Ferroalloy producer OFZ  (Vladimír Klocok) fully halted production in Oravský Podzámok last year, mainly due to high electricity prices. It signed an agreement with the Angolan government committing to invest €100m in a plant near a local hydropower station. Construction of a facility with capacity similar to the original Slovak plant is planned to start in 2027, with Angola offering electricity at one-fifth of Slovak prices for 15 years as well as tax incentives. OFZ plans t

The EU population is expected to decline 1% to 445m by 2050 and 12% to 399m by 2100, the latest Eurostat projections show. In 2025, the EU population was estimated at 452m and is expected to peak at 453m in 2029. As the population ages, the share of working-age people is projected to fall from 58% to 50% by 2100. Population projections for neighboring countries:   2025 2050 2100 Poland 37.5m 32.9m 25.7m Czechia 10.9m 10.6m 9.7m Hungary 9.5m 8.6m 7.4m Austria 9.2m 9.5m 8.8m S

Počet obyvateľov  EÚ do roku 2050 klesne o 1% na 445 mil. a do roku 2100 o 12% na 399 mil., ukazujú najnovšie projekcie Eurostatu. Vlani mala únia 452 mil. obyvateľov a ich počet bude kulminovať na úrovni 453 mil. v roku 2029. V dôsledku starnutia obyvateľstva sa očakáva, že podiel ľudí v produktívnom veku klesne zo súčasných 58% na 50% do roku 2100. Prognózy počtu obyvateľov v miliónoch: 2025 2050 2100 Poľsko 37,5 32,9 25,7 Česko 10,9 10,6 9,7 Maďarsko 9,5 8,6 7,4 Rakúsko 9,

Výrobca ferozliatin OFZ  (Vladimír Klocok) vlani úplne zastavil výrobu v Oravskom Podzámku, najmä pre vysoké ceny elektriny. Podpísal zmluvu s vládou v Angole, v ktorej sa zaviazal investovať 100 mil. € do závodu pri miestnej vodnej elektrárni. Výstavbu závodu s podobnou kapacitou ako pôvodný slovenský závod chce spustiť v roku 2027 a Angola poskytne elektrinu na 15 rokov za pätinové ceny v porovnaní so Slovenskom, ako aj daňové úľavy. OFZ chce v auguste spustiť výrobu v Uzbe

Sales of the TOP50 car dealers  in Slovakia rose 10% last year to €3.3bn, but their net profit fell 25% to €44m. The market leaders are Porsche (€643m in sales), Škoda Auto (€543m), and Mercedes‑Benz (€305m). Large companies in particular were unable to pass rising costs through to prices as they competed for customers with aggressive discounts amid pressure from new brands, especially from China and the U.S. ( trend.sk )

Tržby TOP50 predajcov áut  na Slovensku vlani stúpli o desatinu na 3,3 mld €, ale ich čistý zisk klesol o štvrtinu na 44 mil. €. Lídrami na trhu sú Porsche (tržby 643 mil. €), Škoda Auto (543 mil. €) a Mercedes-Benz (305 mil. €). Najmä veľké firmy nedokázali rast nákladov preniesť do svojich cien, keď bojovali o zákazníka agresívnymi zľavami v konkurencii nových značiek, hlavne z Číny a USA. ( trend.sk )

Czech defense conglomerate CSG  (Michal Strnad) is in talks to acquire Slovakia’s largest TV broadcaster, Markíza , from Czech group PPF  (Renáta Kellnerová), sources told IntelliNews. Strnad, the wealthiest Czech national, has close ties to Defense Minister Robert Kaliňák (Smer). Some media have accused PPF of pressuring news programs to soften criticism of the government to protect its other Slovak assets, including SkyToll and O2. Slovakia is a key production base for Strn

Česká skupina CSG  (Michal Strnad) rokuje o kúpe najväčšej TV skupiny na Slovensku Markíza  s inou českou skupinou PPF  (Renáta Kellnerová), tvrdia zdroje IntelliNews. Najbohatší Čech Strnad má dobré vzťahy s ministrom obrany Robertom Kaliňákom (Smer). Viacerí novinári obviňovali PPF z tlaku na spravodajské relácie, aby prílišnou kritikou vlády nepoškodili iné aktíva skupiny na Slovensku (napr. SkyToll či O2). Pre Strnada je Slovensko významnou produkčnou základňou a štát veľ

Retail chain Lidl plans to launch a virtual mobile operator. It has not yet announced the launch date for the Lidl Connect service, developed with 1Global. Tesco already operates a virtual operator using O2’s network. ( zive.sk )

Swiss-based ITS Water Group  with Ukrainian capital, through its Slovak subsidiary Aqua Chemicals, plans to invest €7m in a plant producing substances for drinking and wastewater treatment in Štúrovo. It plans to create 50 jobs. The project expands similar production in Ukraine, where 100 people are employed. Other Ukrainian capital investments in Slovakia include a new confectionery plant in Žilina with 200 employees, planned by Ukrainian producer Lukas owned by the Lukacký