Karlovac County

undefinedCapital: City of Karlovac

Area: 3,644 km2

Population: 128,749

Demographic profile
Age – average age 41.9 years
Gender – 48.5% men; 51.5% women

Educational qualifications structure: 43.7% secondary school qualifications; 8.6% college or university degree

Administrations: 5 towns, 17 municipalies

Economy

GDP per capita:  7.634 EUR

Unemployment rate: 23,6 %

Average gross salary (monthly): 977 EUR

Foreign trade: exports: 91,1 000 EUR; imports: 79,7 000 EUR (1H 2010)

Key export products: beer, guns, ammunition, bricks, turbines, fire-fighting hoses, cutlery, textile products, clothing

Key sectors: processing industry, construction, trade

Economic trends: to increase export related activities, 50% of the County revenues come from manufacturing sector; plans include investments in processing industry as well as development of tourist potentials

Investments in economy in the recent years:

  • Retail sector – Baumax, Supernova
  • Construction – Becthel, Semmelrock
  • Textile – VIS Varaždin
  • Wood processing industry – PM Lingum
  • Food industry – Dukat, Heineken
  • Energy sector – Hydroelectric Power station Lešće
  • Communal infrastructure – water supply and sewage system Karlovac, Ogulin

Structure and level of education: The largest group comprises persons with secondary school qualifications.

Manufacturing sector

The most important sectors: metal processing industry, machinery manufacturing, food and beverages production, production of textile, wood processing industry

Employment: 30% of the County labour force is employed in the processing industry

List of the most important companies:

  • HS PRODUKT Karlovac – manufacturing of guns and machine processing services
  • ALSTOM HRVATSKA Karlovac – engineering, maintenance and production of power stations (steam turbines, components for gas and hydro turbines, hydro mechanical equipment)
  • WIENERBERGER-ILOVAC Karlovac – wall bricks, ceiling systems, brick lintels,
  • SEMMELROCK Ogulin – paving flags, palisades, wall and fencing systems, pre-cast concrete units
  • KARLOVAČKA PIVOVARA Karlovac – production of beer (dark, light, non-alcoholic, special types of beer)
  • PPK – Meat industry Karlovac – production of meat and meat products (fresh meat, semi-dry, dry and smoked meat products)
  • KIM – Karlovac Milk Industry – production of milk and dairy products; ŽITOPROIZVOD Karlovac – production of bread and bakery products, pasta and sweets; MADIG Ogulin – meat processing and manufacturing of Ogulin sauerkraut.
  • KORDUN GRUPA Karlovac – production of high quality cooking utensils and cutlery
  • IV-ER-KVC Karlovac – fire-fighting hoses and hoses for other uses (agriculture, construction and other), free casting capacity for aluminium processing, production of technical aluminium joints for fire-fighting hoses

Services sector

Key sectors: retail, construction, tourism

Employment: 11% of working population is employed in retail sector, 6% in construction, 3% in tourism; secondary school qualifications prevail among the County labour force

The most important companies: Bechtel, Benefit promet, Hotel Srakovčić, Croatian Olympic Centre Bjelolasica, AB gradnja

New Economy

ICT: there are 20 ICT companies registered in the County; Centre of Excellence for Mechatronics

The institutions supporting research and development:

  • Department for Economy
  • Department for Spatial Planning, protection of environment, construction and property and legal issues
  • Croatian Chamber of Economy – Regional Office Karlovac
  • Chamber of Crafts and Trades Karlovac
  • Croatian Employment Service – Branch office Karlovac
  • Development Agency of Karlovac County

Creativity and technology: MIKROKINO (Grammar school Karlovac)

Business infrastructure

Technological centres/parks: Business Park Karlovac

Business zones: 14 business zones

Traffic infrastructure

The County is located on a favourable natural and geographic position and it is crossed by infrastructure corridors of strategic importance for the Republic of Croatia. At the same time these routes represent the only link between the continental and Adriatic part of Croatia (A6 –E65).

Out of three traffic corridors of European and national importance on the Croatian territory, one of them passes through the County – transverse corridor on the transport route North – South Vb (A1).

Four railway lines cross the territory of the County: Zagreb-Rijeka; Oštarije-Knin, Sisak-Karlovac and Karlovac-Ozalj-state border with Slovenia. The development of the railway system is largely based on the development of the port of Rijeka.

Zagreb airport (Pleso) is 56 km away.

Educational institutions

  • Polytechnics (occupational safety and health, engineering, textile manufacturing for hotel and catering industry, food technology, hunting and protection of nature, nursing courses, mechatronics, business management)
  • 12 high schools (7 technical, 4 industrial and vocational schools); 2 grammar schools
  • 1 music school
  • Other: Open Universities POUKA, POU LINGUA, POU MENCL

Further information about the County

Karlovac County
Development Agency of Karlovac County
Karlovac County - business zones