BSS in regions - Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí ...€¦ · The purpose of this brochure is to highlight six regions with strong potential in the BSS area. They fulﬁ l all necessary

INVESTMENT OPPORTUNITIES

Business Support Services Opportunities in Czech Regions

AT

SK

PLDE

DE

Prague

Contents

1Have you considered locating your business outside Prague?2Brno4Ostrava6Pilsen8Hradec Kralove & Pardubice

10Olomouc12Usti nad Labem14GE Money Case Study 15Financial Support to BSS Investments

www.czechinvest.org Last update: October 2009

1

Have you considered locating your business outside Prague?

Though Prague is the largest city in the Czech Republic, it has not been the only destination for the numerous foreign direct investments in the country’s Business Support Service (BSS) sector over the past decade. Rather, many investors have set their sights on locations well beyond the capital.

The purpose of this brochure is to highlight six regions with strong potential in the BSS area. They fulfi l all necessary criteria for effective BSS centres, such as a high-quality workforce, a suffi cient number of offi ce facilities, and lower operating and labour costs than in Prague. Companies such as ADP, Infosys, Siemens and Schneider Logistics operate successful centres in Czech regional cities.

It is often said that time is money. Consequently, location accessibility plays a very important role in the investment decision-making process. Prague Airport is a major international transit hub providing connections with over 120 destinations and is also the best airport in Eastern Europe according to the 2009 World Airport Awards. International airports in Brno and Ostrava further enhance accessibility to major European destinations. Given the Czech Republic’s exceptional location in the heart of Europe and the most advanced transport network in the CEE region, one can also make use of airports in neighbouring countries, such as those in Vienna and Munich. All promoted regions are connected to the capital by an ever-improving motorway network and large investments are being made into high-speed rail infrastructure.

CzechInvest’s services

-- Information collection

-- Tailor-made visits to the Czech Republic

-- Handling of investment incentives

-- Business-property identifi cation

-- Supplier identifi cation

-- Aftercare services

-- Business infrastructure development

-- Access to structural funds

All of CzechInvest’s services are free of charge.

“The Czech Republic provided us with strategically important locations for the expansion of our services. We have been successful in fi nding talented local people not only in Prague and Brno but also in Ostrava. All members of the HSBC team are helping us to expand our business in the Czech Republic.” Arjan van den Berkmortel, CEO of HSBC Bank plc.

“After careful consideration of the possibilities offered by all regions in the Czech Republic, we made the decision to build our BSS Centre in Pardubice. The existing infrastructure on a very high level, three universities within a 20 km radius and a very competitive property market were the major advantages of this region. After our project’s fi rst 14 months, I must say that our decision was correct and that the East Bohemia region was the perfect choice.” Jan Nemec, Head of Operations, NonStop Recruitment

“Our selection of Brno has proven to be the right one. The positive business environment, state-of-the-art technology, and the motivated and well-educated employees have allowed us to operate one of the largest airline service centres in Europe.” Roman Tesar, Managing Director, Global Tele Sales Brno

(a Lufthansa company)

2

Brno

About the region

Brno is the economic, educational and cultural hub of the South Moravia Region and is situated in the south-east of the Czech Republic bordering with Austria in the south and Slovakia in the east. The city lies 200 km from Prague, 120 km from Bratislava, 320 km from Budapest and 130 km from Vienna and thus can be considered Central Europe’s most central city. Apart from daily fl ights to Prague, Brno Turany Aiport also has regular connections to London and Moscow. Brno is the second largest city and the legal centre of the country. In the 19th century the town became one of the industrial centres of Moravia — sometimes it even being called the Czech Manchester. Industry and farming maintain their importance in the region with the service sector growing stronger every year. In 2006, Atos Consulting ranked Brno as the best European location for shared services. It is not surprising that the skills of the educated workforce played the most important role in the analysis as 14 universities and over 75,000 students make the city the second most important educational centre of the Czech Republic after Prague. Out of 14 regional universities, 8 provide Economics, Finance, Management and Marketing programmes. Language skills are developed at an international nursery, kindergarten and primary and secondary schools. Brno prides itself on many notable historic sites and offers many possibilities of cultural enjoyment in its numerous theatres, museums, cinemas and clubs. The City of Brno regularly holds various cultural events, as well as some notable sporting events such Brno Grand Prix of road motorcycles.

Key strengths:

-- The largest student population per capita

-- Some of the best language skills in the

country

-- SSC/BPO experience (IBM, Infosys, DSGi,

Motorola, PPG, IDS Scheer) and CC experi-

ence (Lufthansa)

-- Abundant A class offi ce space and other

offi ce projects in progress

-- 15 minutes drive from Brno Turany Airport,

proximity to Vienna

-- Attractive living environment

Bratislava (130 km)Budapest (326 km)

Ostrava (172 km)

Ostrava (185 km)

Olomouc (80 km)Krakow (300 km)

Wroczlaw (275 km)Pardubice (140 km)

Praha (255 km)Dresden (445 km)

Praha (200 km)Berlin (540 km)

Jihlava (70 km)

Wien (120 km)

Wien (120 km)

Wien (142 km)

Znojmo Hodonín

Vyškov

Blansko

Brno

ATAT

SKSK

E59

E50

E65

E462

E461

E59

E461

R52

R46

E56, E65D1

D1

D1

D2

Motorway

Road

Railroad

Airport - Priva

Airport - Publi

Region/City Profi le

Regional Population 1,150,204

City Population 371,511

Regional Unemployment Rate (%) 9.5

City Unemployment Rate (%) 8.0

Regional Average Salary (CZK/month) 21,494

Total regional A class offi ce space by 2009 (sqm) 204,000

Distance from Prague (km) 200

Transport ConnectionD1 motorway, international railway corridor, Brno Turany international airport

Source: Czech Statistical Offi ce, October 2009 Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs, October 2009 Cushman & Wakefi eld, October 2009

Source: CzechTourism.com

Location:

AT

SK

PLDE

DE

Prague

Brno

3

Regional University Education

Number of Universities 14

Number of Students 75,007

Number of Graduates 15,728

Number of Economics/Finance Students 11,003

Number of Economics/Finance Graduates 2,074

Number of Students learning English 19,870

Number of Students learning German 4,652

Number of Students learning French 1,168

Number of Students learning Spanish 974

Source: Institute for Information on Education, 2008/2009

Regional Secondary/Higher Education

Number of Schools* 153








Number of Students learning Spanish 1,936

* Secondary specialised schools, Higher professional schools, Grammar schoolsSource: Institute for Information on Education, 2008/2009

Monthly Salary in Customer Service (thousand CZK)

Customer Service Manager 50 – 80

Customer Service Specialist (2 foreign languages) 21 – 30

Call Centre Manager 40 – 60

Call Centre Team Leader 30 – 40

Call Centre Operator (2 foreign languages) 20 – 25

Source: Grafton Recruitment, October 2009

Monthly Salary in Finance & Accounting (thousand CZK)

Finance Manager 80 – 110

Chief Accountant 40 – 60

Accounting Clerk 20 – 25

Financial Analyst 35 – 55

Credit Specialist 30 – 40


Languages Taught at Regional Universities

English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Dutch, Swedish, Finnish, Lithuanian, Latvian, Estonian, Russian, Polish, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Macedonian, Greek, Japanese

Source: Regional Universities, 2009

Did you know?Mahen Theatre in Brno was the fi rst building in the world to use Edison’s electric lamps.

4

Ostrava

About the region

Ostrava is the economic, educational and cultural hub of the Moravia-Silesia Region. It is situated in the north-east of the Czech Republic bordering with Poland in the north and Slovakia in the east. A fast train connection to the capital runs 5 times a day and the D1 motorway linking Ostrava with Prague will be completed by the end of 2009. Furthermore, new motorway connections to neighbouring Polish and Slovak regions will be fi nished in few years. Ostrava Airport offers regular fl ights to Prague, Vienna and Moscow and connections to 4 Western European destinations are under discussion. Moravia-Silesia is the most populous region with Ostrava being the 3rd

largest city in the country. Since the 1990s the city has diversifi ed away from industry and large infl ows of FDI have followed due to the skilled workforce and a booming real estate market. In the new millennium, Ostrava has become a “City in Motion” with ICT, automotive and engineering being at the forefront of the regional economy. In order to accommodate the needs of an increasing number of foreigners in the city, the 1st International School of Ostrava was opened in 2005. All four universities offer Economics, Accounting, Management and Marketing programmes. Ostrava hosts many sport and cultural events and the region offers many opportunities for recreation, tourism, golf and stays in spas.

Location:

Key strengths:

-- Deep recruitment pool of the largest

and most urbanised region of the Czech

Republic

-- Substantial wage cost reduction compared

to Prague

-- Third largest student population

-- SSC/BPO experience (OKIN Group,

Siemens) and CC experience (HSBC,

GE Money, Tieto)

-- Available A class offi ce space and several

new projects in progress

-- 20 minute drive from Ostrava International

Airport, proximity to Katowice









Transport ConnectionD1 motorway, international railway corridor, Ostrava international airport



Ostrava

AT

SK

PLDE

DE

Prague

5









Number of Students learning French 607





























English, German, French, Spanish, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Polish, Slovakian, Ukrainian, Bulgarian, Croatian


Did you know?Ivan Lendl, winner of eight Grand Slam singles, was born and began his successful career in Ostrava.

6

Pilsen

About the region

Pilsen is the economic, educational and cultural hub of the Pilsen Region which is situated in the south-west of the Czech Republic and borders with Germany. The West Bohemian metropolis with over 170,000 inhabitants is the fourth-largest city in the Czech Republic. The city came to prominence in the middle of the 19th century when the Skoda Works Company and the Pilsner Urquell brewery were founded. Nowadays, the industrial potential of the city concentrates on value added production and the so-called knowledge economy projects. A signifi cant concentration of secondary and university graduates exists in the city. With eight faculties, the University of West Bohemia is the most important tertiary academic institution offering programmes in Economics, Business and Management or European Accounting. Due to numerous theatres, galleries, year-round cultural events and historical and natural monuments, Pilsen is a highly desirable city in which to live.

Location:

D5D5

D5D5

D5D5

DEDE

DEDEE50

E50

E49

E49

E53

Nürnberg (210 km)Zürich (605 km)

München (430 km)

Nürnberg (241 km)

Cheb (106 km)

Wien (320 km)

Linz (261 km)

Karlovy Vary (75 km)Magdeburg (405 km)

Praha (90 km)Bratislava (415 km)

Praha (114 km)

Klatovy

Domažlice

Tachov

Rokycany

Motorway

Road

Railroad

Airport - Private

Airport - Public

Key strengths:

-- Fifth largest student population

-- SSC/BPO experience (ADP, Hay Group)

-- Abundant A class offi ce space

-- 45 minute drive from Prague Ruzyne

Airport, proximity to Munich



Regional Population 571,098







Transport ConnectionD5 motorway



Pilsen

AT

SK

PLDE

DE

Prague

7






Number of Economics/Finance Graduates 618
































English, French, Russian, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese and Middle Eastern languages


Did you know?The fi rst bottom-yeast lager known as pilsner was produced in Pilsen in 1842.

8

Hradec Kralove & Pardubice

About the region

Hradec Kralove and Pardubice are the economic, educational and cultural centres of East Bohemia, governing their own eponymous administrative regions. East Bohemia is situated in the north-east of the Czech Republic bordering Poland in the north. The cities lie 20 km from one another and are easily accessible by the D11 motorway. The Pardubice international airport serves a regular fl ight to Moscow. Although the region has traditionally had an agricultural-industrial character, it now boasts a highly-educated workforce due to the presence of large numbers of Economics, Management and Language students. Due to companies like Panasonic and Foxconn, there is already a good infrastructure in place for expats, including preschool, elementary and secondary English schooling. Natural monuments such as the Giant Mountains, Orlicke Mountains and the Bohemian Paradise as well as cultural monuments make the region a popular holiday destination. Both Hradec Kralove and Pardubice host a number of annual cultural events such as Jazz Goes to Town or the Pardubice Music Spring to name a few, and they offi cially rank among to best places for living in the Czech Republic.

Location:

Region/Cities‘ Profi le


Cities‘ Population 184,389


Cities‘ Unemployment Rate (%) 6.0




Transport ConnectionD11 motorway, international railway corridor, Pardubice international airport


Key strengths:

-- Talent and labour of a “super-region”

-- Some of the best language skills in the

country

-- SSC experience (NonStop Recruitment)

-- A class offi ce space available and other

offi ce projects in progress

-- 90 minute drive from Prague Ruzyne Airport



AT

SK

PLDE

DE

PraguePardubice

Hradec Kralove

9






































English, German, French, Spanish, Swedish, Russian, Polish


Did you know?The fi rst soft contact lens was made on a Merkur toy machine produced in East Bohemia.

10

Olomouc

About the region

Olomouc is the economic, educational and cultural hub of the Olomouc Region which is the heart of Moravia and borders Poland in the north. The city is the 5th most populous in the country. The region has an industrial and agricultural tradition with a broad range of sectors as well as a qualifi ed labour. The centre of education is Palacky University in Olomouc, the second oldest academic institution in the country, with over 21,000 students. The Dutch Department at the Philosophical Faculty is the largest in Central Europe and Dutch has been introduced into the curriculum at one of Olomouc’s grammar schools. Applied Economics is also taught at the Faculty. The International School of Olomouc provides foreign language tuition at the elementary level and three bilingual grammar schools at the secondary level. At present, the city is experiencing major development in the areas of culture, accommodation, food, cuisine and tourism. The number and signifi cance of its natural and cultural assets make Olomouc and the Olomouc Region one of the richest in the Czech Republic.

Location:

R35R35

R46

E442

E462

Žilina (160 km)Krakow (230 km)

Ostrava (106 km)

Brno (100 km)Wien (205 km)

Brno (80 km)

Dresden (375 km)Karlovy Vary (360 km)

Pardubice (148 km)Hradec Králové (170 km)

Jeseník

Šumperk

Olomouc

PL

PL Motorway

Road

Railroad

Airport - Private

Airport - Public

Key strengths:

-- Fourth largest student population


to Prague

-- SSC (Schneider Logistics) and CC

experience (ICON Communication Centre)

-- A class offi ce development project in

progress

-- 1 hour drive from Ostrava International

Airport and Brno Turany Airport










Transport ConnectionD1 motorway and R46 express road, international railway corridor



Olomouc

AT

SK

PLDE

DE

Prague

11





Number of Economics/Finance Students 588






















Call Centre Team Leader 30











English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Afrikaans, Polish, Russian, Ukrainian, Chinese and Japanese


Did you know?11 year old W. A. Mozart wrote Symphony in F Major in Olomouc in 1767.

12

Usti nad Labem

About the region

Usti nad Labem is the economic, educational and cultural hub of the Usti Region which is situated in the north-west of the Czech Republic and borders with Germany in the north. It is easily accessible by the D8 motorway. During the 19th century the city became heavily industrialized. Nowadays it is an industrial city with chemical establishments, metallurgy manufacture, machine tool industries and nutriment industry. In consequence of the decline of coal mining, the restructuring of enterprises and reduction in manufacturing and agriculture, the Usti Region has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Great effort is being exerted to create conditions for investors whose business plans would help to diversify the regional economy. Consequently, companies such as OKIN Group planning to open a BPO fi nance centre in the city are considered of strategic importance. The most important educational centre, the University of Jan Evangelista Purkyne, offers degrees in all major European languages as well as Economics and Finance courses that are complemented by the Economics and Management courses at the University of Economics and Management. The region has many natural beauties and abounds in curative springs and numerous historical monuments, castles and chateaux.

Location:

Louny

LABE

Karlovy Vary

Karlovy Vary (115 km)Nürnberg (360 km)

Dresden (80 km)Berlin (280 km)

Hradec Králové (190 km)Wroczlaw (281 km)

Praha (106 km)Linz (400 km)

Praha (80 km)Linz (320 km)

Hamburg (656 km)

Karlovy Vary (130 km)Nürnberg (320 km)

Praha

Teplice

MostChomutov

Ústí nad Labem

E442

E55DEDE

DEDE

E55

E442

R63

E48

D8D8

D8D8

Motorway

Road

Railroad

Airport - Private

Airport - Public

Key strengths:

-- Deep recruitment pool as the Usti Region

has the highest unemployment rate


to Prague

-- Large Economics and Finance student

population

-- A class offi ce development project in

progress

-- 90 minute drive from Prague Ruzyne

Airport, proximity to Dresden and Berlin









Transport ConnectionD8 motorway, international railway corridor



Prague

Usti nad Labem

AT

SK

PLDE

DE

13






































English, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Russian


Did you know?The Marian bridge in Usti nad Labem belongs to one of the world’s most beautiful structures built in the 1990s.

GE MONEY CASE STUDY

GE Money opened its Ostrava centre with 50 employees in April 2006. Its initial core functions were a call centre for customers in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, early collections and enabling functions such as HR and training. The number of staff rose to 650 by 2008. Given the overall quality of provided services and the signifi cantly lower costs to Prague, last year GE Money decided to expand the scope by more sophisticated processes such as middle collections, origination processes, telesales, customer service back offi ce, a small part of IT, risk management and facility management. The centre has been a successful applicant for national and EU grants.

GE Money’s reasons for choosing Ostrava:-- Good transport connection to Prague

-- The third largest student population in the country

-- Suitable demographic structure

-- High unemployment rate

-- Total workforce potential as Moravia-Silesia is the most populous Czech region

-- Low salaries

-- Cheap offi ce space

-- Supportive attitude of the local government

“CzechInvest has helped us in all stages of the project – from the initial research to fi nd the most suitable location, through the building and development phase to consulting on and applying for subsidies. Currently we benefi t from their AfterCare services such as organising HR related events in the region or helping us to develop effective long-term cooperation with schools. Overall our experience with the agency’s young and enthusiastic employees has been very positive.”Michael Augustin, GE Money, Shared Services Center Director

14

15

In order to develop the business environment, the Czech Republic offers fi nancial support for investments in business support services sector by using an appropriate programme on the EU structural funds.

ICT and Business Support Services Programme

This programme was designed by CzechInvest specifi cally for BSS and ICT projects.

-- Supported activities: shared services centres, software development centres, high-tech repair centres.

-- Maximum aid amount: CZK 1.5 mil – 80 mil. (up to USD 4 mil./EUR 3.5 mil.)

-- Maximum coverage of eligible costs: up to 60% depending on the size of the company (small, medium-sized, large) and the selected region within the Czech Republic (see regional map)

Training Means Opportunities Programme

The aim of this programme is to contribute to the enhancement of employees’ skills within companies in the Czech Republic.

-- Supported activities: employee trainings, creation of training programmes within companies, support for HR management in companies.

-- Maximum aid amount: CZK 1 mil. – 15 mil. (up to USD 0.85 mil./EUR 0.6 mil.)

-- Maximum coverage of eligible costs: up to 100%

Financial Support to BSS Investments

CzechInvest, the Investment and Business Development Agency, is an agency of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Established in 1992, the agency contributes to attracting foreign investment and developing domestic companies through its services and development programmes. CzechInvest also promotes the Czech Republic abroad and acts as an intermediary between the EU and small and medium-sized enterprises in implementing structural funds in the Czech Republic. Our systems of quality management and information security were certifi ed by Quality Austria and Certifi cation & Information Security Services in accordance with ISO 9001:2000 and ISO 27001:2005.

CZECHINVEST HEADQUARTERS CZECHINVEST WORLDWIDE

SOUTHEAST ASIA

JAPAN USA - EAST

USA - WEST

PHONE:

FAX:

E-MAIL:

WEB:

+420 296 342 500+420 296 342 [email protected]

www.czechinvest.org

FRANCE

PHONE:

E MAIL:

+33 1 56 24 87 72- [email protected]

PHONE:

E-MAIL:

+852 2530 8806 [email protected]

PHONE:

E-MAIL:


munich

PHONE:

E-MAIL:

+81 3 3486 0329 [email protected]

PHONE: +1 408 524 1690

E-MAIL: [email protected]

PHONE:

E-MAIL:


CzechInvest Investment and Business Development Agency is a government organization under the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade.

UK & IRELAND

PHONE:

E-MAIL:


GERMANY - MUNICH

www.czechinvest.org This material is distributed free of charge.

Documents

BSS in regions - Ministerstvo zahraničních věcí ...€¦ · The purpose of this brochure is to highlight six regions with strong potential in the BSS area. They fulﬁ l all necessary