Czech railway industry expands abroad
The Czech railway industry increasingly expands to foreign markets
That is how companies strengthen their
export interests. Exports already account
for 60% of total production. It is thanks to
foreign representation that companies are
more resilient in times of crisis and can
win more international contracts. In addi-
tion, the expansion abroad and the creati-
on of synergies also helps to maintain do-
mestic employment and increase the
volume of purchase orders.
In industry, multiplier effects are quite vi-
sible, more than anywhere else, with one
new job creating an average of two or th-
ree service-related jobs. It is therefore cer-
tain that services are dependent on in-
dustry. Where industries are thriving, so is
the supply of services. It is foreign succes-
ses that help companies bring more finan-
ce into the Czech economy.
"In the last year alone, ACRI members
have expanded into several countries. The
largest Czech manufacturer of railway ve-
hicles, Škoda Group, has expanded the
most, with new branch offices established
in Italy, Austria and Belgium. This helps
the company win foreign contracts, for
example producing subway trains for
Warsaw and trams for seven German citi-
es. Asian countries may also be critical for
the Czech industry, especially India, which
is a great opportunity for the future ex-
pansion of Czech companies. DAKO-CZ,
a specialist in braking systems for rolling
stock, established two joint ventures in In-
dia last year and plans to set up its own
subsidiary there this year. For the deve-
lopment of foreign relations and expansi-
on, however, the trips within the frame-
work of economic diplomacy projects,
which we prepare for our member com-
panies in cooperation with the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs, are also important," says
Marie Vopálenská, Director General of
ACRI.
Europe, America and Asia d
Czech companies have a very strong pre-
sence on the European market. AŽD Pra-
ha, a company dedicated to transport au-
tomation, has branches in Europe, for
example in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bul-
garia, Poland, Slovakia, Serbia and Turkey.
In addition, it was recently awarded a lar-
ge contract for the modernisation of a ra-
ilway in Croatia thanks to its excellent re-
ferences.
OLTIS Group's portfolio includes mo-
dern information systems for transport
and logistics and timetable systems. The
company is an integral part of rail soluti-
ons. This product is also sought after
around the world, and in addition to the
Czech Republic, the company has branch
offices in Slovakia, Poland and Hungary.
The Škoda Group runs a large plant in Fin-
land for the production of modern trains
and trams. In addition, the Group has se-
veral other branches in, e.g. Germany, Po-
land and Ukraine.
The manufacturer of the wheelsets - Bo-
natrans - has a branch office in Germany,
one of Europe's key rail markets, giving
the company a better chance to compete
for large tenders. The company offers ve-
ry innovative wheelset solutions for trains,
TT ++ TT
Technika a trh 5/2023
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Czech Railway Industry
increasingly expands abroad
The railway has a nearly two-hundred-year history in the Czech Republic and
the Czech railway industry itself has grown well beyond the borders of our country.
Members of the Association of Railway Industry Industries (ACRI) currently operate
in more than 20 countries.
rail transport
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