REGIONÁLNE ROZDIELY V JUHOSLOVENSKEJ PODNIKATEĽSKEJ OBLASTI

The aim of this study is to introduce three elements of structural characteristics of business activity - economic organisation with legal entities, private enterprises and foreign investments - in connection to Southern Slovakia and to draw attention to significant regional differences in business activities relating to the state and/or Southern Slovakia. Whilst examining these activities in different districts of Southern Slovakia the statistical data for Bratislava and Kosice are not included, because the social and economic indicators of these two cities would significantly distort the innovation potential of the compact territory that is situated at the border between Slovakia and Hungary and with a large Hungarian minority and 16 districts (of which 1/3 of the 1.5 million population is of Hungarian nationality). After three years, since the accession to the European Union the economic indicators of Southern Slovakian regions inhabited by the Hungarian minority have remained unfavourable when compared to similar indicators of other regions in the country (of which only Dunajska Streda and its close surroundings are the exception). Within Southern Slovakia the overwhelmingly Hungarian territories found themselves more or less outside the range of interest of foreign capital. This is partially a consequence of the separateness of the minority, but mostly it is due to the underdevelopment of the infrastructure generally, but particularly of the transportation network. Considering the existing social and economic conditions in Southern Slovakia we argue that the key to the socio-economic renewal of this region are the small and middle enterprises which in present lag behind their Slovak partners.