CZECHINVEST – Gateway to the Czech Republic

Established in 1992 by the Czech Ministry of Industry & Trade, CzechInvest works to promote and facilitate foreign direct investment into the Czech Republic and is the essential point of contact for any business or individual considering setting up operations in the country. While manufacturing sector investments make up the bulk of the agency’s work, service sector projects have been gathering pace as companies are setting up shared services, call centres, software development, R&D, design centres and high-tech repair centres.

During its ten years of existence CzechInvest has made a very considerable contribution to the growth of the Czech economy. The projects handled by CzechInvest have generated or safeguarded almost 62,000 jobs and secured around $6.7 billion in investment.

Among recent successes, CzechInvest brought PSA PEUGEOT CITROËN AND TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION to the Czech Republic to build a joint factory to produce a new class of compact passenger car with maximum environmental friendliness. The investment should reach EUR 1.5 billion and is the largest greenfield investment ever made in Central and Eastern Europe. LG Philips set up one of their largest plants ever right in the Czech Republic, which was also the fastest plant ever to begin production in the firm’s history.

The Czech Republic offers both new and existing investors investment incentives and business support through several schemes. The most attractive is the National Investment Incentives Scheme offered by the government to investors in manufacturing and fully compliant with EU state aid rules.

In order for the Czech Republic to strengthen its position as an information and technology hub in Central Europe the government introduced two new programmes to support strategic services projects and the establishment and expansion of technology centres. CzechInvest has in-depth knowledge of the whole incentives scheme and is the sole body authorized to refer incentives applications to the government for approval.

To better facilitate the investment location process and to unlock the full potential of the regions of the Czech Republic, CzechInvest quickly established a comprehensive network of regional partners. Moreover, the CzechInvest-instigated Industrial Zone initiative has given international and domestic firms a wider choice of real estate options courtesy of over 50 zones throughout the Czech Republic, bringing 1,700 hectares of suitable land onto the market. We also maintain our own database of over 150 suitable sites and buildings around the country - the interactive, on-line version is available at our website: www.czechinvest.org.

Reflecting the commitment CzechInvest is making to maximize the net gain to the Czech economy, the agency’s domestic supplier development programme and website already profile over 1,000 competent Czech suppliers from the sectors of electronics, precision engineering, aerospace and healthcare. Profiles of these companies are freely accessible on our website. If you wish to meet such suppliers or potential joint-venture partners we can initiate contact and arrange further negotiations.

Each investor client is assigned a Project Manager who will have a strong knowledge of the specific sector in which your firm operates. Your Project Manager will advise you in detail about CzechInvest’s services or help you make your decision to invest in the Czech Republic and to accelerate the investment process once you have decided for the Czech Republic. In addition, CzechInvest's staff helps foreign investors deal with authorities at both national and local levels to ensure rapid decisions are made.

An investment in the Czech Republic is an opportunity second to none in Europe and CzechInvest is the “one-stop shop” that will deliver your next European project. Here are some good reasons to invest in the Czech Republic:

• Central position in Europe and improving transport links
• EU accession process underway
• Well-educated, skilled and flexible workforce
• Well-developed domestic supply base
• Proven research & development capabilities
• Renewed economic growth and restructuring of industry
• Investment incentives and other support measures

CzechInvest has headquarters in Prague and offices in the United States, Japan, Great Britain, Germany, Belgium, France and Hong Kong. All CzechInvest services are provided free of charge.

Headquarters:
Address:		CzechInvest Štěpánská 15 120 00 Prague 2 Czech Republic
Phone: Fax:		+420 296 342 500 +420 296 342 502
E-mail: Web:		marketing@czechinvest.org www.czechinvest.org