The third-largest city in the Czech Republic, Ostrava lies at the confluence of four rivers (the Opava, Odra, Ostravice and Lu?ina) in the eastern nook of the country just a stone’s throw from Poland and Slovakia. The discovery of coal in the 18th century sealed Ostrava’s fate as an industrial town, and further development in the beginning of the 20th century earned it the nickname “the heart of steel”. The city’s heavy-industry infrastructure suffered during the early to mid 1990s when many of the city’s mining and heavy industry giants were restructured. Now, however, the city’s economy is staging a comeback. In 2003, the city was awarded a glowing A-Standard & Poor’s and A3 MOODY’s credit rating.
     
      Although a dense, well-serviced road network connects Ostrava to other districts and towns in the region, the city is in desperate need of a highway link. Completion of the D47 highway (Lipník nad Be?vou to Poland) in 2009 will bring a sigh of relief, not to mention be a key selling point to potential investors. In terms of rail connections, Ostrava finds itself well positioned on the VI. European corridor connecting the Baltic and Mediterranean Seas (the historic Amber Road). The city is served by five railway stations and five additional stops. The international II. (Austria–B?eclav–Ostrava–Poland) multimodal corridor will pass through Ostrava upon its completion. City Hall, the Moravia-Silesian Regional Office and Czech Railways are funding the reconstruction of the Svinov rail station to serve the II. corridor. Domestic and international flights (over 1 million passengers a year) depart from the Mošnov airport, 25km from the city center. Expansion of the airport’s terminal is currently underway.
     
      Ostrava’s economy was shaken in 1994 by the closure of all of the city’s coalmines and by downsizing in the metallurgy, chemicals, heavy engineering and electric power industries. Staggeringly high unemployment followed. Since then, the local workforce has been retrained en masse, and Ostrava has successfully diversified. Home to three universities offering undergraduate and graduate programs in 12 faculties, education levels are fairly high and rising (10.5% of the population holds a university degree).
     
The City of Ostrava is pleased to offer several industrial zones and development areas to potential investors. 
The Ostrava-Hrabová Industrial Zone is the city's prime strategic development location for new business investment. Phase I consists of 30 ha of land equipped with utilities infrastructure where a Dutch developer CTP Invest plans to build the Industrial Park (on 23,5 ha) and where Taiwan based company ASUS Czech started a trial operation of computers assembly plant in January 2005. Phase II expansion will add another 30 ha of land for technology – oriented investors.
 The 30ha Ostrava-Mošnov Industrial Zone near the airport is also looking to expand. There is a further 100 ha of land as a potential development area. Other investment opportunities include: the 60 ha Karolina site, which will be developed as a further City center; the 10ha Science & Technology Park, currently occupied by the Czech-Spanish company Ingelectric and by other international companies like Siemens Kolejová vozidla, s.r.o., Roper Industries, Inc., TietoEnator, a.s., etc. using newly completed Multi-tenant building; Ostrava-Svinov Train Station, Business and Shopping Centre, etc.

Contact:
Statutární mesto Ostrava
Stadt Ostrava - City of Ostrava
Odbor ekonomického rozvoje
Amt für Wirtschaftsförderung - Department of Economic Development

Prokešovo námestí 8
729 30 Ostrava
Czech Republic

Tel. +420 599 442 286
Fax. +420 599 442 040
Email: mkolder@mmo.cz
Homepage: http://www.ostrava-city.cz