CzechInvest and AFI recognize the top business properties of 2007

The PlzenScience and Technology Park, Most-JOSEPH Industrial Zone, a brownfield refurbished by the company Zambelli-technik near České Budějovice, and the CTPark Ostrava industrial park are the properties that made the greatest contribution to the development of business in the Czech Republic last year. This evening at Prague’s Karlín Theatre their representatives received awards during the eighth annual Business Property of the Year awards ceremony organised by CzechInvest in cooperation with the Association for Foreign Investment and the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic. A special prize for the Business-Property Manager of the Year was presented to Jaroslav Krch of the Most-JOSEPH Industrial Zone.

The winners of the 2007 Business Property of the Year awards are:

• Zone with the Greatest Economic Benefit: Most-JOSEPH Industrial Zone
• Brownfield of the Year: Zambelli-technik, spol. s r.o.
• Business Property with the Greatest Benefit for Innovation and Research:

Plzen Science and Technology Park

• Industrial Park with the Greatest Economic Benefit: CTPark Ostrava
• Business-Property Manager of the Year: Jaroslav Krch, Most-JOSEPH Industrial Zone

“Well-prepared business properties are the key to gaining new investments. Without industrial zones, science and technology parks, and first-class office spaces, the Czech Republic would not have been able to maintain its position among the world’s best countries in terms of the inflow of foreign investments over the past several years,” says Alexandra Rudyšarová, CEO of CzechInvest.

“For this year’s presentation of the Business Property of the Year awards, we are meeting in Prague’s Karlín district, which in the past ten years has undergone dynamic changes due to the activities of developers and as a result of the flood in 2002. The fact that the ceremony is taking placing in this part of the city is a bit symbolic. Even though Karlín is only a short distance from Prague’s historical centre, it still contains areas that were of a purely industrial character in the past,” adds Jan Bobek, chairman of the Association for Foreign Investment.

“Brownfields represent significant potential for the future, which will attract the attention of investors. I believe that this concerns the promise of interesting and positive development of cities in our country,” says Bobek.  
“A range of AFI members are participating in projects related to the revitalisation of obsolete industrial sites.”   

This year’s competition featured a completely new category, Industrial Park with the Greatest Economic Benefit, intended especially for developers providing rental spaces. “At the beginning of the 1990s it was necessary for the state to support the construction of business properties. Now this role has been completely taken over by private developers. Andtoday investors most often seek out rental spaces. The Business Property of the Year competition always endeavours to reflect current developments on the market, which is why we added this category,” explains Rudyšarová.

The awards ceremony was attend by Jakub Železný, 300 guests from a range of developers, regional and national politicians and representatives of the state administration. The pop star Lucie Bílá entertained the crowd with several songs. “For this year’s event we symbolically chose the Karlín Musical Theatre, as this quarter of the city has a long industrial history that resulted in a number of disused brownfields which in recent years, however, have been converted into living spaces for business and residential use. Revitalisation of brownfields and support for technologically demanding investments, such as in research and development or services, are among CzechInvest’s top priorities,” concludes Rudyšarová.

The winners of the 2007 Business Property of the Year awards are:

Zone with the Greatest Economic Benefit

1st place: Most-JOSEPH Industrial Zone

2nd place: Nádraží Rakvice Industrial Zone

3rd place: Ostrava-Mošnov Strategic Industrial Zone

Brownfield of the Year:

1st Zambelli-technik, spol. s r.o.

2nd CTZone Brno

3rd KORNET s.r.o. Kraslice

Business Property with the Greatest Benefit for Innovation and Research:

1st place: Plzen Science and Technology Park

2nd place: ČKD Praha Technological Innovation Centre

3rd place: VŠB-TU Ostrava Business Incubator

Industrial Park with the Greatest Economic Benefit:

1st place: CTPark Ostrava

2nd place: VGP Park Horní Počernice

3rd place: IIG Industrial Park Vyškov

Business-Property Manager of the Year:

Jaroslav Krch, City of Most, Most-JOSEPH Industrial Zone