Business in Northern Moravia: What Does the Region Need for Further Development?
At the Colours of Ostrava festival, we partnered with the “Czech Elite” panel organized by the Seznam Zprávy/Byznys editorial team on the topic “From the Region to the World.” What is it like to do business in the Moravian-Silesian Region today, and what does the region need to become even more successful?
The following accepted the invitation:
Denisa Materová, CEO of Promet Group
Jannis Samaras, majority owner of Kofola
Pavel Juříček, owner of BRANO GROUP
Petr Popelář, Chairman of the Board of Directors of MORAVIA STEEL
Through their insights, they collectively painted a picture of a region with a strong industrial foundation that is also aware of its greatest challenges.
Pavel Juříček pointed out that the Czech Republic has long lacked a focus on and support for technical and science education. In his view, without talented people, the country cannot compete internationally in the long term. “Without innovative creativity, you won’t get anything done.”
Petr Popelář emphasized that, in addition to supporting technical education, industry will increasingly need positive migration as well. He noted that foreign workers often perform jobs that Czech employees have long shown no interest in.
Janis Samaras raised the issue of tax allocation to municipalities. According to him, municipalities often view industrial companies through the lens of truck traffic and increased transportation. However, if they benefited more from their presence, they would support new investments. “Abroad, where this is the case, municipalities are competing for that investment.”
Denisa Materová highlighted an area where we could draw inspiration from our northern neighbors. In her view, faster building permit procedures are one of the prerequisites for further business development, as they facilitate the implementation of investments. “Poland is much faster in this regard. We have a lot to learn from them.”
Thanks to Poland’s rapid development, including its infrastructure, the MS region’s ties with its Polish neighbors are growing ever stronger, and we are closer to our northern neighbors than ever before. Are you interested in this topic? You can find a link to the full recording of the discussion here.
