czech pavilion at 2010 expo - MZV ÄŒR

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KALEIDOSCOPE
Czech SOLVIT –One of the Three Fastest Centres in the EU
The Czech SOLVIT Centre, active at the Ministry
of Industry and Trade, is a system of
informal problem solving on the EU inner
market. In 2009 the Czech centre was one
of the three fastest centres, together with
those of Ireland and Austria, which resolved
issues within 28 days on average. The deadline
by which the centre should fi nd a solu-
tion is ten weeks. The Czech SOLVIT centre,
with 126 cases resolved, is evaluate d by the
European Commission as one of the most
successful in the EU. The SOLVIT system
provides free and fast assistance in the case
where an offi ce of a member state violates
the rights granted to a citizen or an entrepreneur
by European law.
The Czech Republic Has Been among the Best in
Economic Endurance in the EU during the Crisis
The economic crisis revealed the defi ciencies,
but it also confi rmed the strong aspects,
of the Czech economy. As noted by
the mid-year barometer of the Confederation
of European Business (BusinessEurope)
representing 40 national employers’
feder ations from 34 countries, the evaluation
of the Czech economy in comparison
with the other 28 countries is relatively
positive. The Czech Republic was placed
relatively well and, together with Denmark,
Germany, and Austria, it was judged the
best at resisting the impact of the crisis. Together
with Slovakia, Poland, and Hungary,
it is approximating the average economic
level of the EU and it retains an excellent
level of external competitiveness. In comparison
with other European countries, the
Czech Republic is judged relatively highly in
export performance (4th among 29 countries).
Also in the area of public fi nance (10th
among 29 countries), despite worsening in
2009 and the current worsening, the Czech
Republic is among the countries with better
results. As regards tax burden and budgetary
adjustment linked to ageing, our coun-
try has attained average results (12th place
in both factors). Labour costs are relatively
higher (18th among 29 evaluated European
countries) and information related to labour
productivity is unfavourable (22nd place). In
labour productivity, the Czech Republic is
behind Slovakia, but ahead of Hungary and
Poland.
First Hopeful Firms
in Silicon Valley
BoldBrick, Cognitive Security and Imagemetry
– these are the names of the Czech start-up
companies which, by 30 June, were lodged
in the CzechAccelerator of the CzechInvest
Agency in California. CzechInvest has organised
office space for them free of charge in the
unique business incubator, Plug and Play Tech
Centre in Silicon Valley which is the seat of such
giants as Microsoft, Google, and Sun Microsystems.
BoldBrick is seeking new clients for their
key product, Mossquito, and opportunities for
financing further development in CzechAccelerator.
“CzechAccelerator is an ideal opportunity
for us to start our business activities in the US,
which is our key market,” says Ondřej Tučný,
General Manager of BoldBrick. Imagemetry
Company sent part of its trade and research
team, which specialises in the area of digital
image processing and artificial intelligence. It is
seeking an opportunity in California for strategic
support and expansion of their product, aimed
at security aspects of visual data.
AFSI in Most to Employ
Almost 200 People
Almost 200 people in North Bohemia will
be employed by Advanced Filtration Systems
Inc.(AFSI), the American produ cer
of filters and filter inserts. Production in
the new plant in the Joseph Industrial
Zone in Havraň in the Most Region was
launched in March 2010. “We decided
on the Czech Republic as the location
of our first factory outside the United
States, due to its excellent location in
the heart of Europe, decent infrastructure,
and reliable employees. Another
factor that influenced our decision was
the good reference from our partner, the
Donaldson company, which has been
doing business in Kadaň and in Klášterec
for 10 years,” says Radim Otipka, Head
of the Havraň plant. The Most plant will
manufacture filters and filter inserts for
Caterpillar machines and engines in Europe,
Africa, Asia, and Australia. As of July,
there will be a new generation of filters
for the British Perkins company. The construction
of the AFSI plant in the Czech
Republic started in April 2008. To date,
142 people have obtained employment
there and their number should grow to
185 by the end of the year.
Photo: www.sxc.hu, European Commission archives, Karel Pazderka