Automotive companies consider opening research and development centers in Serbia

One of the largest European forums of the automotive industry, which brings together leading car makers and suppliers of car parts that are active in central and eastern Europe, will be held in Prague on October 13-14.

Countries that participate in the Central and Eastern Automotive Forum are Czech Republic, Slovakia, Poland, Romania, Hungary, Turkey, Bulgaria and Serbia. The list of speakers includes the representatives of companies Skoda Auto, Magyar Suzuki, PSA Peugeot Citroen CE, General Motors, FCA Fiat Chrysler, BMW Group and others, as well as the representatives of the European Association of Automotive Suppliers and other automotive clusters and associations from these countries. Active participation will also be taken by foreign investment promotion agencies that follow trends and stay up to date with changes in the automotive industry, helping companies search for new production locations.

One of the participants in this forum was the Vojvodina Investment Promotion Fund (VIP Fund) which presented Serbia's experience in the automotive industry, its contribution to the development of the automotive industry of central and eastern Europe, with a special emphasis on human resources.

Biljana Vrzic, assistant director of VIP Fund which very intensively works with foreign companies in this sector, shared SIEPA's information that more than 40 foreign companies operate in the automotive industry in Serbia today, employing about 30,000 workers, and that they have invested over EUR 2 billion so far. According to VIP Fund's statistics, 23 companies operate in Vojvodina, including Bosch, Magna Seating, Cooper Standard, Draexlmaier, Mecaplast, Lames, Norma Group, Contitech, IGB Automotive, Le Belier, etc.

Biljana Vrzic noted that the quality of manpower in the automotive industry in Serbia is what gives it an additional value in addition to low costs.

- Although Serbia is still classified as a country with low costs of production and manpower, which is definitely an advantage, the quality of human resources is increasingly insisted on. This makes it possible for automotive companies to start thinking about moving production to Serbia as well as opening research and development centers where our engineers could develop their new products - said Vrzic.

Fond za podršku investicija u Vojvodini

Robert Bosch d.o.o. Beograd

Magna Seating d.o.o. Odžaci

Cooper Standard Sremska Mitrovica

DAD Dräxlmaier Automotive d.o.o. Zrenjanin

Novares Serbia d.o.o. Zrenjanin

Hi-Lex doo Sremska Mitrovica

Norma Grupa JIE d.o.o. Subotica

Contiental Subotica

IGB Automotive Comp d.o.o. Inđija

FCA Srbija Kragujevac

LBK livnica doo Kikinda

Agencija za strana ulaganja i promociju izvoza SIEPA

I G Bauerhin Nemačka

Vojvodina Investment Promotion Vojvodina

VIP fund

VIP Fund

Bosch

Magna Seating

Cooper Standard

Draexlmaier

Mecaplast

Lames

Norma Group

Contitech

IGB Automotive

Le Belier

Central and Eastern Automotive Forum

Skoda Auto

Magyar Suzuki

PSA Peugeot Citroen CE

General Motors

FCA Fiat Chrysler

BMW Group

Biljana Vrzic

automotive industry

IG Bauerhin

car parts

car components