Olympus begins development and production of endoscopes in Přerov

24 Nov. 2009 | CzechInvest | Olympus Medical Products Czech is transferring to Přerov the development and production of endoscopes from Germany and Southeast Asia, thus centralising operations and creating up to 150 highly skilled jobs.

Olympus Medical Products Czech has opened in Přerov a new technology centre for development and production of healthcare instruments, primarily in the area of non-invasive surgery. The company is gradually centralising research and production in the Czech Republic. These activities have hitherto been conducted in Germany and Southeast Asia. Olympus invested CZK 150 million in the centre’s establishment and will create 150 new, highly skilled jobs.

“More than 140 Japanese investors are operating in the Czech Republic, which is more than in Italy or Spain, for example,” said Stanislav Martínek, director of CzechInvest’s Investment Division, on the occasion of the centre’s grand opening. “We are very pleased that Japanese companies, which are known for their emphasis on quality and precision work, have entrusted to us such demanding investments as development and production of medical devices.”

“Situated in the heart of Europe, in a key position between west and east, the Czech Republic and Přerov fit very well into Olympus’s concept of a unified, global corporation,” says Haruhito Morishimy, president of Olympus Medical Systems.

Construction of the centre began in autumn last year. Of the total amount of EUR 6 million, the firm invested EUR 3 million in the construction of the facility, EUR 1.7 million in ecological technology and the remainder in robots. “The centre is an investment in the future and in the region, which has a long tradition of producing medical instruments,” adds Heinz Jacqui, executive director.

The technology centre is the most advanced in the Czech Republic. Thanks to environmental-protection measures and minimisation of energy consumption, it is the first such facility to immediately receive two Class A energy certificates.

Olympus has been operating in Přerov since 2002, when it began repairing cameras in a rented facility. Two years later the company moved into its own spaces and subsequently expanded its operations in the city with the addition of endoscope repair for the European market. In total, Olympus has invested half a billion crowns in the Czech Republic.