CZECH INVESTmentNEWS12Computer Associates to establishMainframe Centre of Excellence in Prague€36 million investment to create world-class development facility for next-generation software solutionsComputer Associates International, Inc. (NYSE: CA) announced that itwill create its first worldwide Mainframe Centre of Excellence in Prague,representing a major expansion of its operations in the <strong>Czech</strong> Republicand a significant commitment to the mainframe computing market. Thenew Centre will focus on software development, maintenance, validationand quality assurance for the mainframe computing environment.The staff of <strong>Czech</strong>Invest, the Investment and Business DevelopmentAgency of the <strong>Czech</strong> Ministry of Industry and Trade, is assisting CA byproviding expert advice and incentives under the Agency’s FrameworkProgramme for support of technology centres and business supportservices.“CA is proud to announce this partnership with <strong>Czech</strong>Invest to create astate-of-the art mainframe development and support centre in the heartof Europe,” said Guy Harrison, senior vice president, DevelopmentOperations at CA. “This Centre of Excellence will provide mainframeusers worldwide with a host of innovations, and will help strengthen the<strong>Czech</strong> Republic’s position as a hub of IT activity.”CA’s Mainframe Centre of Excellence will be established in a 4,237square meter (45,222 square foot) facility in Building 6 at The PARK inChodov, Prague 4 and is scheduled to open in August <strong>2005</strong>. The Centreexpects to hire and train more than 200 people including talented students,mainframe experts and experienced managers.“CA’s Mainframe Centre of Excellence brings investment from one ofthe world’s most successful software companies to Prague and is a signthat large multi-nationals see tangible business benefits in the <strong>Czech</strong> Republic,”said Radomil Novak, CEO of <strong>Czech</strong>Invest. “The opening of thisCentre is a testament to the skills and resources we have available in thismarket, where our people and our infrastructure can provide the rightbasis for strategic growth and improved competitiveness in the globaleconomy.”Toyota Peugeot Citroen (TPCA) plant in the <strong>Czech</strong> Republichas officially launched productionPSA Peugeot Citroen and Toyota Motor Co officially inaugurated their1.3-bln-eur (1.7 billion dollar, 39 billion koruna) joint carmaking plant inthe <strong>Czech</strong> Republic. Production of three small city car models designedfor fuel-frugal Europe officially began Tuesday, May 31st at a new ToyotaPeugeot Citroen (TPCA) auto plant in the town of Kolin, 60 kilometres eastof Prague. Not only will the plant employ 3,000 people by the end of thisyear, but TPCA’s exports to other parts of Europe are expected to have ahuge impact on the <strong>Czech</strong> economy. Radomil Novak, director of the governmentagency <strong>Czech</strong>Invest, said the factory’s output is expected to boostthe country’s foreign trade balance by about 40 billion koruna annually.The ceremony was attended by Jean-Martin Folz, chief executive of PSAPeugeot Citroen, and Fujio Cho, president of Toyota, as well as <strong>Czech</strong>Prime Minister Jiri Paroubek and other ministers and officials.The plant makes small entry-level cars from a single production line to beseparately branded as Toyota Aygos, Peugeot 107s and Citroen C1s. Pricedat around 11,000 dollars each, the fuel-stingy models are designed for entry-levelbuyers in urban Europe. Production will be split equally amongthe three brands, with one vehicle rolling out every minute once full annualcapacity of 300,000 vehicles is reached early next year.“We are producing 400 cars daily but that will rise to 1,050 once full capacityis reached by next January,” said Jean-Pierre Chantossel, the vice presidentof TPCA, the joint venture running the factory.The carmakers said the central location, close to important markets, a developedsupplier network and infrastructure were key reasons for optingfor Kolin. Another was the <strong>Czech</strong> Republic’s rich industrial and automobilemanufacturing tradition.Source: TPCAAlltracel has signed a development partnershipwith <strong>Czech</strong> nanofibre technology specialistsAlltracel Pharmaceuticals Plc., thehealthcare technology company focusedon the consumer woundcare, oralcare and coronary health markets, announcedthe signing of a nanotechnologyand product development agreementwith nanofibre technology specialistsELMARCO s.r.o. of the <strong>Czech</strong> Republicfor the development of a next generationdelivery platform for Alltracel’sm-doc(TM) technology.Elmarco is a specialist R&D and manufacturingcompany specialising in advancedmanufacturing for the semiconductorcomponents industry as well asequipment for industrial production ofnanofibrous non-woven materials. TheTechnical University of Liberec (<strong>Czech</strong> Republic) came up with a breakthroughtechnology enabling industrial production of nanofibrous nonwovenmaterials. Elmarco became its partner in development of the manufacturingequipment and became an exclusive patent user of this very new andunique technology that is far ahead of present nanofiber technologies.Alltracel’s CEO Tony Richardson commented, “Alltracel has always beencommitted to innovation in our markets and we are particularly excitedby the prospects for m-doc(TM) based nanofibrous advanced woundcaredelivery systems. Although at an early stage of development nanofibretechnology is showing market transforming potential in a number of ourmarkets and we are delighted to have formalised our partnership withElmarco and the nanofibre technology team at the Technical Universityof Liberec. We are now focused on jointly reviewing a range of patentprotected potential applications for m-doc(TM) based nanofibre solutions,initially for the advanced woundcare and surgical markets and bringingthese innovations to market via our network of existing and new commercialpartners.”
13EVENTS...OR WHAT WE’VE FOUND OUTClustered to talk about clustersClusters are regional associations of business entities that operate in the same or related branch in orderto create a competitive advantage that would be unachievable alone. For this purpose they also workwith universities, research institutions and the public sector and fundamentally help the entire region’sdevelopment. Aware of the importance of clusters to the economy and its potential in the <strong>Czech</strong> Republic,<strong>Czech</strong>Invest organized an international “Cluster Conference <strong>2005</strong>” in cooperation with OECD and theSouth Moravian Innovation Centre, which took place in Brno at the end of May.Clusters and potential clusters in the CRChemicalWaterworks eng.ElectronicsAutomotiveEngineeringWood processingMusical instrumentsTablewareSpa / TourismMechatronicsElectronicsBridge technologyAutomotiveEngineeringBeer IndustryKarlovy VaryPlzenUstiWood processingWater-treatment tech.AutomotiveRenewable resourcesImitation jewelleryTechnical textilesGlassPrahaCentral BohemiaSouth BohemiaLiberecEngineeringWood procesingpanies as well as universities and entire regions,” said <strong>Czech</strong>Invest’s CEORadomil Novak, who opened the conference. “Cooperation in clusters raisesa company’s quality, speed and number of innovations. And these very factorsare essential for the successful functioning and growth of the economy.”Nine million euros are available for projects to establish and develop clustersin regions of the <strong>Czech</strong> Republic under the national Clusters programme,funded by EU structural funds. Last September <strong>Czech</strong>Invest had alreadylaunched a project named “Clusters – a tool to develop competitiveness ofPolygraphicPackaging tech.Technical textilesPharmaceuticals-medicine tech.Beer industry ChemicalsElectronicsEngineeringTechnical plasticsWood processingHradec KraloveVysocinaPardubiceSouthMoraviaOlomoucMoravia-SilesiaZlinAutomotiveWine-makingElectronicsBiotechnologyOpticsICTNanotechnologyEngineeringMicro-eletronicsAviationProject undergoingInitial activitiesEngineeringWood processingICTConstruction materialsMetallurgyRenewable resourcesChemical industryPlasticsShoemakingAutomotiveSource: <strong>Czech</strong>Investcompanies and regions”.This project included aseries of seminars gearedtowards anyone interestedin this issue, and alsosaw the training of thefirst group of “facilitators”,namely experts in the regionswho help to identifysuitable areas for startingclusters and who subsequentlystart them.“During the seminar weidentified a large numberof sectors in individualregions that are suitablefor creating economicallysuccessful clusters, forexample wood processing,plastics, the textileindustry, wine makingas well as modern fieldssuch as biotechnologyand optoelectronics,”said Lubos Lukasik,Director of <strong>Czech</strong>-Invest´s Company competitivenessdivision.Entrepreneurs, regional authorities, university officials and others interestedin this topic had the chance to meet with a number of foreign expertswho have rich experience with the concept of clusters. The conferencewas accompanied by interactive workshops focusing on specific fields,high-tech as well as traditional sectors of the <strong>Czech</strong> economy (plastics, automotiveetc.), services, ICT, clusters based on competences or thematiccircles (e.g. the role of universities in developing clusters). In total 250 participantsactively discussed the possibilities of using this tool to strengthenthe competitiveness of all interested parties in a cluster. Sharing their manyyears of knowledge about clusters at the conference were, for example,Ifor F. Williams, CEO of Cluster Navigators (New Zealand), Lars Eklund,vice president of the Swedish Competitiveness Institute and director ofthe Competitiveness Department at the Swedish agency for innovationsystems – VINNOVA, Dan Sjögren,consultant for innovation systems andcluster programmes in Sweden, PeterHeydebrek, partner and executive ofthe European consulting group inno AG(Germany), Mark Copsey, the “father”and implementer of many large-scaledevelopment projects to found clusters inGreat Britain and New Zealand, and manyothers. Also speaking on the fundamentalimportance of clusters for the <strong>Czech</strong> economywas Vice Premier Martin Jahn.“Experience from abroad shows thatbuilding clusters is an effective methodof indirectly supporting prospective comed.
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