After years of economic boom, do you think Timisoara is still an attractive area for investment?

Date: 2008-04-24 Ahead of BBW's Timisoara Roundtable and Awards 2008, we asked readers to give their views on the economic development of Timisoara. via Bucharest Business Week

[derrick tindall]

I recently had a chance to visit Timisoara and from what I see, there is a major market opportunity to be had here. After joining the European union, access will be much easier and companies will be jumping into this area. The younger generation I have met seems to have a handle on this and will play a major role in expanding the city's influence in the market and expanding the skilled work force available to outside companies looking to expand into the region. The only setbacks that become apparant to me is the change into Euro currency which, at the going rate, will make this market a bit pricy in the beginning just by currency conversion to income ratio. The other setback will certainly be the fear of change. Any culture will have this between generations but it will become more apparant here with the recent independance and process of currency change. If this wonderful city gets onboard with the change, I see this as a great new market that should be stable for years to come.

[Alex]

I work for a company that was seriously looking to move one of its business units from Bremen, Germany to Timishoar, Romania. They did a comprehensive feasibility study following which they decided against the move. Reason why? The steep increase in salaries from year to year and the lack of specialized workforce (aerospace industry. So unless the labour costs stay low, long time investement from big players it's a long shot.

[lvl100]

Alex wrote:

I work for a company that was seriously looking to move one of its business units from Bremen, Germany to Timishoar, Romania. They did a comprehensive feasibility study following which they decided against the move. Reason why? The steep increase in salaries from year to year and the lack of specialized workforce (aerospace industry. So unless the labour costs stay low, long time investement from big players it's a long shot.

You must be kidding me. Romania has one of the best specialized workforce in the region.

The Nokia scandal ( they prefered to move near Cluj , not far from Timisoara, altough the did receive a lots of financial help from the german authorities) its just one of the examples.

Oh, you wanted people working for peanuts and, why not, child labour ? Sorry pal , try searching in other places.

[Alex]

lvl100 wrote:

<quoted text>
Oh, you wanted people working for peanuts and, why not, child labour ? Sorry pal , try searching in other places.

I fully suport what you say. Equal pay for equal work. I personally don't agree with underpaying the romanian workforce. But that goes to show that bottom line is the profit. Id rather f_*_c_k the dog on unemployment and welfare than allow myself to be exploited.

[morosan]

I think Timisoara has reached investment saturation, because the wages there are like in Bucharest, but there are still a lot of places to invest in Romania, like in Baia Mare, an industrialized Northern town, where the wages are half the wages in Timisoara.