View the Irish-Slovak Business Directory
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EMBASSY OF IRELAND BUSINESS DIRECTORY AMBASSADOR WELCOME NOTE 3 Trade between Ireland and Slovakia is strong and growing. In recent years, Irish exports to the Slovak Republic have been growing by approxi- mately 11% per year, and Slovak exports to Ireland have grown in the same period. In 2017, two-way trade was worth an estimated €381 million. There is a steady increase in the numbers of Irish companies interested in this attractive market, with some also using Slovakia as a base to expand links in the region. Slovak-Irish peo- ple-to-people links are strong, helped by the significant numbers of Slovak citizens who have lived and worked in Ireland. Slovakia’s geographic location, and proximity to transport hubs in a number of neighbouring countries, makes it an attractive market for Irish investors. I am confident the Irish-Slovak Business Di- rectory will be a useful resource for any Irish businesses interested in the Slovak market, as well as Slovak companies looking for partners in the region, and in Ireland. Published for the first time in 2018, it provides an overview of the many businesses and entrepreneurs who make up this vibrant and dynamic relationship. I hope it will contribute to the visibility of the Irish business presence in the Slovak Republic. I would encourage Irish businesses to contact the Embassy. We are also a focal point for the Irish community in Slovakia, and support a range of cultural, sporting and social activities. I am delighted the Embassy has come together with the Irish Government agencies, Enterprise Ireland and Bord Bia, to publish this directory. Together, we are committed to supporting Irish companies and entrepreneurs and to growing the Irish-Slovak business relationship. Hilda Ó Riain Ambassador of Ireland to the Slovak Republic TEAM IRELAND 6 TEAM IRELAND EMBASSY OF IRELAND Relations between Ireland and the Slovak Republic are excellent. Ireland and Slovakia work closely together as partners in the Eu- ropean Union, share interests in common, ADDRESS and enjoy growing economic, cultural, and Mostová 2, 811 02 Bratislava people-to-people ties. There is a flourishing two-way trade relationship, worth €381 mil- TELEPHONE lion in 2017. +421 02 3233 8700 Located in central Bratislava, the mission of E-MAIL the Embassy of Ireland is to grow and deep- [email protected] en bilateral relations with the Slovak Repub- lic in all areas, including economy and trade. WEBSITE The Embassy works closely with Enterprise www.embassyofireland.sk Ireland, the Irish Government agency re- CONTACT sponsible for the development and growth Hilda Ó Riain of Irish enterprises in world markets, and Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board. The Embas- FUNCTION sy works with these and other Irish state Ambassador agencies to promote Ireland’s trade and in- vestment objectives, promote Irish exports, TWITTER food, culture, heritage and traditions. The @IrlEmbSlovakia Embassy cooperates with the agencies to support Irish companies looking to enter or expand in the Slovak market, and to imple- ment the Government of Ireland’s strategy, Ireland Connected: Trading and Investing in a Dynamic World. You can keep up to date on the activities of the Embassy on our website, by writing to [email protected] to ask to be added to our mailing list, or by following us on twitter. TEAM IRELAND 7 BORD BIA Bord Bia (The Irish Food Board) is the Irish government agency charged with the pro- motion, trade development and marketing of the Irish food, drink and horticulture industry. Bord Bia’s mission is to drive through market AREA OF BUSINESS insight and, in partnership with industry, the Irish governmental agency commercial success of a world class Irish food, drink and horticulture industry. ADDRESS ul. Mysia 5, 00-496 Warszawa Bord Bia works in partnership with industry to increase the sales and exports of Irish food, TELEPHONE drink and horticulture by developing long- +48 22 564 2224 term relationships between Irish companies WEBSITE and trade buyers. Bord Bia operates pro- www.bordbia.ie grammes to develop and foster contact be- tween buyers and Irish companies, including CONTACT participation at international trade exhibitions, Judith Clinton and co-coordinating inward buying visits. Bord Bia has its Head Office in Dublin and TITLE thirteen strategically located offices in key ex- Regional Manager CEE port markets. The offices are located in Am- sterdam, Dubai, Frankfurt, London, Madrid, TELEPHONE Milan, Moscow, New York, Paris, Singapore, +48 22 564 22 24 Stockholm, Warsaw and Shanghai. E-MAIL Bord Bia also coordinates national initiatives [email protected] such as the Quality Assurance Schemes op- erating at farm and factory level and Origin Green, a sustainability programme for Ireland’s food and drink industry. 8 TEAM IRELAND ENTERPRISE IRELAND Enterprise Ireland’s priority is the achieve- ment of export sales growth from Irish-owned companies. COMPANY NAME All our services are geared toward helping Irish ENTERPRISE IRELAND companies win international sales. (Slovakia) Our range of services is extensive, from funding, AREA OF BUSINESS: to making introductions in key international Irish Government Trade markets. For companies wishing to set up in Slo- and Technology Agency vakia, Enterprise Ireland provides introductions to specialist expertise such as legal, recruitment, TELEPHONE NUMBER: public relations, taxation or access to translation +420 2 257 199 623 services. WEBSITE www.enterprise-ireland.com CONTACT Ladislav Müller, Director CEO OR HEAD: Ladislav Muller – Country Manager YEAR OF ESTABLISHMENT 1992 MARKET OVERVIEW 10 WHY DO BUSINESS IN SLOVAKIA? Open Economy with Global Investments According to the OECD (www.oecd.org), Slovakia had the second highest share of trade in goods and services on its GDP in the EU in 2016, just behind Ireland. With its central geographic loca- tion, educated workforce and favourable business environment, Slovakia attracted many foreign investors, especially in automotive, electronics and service sectors (www.sario.sk). Eurozone Slovakia was the first country in Central Europe that introduced the single currency in 2009. Thanks to the adoption of the Euro, companies are now using Slovakia as a hub of their sales functions or as a springboard for business ex- pansion in the region. High Growth, Low Debt Slovak GDP increased by 3.4% in 2017 and OECD estimates the growth to accelerate to 4.05% in 2018 and 4.53% 2019. Slovakia has one of the low- est general government debt-to-GDP ratios in the EU and also low levels of total household debt (measured as a percentage of net disposable income, OECD). WHY DO BUSINESS IN SLOVAKIA? 11 Opportunities in Automotive Industry Slovakia is the largest producer of cars per capita in the world and 7th largest in EU overall. Jaguar Land Rover invested into a new facility in Slovakia and will manufacture alongside VW, PSA and Kia. There are a number of Tie 1 & 2 automotive suppliers around Slovakia that are always looking for innovation and new business partners. Opportunities in Business Support Centres Slovakia hosts one of the most important clusters of Business Service Centres in Central Europe. More than 60 centres now employ over 35,000 people. Companies such as IBM, Dell, AT&T or T-Systems are always looking for solutions that add value or save costs of their HR, financial or sales functions. Easy Access There are daily direct flights from Dublin to Bratislava. A very good road and railway network plus an excellent public transport system can get you anywhere around Slovakia. Bratislava is a very convenient entry point to central Europe due to its location which lies near the Slovak border with Austria, Hungary and the Czech Republic. 12 WHY DO BUSINESS IN SLOVAKIA? How Enterprise Ireland can help you succeed in Slovakia: Enterprise Ireland has regional offices in Hun- gary and the Czech Republic that assist and support Irish company clients in exporting to Slovak market. Our Central European team in co-operation with market professionals in Enterprise Ireland’s Market Research Centre provide a wide range of services including: • market or sector-specific research, • validation of the market opportunity for your product/service, • an evaluation of your market entry strategy and suggested channels to market, • competitor analysis, • introductions to potential partners, buyers and decision makers, • facilitation of business partner visits to Ireland, • assistance with product launches/workshops. In addition to these individual services, Enter- FOR MORE prise Ireland organises an extensive programme INFORMATION PLEASE of events to support your business abroad. These CONTACT ENTERPRISE include: IRELAND www.enterprise-ireland.com. • overseas trade missions, • market study visits and knowledge events including seminars and workshops, • group stands at important international trade fairs, • networking events to build and enhance re- lationships with market contacts. WHY DO BUSINESS IN SLOVAKIA? 13 Business Environment in Slovakia Slovak commercial law provides various op- tions for the structure of business entities in Slovakia, all of which (excluding trade busi- ness) require registration with the relevant Commercial Register: • Trade Business; • General or Limited Partnership; SOURCE KPMG Slovakia, • Co-operative; www.kpmg.sk • Limited Liability Company; • Simple Joint-Stock Company and Joint-Stock Company; • Enterprise or Organizational branch of a for- eign company; • European Company, European Cooperative Society and European Economic Interest Group. Generally, foreigners can conduct business in Slovakia under the same conditions and to the same extent as Slovak citizens. Foreigners can therefore establish a Slovak legal entity and can become a sole partner or a member/shareholder of any legal entity. 14 WHY DO BUSINESS IN SLOVAKIA? Legal entities that are seated in Slovakia or which place of effective management is seat- ed in Slovakia are generally regarded as tax resident and liable to pay Slovak corporate income tax. A taxpayer should register with the tax authorities by the end of the month follow- ing the month in which permission to conduct business in Slovakia was obtained.