Panattoni Europe wants to invest more than 2 billion crowns in Pilsen and create a hi-tech industrial zone

Industry 4.0, high added value production, a Smart City, in collaboration with the University of West Bohemia and hundreds of new jobs for highly qualified employees. That is how the vision for the Panattoni Pilsen Digital Park looks. Panattoni Europe, the industrial zone builder, wants to transform the former Škoda Plzeň complex in the Borské terasy area in Pilsen into a modern technological centre. The extensive 28-hectare brownfield is currently empty, but it has great infrastructure and is well connected to the surrounding industrial plants. Panattoni Europe’s plans are in line with the current development strategy of the city of Pilsen and is currently undergoing an EIA environmental impact assessment. The total amount of investment is estimated at more than 2 billion crowns.

- We thought it was time to prepare areas for high added value industries that are missing in the Czech Republic. And where else should such an area be created than in Pilsen, which is the traditional industrial heart of our country. We have been active in the region for a long time, we are direct contributors to its development, and we now feel that the local industry has reached the stage where it can handle even the most sophisticated fields of research and development. We look forward to working with the University of West Bohemia and the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics at CTU and we believe that excellent infrastructure, availability of a qualified workforce and a unique hi-tech concept will attract prestigious foreign investors who will operate the highest segments of their production here - says Pavel Sovička, Managing Director of Panattoni Europe for the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The Panattoni Pilsen Digital Park is designed to enable the implementation in gradual stages of all previously discussed features of Industry 4.0 with a high level of automation and robotics. It envisages the use of cyber-physical and robotic systems, the implementation of research and development operations and the manufacture of end products. The aim is also to create highly qualified jobs for university graduates in Pilsen.

Part of the concept is to minimise the carbon footprint and contribute to improving infrastructure, amenities and the quality of life in the surrounding area. The industrial zone will comprise around 25% green areas and the buildings will be designed in accordance with the BREEAM Excellent environmental certification requirements that assess the long-term sustainability of buildings. The project also includes support for car-sharing, electromobility and local vegetation.

- For this project, I would also like to highlight the anticipated contribution to the local economy. An initial investment of more than 2 billion CZK should lead to investments in technology of between 1.5 and 3 billion crowns, and this will generate significant multiplier effects. A notable economic benefit for the city is real estate tax, which should be around 8-9 million crowns a year. Throughout its lifetime, the project should bring nearly 200 million crowns to the city’s coffers. These funds will allow for investment in urban infrastructure, which is increasingly demanding in terms of city growth -  says Pavel Sovička.

For a long time the Pilsen Region has been one of the most progressive industrial regions in Central Europe. A number of leading global manufacturers such as Siemens, Mercedes Benz, Lear, ZODIAC have moved not only production but also research and development here. In Panattoni Park Stříbro you will find KION Group, a top-of-the-range self-guided equipment manufacturer, Assa Abloy, which manufactures complete door systems and hydraulic platforms, and the renowned Steelcase furniture manufacturer. Nowadays, the Pilsen Region produces industrial products for the whole of Europe.