Plzeň will complete the science and technology park, has obtained a grant for the third phase

Plzeň - Plzeň will complete its scientific and technical park (VTP). It has received 79 million crowns from the EU for its third and final phase. The first phase from 2008 is already fully occupied by companies, and the second phase, opened this June, is 80 percent full. The third phase, costing 126 million CZK, will be the smallest, with 1,650 square meters in two buildings. This was reported by the economic deputy mayor Martin Zrzavecký (ČSSD).
    "The money will come from the Operational Program for Business and Innovation. Besides the construction of the third phase, we are also considering the development of the second," he said. Construction will begin in the spring and should be completed by the end of 2013.
    This year's opened second phase consists of seven new buildings with an area of 6,500 m2, which is 1,500 m2 more than in the first part of the park. In both completed phases, amounting to half a billion crowns, nearly 50 companies mainly from the automotive industry, electronics, and software sectors are operating. The facilities include laboratories, testing and development workshops, and offices.
    The VTP, owned by the city, is not meant to generate profit but must not incur losses. The main goal of the park is to retain students in the region, establish cooperation with the business sector, and commercialize the results of research and development. In addition to the university, it has ties to several of the 42 companies operating in the neighboring Borské fields.
    According to Mayor Martin Baxa (ODS), the city significantly supports innovation and new technologies. In the current crisis, the VTP can become a driving force for growth in sectors with high added value and new technologies. The bursar of the University of West Bohemia Antonín Bulín added that the VTP will be closely connected with its four research centers worth three billion crowns, which are being built adjacent to the VTP.
    "We are preparing further programs to support entrepreneurship in collaboration with the university, the Faculty of Medicine of Charles University, VTP, BIC, and the Regional Development Agency," Zrzavecký said. The city will spend the first two million crowns on innovation vouchers next year. Smaller innovative companies can obtain 100,000 to 150,000 crowns for projects carried out by the University of West Bohemia or the Faculty of Medicine. "If they succeed, we will add more money," said the deputy mayor.