End of September 2011 represented for Cluj’s economy a hard period. Finland’s Nokia decided to close the factory in Jucu, after less than four years since the beginning of the mobile phones productions in the factory where EUR 60 million were invested.
Other companies also left Cluj for other cities in the country or even from abroad. This was the case of Ursus, which closed one of the oldest beer factory in the country and of the financial group ING, which has closed its regional centre two years ago.
However, the place left free by the big investors was soon occupied by other companies, equally important.
The investors showed soon in Tetarom III industrial park. In 2012 DeLonghi announced the buying of the former Nokia warehouse, while few months later Bosch announced EUR 77 million investments.
„The plans of Bosch consider the company’s development. They can reach up to 1,500 employees. They make long term plans and consider that DeLonghi intends to make a second investment. After 4 years we could be able to fully cover the Nokia leave.”, said Daniel Don, director of AJOFM Cluj.
The American company Emerson was even more determined, purchasing an entire industrial park. The company invested EUR 120 million for automotive components production and became, through the number of its employees, one of the main contributors to the local budget.
The registered success of the functioning of the first three industrial parks, together with the large number of requests from other larger or smaller companies, has determined the authorities to seek a land for a new park. Starting 2015, the investors are waited to develop their business in Feleacu village, less than 10 km from Cluj-Napoca. On the 850,000 sqm the authorities will develop a photovoltaic, logistic and industrial park, second largest in the district.
The private industrial parks the same success, as the ones in Câmpia Turzii and Dej.
„If talking about investments in absolute figures, owned or foreign, the investment reached about EUR 40 million. Considering the number of new jobs created, there are currently approx. 1,000.”, said Cristian Ţucra, the manager of the private industrial park in Dej.
Clujul also hopes to attract the biggest foreign investment in the country. The construction of a new hydropower in Tarniţa-Lăpuşteşti could reach EUR 1.5 billion investments. (source: digi24.ro)
