Increasing Spanish interest in the Romanian market

ADMINEX, consultants in internationalization processes, estimates that Spain will be among the first main investors in Romania. The personnel costs which are 80% lower than in Western Europe and the growth possibilities of the market turn Romania into an ideal destination, as far as the internationalization of Spanish companies is concerned. The service sector (49,7% of the GDP), the industrial sector (23,5%) and the construction sector (9,1%) are the main sectors of Romanian economy. Infrastructure, innovative technology and complex service companies are the ones that show the main interest in the Romanian market.

According to ADMINEX, a company that has been collaborating for ten years on business internationalization processes, Spain, currently on the 11th position, can enter the top ten of main investing countries in Romania during 2009.

In times of economic slow-down, Spain must take advantage of the opportunities and growing economies on the international stage on which new opportunities rise every day. The Eastern-European markets like the Romanian and Bulgarian one, two countries that have been EU member states for two years now, are becoming increasingly advisable, as far as Spanish business investments are concerned. These investments can slow down the effects of the economic crisis we are currently living in our country.

Begonya Pelegrin, manager of ADMINEX, points out that “the legal and accountant security and particularly the low personnel costs are turning Romania into a very attractive country for international investors.”

Many possibilities in a growing market

According to the Spanish Ministry, the main investors in Romania, since the year 1991, are the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, France, Cyprus, the USA and the United Kingdom. Spain is currently on the 11th position. If we only counted the last three years, Spain would already be on the 7th position of all investing countries in Romania.

Therefore, ADMINEX predicts that during the current year, of all internationalization processes in which ADMINEX is involved 20% will be in Romania.

The distribution sector, following the construction sector, is the most dynamic one of Romanian economy, because the consumption of Romanian families is increasing.

The structure of the Romanian GDP is getting closer to the GDP of more developed states which has caused  changes regarding the population’s consumption during the last years. The amount of big malls under construction has increased in an important way.

Romania: A strategic geographical point

Regarding its surface and the size of its market, Romania is one of the biggest countries in Eastern Europe and the second one among the new Eastern European EU member states. Furthermore, three of the European transport corridors go past Romania and it has access to more than 200 million people within a 1000 km radius and to the Black Sea, which means a privileged position in Central and Eastern Europe. “Romania has very good opportunities regarding distribution, because the financial programs of the European Union support the extension of the infrastructure. Thanks to the good relations Romania is maintaining with its neighbour states, it can be a springboard to the internationalization in other Central and  Eastern European countries.”