South Moravia attracted the most investors last year

South Moravia is the most popular region among investors in the Czech Republic according to statistics compiled by CzechInvest. Forty companies invested here in 2007. These investors will spend nearly CZK 13 million in coming years and employ 3,900 people.“Brno in particular has been very successful. Over the long term, the city has managed to attract modern projects involving research and development and provision of the most various business services. With CzechInvest’s assistance, last year Brno gained 15 new investors, ten of which are planning development or service centres,” says Alexandra Rudyšarová, acting CEO of CzechInvest.

“Companies engaged in software development have a large share in the total number of investments.South Moravia received only five such projects last year,” adds Rudyšarová. Nine investments are focused on engineering, including a trio of engineering technology centres. With five projects, software development ranks third in terms of the number of new investments in 2007, whereas the plastics sector, primarily manufacturers of plastic windows, was more active, with seven new enterprises.

“Brno is among those regions with the highest concentrations of university students. The extent of the supply of new talents is what attracts new investors to South Moravia,” explains Alexandra Rudyšarová. “Also, in South Moravia the proportion of university students, which investors are seeking out for their businesses, in the general population is nearly a quarter, 22 percent to be precise, which is the highest in the Czech Republic.”

DOMESTIC COMPANIES ARE THE MOST ACTIVE

Domestic companies were the most active investors in South Moravia last year,when Czech firms prepared 13 new projects worth CZK 2.138 billion in the region. In terms of the number of investments in the region, British investors rank second with five new projects, followed by investors from the United States, which are preparing four projects in South Moravia.

A significant project in South Moravia in which CzechInvest had a hand in 2007 was the expansion of production at Pegas Nonwovens, which manufactures non-woven textiles. Other companies that chose South Moravia include Nitto Denko, which is preparing to produce polarisation films for LCD screens, and Pliva-Lachema, which is enhancing and modernising its production of anti-cancer drugs.

To date, CzechInvest has gained for South Moravia 160 investors, which are investing CZK 52.554 billion here and will eventually employ 23,792 people. Since its establishment in 1992, CzechInvest has taken part in 963 investments worth CZK 617 billion and directly creating a total of 187,837 jobs. Thousands more jobs are being created through related investments.