Cooperation between the
Czech Republic and Taiwan Has Been
Flourishing in Recent Years
As one of the managers of CzechInvest,
how do you perceive the cooperation
between the Czech Republic and Taiwan
in the area of investment?
One of CzechInvest’s key roles is to help
foreign investors establish their operations in
the Czech Republic and boost business
opportunities for both foreign investors and
Czech companies.
It is safe to say that Taiwan is one of the key
investors in the Czech Republic from the
region of South-East Asia, which reflects the
larger extent of investment from China in the
Czech Republic in the recent years.
According to CzechInvest's statistics, since
its establishment in November 1992
CzechInvest has helped Taiwanese enterprises to invest around USD 750 million and
create over 23,000 jobs opportunities in the
Czech Republic.
These companies are also very important
when it comes to Czech exports.
There are also Taiwanese investors, namely
for instance Foxconn CZ, that are counted
among the largest Czech exporters. In 2018,
Foxconn CZ ranked as the Czech Republic’s
second largest exporter after Škoda Auto.
What are the crucial sectors of Taiwanese
investment in the Czech Republic?
The key areas of investment are electrical
components and consumer electronics.
These two areas account for 70% of
investments from Taiwan. Other sectors are
in the area of telecommunications and other
machine parts.
If we look back in history, the first significant
special 2019
Taiwanese investment was that of the computer manufacturer First International Computer
(FIC), Inc. which built a computer assembly
plant worth USD 100 million in the Czech
Republic. The company launched operations
in February 1998 with production of 10,000
computers per month. The number of
manufactured computers increased to
50,000 per month by 2000. Computers are
produced for both the Czech market and the
wider region of Central and Eastern Europe.
In 2008, the Czech subsidiary of FIC was
acquired by Foxconn, currently the major
investor from Taiwan in the Czech Republic.
The initial investment of Foxconn in the
Czech Republic was estimated at USD 40
million. In August 2000, FOXCONN CZ, s.r.o.
started the production and assembly of
components and computers by Apple,
Compaq and IBM as well as mobile phones,
and its activities have grown ever since.
Foxconn is also significantly developing
collaboration with universities in the area of
research and innovation.
What activities does CzechInvest conduct
to help foreign investors in the Czech
Republic?
This can be divided into two areas. The first
part is business as usual. We like to call our
services a one-stop shop, meaning that we
help from the beginning until the end of the
investment project. CzechInvest’s services
include information and business intelligence,
consultancy on available financial support for
investment projects (investment incentives),
identification of greenfield and brownfield
sites, production facilities and offices, liaison
with government bodies, identification of
potential acquisition, joint-venture and supply
partners and tailored visits to the Czech
Republic.
Our support for investors does not end at this
point. We also provide aftercare services.
One of the key areas is facilitation of visa
processes and programmes for hiring foreign
employees.
Another area is direct contact with Taiwanese
companies in their own country. We have an
office in Shanghai which is ready to support
Taiwanese investors. Thanks to close cooperation with the Czech Economic and Cultural
Office in Taipei, CzechInvest is going to be a
part of a delegation to Taiwan in September
this year. During the visit, CzechInvest will
hold a business seminar for the Taiwanese
investors already operating in the Czech
Republic. This will also be an opportunity to
show Taiwanese investors modern trends in
the Czech economy and possibilities for
further investment, especially in R&D.
We have been talking a lot about the
investments of Taiwanese companies in
the Czech Republic. What makes the
Czech Republic so attractive for foreign
investors?
The Czech Republic is no longer a place for
labor-intensive investments, though it still has
plenty to offer with respect to value-added
projects and research, for example in the
areas of artificial intelligence, robotics and