The company NWT has commenced construction of an innovation center in Zlín

Zlín – The company NWT today began the construction of an innovation center in Zlín. It will be located on Tomáš Baťa Avenue. The company is investing 160 million crowns into the complex, which has a total area of 5,107 square meters, seven above-ground floors, and two underground garage levels. The first tenants are expected to move into the industrial incubator next year, marketing director Miroslav Kaleta informed ČTK today.

The innovation center will offer 89 offices, spaces for organizing conferences, a shopping gallery, and laboratories that interested parties can use in collaboration with scientific institutions as well as for their own research. "The latest global technologies are invaluable companions when starting up. That’s why we decided to create a supportive background. A place where technology companies will strengthen their cooperation and where collaboration between business entities and scientific-research institutions will be supported,” stated the company's financial director Martina Vítková.

Thanks to the partnership between NWT and the Institute of Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence at the Tomas Bata University in Zlín, companies based in the innovation center will have access to consulting for research and development as well as the latest information. "The existing infrastructure of NWT will extend the entire list of technological benefits with services from a modern data center, consulting in the field of IoT (the so-called Internet of Things), and cybersecurity," Kaleta said.

NWT reported revenues of 1.536 billion crowns for the past fiscal year, which ended last February, approximately 323.2 million crowns more year-on-year. The company's profit, which is one of the significant domestic technological and innovation firms, reached 29.2 million crowns after tax. From March 2017 to the end of February 2018, it was 11.1 million crowns.

NWT operates in agriculture, construction, information technology, and energy savings. Among other things, it is the largest builder of cultivation greenhouses in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. It also deals with the construction of passive houses, specializes in industrial installations, and the creation of small sources of heat and electricity in family homes. It also takes care of photovoltaic service or the supply of energy-efficient LED lighting. The company is also active in the field of information and communication technology. NWT's headquarters is in Zlín, and the company has branches in Slovakia, England, and Cyprus.