Pilsen: second science-technology park costing CZK 300 million to be built

Pilsen has launched the second phase of construction of the science and technology park (PVTP). Costs, amounting to 300 million exc. VAT, will be mostly covered by European funding. Seven new buildings will be completed by June 2012. Their usable area will be 6,500 sqm, which is about 1,500 m2 more than in the first part of the park, opened in Pilsen in May 2008. It has been almost a hundred per cent occupied by progressive companies since then. Erich Beneš, head of the co-ordination of European projects department, said to the Czech News Agency.

New buildings will be located between existing buildings of the first phase of PVTP and buildings of Business and Innovation Centre BIC Pilsen. Seven pilot facilities will occur in the second stage. Those will mainly contain laboratories, testing and development workshops and offices for both established businesses and start-up innovative firms that will receive half price discounts on rent and services for roughly one year. Key partners of the second stage of PVTP are for example the University of West Bohemia and the Research Centre Řež, which have confirmed that they would make a reservation for three buildings altogether.

The current number of 200 jobs created in more than 20 companies located in PVTP could be expanded, according to rough estimates, to 400 at least . This depends mainly on the companies’ success and their ability to employ new workers.