Liberec VÚTS is preparing the construction of a new research complex

Liberec - The Liberec VÚTS (formerly the Research Institute of Textile Machines) is preparing to build a new research and development center in Liberec. The project, costing almost 790 million crowns, will be largely financed by the European Union, as the company succeeded in its application for subsidies from the Operational Program Research and Development for Innovations of the Ministry of Education. In the future, the company is expected to move to the modern area in the northern industrial zone from inadequate premises in the city center. This was reported today by the company’s attorney Pavel Rozkovec.
    VÚTS focuses on the research and development of machines and equipment for the processing industry. The company is located in the city center in close proximity to the regional office, but the current premises do not allow for further development. Therefore, VÚTS purchased land last year covering nearly 2.5 hectares, where it intends to build a new research complex and production plant. The company's project is not the first similar research center in the northern industrial zone. A year ago, the development center was built there by the Liberec company Elmarco, which is a world leader in the field of nanofibers. The Liberec Technical University is also planning to build a large research center costing around 900 million crowns.
    The Liberec VÚTS has experience with utilizing European subsidies, albeit not to such a great extent. For example, from the Industry and Business program, the company received a grant in 2005 for the development of a new air weaving machine, Camel. The project, costing nearly 28 million crowns, secured 12.8 million CZK from European and state funds. The funds allowed the company to purchase modern production machines. However, due to the construction of the research center, VÚTS had to change its statutes and become a non-profit enterprise that invests all its profits into science and research, otherwise it would not have had a chance to obtain European subsidies.
    VÚTS originally focused on textile machines, but in recent years, it has increasingly expanded its areas of operation. It engages in research, development, and design of machines and equipment for other sectors of the processing industry in the fields of packaging, reprography, printing, food, and glass technology. The majority owner of the company is the Liberec firm Vutex, holding 87.68 percent of the shares. The company, with a registered capital of 58.06 million crowns, employs 150 people. In the new complex, the number of employees is expected to increase to as many as 200. The company annually undertakes contracts worth about one hundred million crowns, and its operations are profitable. Last year’s results are not yet available.