(source: Jozef Jakubco, SME)
Last year 1,043,237 cars were made in Slovakia, almost 5,000 more than in 2015. This April, the ten-millionth car was made in Slovakia, the Automotive Industry Association of the Slovak Republic (AIA) announced.
The car industry in Slovakia is experiencing an increasing trend in production, officials of the association stated. The industry maintained its position from 2015 last year, when the number of manufactured cars exceeded one million cars for the first time. A similar result is expected again this year.
With its 192 cars per 1,000 inhabitants, Slovakia is the global leader in the number of manufactured cars per citizen.
“Purchasing power is still strong in Slovakia, people are interested in cars,” said Juraj Sinay, the president of the AIA, as quoted by the TASR newswire.
The registration of new cars in the first quarter of this year grew by almost 14 percent year-on-year, he added.
Among the strategical aims of the association is the support of an increased share in applied research and development. They also consider it necessary to support the development of subcontractors and the digitalisation of production and logistics, according to Sinay.
The car industry is battling with the lack of a qualified labour force. Attention should be aimed towards the development of young people's technical skills and the implementation of law regarding expert education and preparation, the AIA said.
The officials of the association think, that the school-reform’ document, Learning Slovakia (Učiace sa Slovensko) does not reflect practical needs in the field of high-school specialised education.
“We suggest withdrawing this document and initiating a real analysis of schooling,” said vice-president of the AIA Július Hron, for TASR. Based on this analysis new school reform could be introduced, because education as it stands is only maintaining the current situation, he added.
