Moravian-Silesian Region is not yet utilizing abandoned factories

Ostrava - In the Moravian-Silesian Region, according to the Chamber of Commerce, industrial zones are being built on greenfields, but it is still not possible to utilize abandoned industrial and agricultural sites, so-called brownfields. This is one of the conclusions of the workshop Investments - a Path to Prosperity, which today attracted about 100 representatives from development, construction, and investment firms, banking institutions, and real estate agencies from the Czech Republic and other European countries to familiarize themselves with investment opportunities in the region.
    "We are a very attractive region for investors, but we should probably slow down the construction of factories on greenfields, complete the already prepared buildings, and begin to focus on brownfields, the number of which is increasing and will continue to increase in the future. It is more difficult, but I see no other way," said Pavel Bartoš, Vice President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce and Chairman of the Moravian-Silesian Chamber of Commerce. The previous and current owners, the state, and European Union funds should financially participate in the revitalization of abandoned factories owned by municipalities, cities, the state-owned enterprise Diamo, or private owners.
    According to Pavla Břusková, director of the Ostrava Agency for Regional Development, preparations for brownfields should have started earlier. "The process should have begun two years ago, but because the boom was very rapid, it did not get underway," she added. However, she stated that both forms of industrial real estate development have their justification, as investors generally want the conditions to be established and want to start doing business immediately. "Brownfields need to be prepared in advance; preparation takes up to three years and requires significant financing demands, especially from public funds," she said.
    In the past, regional representatives tried to persuade foreign investors to at least come to the region. Gradually, however, investors began to flock to the area due to the growth of industrial zones, the construction of the D47 highway and the R48 expressway, a qualified workforce, and mainly due to the announced entry of the South Korean car manufacturer Hyundai into Nošovice. The region's problems include insufficient transportation accessibility and a deficit of well-prepared and technically skilled workers at all levels of education.
    Some brownfields in the Moravian-Silesian Region are owned by municipalities and cities, others by the state-owned enterprise Diamo, but the most complicated are properties in private ownership, which, according to Bartoš, are very difficult to rehabilitate for new uses with state funds. In addition to closed mines, these include or will include metallurgical companies or chemical plants. The first facilities are beginning to be regenerated, such as the Hrušov chemical plant, the area Nad Porubkou, or the site of the former František mine in Horní Suchá in the Karviná region.
    The CzechInvest agency's database currently lists 216 brownfield sites in the Moravian-Silesian Region, with a total area of 2269 hectares. "The database will be updated, and brownfields are expected to increase," Jiří Štěpán from the Agency for Regional Development told ČTK. He added that last month, there were 15 industrial zones in the region with a total area of 865 hectares, of which 653 hectares are occupied. Thus, 212 hectares remain free. Half of this area is reserved for a strategic investor who could come to the Mošnov industrial zone.