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(...Continued from page 26) important, the leading UK contact lens company Saufl on employs 140 people at its state-of-the-art manufacturing plant just outside Budapest, producing over 100m soft contact lenses per year.

Security, railways, ICT and educational services – coaching and training, as well as special needs requirements – all offer opportunities. With large investments from Suzuki, Mercedes and Audi, automotive is an important industry.

“UK companies that supply major German and Japanese manufacturers may well find further opportunities here,” adds Banks. “It’s worth them coming to explore what’s happening in the dynamic automotive supply chain. Local universities are also involved in automotive R&D, which has implications for engine design and lubricants at the cutting edge.”

Opportunities are also growing for UK companies operating in the area of smart ticketing. The Hungarian government is the first in the region to adopt an industry standard from the Integrated Transport Smartcard Organisation (ITSO), and is keen to work with the UK model. This gives a major lead to UK firms supplying technology for Oyster cards.

HOLISTIC VIEW

Although much smaller than its neighbours, Slovenia is a sophisticated market with high purchasing power, (90 per cent of the EU average). In Slovakia, meanwhile, infrastructure is developing fast, mainly thanks to €12bn in structural and cohesion funding.

Realising that many of the business opportunities are common across the region, UK Trade & Investment works closely to co-ordinate its efforts, inviting buyers and interested parties from neighbouring countries to sector events. It also offers sector-specific Overseas Market Introduction Service reports for the region as a whole, as well as for the individual countries.

For more information contact George Szpala on 0207 215 4734, email george.szpala@ukti.gsi.gov.uk or Andrew Jones on 020 7215 4961, email andrew.jones@ukti.gsi.gov.uk

RIPE FOR DEVELOPMENT

Billions of euros of EU funding is available to help Bulgaria and Romania upgrade their infrastructure and facilities in line with EU standards.

OPPORTUNITIES IN BULGARIA:

• Significant investment in Black Sea ports, plus business and entertainment facilities along the Danube River. Railways and roads need upgrading.

• Existing sewage networks and wastewater treatment plants need to be improved and extended to meet EU requirements.

• ICT networks need upgrading and extending. HP recently enlarged its operation to 2,000 developers.

• A new nuclear power plant at Belene, with a capacity of 4,000 MW, is at the contract stage with HSBC appointed as financial advisor. Wind farms, solar and biomass installations are also planned.

• Training and HR development are needed.

• Urban regeneration for old industrial sites, railway facilities and military bases, as well as restoration of historical sites. The legal framework is currently being developed to facilitate the adoption of public-private partnerships for many of these projects.

ROMANIA HAS:

• EU funding of €31bn to be focused on economic competitiveness, infrastructure, environment, human resources development, agriculture, technical assistance and regional development.

• 17 airports with more than nine million passengers. This sector needs major investment to comply with EU requirements.

• Significant business opportunities surrounding the Constanta Port and the Danube Delta.

• €800m investment in the Nabucco pipeline, as well as capacity for producing renewable energy, particularly wind and geothermal power.

• A target of doubling wastewater collection capacity by 2015, with more than €3.3bn directed to water and wastewater systems.

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