On 29 September 2026 the International Investment Office (IIO) organised a visit by a delegation of the Burshtyn city community to Kechnec in Slovakia’s Košice Region. Kechnec hosts a 332-hectare industrial park, one of the largest in the country. Burshtyn is preparing to set up its own industrial park, and IIO is supporting the community in this work. Kechnec was chosen because it has gone the whole way: from the first plot to a school, a kindergarten and a hospital built thanks to the park.
In brief
- Date: 29 September 2026.
- Place: the municipality of Kechnec, Košice Region, Slovakia.
- Organiser: International Investment Office.
- Purpose: learning how to create and manage an industrial park, for Burshtyn.
- Outcome: the sides discussed a partnership agreement between Burshtyn and Kechnec.
The delegation
IIO was represented by President Roman Matys and Deputy Head and Executive Director Andriana Matys. The Burshtyn community was represented by Mayor Vasyl Andriieshyn, Deputy Mayor Svitlana Vydai, city councillor Nataliia Vasylashchuk and Yana Shtohryn, head of the international cooperation department.
Kechnec Industrial Park
Kechnec has about 1,200 residents, and next to it lies a 332-hectare industrial park, the first large park of its kind in Slovakia. The idea dates back to 1996, and the park opened in 2003. Since then international companies have set up production here, and a small village has become one of the largest industrial sites in eastern Slovakia.
Ready infrastructure: the main lesson
After an official ceremony with the national anthems of Ukraine and Slovakia, Mayor Tomáš Konkoly gave the guests a tour of the park. The delegation asked about its history and management and paid most attention to the utilities.
In Kechnec an investor gets a prepared plot with power, water, sewerage including storm drainage, fibre-optic internet and direct access to the R4 expressway. A railway runs nearby, and the Hungarian border is half a kilometre away. Ready infrastructure is what attracts large investors here, and that is the main lesson for Burshtyn.
Magna plants
The delegation visited two plants of the Canadian company Magna, one of the world’s largest automotive suppliers. The first has operated in Kechnec for more than twenty years and makes transmissions, including for BMW Group. The second, newer one produces electronic systems for electric vehicles and driver assistance systems. Magna keeps expanding in Kechnec: an investor that came to the park has stayed for the long term.
How the park changed the community
Thanks to the revenue and opportunities the park brought, Kechnec now has a school, a kindergarten, a health centre, several stadiums, tennis courts, a spa complex, an amphitheatre and a congress centre. The community keeps growing: a new kindergarten was recently built with EU support, and in March 2027 a hospital will open as a joint project of the municipality and a private investor. The delegation received a preliminary invitation to the opening.
What the participants said
“Kechnec shows how an industrial park gradually changes a community: first come investors and jobs, then resources for social infrastructure, and later the community becomes attractive to new partners, including European programmes and private investors. Burshtyn has an advantage Kechnec did not have at the start: strong energy infrastructure. The town also already has stadiums, tennis courts, a swimming pool, clubs for children and a recreation area by the reservoir. Residents and future park employees can use them today, without waiting for years. Our task is to combine these advantages with proven management experience,” said Roman Matys, President of the International Investment Office.
“We saw that an industrial park gives a community much more than jobs. It creates the economic base on which schools, sports grounds and healthcare appear. Kechnec took more than twenty years to get here, and we want to go faster by modernising the social infrastructure we already have, building on their experience and avoiding mistakes. Burshtyn has what it takes: the land, the people and the energy infrastructure,” said Burshtyn Mayor Vasyl Andriieshyn.
“When we started, what we had was mainly vision and determination. The industrial park brought our community new opportunities and resources that allowed us to invest substantially in its development. Today the results are visible not only in better infrastructure but also in schools, sports grounds and other projects that serve our residents. We are glad to share our experience with Burshtyn and believe our cooperation and exchange will continue,” said Kechnec Mayor Tomáš Konkoly.
Next steps
The sides discussed further cooperation, including a partnership agreement between Burshtyn and Kechnec. The International Investment Office will continue to support Burshtyn on its way to an industrial park, from development strategy to investor search.