The service levels shown to foreign companies locating in Macedonia's free zones have come as a pleasant surprise to even the most seasoned of professionals, giving the country a further competitive advantage on top of its tax incentives and cheap labour.

For decades the textiles industry was Macedonia's specialty, but the break-up of the former Yugoslavia in the 1990s caused production to slow dramatically. However, the industry is showing signs of a revival, led by the likes of Comfy Angel and Moda Sveti Nikole, both of which have attracted interest from western Europe.

While some IT hotspots in central and eastern Europe are overheating, with rising demand leading to a hike in wage expectations, Macedonia is positioning itself to take advantage, investing in developing the IT expertise of its graduates and establishing a business incubator to assist new businesses.