UNEMPLOYMENT
The unemployment rate in Slovakia stood at 6.54% in August, which is a decline of 0.16 percentage points (p.p.) month-on-month and of 2.89 p.p. year-on-year. The number of jobseekers immediately able to take up a job was 178,253 in August, a decrease of 4,501 individuals m-o-m and of 78,018 y-o-y.

BANKING
Czech and Slovak financial group acquires a majority share in Austrian private bank Wiener Privatbank. The last group that arose from the post-communist central-and Eastern-European area that does not own a bank, Czecho-Slovak Arca Capital, is eyeing the Vienna-based private-banking institution, Wiener Privatbank. A preliminary purchase contract has already been signed and the required advance payment has been paid. It plans to expand the bank’s sphere of operations into Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

TELECOMMUNICATIONS
EU regulation raises the volume of roaming calls and data with Slovak mobile operators. All Slovak operators report an increase in roaming operations. The highest were reported from Croatia, Austria, the Czech Republic and Germany. The new rules on regulation did not abolish roaming, they just unified the prices for customers.

IT
The majority of companies (93%) in Slovakia use standard IT security systems, such as anti-virus programmes and firewalls. On the other hand, only a few firms (38%) use more sophisticated security tools. This information stems from the recent survey carried out by the GfK agency in May among more than 100 IT managers and company owners.

AUTOMOTIVE
The automotive sector overtook oil and gas as the biggest sector in central and Eastern Europe for the very first time. The Slovak arm of German carmaker Volkswagen Slovakia even made it to fifth place in the rating. These are some of the findings of the ninth Coface annual CEE Top 500 study, in which the international credit insurance company reports on the 500 largest companies in Central and Eastern Europe, reflecting developments across the region.

FIRST PORSCHE CAYENNE COMPLETELY MADE IN SLOVAKIA
Bratislava-based carmaker Volkswagen Slovakia (VW SK) has produced the first Porsche Cayenne model completely made in Slovakia in the beginning of September. Before, the plant produced only pre-assembled polished bodies subsequently sent to the Porsche plant in Leipzig. Now 13 components are produced in Bratislava and then sent to the new body shop. 650 robots assemble them with other components to create a complete body. The car is completed in a new assembly hall where the chassis is completely produced.

EXPANSION OF LOGISTICS COMPANY IN LOZORNO
Dachser Slovakia will spend five million euros to expand its center in Lozorno near Bratislava. The investment will allow opening of about thirty new jobs

KECHNEC WITH NEW RECYCLING OPERATION
A new operation for recycling of hygienic and textile waste is to be erected in Kechnec in eastern Slovakia. Proeco Industries intends to build it. It should cost over 21 million euros, and over 6,000 jobs will be created there.

NEW PLANT IN LEVICE
The company Kasai Slovakia plans building a factory for production of plastic interior components for the automobile industry in Levice. The investor intends to create some 100 jobs.

PLASTIC CAR COMPONENTS PRODUCTION IN ČADCA
The South-Korean company Seoyon plans building a new factory for production of plastic car components in Čadca. It is to create 450 jobs.

JAGUAR LAND ROVER MAY GET BIGGER
The UK’s carmaker Jaguar Land Rover can erect even larger factory near Nitra than originally intended. It plans assembling also car batteries there. The planned expansion of the premises from the new document of the investor is connected also with the plans of the carmaker to expand the total production in Nitra from the announced 150,000 vehicles per year up to 300,000 vehicles and it may need of up to 6,000 employees, thus not 4,000.

INDUSTRIAL PARK ZABORSKE GROWS
Three more companies are heading to the industrial park in Zaborske. More than 100 jobs are to be created.

AUTOMOTIVE SUPPLIER COMMING TO VELKY KRTÍŠ
Interior decorative components for luxury cars such as Aston Martin, Tesla, or Land Rover will be produced near Veľký Krtis. The Turkish company Mata Automotive rented the premises in the industrial park in Nova Ves for 13 years. The company will employ some 30 people by mid-October, and their number is expected to grow to 250 within five years.

KIA WILL PRODUCE NEW MODEL THE THIRD-GENERATION KIA CEE’D, NEXT YEAR IN SLOVAKIA
The Slovak arm of the Korean carmaker Kia, in Teplička nad Váhom, will launch production of a new model, the third-generation Kia cee’d, next year. The model will undergo a fundamental modernisation. The Korean carmaker has already unveiled the concept which will be the inspiration for the car that is to be manufactured in the plant in Teplička nad Váhom.

NEW INDUSTRIAL PARK
In future, an industrial park is to be created in Velka Lomnica. The industrial park with the area of 56.57 hectare is to cost some 15.5 million euros, and over 1,400 jobs may be created there.

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16 — 17 OCTOBER 2017
Central & Eastern European Automotive Forum 2017

17 OCTOBER 2017
Good Idea Slovakia — Find Your Gateway to Expand in the EU

30 OCTOBER 2017
Slovak Matchmaking Fair Košice 2017

30 OCTOBER 2017
Slovak-Hungarian business forum

14 — 15 NOVEMBER 2017
CEE Automotive Supply Chain 2017

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