PODRAVJE REGION

GEOGRAPHIC & DEMOGRAPHIC DATA

Podravje is populated by 319.547 inhabitants, 51,6 % of them are women. According to the number of inhabitants and according to the density of population, Podravje is the second biggest Slovene region. The share of Podravje population represents 16,4 % of the total population of Slovenia. Podravje Iies in the North - East Slovenia and measures 2.169 km2 which is about 1 0 % of the total Slovene territory. Podravje is considered a medium developed region with a problematic economic structure but with positive development potentials.

ECONOMY

The whole region of Podravje is considered a medium developed region with a problematic economic structure (which Iead to high unemployment average - 24%) but with positive development potentials. In the eighties, the sector structure of the economy in Podravje, as well as in Slovenia, showed a typical economic structure for socialist developing countries. The industrial sector was dominant (56% of employment and over 50% of GDP), and within it, Iarge socially - owned companies played the Ieading role. The previous structure of employment, based on Iarge manufacturing companies (such as metal processing, transport equipment, textile, machine tools), must be Iargely replaced by companies new to the area and by small companies who are able to grow and to compete well in a market economy. Our first priority is to reduce the unemployment by creating new jobs.

MAIN SECTORS

Currently, the majority of companies in Podravje operate in the service sector: in trade (almost 45%) and in financial and other business services (22%). Only 16% of the total number of companies still operate in manufacturing sector.

R&D - EDUCATION

The main research and development patterns in whole Slovenia show that basic research is strongly concentrated in major urban areas and that while R&D remains rather strong in some areas of basic research, the capacity for applied research is much more Iimited because of cuts in enterprise spending for this purpose, as well as the "internal brain drain" of academics. Researchers Ieave Universities and other R&D institutions to work in private sector jobs where, often, they do not have the suitable equipment nor do they apply their full skills. Therefore, the need for research and technology centres is very strong in all of the regions. In  Podravje there are some high technology industries with existing high-tec and a cadre of trained technicians, which recently enable the clustering of such industries.

The system of education in Podravje region is well developed in the case of primary and secondary schools. University centre is also situated in Maribor, which run part of its programmes for adults in other regions.