tuke.sk/tuke/science-and-research) with a department of science, research and doctoral study, as well as an office of informatics and an office of european Projects. their main activities include coordinating science and research, providing methodical guidance for the preparation of proposals, facilitating the spread of information, and implementing progressive it.


Transportation and Logistics

danube Wings operates regular flights from Bratislava to Košice since the beginning of 2009. this service cuts the time necessary for travel between Košice and Bratislava (vienna) from 4 – 5 hours (individual car transportation, bus or train) to merely 50 minutes. Connecting Košice with Bratislava allows passengers to use connecting flights from Bratislava airport to variety of european destinations.

offering direct flights from Košice to Bratislava does not only make commercial sense, but it is strategic for the future of air transport development in slovakia. Košice is second largest city in slovakia and quickly becomes an important regional business and commercial hub. therefore, there is an increased demand for fast, comfortable and reliable air service for business travelers from Košice to Bratislava and Western europe.

We fly to Košice with modern, environmentally friendly and safe aircrafts Atr 72 with capacity of 70 passengers. As a captain with several years of experience and thousands of flight hours on this type of aircraft, i can assure you, that Košice has never been closer to Bratislava and vienna. regular, even daily commuting between the capital of eastern slovakia and Western slovakia is conveniently serviced and represents a viable option for many people now. For those, flying over slovakia for the first time, i can promise beautiful scenery especially when passing near the high tatra mountains before approach to Košice airport or shortly after the departure.

Peter Galovič Ceo viP WinGs, a.s. operating danube Wings airlines

„Providing direct flight service between Bratislava and Košice is key for danube Wings airlines. not only because of volume of passengers. our goal is to offer passengers from Košice, connection flights through Bratislava to attractive destinations in europe.“


Transportation and Logisticshistorically, Košice has been located on the crossroads of various trade and logistics routes since the middle ages. today, its importance as a transit city for the flow of goods north- and southbound, as well as west- and eastbound has been reinforced. its main advantage is its geographical proximity to the borders of hungary, Poland, and the ukraine, as well as its connections to western europe through Bratislava, vienna, Budapest, and Prague.

Brief logistical facts:

› an international road transport corridor: › international road connections including e50 towards the ukraine, e71 towards

hungary, and e371 towards Poland; › construction of the r4 expressway from Košice to hungarian borders started in

August 2010 with planned completion in 2013; › direct motorway route towards Budapest, Bratislava, and vienna starts in Miskolc

(hungary), located 70 km south of Košice.

› a dense network of railway routes: › international connections, including a wide-gauge line to eastern europe (the ukraine

and russia) and an AGtC line connecting hungary and Poland.

› regular and charter flight transportation: › Košice international Airport, located south of the city, served over 352,000

passengers in 2009, including flights to Bratislava, vienna and other european destinations – it also handles cargo transportation; and

› the airport has been privatized and is now operated by a daughter company of vienna Airport.

Distances to central european cities

city Distance city Distance

Budapest 262 km Warsaw 500 km

Bratislava 402 km vienna 504 km

Brno 468 km Prague 675 km

Distances to western european cities


Munich 884 km rome 1,590 km

Berlin 1,140 km Amsterdam 1,655 km

Frankfurt 1,210 km Paris 1,997 km

Geneva 1,509 km London 2,117 km

Brussels 1,550 km Barcelona 2,340 km

Distances to eastern european cities


Kiev 850 km Moscow 1,005 km


Road infrastructure map

source: slovak investment and trade development Agency


Košice on a Tourist Map

the current number of visitors in the Košice City is 142,000 per year out of which forty-one percent comes from other countries, in terms of overnights is 280,000.

the visitors have been coming from the surroundings countries such as the Czech republic, Poland and hungary as well as from Germany, Austria and the united states of America. they are mostly business travelers and participants of the business meetings, seminars and congresses who spend three days (two nights) in Košice. there is also a large group of transit travelers who stay in Košice for one day. nowadays, the long-stay tourism is not developed in Košice and in europe, it is not much known as a target tourist place – touristic destination.

Košice tourism Cluster

in June 2010, for the purpose of the locating Košice on the tourist map of europe, the first slovak urban-type tourism cluster was established by the Košice City and other entities involved in tourism. this association joins 28 entities, among others, leading four star hotels and restaurants in the city as well as the Košice Airport and the non-profit organization Košice 2013. it is the first local destination management organization that covers marketing of the Košice City towards a visitor and coordinates the activities aimed at improving visitor service and comfort in Košice.

the members of the cluster are motivated to change Košice from a business to the long stay destination. the association will create a comprehensive offer for the visitors with focused on visits during prolonged weekends. An offer managed in this way and promoted on a professional level, will be introduced in the market in May 2011 during the ice hockey World Championship. A professionally managed visitor’s service is that when the hockey fan will visit Košice again. this will create basis for visiting Košice as the touristic destination in 2013. in this year, Košice will be a holder of an important marketing brand – the european Capital of Culture, which is expected to bring the change of visitors structure: from visitors from neighboring v4 countries to visitors from West european countries.

City Attractions

A high standard experience gastronomy offered by the associated hotels and restaurants is the first product introduced in the year 2010 to attract the visitors. Aimed at increasing the rate of visits to the city a typical drink of Košice called “Košice Gold” was mixed during the barman’s show on the second weekend of september. Košice will seek to attract visitors by the experience gastronomy and hot cocktails at “Košice Christmas” during the Advent. during Christmas, “Andy’s Card” will be put on sale, that allows drawing interesting discounts on meals and drinks for the visitors of Košice. in this way, the product ”Andy Warhol” will be promoted in the streets of Košice which will be connected with the presentation of Andy Warhol’s works.

For more information on Košice touristic destination and its news, please follow this linkwww.visitkosice.eu

the internationally known tourist guide Lonely Planet describes Košice as follows:

“People just naturally seem to congregate along the long town square where café terraces line the streets and monumental architecture fills the centre. Buildings range from 12th-century Gothic to 20th-century Art nouveau. Crane your neck to admire the massive Cathedral of st elizabeth, before you head underground to explore the ancient city’s archaeology. Come evening, gather with the locals on the benches near the musical fountain, stop in a café for a drink or attend a performance at the state theatre. slovakia’s second city has a real sense of cohesion and community in the old town, which is missing from the capital.”


Healthcare Services


Košice is a leading provider of healthcare in the region, with many facilities providing in-patient, out-patient and diagnostic care. Many of the facilities have regional importance. Major forces on healthcare service providers are privatization and restructuring.

Leading and the highest quality health care services are provided by the first private hospital in slovakia, hospital Košice Šaca. it provides general hospital services with jurisdiction over tens of thousands of people, including employees of u. s. steel. it is part of the rescue system of u. s. steel. it provides more than 700,000 treatments yearly.

nemocnica/hospital Košice Šaca (www.nemocnicasaca.sk) › established in 1959, operating on a private basis since 2003 › features 379 beds, 950 employees › iso 9001 and 14001 certified › annual number of diagnosed patients is over 415,000

other general healthcare providers in the city include:

Fakultná nemocnica Louisa Pasteura/College hospital of Louis Pasteur (www.fnlp.sk) › established in 1924 › transformed from state ownership, second largest hospital in slovakia › operates the institute for heart diseases › capacity of 1,616 beds, 3,700 employees in two facilities › reconstructed 2003-2007 › partners with the Faculty of Medicine at the university of P. J. Šafárik

detská fakultná nemocnica/Children’s College hospital (www.dnkosice.sk) › established in 1966 › capacity of 240 beds › 50 specialized out-patient centres

Letecká vojenská nemocnica/Military hospital of Aeronautics (www.lvn.sk) › established in 1858 › 35% of the services provided to the army personnel › provides certifications and health appraisals for pilots on a national basis

Železničná nemocnica s poliklinikou/railway hospital with Clinic (www.zzke.sk) › established in 1955 › has various specialized healthcare services › has the most modern technology for magnetic resonance imaging in slovakia

there are specialized healthcare facilities with regional importance, such as inštitút nukleárnej a molekulárnej medicíny/institute of nuclear and Molecular Medicine (www.inmm.sk), východoslovenský onkologický ústav/eastern slovakia oncological Centre (www.vou.sk), východoslovenský ústav srdcových a cievnych chorôb/eastern slovakia Centre for Cardiology (www.vusch.sk), and vysokošpecializovaný odborný ústav geriatrický sv. Lukáša /highly specialized Geriatric institute of st. Lucas (www.gckosice.sk). there are nine public and two private policlinics. the wide variety of private services and clinics throughout the city include:

Procare (www.procare.sk), ergomed (www.ergomed.sk), Klein & Gefferth (www.nestatnapoliklinika.sk), Lucanas (www.lucanas.sk), Gyncare (www.gyncare-sk.com), Konex Medik (www.konexmedik.sk), Avilab (www.avilab.sk), and Cumulus (www.cumulus.eu.sk).

dental care with english speaking staff is provided by dentálne centrum/dental Centre (www.dentalnecentrum.sk) dddental (www.dddental.sk) and by other dentists around the city.

Human Resources

the Košice region possess academically functioning system, industrial platform, flexible municipal authorities and labor that create your future. Presently existing business and industry clusters in the Košice region prove a functioning cooperation of foreign and domestic companies.

the workforce in Košice is diverse, flexible, motivated and keen on further development. the current year still proves that occupations in industries such as electro-technical, mechanical engineering, metallurgy, information technology and chemistry are still on the top of most demanded jobs in the region. there has been a significant increase in open positions in economics. existing high schools and universities provide sufficient number of qualified workers in different economic spheres, together with young people eager to work.

Katarína Bittalová hr expert Lugera & Maklér, Košice

„dynamics of the Košice region lies not only in qualified and motivated workforce, developed educational system, interesting culture and geographical location of the city in Central europe but also in its ability being flexible towards foreign direct investment.”


the main characteristics of the population in the Košice region are a continuous increase in qualifications, a high level of interest and motivation in work, a readiness to adopt new cultures within the local one and, last but not least, workforce mobility focused on job opportunities. A total of 35% of the economically active population in the Košice area found jobs outside the region. this number represents potential active employees for future newly created jobs in the region (source: inštitút Zamestnanosti). A sufficient number of qualified workers in different economic spheres, together with young people eager to work, make the workforce very diverse.

english and hungarian are the most common foreign languages spoken by the workforce. Both languages are used as the second language in companies in the region. other languages used for work or other purposes are German, French and spanish (source: trend). A variety of language schools, educational institutes, city-organized events, and private lessons support inhabitants speaking and using these languages at work or during their free time. “if Košice and eastern slovakia is to attract investors, it must continue to develop possibilities for improving the population’s language skills” (General Manager, German software company, Košice branch).

unemployment rate – the highest unemployment rate was registered in January, 2010 as a highest peak result hit by financial and economic crisis. the trend has been decreasing throughout the year. As shown in the pie chart, the Košice region has the third-highest unemployment rate in slovakia.

the average salary in the Košice region, and its rate of annual growth, is lower than the national average, which is recognized as a competitive advantage and a significant benefit by many investors in the region. the average nominal monthly salary in the first quarter of 2010 in slovakia was eur 741,50, while in Košice it was eur 673. For comparison, the average salary in the Bratislava region (western slovakia), based on the same methodology, was eur 962.20, in Banská Bystrica (central slovakia) it is eur 587, and in the Prešov region (eastern slovakia, a neighbouring region) it is eur 607 (source: slovak statistical office).

Regional ratio in % on total unemployed applicants in August 2010



Gross monthly average salaries in Košice region - 1999 to 1st Q 2010

source: statistics.sk, Lugera & Maklér - salary Benchmarking

there are 20.000 various businesses in Kosice at the present time. there is foreseen that such amount of employers will increase and thus it is forecasted that expectations on people qualification will grow. City continues to provide supportive environment to be considered as global – international city where factors as educated workforce, competitive business environment and strategic logistical position represent attractive future for investors.

especially trend within information technology field presently increases and thus shows good foundation and potential for future. the forecast indubitably shows that added-value given into cooperation between it sector and city/state streams will be also in the future considered as the conductive. (source: trend).

Human Resources

Average salaries in eastern slovakia in euros - basic salaries, gross monthly

source: statistics.sk, Lugera & Maklér - salary Benchmarking


Quality Education

recent times call for everyday contact with different parts of information and communication technologies. development of and support to that field, which belongs to the fastest growing ones in the world context, have become one of the strategic goals of both the city and the region. the idea of establishing Kosice silicon valley has motivated many experts and professionals to create a strong community able to support information and communication technologies of global companies.

Many international companies have used the potential of human resources of the region with a high level of technical education, while establishing their branches striving for providing high quality at an excellent price. Certainly, this has been also supported by the region’s excellent location with the possibility to make use of a high volume of human resources from former eastern europe.

Close connection between the it companies and the universities and colleges that produce a few hundreds of graduates specialized in information and communication technologies every year enables the graduates to further grow professionally as well as helps those professionals, who in the past travelled for such attractive job abroad, when reestablishing their lives back home. excellent possibilities to connect theory and practice in form of various kinds of part-time jobs enable young people to get a job even while studying and companies to create and develop their future employees according to their wishes.

At present, companies engaged with information and communication technologies employ several thousands of workers, which has also resulted in a sustainably growing interest of students in this area. Continually increasing quality of students and consequently of employees support professional competitiveness of the region against the other regions of slovakia and europe..

Jozef ondáš Managing director t-systems slovakia s.r.o.

„excellent possibilities to connect theory and practice in form of various kinds of part-time jobs enable young people to get a job even while studying and companies to create and develop their future employees according to their wishes.”“


Quality EducationKošice is building on a strong history in education. in fact, the first university was founded in Košice in 1657, and the oldest secondary school in central europe specializing in machinery was founded here in 1872. A dense network of schools in the city provides quality education from pre-school and elementary through secondary, up to university and doctoral studies.

Pre-school and elementary education

there are 74 pre-school facilities in the city, of which 65 are public ones, with 6,400 children attending. on average, there are about ten children for each teacher in this category.

there are about 20,000 children in 900 classes attending elementary school, typically aged 6-15. students have access to school clubs, and the majority of schools offer special programmes in mathematics (28 classes), foreign languages (308 classes), the arts (11 classes), technical education (3 classes), and sports (17 classes). A complete list of elementary schools is on the website: www.skolakosice.sk.

secondary education

Compulsory education includes completion of at least one or two grades of secondary school (ten years total, including primary school). however, programmes are usually four years long, and generally oriented towards preparing students for jobs in specific areas (secondary vocational schools and associated secondary schools), for a specific profession with a higher level of certification and the possibility of university education (professional secondary schools), and includes those specializing solely in preparing for university studies (gymnasiums). schools can be freely chosen. however, certain schools may hold entrance examinations to test the specific abilities of potential

students. the total number of students attending secondary schools in Košice is about 24,000.

Košice offers a wide range of schools in each category. in the category of vocational schools, students can choose specializations in telecommunications and post, transportation, construction, metallurgy, agriculture, or food and beverages.

At the level of professional schools with higher level specializations, there are business and hotel academies, and health academies, as well as technically oriented schools in machinery, transportation, electronics, metallurgy, the arts, construction and geodesy, agriculture, and veterinary medicine.

Košice has 18 gymnasiums with 257 classes, offering a wide range of specializations, preparing students for university education.

Many of these schools combine specializations or offer enriched programmes combining a major specialization with a minor in foreign languages, science, sports, and other subjects. there are special schools offering assisted education for physically or mentally challenged students.

Košice offers a wide range of free-time centres and schools in nature.

university education

university education in slovakia is attained by completing a bachelor’s or equivalent programme, a master’s, engineering, or equivalent programme, or a doctoral or higher degree programme. only students with a slovak secondary diploma (maturita) or a foreign equivalent obtained after four years of secondary studies, and after passing examinations, can attend university. Additionally, many universities hold


entrance examinations to assess the students‘ abilities as part of the acceptance procedure. there is no tuition fee for public universities, except for international (non-eu) students (approximately eur 2,000 to eur 8,000 an academic year). the academic year consists of two semesters, and starts on 1 september and ends on 31 August. the standard european credit system (european Credit transfer system – eCts) was introduced in 1998.

there are three public universities and one private higher education institution in Košice. A few universities have branches here as well (such as the university of economics in Bratislava, Faculty of the national economy, and the Catholic university in ružomberok, Faculty of theology).

the technical university in Košice (www.tuke.sk) has around 16,000 full-time undergraduate students and almost 900 instructors, with about the same number of research and administrative staff. it serves a wide range of educational needs, not only in eastern slovakia, but throughout the country and central europe, offering programmes at the following faculties:

› the Faculty of economics › the Faculty of Mining, ecology, Management and

Geotechnologies › the Faculty of electrotechnics & informatics › the Faculty of Arts › the Faculty of Metallurgy › the Faculty of Aeronautics › the Faculty of Architecture › the Faculty of Mechanical engineering

the university of Pavol Jozef Šafárik (www.upjs.sk) has over 8,000 students and 1,147 employees, including 523 instructors. the university specializes in quality research and development projects, and offers programmes at the following faculties:

› the Faculty of Public Administration › the Faculty of Philosophy › the Faculty of Medicine › the Faculty of Law › the Faculty of Biology

the university of veterinary Medicine (www.uvm.sk) was established in 1950 and offers modern education at the following faculty:

› the Faculty of veterinary Medicine


A Wide Variety of Investment Opportunities

Multipurpose Zones - Brownfields

Multipurpose zone ŤAhAnovCe- MAGneZitÁrsKA A AMeriCKÁ triedA › size of the area: approximately 620,000 m2 + 250,000 m2

› originally a huge industrial zone of a metallurgy firm and smaller firms located alongside the hornád river and the railway, flat land

› Potential for public service use of municipal or regional importance, housing/high-rises and parks – suitable for administration, hotels, shopping centres, commercial use, schools, and playgrounds

› directly connected to the city transportation system and the Košice-Prešov motorway feeder, as well as an integrated transportation system using the railway hub

› Land is under private ownership

Multipurpose zone behind the hornÁd river › size: approximately 570,000 m2

› originally an industrial zone with a flat surface and an area for the university of Aviation › Potential for public service use of municipal or regional importance in combination

with housing in enclosed courtyards with greenery, away from the main transportation corridors

› directly connected to the city transportation system and the motorway feeder › Close proximity to the railway station › Potential for the use of the river banks as relaxation areas › Land is under private ownership

Circular centre terAsA › size: approximately 140,000 m2

› Attractive area west of the historical downtown (within walking distance), connecting the old town with the new Košice – Západ centre

› project of a new centre of the city for the construction of public service facilities – retail, services, administration, culture, accommodation, housing and parks

› A regulatory plan has been prepared for this zone › City ownership is approximately 50%, a public tender is being prepared

Multifunctional centre KAsÁrne MALinovsKÉho › size approximately 40,000 m2

› Former military barracks from the nineteenth century, currently unused › the area is on the border of the city pedestrian zone, about a five-minute walk from the

centre of the old town › Potential for multipurpose use › Public services in the area of culture, public institutions, leisure zones with greenery, not

suitable for housing › Public transportation is available › Land is under city ownership, and is being rented out to a developer that has already

been chosen

Multipurpose zone vŠA › size: approximately 120,000 m2

› originally planned as a sport centre, currently being rebuilt to be the largest multipurpose centre linking the original sport functions with commercial functions

› Land is under private ownership

industrial Zones - Greenfields

industrial Park Pereš › total size: 1,900,000 m2

› strategic location at the south entrance to the city, 4 kilometres from the old town › Potential for high-tech industry, research and development park, business and information

zone for business start-ups, banking, logistics, and services related to air transportation › the area is near the Košice international airport, which provides passenger and cargo

transport › direct access to the e 571 route Košice-Bratislava and to the feeder to hungary, as well as

to the Košice-Prešov motorway and on to Poland, or eastbound towards the ukraine › direct access to public transportation › Major residential areas within two or three kilometres › established foreign investor vALeo (size: 6,000 m2)



› Part of the area of the iMMoPArK industrial park with a size of 650,000 m2 is owned by iMMorent and is being prepared for investors

› technical infrastructure is being prepared for construction

industrial zone BoČiAr- interPort › Area approximately 6,000,000 m2

› the area is located in the southern part of the city, 14 kilometres from the city centre, between u. s. steel and existing manufacturing areas in the southern part

› Advantage of two railway systems crossing, standard and wide gauge › Good potential for access to major international road corridors and motorways › Part of the area (approximately 150,000 m2) is planned for combined transport

terminal use › Potential for logistics and industrial use › Land is privately owned

Business Centres - office space

Košice Aupark tower › Located downtown › 11,560 m2 class A office space availability › 1,200 parking spaces › Currently in construction with planned completion in 2012

Business Centre Košice › Located downtown › 10,000 m2 class A office space availability in the newly completed Phase ii › underground garage spaces available

Cassovar Business Center › Located downtown › 31,000 m2 class A office space availability › Capacity for 2,500 employees › 500 parking spaces › Phase i of the project completed, Phase ii completion is planned in 2011

Bastion › Located downtown › 8,972 m2 class A office space availability › 154 parking spaces › Planned completion in 2011

City hotel Košice › Located downtown › 12,000 m2 class A office space availability

tourism

Leisure and sports area AniČKA › size: approximately 300,000 m2 in a quality environment › situated in the northern part of the city, linked to the traditional leisure area Anička on the

hornád river, existing residential area and sport zone › Long-term designation of the area for sport and leisure with local and regional importance

(amusement park, thermal swimming pools, catering, and sport) › Good options for existing communication infrastructure and roads › Access to technical infrastructure › Privately owned land

housing

housing complex sÚBor ŤAhAnovCe iv- v › size approximately 250,000 m2

› northern part of the city – the area has a mild slope, road access, technical infrastructure access, and an existing communication system

› designated for high-rise and low-rise residential housing, family houses and basic public infrastructure, greenery

› Privately owned land


A Wide Varietyof Investment Opportunities

Košice- European Capital of Culture 2013

housing complex oBYtnÝ sÚBor. GirBeŠ › size: approximately 140,000 m2

› Location in the northwest area between the residential area KvP, Myslava and a park › new area for development in natural setting with potential for housing and public

infrastructure as well as public green areas, family houses, retail, culture, education and tourism

› Access to existing communication systems › Privately owned land

housing complex herinGeŠ › size: approximately 140,000 m2

› Located in the eastern part of the city, south of the residential area on a hill with a view of the town and nature on the eastern side

› new area for development surrounded by nature › Potential for housing and public infrastructure as well as public greenery, family houses,

retail, culture, education, and tourism › Access to existing communication systems, future Access to the d1 motorway › Privately owned land

housing complex KrÁsnA › size: approximately 400,000 m2

› new area located in the southeastern part of the city following the low-rise residential area Krásna nad hornádom

› suitable mainly for residential and public infrastructure › Access to existing roads, future access to the motorway feeder › Future development of the area northbound (the “east City” part of Košice) up to the

planned residential area heringeš › Privately owned land

Košice 2013 – investment projects

in 2008, city of Košice was awarded the title european Capital of Culture 2013, based on its project Košice interFACe 2013. since 2009, this project has been implemented by newly established non-profit organization Košice 2013 in cooperation with City Council and other partners. Project is focused on sustainable development and transformation led by culture. Presently, it is one of the most important projects of the city. total budget of eur 60 million, has been allocated for the project by slovak government from regional operational program of european union structural funds. it is planned to be used by the city of Košice, Košice regional government region, ministry of culture and other partners for the following projects:

Kasárne/KulturPark

this project involves transformation of former military warehouses located at Kukučínova street in Košice. it includes various buildings built at the end of 19th century located in historical park of significant value, in close proximity to the city centre (5 minutes walk). Within the project, the municipality plans to create space for various missing cultural functions while preserving the contemporary nature of the site of high historical and architectural value. the overall concept at the current stage plans with three functional buildings on the site- a central building and two buildings bordering the western side of the campus. Planned investment value: eur 20 million. Kasárne/Kulturpark will include the following:

Cultural Centrethe central facility with its architecture predetermines the opportunities of its use. several halls on the ground floor allow organizing cultural activities for a relatively wide audience, while office premises and smaller halls, which are located in the building, offer opportunities for the activities of various artistic bodies, non-governmental organizations,, or companies. in this way, production may occur directly on site and, most importantly, in cooperation with its residents.


Creative incubator the incubator type of support is one of the mechanisms for the sustainable development of creative industries of the economy of the city. the purpose of the incubator is to support organizations and companies dealing with different types of creative activities with the objective to develop their spatial concentration and subsequent synergy.

exhibition spaces includes multifunctional exhibition and conference premises offering variable use of both commercial and non-commercial character in relation to other campus functions.

spots

this project deals with transformation of former heat exchange stations to the community centers, places for creation and residencies. the heat exchange stations are situated in the suburbs outside of the city center. spots is the key project dealing with community development in the whole Košice 2013 concept. Planned investment value: eur 1.5 million.

old swimming pool

Project will include reconstruction of old swimming pool and connect sports with cultural and recreational functions. Planned investment value: eur 5 million.

Amphitheatre

Project is about reconstruction of an existing amphitheatre and its transformation into a multipurpose hall for various cultural and conference events. Planned capacity after reconstruction is 3000 - 4000 seats, which fulfills the needs of the city in this area. Planned investment value: eur 8 million.

City park and a park Moyzesova/Komenského

Parks are playing very important role in the city, therefore project counts with revitalization of two most important of them. Planned investment value: eur 3 million and eur 1 million.

City is also planning additional investment projects such revitalization of the st. elizabeth cathedral (planned investment value of eur 5 million), reconstruction of manor house in Krásna (planned investment value of eur 2 million), in cooperation with private initiatives establishment of the house of Authentic Culture as well as the Blue Park (area for water sports located at hornád river).

Košice regional government has allocated a budget of eur 10 million for additional activities, including project of the island of Culture and investment activities of terra incognita.

Ministry of culture allocated eur 5 million for the reconstruction of manor house in Budimír, small scene of the state theater, state scientific library and the scientific and technical center for children and youth of slovak technical museum.

Public Private Partnership Projectsthe public-private partnership (PPP) market is developing intensively in the slovak republic. despite the difficult financial market conditions in 2009, 1 billion euro r1 expressway PPP project reached financial close and private partner started this 52 km long road construction. Many municipalities are considering PPPs for the construction and refurbishment of stadiums, administrative buildings, parking garages, and more, Košice is no exception.

integrated transport system

it has been a long time, since the city of Košice was seeking to solve the requirements of the passenger transport through an integrated transport system (its) project.

the philosophy of an its in Košice has been based particularly on the quality of services within the entire integrated transport process. the quality should be embodied in the new transport terminals. their construction has been one of the present days’topical themes. the its project includes construction of five terminals for the public passenger transport within the transport infrastructure of Košice. An application has been filed with the slovak Ministry of Finance for the provision of consulting and financial support from the technical support scheme to private and public partnerships, for the construction of two of the terminals: terminal Košice – east and terminal Košice – north. the project plan has been approved and the local government of Košice signed a contract with the slovak Ministry of Finance regarding preparation of the PPP project.

Košice – east terminalthe east terminal should be built in the centre of the city, within the location of the central railway station and bus station. A tram-train system will lead to the terminal. the system will run as a direct connection between the region and the city. At present, approximately 43 thousand people passes through this place and almost a twofold increase is expected. the terminal should be built on the area covering 12 thousand m2, and a two storey building having useful area of 10 thousand m2 will be part of it.

Košice – north terminalthe terminal is planned to be built in the north part of the city, close to the railroad from Košice to Bratislava and the tramway from the city centre to Ťahanovce housing estate. it will be

accessible from the city quarter džungľa, Mier, dargovských hrdinov housing estate and a zone that is planned to be developed in old magnesite plant area. the location of north terminal is very advantageous: it is situated on the main root to/from Košice, in a catchment area, where almost 50,000 people live. the terminal is planned to cover approximately 10 thousand m2.

Both facilities should provide travellers with the linkage between several types of passenger transport, including individual transport. the new infrastructure should also include buildings of the terminals, under-passes and crossings between the terminals, public transport stops and passenger platforms, public parking, parking areas for buses, passenger cars, taxis and bicycles.

Besides comfortable and safe changes from one type of transport to another, a new attractive zone for the public and commercial services will be developed. the purpose is to improve the overall travelling standards and comfort of the travellers. in addition to the services related to transportation, such as ticket selling points and information centres, the facilities will include shopping malls, restaurants, fast food services, public services, such as post-office, etc. All premises should be interconnected with a barrier free access. special focus will be placed on the overall architecture and aesthetic design of premises.

the local government decided on financing the terminals through a public-private partnership project (PPP). experience of other countries show that this type o co-operation is mutually advantageous. so far, in co-operation with the slovak Ministry of Finance a project plan was prepared, and a technical and economic study is now being drafted. As soon as it is completed, the local government deputies will have to decide on further steps. if approved, the construction of the pilot its terminals can be launched.

integrated transport system in practisethe Košice its project focuses on ensuring high quality transport services using the railroad infrastructure in the city. Financial support amounting to eur 36.48 billion is planned for its further development. When completed, the railroad network will include slovak railways’ tracks and the tracks laid in the city. the its project will also include introduction of modern means of transport, particularly those for the tram – train system. At present, work is in progress relating to drafting the technical and economic study and preparation of the project. this study has recently been presented to the european Commission representatives in Brussels, with very positive response.


Slovak Government State Aid

investment incentives

investment incentives are aimed at encouraging investments in disadvantaged regions and in creating new jobs in slovakia. individuals and legal entities that are authorized to do business in slovakia, and whose investment activities and projects meet the conditions of Act 561/2007 Coll. on investment Aid and on Changes and Amendments to some Acts (“the Act on investment Aid”) are eligible for investment aid.

Maximum amount of investment incentives in Košice is 50% of eligible costs of the investment project.Are you considering implementing an investment project in Košice, or

expanding or changing your business activities, and need financial support?

A large pool of state incentives and european union funds is available to the public and private sectors.

if an investor meets the conditions set out for state aid above, it can apply for one of the following types of state aid:

1. a subsidy for the acquisition of non-current tangible or intangible assets;

2. income tax relief;

3. a contribution for new jobs; and

4. a transfer of intangible assets or replacement of intangible assets at a price lower than the general value of the asset.

the maximum amount of state aid in the slovak Republic

source: Ministry of Finance of the slovak republic

maximum percentage of incentives from eligible investment costs for a project in Košice

size of the company Percentage

Large companies 50%

Middle-sized companies 60%

small companies 70%



1. industrial Production

investment projects in industrial production that include machine, automotive, wood-processing, chemical, and pharmaceutical and other industries can be supported by investment aid, provided they meet one of the major condition:

› the building of a new business › the expansion of an existing one › the diversification of production to new or additional products › radical change in the production programme of an existing business › the purchase of a business, which would go bankrupt.

there are special restrictions on state aid in the steel industry and for synthetic fibre production.

2. strategic service Centres

A strategic service centre is a place from which the beneficiary provides its services with a high added value in support of the employment of qualified experts in centres for the development of it programmes, technical solution centres, centres for the repair of top technologies, customer support centres and centres of multinational firms.

Conditions for granting investment incentives to the strategic service centres include:

› the construction of a new strategic service centre or › the expansion of an existing one, › acquisition of non-current tangible and intangible assets valued at no less than eur 1,162

million, while at least 50% must be covered by the entity’s equity or own sources if an individual is concerned;

› at least 30% of the total number of staff must have a university education.

3. technology Centres

A technology centre is a place in which the beneficiary performs activities that result in an improvement to or change in the products, production processes and technology used in the production process, such as the improvement of products, research and development, innovative activities, creative centres.

Conditions for granting investment incentives to the technology centres include:

› the construction of a new technology centre or › expansion of an existing one; › the acquisition of non-current tangible and intangible assets valued at no less than eur

1,328 million, while at least 50% must be covered by the entity’s equity or own sources if the entrepreneur is an individual;

› at least 60% of the total number of staff must have a university education.

4. tourism

in accordance with the Act on investment Aid, comprehensive tourism centres can also be supported. these include centres that offer at least three tourism-related services, such as accommodation, meals, and additional services – skiing, swimming, sporting and relaxation, cultural and sight-seeing services – in a single location.

Unemployment rate in the district

minimal amount of eligible investment costs (in millions eUR)

until 31 march 2009and from 1 January 2011

from 1 April 2009 to 31 December 2010

BeLoW or eQuAL to the average in slovakia 26,56 13,28

ABove the average in slovakia (by less than 50%) 13,27 6,635

At least 50% ABove the average in slovakia 6,64 3,32


Conditions for the provision of investment incentives in the tourism mostly include:

› the construction of a new comprehensive tourism centre or › an expansion of an existing one by offering new services;

Key Factors for Granting state Aid

› Amount of the investment › region where the project will be implemented › rate of unemployment in the region › number of directly and indirectly created jobs › technological standard, innovation › Amount of costs incurred on education › share of highly qualified staff › impact on the environment › Quality of the investment plan and completeness of the application/request

investment incentives in practice

Unemployment rate in the district

minimal amount of eligible investment costs (in millions eUR)

until 31 march 2009and from 1 January 2011

from 1 April 2009 to 31 December 2010

BeLoW or eQuAL to the average in slovakia 16,6 9,96

ABove the average in slovakia (by less than 50%) 8,3 4,98

At least 50% ABove the average in slovakia 3,32 3,32

total state aid granted in millions of euros from 2002 to 2010


Granted incentives as a percentage from investment costs(an average from 2002 to 2010)

source: the slovak Ministry of economy



research and development incentives

research and development incentives are part of the state aid programme designated for legal entities – entrepreneurs, and are aimed at improving the quality of research and development activities. Conditions for granting and using the incentives are stipulated in Act 85/2009 on research and development incentives (“the incentives Act”).

1. Fundamental research project

› the project should be focused on experimental and theoretical work performed particularly for the purpose of gaining new knowledge with planned practical usage;

› the maximum time of the project is three years; and › the amount of support relative to eligible costs, the maximum amount of the state aid and

the minimum amount of overall investment (eligible costs) for a project is as follows:

2. Applied research project

› the project should be focused on gaining new knowledge and skills for the development of new products, procedures or services;

› the maximum period of a project is three years; and › the amount of support relative to eligible costs, the maximum amount of aid and minimum

amount of total investment (eligible costs) for a project is as follows:

size of the company

maximum amount of state aid / minimum amount of eligible costs

Percentage of eligible costs / maximum amount of state aid in millions of euros

for a company/project

minimum amount of eligible costs in millions of euros

Micro and small company 100% / 20 0.25

Medium-sized company 100% / 20 0.5

Large company 100% / 20 1.0

if an investor meets the conditions set out for state aid above, it can apply for one of the following types of state aid:

1. a subsidy for research and development;

2. income tax relief;

eligible costs for research and development projects:

1. direct costs expenses incurred for activities for which it can be proved that they directly relate to the project.a subsidy for research and development 2. indirect costs costs of activities relating to the project, however not directly assignable to the project activities. size of the company





Micro and small company 70% / 10 1.5

Medium-sized company 60% / 10 2.5

Large company 50% / 10 3.5


3. experimental development project

› the project should be aimed at gaining, combining, forming, and using existing technical and technological knowledge and skills for the purpose of developing plans and compositions, designs of new (or upgraded) products, processes or services;

› the maximum period of a project is three years; and › the amount of support relative to eligible costs, the maximum amount of aid and minimum

amount of total investment (eligible costs) for a project is as follows:

4. Applied research and experimental research projects feasibility studies

› the project should be focused on verifying the feasibility and applicability of the applied research projects and experimental research projects; and

› the amount of support is as follows:

5. Protection of intellectual and industrial property

› focused on ensuring protection of the results achieved in applied or experimental research projects locally or abroad, in the form of patent or other protection of industrial property.

› the maximum aid (as a percentage of eligible costs) does not exceed the amount for relevant research and development activities that were the basis for the original industrial property.

6. staffing of research and development function

› the temporary lease of highly qualified staff from other research and development sectors (universities, slovak Academy of sciences or a large company) for micro or medium-sized companies.

For small, medium-sized, and large companies, the maximum amount of aid (as a percentage of eligible costs) will not exceed 50% for a period of no more than three years for a company and leased expert.

size of the company





Micro and small company 45% / 7.5 1.5

Medium-sized company 35% / 7.5 2.5

Large company 25% / 7.5 3.5

size of the company

maximum amount of the state aid – percentage of eligible costs / maximum amount of state aid in millions or euros for a company/project

Preliminary studies for the activities of industrial research

Preliminary studies for the activities of experimental development

Micro and small company 75% / 7.5 50% / 7.5

Medium-sized company 75% / 7.5 50% / 7.5

Large company 65% / 7.5 40% / 7.5


European Union Fundsin addition to state aid that is provided from the state budget, your investment can also be supported from eu Funds from 2007 to 2013. the following areas have priority:

Key Programmes

operational programme “environment”the environmental programme is focused on improving the environment and reasonable use of resources through improvement of environmental infrastructure in slovakia in accordance with the eu and local regulations.

this operational programme focuses on more challenging and demanding activities in the area of:

› Water management › Waste management › Air pollution › nature conservation

operational programme “research and development”the purpose of this programme is upgrading and improving effectiveness of the system for the support of research and development, and improving the infrastructure of universities so that they are able to share in:

› improving competitiveness of the economy › reducing regional disparities › establishment of new innovative (high-tech) small and middle-size enterprises › Creation of new jobs › improvement of conditions for educational processes at universities

Competitiveness and economic growthCompetitiveness and economic growth is designated for ensuring sustainable economic growth and employment.

Activities are focused particularly on:

› support of innovative processes › transfer of new environmental technologies and sophisticated processes › development of common services for entrepreneurs

2007 to 2013 operational Programmes:

Ranking Programme

1 regional operation programme

2 environment

3 transport

4 it implementation

5 research and development

6 Competitiveness and economic growth

7 education

8 employment and social inclusion

9 health care

10 technical assistance

11 region of Bratislava

1. Knowledge economy 2. infrastructure and regional availability3. human resources


Environmental Projects

in line with eu goals to decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 20%, increase energetic efficiency by 20%, and to ensure a 20% share of energy production from renewable sources, Košice is implementing various projects aimed at renewable energy sources:

Geothermal energythere are excellent conditions in the city and nearby surrounding areas for the use of this resource. Close to the city (in the Ďurkov and Bidovce areas), at a depth of around 3,100 metres, there is a geothermal water source with a temperature of 125° C to 135° C, with an outflow speed from 60 to 85 litres a second.

A plan has been drafted for the use of this geothermal potential for heating city buildings, where the estimated capacity and distribution of heat will be in twelve drills with a maximum power of 120 MW. two drills can supply as much as 150,000 MWh of heat a year, assuming a use of 7,500 hours per year. the project is expensive, and without co-financing through grants or eu funds, its use for the central heating system of the city can increase the price of heat significantly. there are negotiations taking place between drill owners (sPP) and the owner of the heat source and distribution system (teKo).

Co-generating unit for biomassA major project for using a renewable energy source is Cassovia Bio energy s.r.o.’s construction of a combined source for the production of electricity and heat from biomass, contributing to a decrease in the dependence on traditional fossil fuels and a decrease in the overall burden on the environment. the co-generating unit for biomass, producing 27 MW of heat and 7 MW of electrical energy, will be built between the optima shopping centre and the planned industrial park Pereš. the heating power of the co-generating source will be integrated with the primary central distribution channel providing heat to the city, and the electrical output will be connected to the distribution network of vse (eastern slovak energy distribution company).

Photovoltaic electricity plantthere are initiatives to construct a photovoltaic plant near Košice with a power output of approximately 1MW of electricity.

Biowaste compostingthe composting facility of Košice is a new project involving building a facility for using biodegradable waste. it will increase the usage of biodegradable waste from gardens and parks, including waste from cemeteries and other sources (green bio waste), and increase the amount of biodegradable kitchen and restaurant waste used. At the same time, the aim is to decrease the amount of waste disposed of in the site, and to decrease the production of gas produced by waste, in accordance with the eu directive on waste disposal sites. Another benefit is the production of compost and its use as a fertilizer to replace artificial fertilizers in accordance with the goals of the programme for sustainable development. Planned projects also include installing thermal pumps in public facilities in Košice to replace heat and warm water production from non-renewable energy sources.

the city is implementing various smaller projects to decrease dependence on fossil energy sources, and is involved in various local activities in this respect (such as thermal water pumps, solar collectors, and insulating buildings to decrease energy demand). these activities will lead to higher energy efficiency on public premises, contributing to an improved environment for Košice. the implementation of these projects will decrease future operating costs.

Major factors and opportunities in the environment sector:

› out of total area of the city, agriculture land is 38%, and 30.9% is occupied by forests.

› Because of the structure of land (a high concentration of forests), the cadastral area of the city has many valuable natural areas and protected areas of national and international importance.

› danger for agricultural soil due to erosion. › Maintenance of the forests is unsystematic, the quality of greenery is

declining, and green areas are decreasing in size. › Communal waste production is increasing.


Life in KošiceKošice provides opportunities for various ways to spend free time. there are many historical and cultural points of interest, and many spectacular sights unique to the region and to slovakia. the beautiful cathedral dóm sv. Alžbety (st. elizabeth’s), the largest archaeological complex dolná brána with the chapel kaplnka sv. Michala (st. Michael), saint urban’s tower urbanova veža, as well as the oldest church in the town dominikánsky kostol (built in the thirteenth to fourteenth centuries) are just a few of the places to visit. the Čaky-dezofiho palác palace and the ulička remesiel (handicrafts street) are among the other interesting spots in the old town. the city historical reservation is the largest in slovakia, with 556 protected cultural monuments covering 85 hectares.

however, Košice is not all about the old town, and people can enjoy a variety of other activities. the most recently built museum, and the only one of its kind in slovakia, is the Múzeum voskových figurín (Wax Museum) downtown. other interesting museums are the Letecké múzeum (Museum of Flight) located in the technické múzeum (technical Museum) at the airport, the Archeologické múzeum (Archaeological Museum), východoslovenské múzeum (eastern slovakia Museum) featuring gold treasure, the Múzeum vojtecha Lofflera (Museum of vojtech Loffler), and the východoslovenská galéria (eastern slovakia Gallery).

the oldest marathon in europe, run since 1924, known as the Košice Peace Marathon (www.kosicemarathon.com) takes place in Košice annually on the first sunday in october, with over 5,000 participants from over 35 countries.

the zoo in Košice is the largest in central europe, with a total area of 288 hectares. visitors can see more than 100 species, with some unique animals, such as hucul horses, and quintuplets of a brown bear born at the zoo. the facility provides many attractions for relaxing all day long, especially for families with children.

the botanical garden is also the largest in slovakia, with over 4,000 types of plants, and 1,000 types of cactuses and succulents, making it the biggest collection in the former Czechoslovakia.

the detská železnica (Children’s railway) in Čermeľské údolie is the oldest in slovakia, and is the only one that is fully functional. it was built in 1955-1956, and is a valuable technical source, thanks to its carriages. the line is 4.2 kilometres long, has three stops, and takes visitors to the Alpínka recreation area.

the Chodník slávnych (Walk of Fame) was built in 1996-1997, and contains tiles showing famous people who have visited Košice, including popes, heads of states, and members of royal families.

the steel Arena (www.steelarena.sk) is the most modern and technologically advanced multipurpose hall in slovakia. it has a capacity of 8,347 and offers 40 viP boxes and 10 buffets. it was opened in 2006 after reconstruction of the old winter stadium, Zimný štadión L. trojáka. Many interesting events have taken place in it since, including concerts by enrique iglesias, Bryan Adams, deep Purple, Joe Cocker, Kim Wilde, seal, Jean Michel Jarre, vanessa Mae, Andrea Bocelli and others.

the city hosts various cultural events, among which are dni mesta Košice (Košice days) Košická hudobná jar (Košice spring Music), Košické kultúrne leto (Košice Cultural summer), a festival of local european tvs Zlatý žobrák (the Golden Beggar), and Košické vianoce (Košice Christmas). slovenská štátna filharmónia, the slovak state Philharmonic (www.sfk.sk), is one of the prominent representatives of slovak interpretive art at home and abroad. it features a 90-member orchestra of professional musicians.


theatres

› Štátne divadlo Košice/state theatre (www.sdke.sk) - ballet, opera

› Štátne divadlo malá scéna/state theatre small scene (www.sdke.sk) - ballet, opera

› Bábkové divadlo/Puppet theatre (www.bdke.sk) › Činoherné štúdio Jorik/Jorik studio

- drama theatre for youth and adults › divadlo/theatre CAssiA dAnCe (www.cassiadance.sk)

- musical theatre › divadlo/theatre na Peróne (www.naperone.sk) › divadlo thália színház/hungarian theatre thalia › Márai Štúdio/stage › divadlo romathan/romathan theatre

- the first professional roma theatre › divadlo/theatre Madrid, european artistic company › divadlo veritas/theatre veritas

shopping Centres

› Galéria - including shops, cinemas, restaurants

› oPtiMA - shops, cinemas, restaurants

› Cassovia › od dargov › Aupark

- planned completion in 2012 › hypermarkets tesCo (3), hypernova, Carrefour › supermarkets Lidl (2), Kaufland (2), BiLLA, bauMax-x, hornbach › home centres KiKA, Asko

nightlife

› irish pub diesel (www.irishpubkosice.com) › retro Cult Club (www. cultclub.sk) › Jazz Club (www.jazzclub-ke.sk) › the Cosmopolitan (www.cosmopolitancb.sk) › CAsino Košice (www.cspt.sk) › the Beerhouse (www.thebeerhouse.sk) › La Cubana (www.lacubana.sk) › Garibaldi´s Lounge (www.garibaldis.sk) › ibiza Club (www.ibizaclub.sk) › Admiral Bowling

sports

Košice is a city with a long tradition of sport. Besides the annual marathon, many sport events take place in the city regularly. traditional sports in which the city is represented at the highest national and european levels are football (MFK Košice), ice hockey (hC Košice are slovak champions for the 2008-2009 season), basketball (Cassovia Košice, dobrí anjeli Košice, Basket steel slovakia Košice) and handball (1. MhK Košice). sports available for leisure or professional participation include athletics, handball, hockeyball, baseball, basketball, badminton, table tennis, water polo, wrestling, tennis, golf, squash, bowling, and many others.


Life in Košicestadiums and sport Facilities › Centre for winter sports Košice - Jahodná › Centre for winter sports - Kavečany › Golf centre Alpinka Košice › Multisport centre tJ Lokomotíva - Čermeľ › Winter stadium › tennis complex › tenniscentre Anička

swimming Pools › swimming pool triton › indoor public swimming centre › swimming pool in public park › swimming centre of Police sport club › Beach swimming pool rYBA

Fitness Centres › studio7 (www.studio7.sk) › Lady Fitliness (www.fitlines69.sk) › relax C. Bien (www.bien.wbl.sk) › oáza fit klub (www.oazafitklub.sk)

plus about 30 more…

Less traditional, but increasingly popular sports include kick boxing, hot air ballooning, water skiing and wakeboarding, seadoo riding and snowmobiling.

Planetarium and observatories

Košice has two planetariums for the public, at the slovak technical Museum, and in the Free time Centre doMino.

other interesting sights in the region

the tokajská vinohradnícka oblasť (tokaj wine region) is located southeast of the city. Covering 988 hectares, it is the smallest of six wine regions in slovakia. the area is the warmest region with the highest quality vineyards in slovakia cultivated since roman times. the tokaj brand is probably the most famous of wines in slovakia and hungary. it was served to monarchs in the past.

slovenský raj (slovak Paradise) national park and slovenský kras are included on the unesCo World heritage list, and both are renowned for their waterfalls, canyons, caves, and natural beauty. Morské oko (eye of the sea) in the vihorlat Mountains is the deepest lake in slovakia, and its surroundings are the perfect place for hiking in nature. More information on points of interest can be obtained from sACr, the slovak Board of tourism (www.sacr.sk) or from Košické informačné centrum, the Košice information Centre (www.mickosice.sk).


Košice Municipality and Important Contacts

Major priorities are focused on:

eConoMY

› supporting business for new entrepreneurs and a sector with higher added value bringing new innovative solutions

› supporting foreign direct investments

housinG

› improving the ability to meet the housing needs of young families › enhancing the reconstruction of old panel blocks

eduCAtion

› improving the technical status and equipment of the educational infrastructure

› supporting creativity in education › creating new opportunities for increasing qualifications of the

labour force and graduates in specific sectors › developing life long education opportunities › improving using potential from research and development

tourisM

› support infrastructure in tourism › support the introduction of new products › improve marketing and public relations in the sector

the city is aware of its important role in ensuring sustainable growth and development for the benefit of the firms and people residing in Košice. the main goals of the city’s development programmes are included in the programme for the economic and social development of the city.

1. City of innovations2. healthy City3. City of Culture4. City for Families


Košice Municipality and Important Contacts

Magistrát mesta Košice(office of the City of Košice)

Address: trieda snP 48/A Košice slovak republictel: + 421 55 6419 231Fax: + 421 55 6419 231e-mail: [email protected]: www.kosice.sk

Mayor’s office

tel.: + 421 55 6419 112e-mail: [email protected]

Foreign Affairs office


Chief Architect’s office


department of strategic development


department of Marketing and tourism


Košice 2013european Capital of Culture


Košice - turizmusthe Košice tourism Association the official tourism Board for Košice

tel.: +421 917 851 944e-mail: [email protected]

All inquiries to the city can be made at Kancelária 1. kontaktu/the office of First Contact, in person, by telephoneor by email:


Partners

PricewaterhouseCoopers (www.pwc.com) provides industry-focused assurance, tax and advisory services to build public trust and enhance value for our clients and their stakeholders. More than 163,000 people in 151 countries across our network share their thinking, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice.

* PricewaterhouseCoopers and PwC refer to the network of member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers international Limited (PwCiL). each member firm is a separate legal entity and does not act as agent of PwCiL or any other member firm. PwCiL does not provide any services to clients. PwCiL is not responsible or liable for the acts or omissions of any of its member firms nor can it control the exercise of their professional judgment or bind them in any way. no member firm is responsible or liable for the acts or omissions of any other member firm nor can it control the exercise of another member firm’s professional judgment or bind another member firm or PwCiL in any way.

Guide to investMent in KoŠiCe© 2010 Magistrát mesta Košicetrieda snP 48/A, 040 11 Košice,slovak republic

text: Magistrát mesta Košice PricewaterhouseCoopers slovenskoPhoto: Magistrát mesta Košice PricewaterhouseCoopers slovensko Progress Promotion Košicedesign& Layout: Progress Promotion Košice

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the investor’s Guide

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Guide to investment in Košice

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