High-tech Engineering

The high utility value of Czech machine tools and equipment is currently demonstrated also by the great interest shown in these products, especially by foreign companies. Higher demand is reflected in the higher total number of concluded orders from abroad: in 2005 the volume of orders in the manufacture and repair of machinery and equipment grew by 18%, in the manufacture of precision, healthcare and optical equipment by 17.2% and in the manufacture of motor vehicles by 14.2%. This perfectly corresponds to the present orientation of the engineering sector in the Czech Republic mainly towards high-tech products requiring an educated workforce and a greater share of R&D - e.g. optical instruments; instrumentation, measuring and control equipment devices; components and accessories for various industries such as the automotive and aerospace industries; machine tools and forming machines; components, vehicles and communication and signalling systems for the railway industry

With its share of more than 7.5% of revenues from the sale of products and services of the manufacturing industry, the high-tech engineering sector ranks 4th out of the industry's 15 branches, and with its share of almost 10% in added value, it ranks 2nd after transportation engineering (the sector's share in the total revenues of the manufacturing industry has grown continually since 1995 and is approaching that held by this sector in the EU). The sector maintains its strong position as a traditional exporter - between 80% and 90% of the sector's production is exported. Exports to EU markets have experienced a continual upward trend - from 1997 to 2002 they grew by 70%.

The sector is R&D-driven and numerous foreign engineering companies, having succeeded with manufacturing facilities, have also established R&D centres in the Czech Republic. Since 2002, CzechInvest has mediated more than 110 R&D projects, 17 of which are in the automotive sector and 38 in the precision engineering sector.

"First-class design requires first-class manufacturing. So after the fall of the Iron Curtain, I travelled to the Czech town of Plzen, near Prague, to see for myself the famous precision engineering companies I had heard so much about. And I found the best place in the world to build up such an ambitious mechanical masterpiece. The know-how and craftsmanship of generations of toolmakers and engineers makes Plzen the centre of excellence that is now the home of Technocrane," said Mr. Horst Burbulla, whose invention of the telescopic camera crane won an Oscar at the Academy Awards in 2005.

If you are interested to find out more about opportunities to invest in High-tech Engineering in the Czech Republic, do not hesitate to contact us at info@czechinvest.org. You can also contact CzechInvest's foreign offices.