Pilsen’s Science and Technology Park is a crucial development project initiated and implemented by the City of Pilsen. It is located in one of the most successful industrial zones in the Czech Republic, at the Pilsen-Borská pole Municipal Industrial Park near the University of West Bohemia. Over 10,000 m2 of office, semi-industrial and laboratory space form a modern infrastructure that supports research, development and innovation. The Pilsen Science and Technology Park benefits from its very convenient location with direct motorway connections to Prague and Germany (Nuremberg). Its proximity to and opportunities to collaborate with the University of West Bohemia are also essential with regard to the use of research capacities and availability of qualified staff.
Pilsen’s history of supporting innovation business stretches back many years. In 1992 the City of Pilsen established BIC Pilsen – Business and Innovation Centre. The services of BIC Pilsen are primarily targeted at small to mid-sized innovation businesses and include areas such as supporting the establishment of new technology-focused firms, assisting the development of existing firms, helping companies find and obtain financing for development projects, getting companies involved in national and European programmes, supporting the introduction of innovation at companies, helping to identify suitable partners for development, production and business and providing information and consultation on doing business in the EU. Space in the BIC Pilsen incubator and technology centre has been available to clients since 1996. When providing services, BIC Pilsen leverages its international partnerships gained through membership in leading business and innovation support networks. One of these is the Enterprise Europe Network, in which BIC Pilsen works together with over 600 partner organisations, mainly within Europe but also beyond the continent. BIC Pilsen is also a member of the Science and Technology Parks Association of the Czech Republic.
The company Vědeckotechnický park Plzeň, a.s. (VTP) was established in 2005 and is fully owned by the City of Pilsen. Using funding from Structural Funds, VTP built and opened another 4,500 m2 of new space in 2008. This significantly expanded and improved Pilsen’s infrastructure for supporting research, development and innovation. Collaboration with the University of West Bohemia was also strengthened. The university uses VTP space for activities at one of the centres, the “New Technology - Research Centre in the Western Bohemian Region”, which focuses on applied research, a significant component being problem-oriented research of technology processes, technical and non-technical dynamic systems and materials.
The next stage in developing the innovation infrastructure was the opening of nine new buildings with a total area of over 8,000 m2, built by the City of Pilsen as part of the “Pilsen Science and Technology Park II/III” project with support from the Prosperita Operational Programme Industry and Enterprise’s Prosperity programme. These new offices, laboratories and semi-industrial space have been open to innovation businesses since April 2012.
The Association for VTP Services, which is composed of BIC Plzeň, s.r.o. and Vědeckotechnický park Plzeň a.s., operates the entire science and technology park and provides specialized services.
Partners
BIC Pilsen Centrum výzkumu Řež Vědeckotechnický park Plzeň Západočeská univerzita v Plzni
