Reasons to invest in Alba Iulia

Alba Iulia Municipality is primed to become the best city in Transylvania to invest in. Here are the main reasons to consider when you want to start a business in our city:

1. Strategic geographic location and good connectivity 

• Situated in the heart of Transylvania - a real region - not a fairytale;
• Alba Iulia is connected with 3 international airports (Cluj-Napoca Airport 120 km away, Târgu Mureș Airport -100 km away and Sibiu Airport -70 km away);
• The area is connected to Sibiu-Sebeș-Turda-Cluj-Napoca highways (A1 and A10). Alba Iulia is at the jonction of the 2 motorways. This highway is linking Transylvania highway with the Pan European Corridor IV with two nodes in Alba Iulia;
• The modernized railway line 200, Curtici-Bucharest is also connected with line 300 to Cluj-Napoca and Oradea.
  Alba Iulia is also connected to the National Road1 to Cluj Napoca and Sebeș (Alba Iulia ringroad) , Bărăbanț railway freight yard and Ciugud Industrial Area. It is also connected at 20 km to Coșlariu freight yard and Teiuș - the most important railway junction in Transylvania. New high speed railway available;
• Metropolitan local transport ensured at AIDA level, ensuring a very good mobility connection between Alba Iulia and the rural areas surrounding the City within the metropolitan area - 612 sqkm;
• Metropolitan train transportation services in the planning (contract signed for the opportunity study)- connecting Alba Iulia to Sebeș, Cugir, Zlatna, Teiuș, Aiud and Blaj.

2. Well qualified workforce

• Existence of a German Vocational School
• Alba Iulia is a member of 2 clusters working in the metal industry and tourism
• A young university active with more than 5000 students in diverse fields such as IT engineering, Tourism Economy, Marketing, Languages and Philology, History, Theology, Social Sciences etc.)
• Starting with 2015 in Alba Iulia the Technical University from Cluj Napoca (one of the most important University Centre in Romania) has a branch in Alba Iulia Municipality focused on Machines Building and Mechanical engineering.
• The average monthly gross wage in 2021 is 510 Euros at the region level.
• Workforce is available in the metropolitan area AIDA – Intercommunity Development Association Alba (612 sqkm) - 100.000 inhabitants.

3. Low operating expenses

• Average rents for offices in Alba Iulia: 5-12 euro/sqm;
• Average price per electric consumptions: 0.20 euro/kwh;
• The prices for the public water supply service and the tariffs for the public sewerage service, provided by the regional operator SC APA CTTA SA Alba: drinking water, for the entire operating area: 4.02 lei/m3 without VAT, sewerage, for the entire operating area: 3.82 lei/m3 without VAT;
• Private lands average rents: 24 euro/sqm;
• The price range for selling the public domain is somewhere around 8-25 euros/sqm. However, if decided to buy land external expertise will be contracted to estimate the price at the moment of the selling. This is a part of a transparent public tender.

4. Large investors in the area

SUPREMIA (now SOLINA) which is the largest factory of this kind in Eastern Europe willing now to extend their business also to an Innovation Research Center for the food industry (http://www.solina-group.ro);

VCST is also another example of successful investment in the economic development area (starting with 2012), which is focused on engine gears production and is equipped with the newest technology in metal processing and heat treatments such as nitriding and case hardening (http://www.vcst.com/company);

Another example of a successful economic activity this time at a municipal level outside the economic development area is given by the IPEC company specialized in porcelain which is one of IKEA’s Main Suppliers (http://www.ipec.ro/index.php?id_lang=3);

At the county level (at least 40 km away from Alba Iulia Municipality) several multinational investors enjoy the conditions of a successful investment such as BOSCH REXROTH, DAIMLER, HOLZINDUSTRIE SCHWEIGHOFER, KRONOSPAN, etc.

Other National major investors who also lead successful businesses in Alba County are: SC Apulum SA – porcelain factory, ALBALACT (LACTALIS now) – one of the most important milk producers at the national level, TRANSAVIA – one of the most important meat producers at the national level, JIDVEI- one of the most important winery producers at the national level, also recognized at international level for the quality of wines, IAMU BLAJ – focused on the manufacture and delivery of products ranging from precision mechanics products such as accessories, equipment, parts for machine tools and technical linear components (SC IAMU SA has obtained from the company Robert Bosch GmbH The Preferred Supplier Certificate).

5. Strategic and planning documents available to investors:

• Project prioritisation by the World Bank LINK;
• The Business Case for Smart Cities Alba Iulia realized by Siemens for free, for Alba Iulia, London, Aberdeen, Brussels and Kartal LINK;
• The Integrated Urban Development Strategy of Alba Iulia in Romanian language LINK; a new and updated strategy is in the making;
• The Alba Iulia Smart city Strategy (to be published in Q1 of 2022);
• The new Mobility plan (to be published in the begining of 2022);
• City Branding manual  LINK;
• Jan Gehl Architects Alba Iulia, City for people, ALBA IULIA TOWARDS A CITY FOR PEOPLE AND CULTURE HEALTH CHECK MINI-REPORT, LINK.

Photo Credits: Romulus Opriscan

6. In Alba Iulia there are the main administrative regional offices:

• Regional Development Agency (ADR Centre) - LINK;
• Court of Appeal - LINK;
• OIRPOSDRU - Regional Intermediate Body for the Sectoral Operational Program Human Resources Development - LINK;
• The Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Alba Iulia (public utility NGO) has been supporting the business community in our county for 30 years, and for 27 years it has been organizing the biggest event for recognizing the merits of entrepreneurs, by promoting the best performing enterprises - „The county`s top companies”.

7. Alba Iulia is an open administration with an expanding economic development area - LINK

8. Alba Iulia has a great investment potential in diversified fields: IT, tourism, culture, production, services.

The Alba Iulia „1 Decembrie 1918” University have undergraduate and master programs in relevant fields for future development of the city - LINK.

9. Alba Iulia has a growing population

Alba Iulia is one of the few county seat municipalities in Romania where the population is growing. According to the report of the Center for Urban and Territorial Development published in November 2016, Alba Iulia is among the only 6 county residences in 9 Romania where the population has grown in recent years, along with cities such as Iasi, Vaslui, Bistrita, Sibiu, and Cluj Napoca (LINK).

Photo Credits: Romulus Opriscan

10. Half a million tourists visiting the city / year

Compared to 30.000 visitors/year in 2007, the growth of the city as a destination is enormous. Alba Iulia has over half a million tourists per year after the Citadel was rehabilitated and the city established itself as a branded, visible, and very welcoming city in Europe.

Photo Credits: Romulus Opriscan