INTERVIEW Radu Mircea Zoicas, CEO Maramures Industrial Parks: “Right now is the perfect opportunity to invest in Maramures”

With almost half a million inhabitants in the county, Maramures County is facing significant recent economic development.  In economic terms, the North-West region is, after the Bucharest – Ilfov area, the most attractive development region in Romania, taking into consideration a well-developed labor market, higher level of salaries, and foreign investments. Current data shows that Maramures County hosts 12,842 companies, among them 11,595 are micro-enterprises.

Maramures County Council aims to create the proper framework for attracting investors by addressing infrastructure issues. The local authorities want to establish a local economic innovation environment with a regional footprint.

Their plan is to set up a network of smart specialization parks, evenly distributed across the county in Baia Sprie, Șomcuta, Fărcașa, and Târgu Lăpuș. This setup will function as a “motherboard” that will pool innovation resources, lay the groundwork for technological transfer, and facilitate access for local and regional SMEs to international expertise. 

The development of the industrial parks in Maramures County is an assumed priority initiative of the County Council that has the full support of the national administration. For this purpose, in January 2021, the Maramures Industrial Parks Company was established.

The documentation for the four specialized smart parks: Baia Sprie, Fărcașa, Șomcuta Mare, and Târgu Lăpuș was approved in August 2023 by the County Council, and submitted to the funding call for the Regional Operational Programme of the North-West Region. In total, the funding reaches up to over 74 million euros, which includes funds for infrastructure as well as state aid for entrepreneurs investing in these parks.

The Diplomat-Bucharest talked to Radu Mircea Zoicas, the CEO of Maramures Industrial Parks Company to find out more about the strategy to transform Maramures into an attractive destination for investors.

What are the objectives of Maramures Industrial Parks Company?

In October 2020, the residents of Maramures elected a new, young, and business-oriented administration to head the county. The main goal declared by the new administration on day one of its mandate, was to develop the county by attracting investors. To this end, Maramures Industrial Parks Company S.A (MBP) was established in early 2021. Together, the two entities have registered remarkable progress in working to create a business-friendly environment, to motivate investors by accommodating both their general as well as their specific needs.

What is your strategy for attracting investors in Maramures County?

This is where the team up between the County Council and MBP really comes into play. While the County is building the necessary infrastructure to accommodate investors, MBP is developing a fiscal & financial offer, including up to €2.5 million in grants, that investors simply cannot refuse. Please allow me to be more specific:

At present time, the County has a portfolio of €2.2 billion contracted funds to develop de transportation, education, energy, health, and tourism infrastructure. The vast majority of funds come from the EU and they are hastily being put to good use. For example, two of our biggest projects that were started after 2021, the airport terminal and a 4-lane bridge to the Ukraine, are expected to be completed this year.    

On the other hand, MBP is simultaneously developing 77 ha of industrial/scientific parks spread out in 7 prime locations around the county of Maramures, each location having the potential extend further in order to accommodate the need of our investors. We offer a rich portfolio of diverse land plots with all the documentation and utilities at the ready; turnkey solutions. Next, we offer all the tax breaks and benefits implied by a top tier industrial park. Finally, and most importantly, SMEs coming to our parks will be able to additionally access up to €2.5 million in grants.

What is the status of the four smart parks?

In August 2023 all the required documents have been submitted for the first four locations: Baia Sprie, Fărcașa, Șomcuta Mare, and Târgu Lăpuș. The evaluation of the documents has been completed and our projects obtained between 90 and 92 points out of a maximum of 100 points. Therefore, the financing contracts for all four locations are scheduled to be signed this March. This implies that, with the support of our partners, the County Council and the Northwest Regional Development Agency, starting from next month we can begin evaluating projects submitted by investors who are applying for grants.  

Furthermore, over the last few months, MBP has submitted the required documentation for developing three additional parks in: Giulești, Bogdan Vodă and Mireșul Mare. While the submitted documentation is under evaluation, the work for developing the feasibility studies and zoning plans is progressing as scheduled.

What can you tell us about the infrastructure needed for these parks?

For all 7 locations MBP provide all the required infrastructure that an industrial park requires to function smoothly and efficiently. This includes road access, rail access, utilities, industrial water, sewer system, street lighting, internet.

Complementing the above infrastructure in one of our locations (Baia Sprie) we are constructing a campus for dual learning. This initiative aims to facilitate the continuous training and retention of professionals in the area and to assist park residents in achieving their workforce related goals. The public tender for the design & execution of this campus is almost complete and we expect the campus to become fully operational by September 2025. We have already signed partnership agreements with two regional universities and three of the biggest employers in Maramures. Of course, we are open to new members as our company is continuously working on identifying new collaborations with experts, trainers, and companies. 

Moreover, through close cooperation with our partners from the International Association of Science Parks and Areas of Innovation, an organisation encompassing over 115 thousand members worldwide, and the support of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, we offer support and new opportunities to our residents for their research and development projects encouraging them to innovate their products, processes, or services.  

How much money do you need to completely develop and finish the project?

There are two aspects to be discussed here.

First, we have a total budget of €50 million for developing the roads and utilities infrastructure in all 7 locations.

Complementing this amount, we offer a pre-reserved budget of 75 million euro for grants that future park inhabitants can access through the Northwest Regional Development Agency. This means that SMEs investing in our parks can benefit from the following grants:

         €200.000 minimis aid for consultancy, design, and permits (100% financed)

         €220.000 in innovation aid (100% financed)

         Up to €2.5 million for construction & equipment (60% and respectively 70% financed intensity for small and mid-sized enterprise)

Through these incentives we aim to make Maramureș an attracting destination for investors looking to expand their production capabilities or who are interested in shortening their production/supply chain by expanding capacities closer to their suppliers or customers, for mutually beneficial cooperation.

What are your financing sources and strategies in this regard?

Both the funds for developing the infrastructure as well as the pre-reserved budget for the grants are financed by the European Union through the Northwest Regional Development Agency and the Maramures County Council. These two financing lines are complementary. One comes to the aid of the public sector by supporting the construction of the necessary infrastructure, while the other provides an amazing opportunity for the development of the private sector.

What are the current challenges for the company and the County?

Personally, I feel we have three major challenges,

The first challenge relates to the construction of the parks themselves. Preparing the land plots, connecting all the utilities, obtaining the necessary permits, approvals & documents on time and within budget is a major priority for us. Our team is working diligently to meet tight deadlines and ensure that everting is ready on launch day.

The second challenge we face is equally as important, but more complex. It consists of getting our message across to investors who could genuinely benefit from what is offered in Maramures. As we all experience, our daily lives are constantly flooded with copious amounts of semi-relevant data. I believe that, at least at a professional level, reliable outlets such as yourselves play a key role in helping us cut through the noise and bringing to our attention the pertinent information that is useful to us. Therefore, I am grateful for having the opportunity to present the potential of or project to the Diplomat’s esteemed readers and ensure them of our full commitment in accommodating their business plans within the innovative Maramures Business Parks.

Finally, I would like to point out that when looking at the past, Maramures has mostly been developing well below its potential. This has led to the county currently having lower monthly wages and land prices in comparison to national and regional averages. However, speaking from my personal experience as a person born and raised here, I feel that in recent years, Maramures has started on an accelerate upward path, making right now the perfect moment to invest in the region.