Czech Business & Trade 3/2018

CZECH BUSINESS AND TRADE
Investments
In 1993, the American company Honeywell
opened laboratories in Prague,
where it collects data and optimises
processes in many branches of its activities.
In 2003, it based its laboratories
in Brno´s Technological Centre, where
it innovates aviation and automobile
industry products. It is the third largest
centre within the concern, after the
United States and India. In the Czech
Republic it operates two factories, in
Olomouc and Brno. In 2016, Bell Helicopter
opened a paint shop and a transfer
centre for European clients. The firm
makes parts and whole doors for Airbus,
Boeing and Embraer aircraft, and operates
a Research and Development Centre
there. The American aircraft engine
manufacturer, GE Aviation, is building
a global centre in the Czech Republic for
the development, testing and manufacture
of Advanced Turboprop (ATP) turbojet
engines. It will be fully operational
by the end of 2022. This year´s test of
the most advanced ATP turbojet engine
is another step taken in the fulfilment
of the investment contract signed with
the Czech Government in 2016. Some
500 new jobs will thus be created in the
Czech Republic over the next five years.
Last year, 170 workers were already taken
on and 80 more will become employed
this year. GE Aviation is planning
to collaborate with Czech universities
and domestic suppliers in development
and production. The full capacity of the
Centre will be more than 400 engines
per year. ATP engines will also be used
by the completely new Cessna Denali
aircraft of the Textron Aviation firm.
The main outlet for the engines will be
North America. The first tests inside the
test room were made at the end of 2017,
and the actual testing on the plane will
take place later this year.
supplies some of its products to GE Aviation
Czech, První brněnská strojírna, Aircraft
Industries and Aero Vodochody.
• CZECH SPACE ODYSSEY
The space industry is another unique sector
in the Czech Republic which can pride itself
on top-standard projects. The CR is a member
of the European Space Agency and six
years ago Prague became the administrative
centre for the Galileo satellite navigation
system. During those six years, Galileo
has taken not a step, but a leap forward to
becoming fully operational. In collaboration
with the European Space Agency (ESA),
which is Galileo´s system architect, the construction
of the cosmic segment for launching
satellites sending out navigation signals
is making good progress. In December
2016, Galileo started initiation services with
18 satellites. Full operation, however, will be
in place no sooner than in 2020, when the
full constellation of 27 satellites will be in
orbit. Certification procedures authorising
airports to use the EGNOS system for the
approach phase of aircraft before landing
have been taking place since 2012. Successful
applications are being used in logistics,
agriculture, environment monitoring and
mapping, in addition to transport.
The first Czech space incubator, ESA BIC
Prague, established two years ago, is entitled
to use ESA (European Space Agency)
technologies and systems. This year, on the
occasion of the 40th anniversary of the first
space flight of the Czechoslovak astronaut
Vladimír Remek, a branch of the space incubator
was opened in Brno, South Moravia.
“The region is a good site with a suitable environment,
where space and aviation technologies
are faring well and are one of the
region´s priorities. New start-ups that will be
included in the project will profit from the vicinity
of research and scientific centres, specialised
institutes of Brno universities, and
will strike up collaboration with established
firms and supranational corporations operating
in the region,” says Jan Vitula, Vice-President
of the South Moravia Region. Besides
the 40th anniversary of the first space flight
of a Czechoslovak – and at the same time
the first non-American and non-Soviet astronaut,
2018 is the year of yet other important
events in the epoch of “space conquest”
with a Czech connection. In October 2018,
40 years will have passed since the launching
of the first Czech satellite, Magion 1, and
in November 2018 the Czech Republic will
mark 10 years of its membership of the European
Space Agency.
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