March 2018
Ostrava again set to present new investment plans at MIPIM
A delegation from Ostrava will soon be in Cannes to showcase the city as an attractive investment destination. The city is participating for the 21st time at MIPIM – one of the world’s leading investment events. This year’s MIPIM will take place from 13–16 March. Ostrava will feature as part of the joint “Czech Cities” presentation, alongside Prague and Brno; similar joint exhibitions last year in Cannes and Munich proved highly successful.
Ostrava’s Mayor Tomáš Macura gave more details: “We are building on the success of last year’s joint presentation of cities and regions – a format that we tried out for the first time in March 2017 at MIPIM 2017 (with Prague and Brno) and then at Expo Real Munich in October 2017 (with the addition of the Moravian-Silesian and South Moravian Regions). Last year Ostrava organized both joint exhibitions, but this year we are passing the baton to Prague. I am confident that this year’s joint presentation will be just as successful as our participation at last year’s events, generating many new contacts that could lead to valuable investment opportunities. Ostrava will be presenting a range of available sites for light industry, residential developments or leisure facilities in the very heart of the city. We will also present the city’s innovation ecosystem – a concept which is designed to boost Ostrava’s competitiveness, improve quality of life for all citizens, and support our bid to become European Green Captial 2020.”
The joint presentation (again covering 253 m²) features a unified design concept which gives it a strong element of coherence. The presentation focuses on elements which combine to produce synergic effects: innovations and infrastructure, urban living and working. The presentation of these themes is designed to reach out to the broadest possible spectrum of visitors to MIPIM, with a particular focus on global investors and real estate developers.
The deadline for the submission of investment plans for the Ostrava-Hrušov zone is 30 April 2018
Among the key opportunities that Ostrava will offer to potential investors at MIPIM 2018 are the
Ostrava-Hrušov development zone and the development sites in the city’s historic centre. The delegations from Ostrava, Prague and Brno will present more information about the projects forming part of the “Czech Cities” concept on Wednesday 14 March at 15:00 (stand P-1 E.65, E.79).
The Ostrava-Hrušov zone represents a major opportunity for investors. This former brownfield zone – currently being revitalized – covers almost 35 hectares and is an ideal location for light industry and logistics, being directly adjacent to a motorway and an international rail corridor. The Hrušov zone is one of the City of Ostrava’s key strategic projects.
Mayor Tomáš Macura gave more information on the zone: “Last year we completed the purchase of all the land at the zone, so we have been able to offer the zone to developers. The call for investment projects is still open.”
Investors can submit projects until the final deadline on 30 April 2018. The City will then assess and evaluate the proposals, taking into consideration the overall concept, the price offered, the planned investment volume, and the number of jobs that will be created.
See HERE for more information on the call for investment projects at the Hrušov zone.
Foreign investors in Ostrava are prospering
The prestigious fDi Magazine (published by fDi Intelligence, a division of The Financial Times Group) regularly evaluates the investment environment in cities and regions throughout the world. In the “fDi European Cities and Regions of the Future 2018/2019” rankings, Ostrava was ranked 6th in the category “Top10 fDi strategies”. The gala award ceremony will be held as part of the MIPIM 2018 investment event.
Ostrava’s Mayor Tomáš Macura responded to Ostrava’s excellent ranking: “Thanks to our strategic position in the heart of Europe, at the meeting-point of major transcontinental transportation routes, we are a highly attractive and sought-after destination for new investments. Although automotive investments still play a dominant role in our region, we are also becoming a major hub for shared business services centres – which are now a dynamically growing sector of the city’s economy.”
Ostrava welcomes the blogger´s conference
TBEX (The Travel Blog Exchange), was held in a variety of different locations around the world, but no-one has seen anything like Ostrava ever before. TBEX - the world's largest meeting of more than 600 bloggers, vlogers, creators of travel information and travel professionals active in social media, will be held the first time in Central Europe in its history- from 26 to 28 July 2018 in Ostrava.
Ostrava is successfully raising its “green profile”
Ostrava’s presentation of “green” information is almost unrivalled among Czech cities and towns. Out of 254 candidates in the “Green Light for Information” competition, Ostrava finished in second place – mainly thanks to the fresh and original concept of its eco-website zdravaova.cz
The competition was first held in 2010, and last year’s award was Ostrava’s third in the event’s short history. In 2014 and 2016 the city was ranked first overall (partly thanks to the award of extra points for major year-on-year improvements).
Deputy Mayor Kateřina Šebestová commented on the result: “I am delighted by the jury’s decision, which has confirmed that our approach to presenting environmental information is the right one. Previously we had a wide range of “green info” scattered over various different websites, but we decided instead to create a single website which would act as a hub for anything related to the environment. My priority was to create a modern, responsive website – including an English-language version – where visitors would be able to find complete details of any “green” news or activities. And the jury recognized the huge effort that has gone into creating the new website. But we’re not stopping here – we will continue to update the site and add new information. We received the highest number of points out of any town or city with more than five thousand inhabitants – and that is a real reward for our commitment to presenting “green” information.”
One of the jury members, Miroslav Lupač from the Koniklec agency, revealed the jury’s reasons for its decision: “Ostrava’s website pleasantly surprised all the jurors with its unique, creative approach – which marks it out as different from any other town or city in the country. Ostrava harnessed its potential and proved that it is a worthy candidate for European Green Capital 2020. It was only due to the bonus points for year-on-year improvements that the town of Svitavy finished in first place. In all other respects, Ostrava’s website was evaluated as the best.”
Ostrava’s prize was accepted by the Deputy Mayor Kateřina Šebestová and the editor of the website zdravaova.cz Michal Gacka.
Architectural competition for a new apartment complex
On Tuesday 9 January, Ostrava’s councillors approved the announcement of a public tender for design proposals for a new apartment complex to be built at the junction of Kostelní and Biskupská Streets in Ostrava’s historic city centre. The deadline for the submission of proposals is 17:00 on Wednesday 7 March. In April the City Council will decide on the winning proposals, based on a recommendation by an expert jury.
Ostrava’s Mayor Tomáš Macura gave more details: “Last year we held three architectural competitions – for Umělecká Street, Msgre Šrámka Square and the conversion of the former municipal slaughterhouse. And this year we are continuing in the same vein. We want to ensure that the current ugly vacant lot – which is a valuable location in the heart of our historic city centre, at the site of a former medieval city gate – is transformed into a multi-storey apartment complex designed and built to an excellent standard.”
The competition will identify a contractor to draw up detailed project documentation; the total cost must be kept below 6 million CZK (excluding VAT).
Mayor Macura added: “The investor at the site will be the central municipal district (Moravská Ostrava a Přívoz); the district asked us to organize the competition, because they lack experience in this area.”
The proposals will be assessed and evaluated by the competition jury. Dependent members of the jury (i.e. jurors representing the City and the municipal district) are Petra Bernfeldová (Mayor of the municipal district), Dalibor Mouka (Deputy Mayor of the district), and Cyril Vltavský (Head Architect at Ostrava City Authority). Independent members (i.e. external jurors) are Tadeáš Goryczka, Adam Horák, Tomáš Oth and Jakub Szczęsny (architects based in Ostrava, Brno, Prague and Warsaw respectively).
Complete information on the competition is published in the Public Procurement Bulletin.
Ostrava Building of the Year
Ostrava has announced the 24th annual “Building of the Year” competition, which will recognize the best building within the city that has either been constructed or reconstructed during the period from 1 January to 31 December 2017. The deadline for entries to the competition is 11:00 on Tuesday 3 April.
The competition winner will receive a prize of 300 000 CZK and a bronze plaque for the building. The second-placed entry will win 150 000 CZK. In addition to awarding first and second prizes, Ostrava’s City Council can also single out entries for honorary awards (without rankings and without financial remuneration). Members of the public will also be able to vote for their favourite entry. The competition application form can be downloaded HERE. The web voting will be launched at the beginning of April.
Previous winners of Ostrava Building of the Year: ČSOB bank, Hollarova St. (1994), ICEC office building, Sokolská St. (1995), Integrated Building in central Ostrava (1996), Ostrava-Jih Tax Authority (1997), extension of the SAREZA ice stadium in Poruba (1998), Puppet Theatre (1999), National Moravian-Silesian Theatre (2000), Fischer travel agency, Jiráskovo náměstí (2001), Librex bookstore (2002), Multifunctional building I at the Science and Technology Park in Poruba (2003), office/factory building, Liftcomp, Poruba (2004), office/production building for Merko CZ in Hrabová (2005), office/warehouse building for Bextra, Vítkovice (2006), reconstruction of the Svinov railway station and forecourt (2007), Hotel Park Inn, Moravská Ostrava (2008), Elstav polyfunctional building in Vítkovice (2009), Social Services Centre for Senior Citizens, Landek, Petřkovice (2010), Puppet Theatre alternative stage (2011), Gong multifunctional arena, Lower Vítkovice (2012), Concept House, Poruba (2013), Science and Technology Centre, Lower Vítkovice (2014), Heligonka music club at the former Hlubina coal mine bath-house (2015), Vítkovice indoor athletics hall (2016).
Moravian-Silesian Region Building of the Year
Entries for the 12th annual Moravian-Silesian Region Building of the Year competition can be submitted until 15 March 2018.
The competition is organized by the Czech Association of Building Entrepreneurs, the Czech Chamber of Authorized Engineers and Technicians, and the Society of Czech Architects in cooperation with the Moravian-Silesian Region. Winners in previous years have included the new indoor athletics hall in Ostrava-Vítkovice (first prize in the New Buildings category), the Bolt Tower (Grand Prix 2015), the Werk Arena multipurpose hall in Třinec (Grand Prix 2014), the Roman Catholic Church in Ostrava-Zábřeh (Grand Prix 2007), and many more. More information on the competition and how to enter is available at the competition website.
Positive information on the Region’s business environment is always a great boost
The first ever issue of a new magazine – POSITIVE Business & Style – has recently been published. The magazine aims to boost the positive image of the business environment and lifestyle in the Moravian-Silesian Region. The first issue of this quarterly publication focuses on innovations – the most important pillar in the Region’s development. To find out more about how modern technologies are applied in various aspects of life, go to the website magazin.positiv.cz/positiv-businessstyle
The first HP advanced 3D printer in Central and Eastern Europe is here in Ostrava
The Czech Republic is the first country in the Central and Eastern Europe region to boast one of Hewlett Packard’s innovative Jet Fusion industrial 3D printers, which enables rapid prototyping and series production of plastic components. The company ING corporation – a pioneering innovator in new orthotic and prosthetic medical devices – has installed a Jet Fusion printer at its state-of-the-art development centre, part of the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre (MSIC) in Ostrava. Together with the company Invent Medical, ING corporation is using the printer to develop a new generation of 3D-printed devices. ING corporation has also decided to make the printer available to other Czech companies via the Rapid3D service.
ING corporation and Invent Medical have joined forces in Ostrava to work on an ambitious plan: to revolutionize the production of orthotic and prosthetic devices (which are used to help patients recovering from injuries, surgery, amputations, or handicaps).
Most companies producing orthotic and prosthetic devices use processes that have remained essentially unchanged for decades. Now Invent Medical is about to usher in major changes. Instead of fitting patients with plaster casts and using time-consuming manual production processes, this innovative start-up company is working on new products using 3D scanning, 3D printing, computer algorithms, neural networks, smart sensors and online interactive configurators. The new HP 3D printer has moved the company’s pioneering vision one step closer to reality, and the two Ostrava-based partner companies are planning to showcase their new 3D printed products at an international medical trade fair to be held in Germany during May of this year.