Taiwanese and Korean firms undertake to invest over CZK 55 billion in the Czech Republic

With the aim of gaining investors and establishing contacts and cooperation primarily in the area of sophisticated technologies and research and development, leading Czech scientists are meeting with there Taiwanese counterparts in Taipei today and tomorrow (12-13 November). Sixteen top Czech scientist from universities, the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and private reasearch facilities are taking part in the “Czech-Taiwan Science Days” seminar. The Tawainese delegation includes a range of professors from local universities and member of the National Science Council. A similar event, the “Czech-Korea Science and Technology Forum”, will take place in Seoul of Thursday, 15 November.

“Investors from Taiwan and South Korea have been choosing the Czech Republic for a number of years. Their investments have been focused primarily on the electronic-engineering and automotive industries. Therefore, we have become involved in organising seminars in which we emphasise the Czech Republic’s potential in the area of investments with high added value,” explains Alexandra Rudyšarová, acting CEO of CzechInvest.

The first significant Taiwaneses investment was mediated by CzechInvest for the Czech Republic in 1995. In total, firms in the country have undertaken to invest nearly CZK 11 billion in the Czech Republic. The great majority of Taiwanese companies in the Czech Republic operate in the electrical-engineering and electronics sector. Conversely, Korean companies in the Czech Republic specialise particularly in the automotive industry and their promised investments exceed CZK 45 billion.

In addition to participation in the seminars, the programme of events also includes visits and discussions in Taipei at the Research Institute of Industrial Technology, the National Science Council, the National Space Programme Office and the world-famous science and technology park in Hsin-chu, which is the seat of key Taiwanese producers in the area of electrical engineering and industrial research, many of which have invested in the Czech Republic or are currently considering the possibility of doing so. In Korea, a visit to the Daedok Innopolis innovation centre in Deajon is also planned. u města Deajon.

“As a result of the range of Tawainese and Korean investment projects implemented in the Czech Republic and these countries continued interest in doing business here, we consider the presentation of the potential of our science and research base and the possiblity of mutual cooperation in both countries to be very timely,” Josef Lébl, advisor to the CEO at CzechInvest.

The seminars were organised by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in cooperation with the Ministry of Industry and Trade, the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sport and the Investment and Business Development Agency CzechInvest. Participants in the seminars also include representatives of Czech universities, research institutes and private companies. The events are being supported by the Economic and Cultural Office of the Czech Republic in Taipei and the Czech consulate in Korea. The Czech delegation is being led by the 1st Deputy Prime Minister for Research and Development, Miroslava Kopicová.