Investment potential of Brest region The population of Brest Region is mostly active in the Out of the total workforce of Brest Region, over 22% has industry (24%), agriculture (14%), and commerce and higher education, 44% has either a vocational or specialised catering (13%). secondary education. Employment by sectors of economy, 2010 WORKFORCE QUALIFICATIONS, 2010 Workforce, total 560 393 workforce with the following education: 4% 11% 24% higher 125 492 7% vocational 130 800 specialised secondary 116 101 7% industry 14% general secondary 173 002 10% Source: National Statistics Committee agriculture of the Republic of Belarus, 2012 10% 13% commerce and catering 2. Region’s economy education 1. Labour resources construction The principal sectors of the region's economy are light, food Quantity of population active in sectors of economy, 2010 industries, electrical power engineering, machinery (thousand persons) public health service, physical training, and construction, production of construction stone. The region Total active 643,4 public welfare specialises in production of incandescent electric lamps, transportation compression-type machines, single-bucket mechanical self- including: propelled excavators, cookers, chip boards, cotton fabric. Industry 153,2 public utilities Large industrial centres are Brest, Baranovichi, Pinsk, Kobrin, Agriculture 89,1 Beryoza. other sectors Commerce and catering 82,4 The agriculture specialises in production of meat and milk, cultivation of potatoes, grain, sugar beet, and vegetables. Education 63,1 The official unemployment level in the region is 0.7% of the Construction 62,4 economically active population, which exceeds the national Public health service, physical training, and index by 0.1%. The average monthly salary in the region Gross regional product (GRP), 2011 47,4 public welfare amounts to 86% of the relevant index in the country. per capita Transportation 45,2 Total (billion Average salary in Q1 of Unemployment level, (million Communications 8,1 rubles) 2012 (thousand rubles) 2011 (%) rubles) Forestry 4,7 3500 Brest region 24 682,8 17,7 Science and science services 0,6 3000 Source: National Statistics Committee 2500 GRP share in GDP of 9% of the Republic of Belarus, 2012 2000 Belarus 1500 0,7 1000 3006.1 Real GRP growth rate 101% 500 2573.5 0 0,6 Source: National Statistics Committee Republic of Brest region Republic of Belarus Brest region Belarus of the Republic of Belarus, 2012 tel./fax.: +375 17 2008874 www.investinbelarus.by e-mail: [email protected] Investment potential of Brest region 90% of the total volume of industrial production is provided •export-oriented and import-substituting production; 3. Foreign trade by the processing industries (production of food products, •production and processing of agricultural products; machines and equipment, nonmetallic mineral products, Around 80 per cent of the land export of the CIS countries to •development of roadside service infrastructure; electric equipment, electronic and optical equipment, the Western Europe crosses Brest Region. This determines •development of tourist services (along the principal chemical production, textile and sewing industries, wood- high development of goods services exports in the region. transportation corridors, in the towns with valuable historical processing and production of wood products). and cultural heritage, Belovezhskaya Pushcha National Park). Volume of foreign trade in products and services, 2011 With its volume of the gross regional product Brest Region (million US dollars) In Brest Region over 500 companies with foreign investment occupies the 4th place after the city of Minsk, Gomel, and Republic of have been registered. First three places in the number of Region Brest region joint and foreign companies are shared by Poland, Germany, Minsk Region. Belarus and Russia. Weight of regions' and Minsk's GRP in Turnover 3 896,2 86 041,1 GDP, 2011 Exports 1 953,0 40 294,0 FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT, net, 2011 (thousand US dollars) Brest region Imports 1 943,2 45 747,1 14,7% Vitebsk region 7,3% Balance 9,8 -5 453,1 Republic of Belarus 3 973 953,9 9,0% Gomel region 24,8% Source: National Statistics Committee Brest region 8,6% Grodno region 39 379,1 7,7% 11,2% Minsk city of the Republic of Belarus, 2012 Source: National Statistics Committee Minsk region of the Republic of Belarus, 2012 Trade companies of the region provide for a sixth of the Mogilev region country's trade. The region's geographical location ensures favourable conditions for international trade. Examples of successful operation of companies with foreign Companies of Brest Region develop trade and economic co- investment in the region are • Brestgazoapparat OJSC JV (production of gas and electric Largest enterprises by industries: operation with over 100 countries of the world. 700 cookers); • light (Polesye Pinsk Manufacturing Group, Baranovichi companies of all types of ownership and entrepreneurs • Santa Bremor JV (production of fish products); Cotton Group OJSC, Brest Hosiery Factory OJSC, Brest Carpets perform export and import operations. • Incofood FC (production of meat products); OJSC, Belkelme JV); In Brest Region a positive foreign-trade balance is ensured. • Black Red White JV, Anrex JV (production of furniture); • food (Savushkin Produkt OJSC, Zhabinka Sugar Factory OJSC, The principal foreign-trade partners of Brest Region are • Belkelme JV (footwear production); Santa-Bremor OJSC, Inkofood FC, Brest Meat-Processing Russia, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Lithuania, France, • KamSil JV (electronic industry) and many others. Factory OJSC, First Chocolate Company JLLC, Belsolod OJSC, the Netherlands, Belgium, the USA. In the territory of Brest FEZ over 94 companies from 20 Ekzon-Glyukoza RUE); In Brest Region a positive foreign-trade balance is ensured. countries have been registered as residents. As of the • wood-processing (Pinskdrev CJSC, Anrex JV, Black Red White The principal foreign-trade partners of Brest Region are beginning of 2012 the volume of investment amounted to JV, Involux JV); Russia, Germany, Poland, Ukraine, Italy, Lithuania, France, around 850 million US dollars. The light and food industries, • engineering (Tsvetotron Plant RUE, Gefest-Tekhnika UE, the Netherlands, Belgium, the USA. wood-processing and transportation services are most JofeLabortechnik JLLC, Promtekhnika Engineering Company attractive for investors. FC); 4. Foreign investment Since May 1998 Brest Region has been a member of the • production of construction stone (deposits at Mikashevichi transborder Bug Euroregion which includes Lublin Province of and Sitnitsa have been explored). The priority areas of investment attraction to the region are •high-technology and innovation projects: Poland and Volyn Region of Ukraine as well. •high-technology and innovation projects; tel./fax.: +375 17 2008874 www.investinbelarus.by e-mail: [email protected] Investment potential of Brest region Expenses for R&D in Brest Region amount to 1% of the 5. Transport and communications EDUCATION AND SCIENCE national expenses. The length of general motorways is 10.7 thousand km; No. of higher educational • 4 • the length of operating tracks of general purpose railway institutions Expenses for R&D in regions and Minsk, 2010 transport is 1,062 km; • Brest railway junction is one of the largest ones in Central No. of R&D organisations 29 Gomel region Europe and it completely ensures transit of the CIS countries 8% Minsk region to the countries of Western Europe in Moscow and St. 6% Petersburg directions. Large railway junctions are located in Personnel engaged in R&D 405 Brest, Baranovichi, Luninets, and Zhabinka; Vitebsk Expenses for R&D (million region • the international transportation corridor Berlin-Warsaw- 12 361,0 2% Brest-Minsk-Moscow and a direct way to Vilnius and Kyiv rubles) Mogilev cross Brest Region; No. of organisations active in region • Druzhba oil pipeline and Torzhok-Minsk-Ivatsevichi and 2% 50 Grodno Kobrin-Brest-Warsaw cross the region; innovations region • Brest airport (located 17 km to the east from Brest) of class Source: National Statistics Committee Minsk city 1% 4 has the status of an international one; at present of the Republic of Belarus, 2012 80% Brest region Gomelavia airline operates regular flights from Brest airport; 1% • the distance from Brest to Minsk is 345 km. Brest Region occupies the 3rd place among the regions as to 6. Education and science the number of R&D organisations. In Brest Region there are 4 state higher educational Distribution of R&D organisations by regions institutions, 29 research, design, and survey institutions and and Minsk, 2010 organisations. The research potential of the region is mostly Among the total expenses for R&D in Brest Region 60% is for oriented towards applied research. Higher educational development. institutions engage in research in the field of biology, sewage 5% treatment, development of new types of construction 5% Minsk city Distribution of expenses for R&D, million rubles materials. Gomel region The following organisations function in Brest Region: 6% • technical park of Centre of Technological Development Vitebsk region Introduction BRMUC; 6% Development 7 418 • research and technological park of Brest Innovation Brest region Business Centre LLC. 6% Minsk region Applied research 2 923 7% 65% Mogilev region Grodno region Fundamental research 1 881 0 20 000 40 000 60 000 tel./fax.: +375 17 2008874 www.investinbelarus.by e-mail: [email protected] .