Varaždin County

Capital: Varaždin

Area: 1,261 km²

Population: 176 046

Demographic profile
Age: 0-19 - 44,674 inhabitants; 20-59 - 101,232 inhabitants; +60 - 38,683 inhabitants Gender: 51.4% women; 48.6% men

The structure and level of education: University and higher 5.14%; College 3.44%; Secondary school 45.41%

Administrations: 6 towns, 22 municipalities

Economy

GDP per capita: 8.834 EUR

Unemployment rate: 13,7 %

Average gross salary (monthly): 806,4 EUR

Data on exports and imports (in 2009): exports 537 mio EUR (7,2% of total Croatian exports); imports 425 mio EUR (2,8% of total Croatian imports)

Strongest export products (in 2009):

Leather and related products (200.7 mio EUR)
Clothing (108 mio EUR)
Wood and furniture (42.1 mio EUR)
Machinery and equipment (33.8 mio EUR)
Agricultural products (23.6 mio EUR)

Key sectors: wood processing, leather processing, metal processing, food processing, textiles, construction, ICT

Economic trends:

Increase the profitability of industry and competitiveness of products and services through changes to the structure gopodarske highly accumulative activities, optimization of production processes, and through investment in modern technology
Connecting companies within and among related industries (clusterizaton)
Intensive cooperation and scientific research institutions and universities with business, opening incubators, business centers, and other forms of technological infarstrukture required for enterprise development

Investments in the economy in recent years:

Production sectors

Most important sectors: production of leather and related products, production of clothing, wood processing and furniture, production of food products, production of machinery and equipment

Prominent positive example: Vindija is the largest food processing industry in the Republic of Croatia. It employs 3,350 employees, produces more than 1,000 different products classified by 10 product brands with the highest quality (ISO 9001:2000, IFS, BRC, HACCP, SSOP, HALAL ). Vindija is exporting on the Western European market as well as on the US market. Vindija consists of 9 member companies, 6 of which are production companies.

Service Areas

Most important sectors: ICT, construction, retail, transport, finance

Prominent positive example: The Microsoft Innovation Centre started in October 2005. The Centre is one of the first in the region that has been considered an example for similar centres that aim to provide comprehensive support for enterprise development. The Centre is engaged in research programs, supports entrepreneurship, develops of local economic programs for software, provides intensive support to education, as well safety and protection initiatives. The centre has become an important factor of local software in the economy. Since the centre began it work, it has trained more than 2,500 attendees and participants from Croatia and 9 other foreign countries in various programs.

New Economy

ICT: there are around 120 different companies that are active in diferent areas of ICT. In 2003, the Varazdin Technology Park was formed that has 25 ICT companies. Also, the Microsoft Innovation Centre established in 2005 was the first centre of its kind in Southeast Europe. The County also considers ICT education a priority as as demonstrated by the establishment of the Centre of excellence in informatics and the excellent cooperation with the Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, which is also located in Varazdin. In recent years, as part of the Polytechnic school in Varazdin interdisciplinary studies in Multimedia, design and implementation has been established, which is also focused on the development of information, communication and graphic technologies.

Biotechnology: There are several pharmaceutical companies, of which the most important are Farmex and Beluppo Ludbreg

Institutions for research and development: The Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, Geotechnical Faculty Varaždin, the polytechnics school in Varaždin, numerous technical schools and private companies that focus on engineering, informatics, construction, agriculture, biotechnology, communications etc.

Creativity and technology: In Varažin County there is very developed connection between creativity and technology thanks to the Faculty of Organisation and Informatics, Technology Park Varaždin, the polytechnics school in Varaždin and secondary vocational schools, which are active in Varaždin County

Enterprise Infrastructure

TechnologyCenters/Parks:Technology Park Varaždin

Business Zones: Free Zone Varaždin and 28 business zones

Business Incubators: Technology Park Varaždin

Transport infrastructure:

Varaždin Airport, Class 2C
Motorway Zagreb – Varaždin – Čakovec – Hungary
Podravska fast road: Slovenia – Varaždin – Koprivnica – Osijek
Zagorska fast road: Varaždin – Ivanec – Krapina
International border crossing/road Dubrova Križovljanska/Zavrč with Slovenia
International border crossing/road along the Podravska fast road with Slovenia
Rapid railroad link: Krapina - Lepoglava - Ivanec - Varaždin - Zagreb – Hungary
Rapid railroad link (class I.): Varaždin – Koprivnica
Railroad link (Class II.): Varaždin - Zagreb

Education

Faculties and high learning faciltiies:

Faculty of Organization and Informatics (University of Zagreb)
Geotechnical Faculty Varazdin (University of Zagreb)
Professional studies in textiles, clothing and shoe textile technology - Faculty of Technology (University of Zagreb)
Economics Faculty in Osijek, professional studies in Varazdin (University J.J. Strossmayer)
Adventist theological institution of higher education in Maruševec
Higher learning institutions in Varazdin that offer the following studies: Electrical engineering, Multimedia, design and implementation, Production enginnering, Construction, Technical and commercial logistics and Nursing

Other educational institutions: 6 higher learning institutions, 29 high schools, 11 foreign language schools

Additional Information about the County

Varaždin County
AZRA - Varaždin County Development Agency
Varaždin County - business zones