Kostintensiva

Kostintensiva is an economic term used to describe sectors or activities that incur high total costs relative to output, driven largely by substantial fixed costs and capital expenditures. The concept helps explain how some industries rely on scale and reliable access to financing to spread large upfront and ongoing costs over a large volume of production.

Key features of kostintensiva activities include high fixed costs (such as plant, equipment, and facilities), sizable depreciation and maintenance expenses, energy and operating costs, and a need for substantial working capital. Because a large portion of costs is not directly tied to the level of production in the short run, average costs tend to depend heavily on output volume. The term can overlap with capital intensity but emphasizes the cost structure itself rather than the specific ratio of capital to labor.

Economic implications involve barriers to entry, since new entrants must fund large initial investments. Profitability becomes sensitive to demand levels, interest rates, and input prices, making kostintiva sectors more prone to cycles and financial risk. Policy considerations include ensuring reliable infrastructure and energy supply, facilitating access to affordable financing, and providing targeted incentives or regulatory stability to support efficient capital deployment. Improvements in energy efficiency and logistics can significantly reduce average costs in these industries.

Common examples often described as kostintiva include cement and steel production, petrochemicals, chemicals, mining, and other large-scale manufacturing sectors, where cost structures are dominated by fixed investments and ongoing capital maintenance. The term is typically contrasted with labor-intensive sectors (high reliance on human labor) and with sectors where costs are more strongly tied to volume or input prices.

See also: economies of scale, fixed costs, variable costs, capital intensity, price pass-through.