• Description of the Region
• Cluster Profile
• Main Players
• Contact Details

Situated at 571 km. from the national capital - Bucharest, near to the borders with Serbia and Hungary, the City of Timisoara is regarded as the Western Gate of Romania. Is the largest town in Western Romania, official records presenting a population of around 320.000 inhabitants and has a favorable location - at the intersection of the main international ways connecting Northern and Southern, Western and Eastern Europe, being a link between Western Europe and Middle East. The transport of passengers and goods to West Europe is possible by roads, railways and plains, Timisoara being an important traffic hub.

Timisoara is the largest town in West Romania. It has more than 300.000 inhabitants, being the fourth town in Romania. Its population represents almost 50 % of the total population of the Timis County, 1,40 % of the total population and 2,55 % of the urban population of Romania. Timisoara is also the largest town of the DKMT (Danube, Cris, Mures, Tisa) Euro region. The unemployment rate is the lowest in Romania, and one of the lowest in Europe, being under 3 %.

The city is the capital of Timis County, the economic pole of the "Five West Romanian Region" (2 million inhabitants) and one of the most important business, cultural and scientific centers of Romania. The skilled human resources of this region are well recognized by the foreign investors. The level of training-education in Timisoara is high - the illiteracy rate is of 1,8%. There are many elementary, vocationally and high schools and also 8 university (44 faculties) teaching about 47.000 students.

The economy of the City of Timisoara is diversified. The progress of the traditional development of the industrial and trade activities is obvious. Its population - which represents 1.40% from the total population of the country (2.55% from the total city population of Romania) - produces over 5% from the industrial production of the country. At the regional level, Timisoara polarizes over 30% from the industrial production, approx. 35% from the trade activities and almost 70% from the students of the area. Based mainly on its economic power, the city of Timisoara has distinguished itself, at least for now, as one of the greatest trade, science and cultural centers of Romania.

The industrial and construction activities represents one of the most important economic activities in Timisoara, having a serious contribution to the economic development of the city. The Economic and Social Development Concept of the Timisoara Area has increased the foreign investor's confidence in the local business society, the total amount of foreign investments being much larger than the country's average. Thanks to the direct foreign investments, new areas of development have been started in the electrical engineering and electronics industry. We refer to the car components industry, the software and hardware fields as well as products dealing with measuring and metering techniques. These High-Tech ventures are assisted by institutions, which co-ordinate the fields of research, education and the transfer of know-how to the marketing and management domains. At present, there are 23 research institutes in various scientific fields in Timisoara.

Among the advantages of the region, the agriculture is worth mention as a developing area, very attractive for the foreign investors. The raw materials, a significant sale market, the favorable climate conditions and the growth of the foreign investments are making the Timis County an area with a high agricultural potential.

Due to its geographical position, near the borders with Hungary and Serbia, Timisoara is also a center of the international service companies. Important banks have already opened branch offices as well as leading insurance companies and also all major logistics companies and expedition companies are represented here. The main areas of the service companies are: trade activities, IT, tourism, banks and finances.

Being a multi-cultural and multi-ethnic area, a city at the crossroads between West and East, Timisoara is a role model when it comes to harmonious relations between the many ethnic groups which live there. Thanks to its varied cultural heritage and present heterogeneity, Timisoara is a powerful national cultural center, which offers the residents of the city a diversity of cultural options. The activity of the 12 official cultural institutions places Timisoara in second place in the country, in matters of the range and variety of cultural events.

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The city is well-known as having tradition in light industry: garments, footwear, shoes, textile etc., agriculture and food industry as well and electronics and electrotechnics. The first mini- and micro-computers made by the Romanian electronic industry were developed in the early 1970's in Timisoara and manufactured in mass production in 1978.

The city is well-known as having tradition in light industry: garments, footwear, shoes, textile etc., agriculture and food industry as well and electronics and electrotechnics. The first mini- and micro-computers made by the Romanian electronic industry were developed in the early 1970's in Timisoara and manufactured in mass production in 1978.

Since the country's opening towards the market economy, the economy decreased due to a heavy transformation process. Only in the year 2000 the national economy started to raise again, the first economic growth being felt on the Timisoara Area. Some industries such are the machines and tools building, the metal processing, electronic and electrotechnics registered an important growth. This dynamics was based mainly on direct foreign investments attracted in Timisoara. Through direct foreign investments new directions were opened and new profiles were created in the field of software industry, telecommunication, and automotive components industry as well as for the measurement and metering technique.

"Automotivest" Association is a non-governmental organization, constituted in 2007 between local public administration, technical universities, commerce chambers and private companies in order to facilitate the growth of the market efficiency of the cluster type network's members in the automotive industry from the West Region.

Some of the main objectives of the "Automotivest" Association are:

• developing a cluster partner's network
• developing a suppliers platform for the West Region industry
• broker activities between Romanian and foreign companies
• technological broker activities
• developing a Competence Center
• information activities regarding R&D and technological transfer
• lobby activities
• developing a data base

In this sense, "Automotivest" Association will cooperate with public administration authorities, institutions, organizations, private companies, R&D institutions and universities, interested in the economic, social and cultural development.

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Automotive industry

• CONTINENTAL AG
• CONTITECH
• CONTIFLUID
• KROMBERG & SCHUBERT
• LISA DRAEXLMAIER
• DURA
• TRW AUTOMOTIVE
• ELBA S.A.

Telecomunication

• ALCATEL
• SOLECTRON
• KATHREIN

Software industry

• SIEMENS AUTOMOTIVE
• LASTING SYSTEMS
• ZOPPAS
• DATAGROUP-INT SRL
• SAGUARO PRINT SRL
• BERG COMPUTERS SRL
• INFOTIM SA
• SSI SCHAEFER SRL
• LEVEL 7 SOFTWARE SRL

Meantime, more international companies with the same profile locate in the region in the last period. The international companies already settled here are a good example and create an attraction for similar, related and complementary business but also for competitors. This process is on going now. The higher the competition will be the interest of the companies to develop clusters will increase.

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