British Business Centre - gateway to new business opportunities in the Czech Republic opens in June 2014
On 20 June, Prague’s Florentinum saw the opening of a British business centre which serves as an entry point and a contact resource for British firms arriving on the Czech market. This event was held under the auspices of Minister of Industry and Trade, Jan Mládek. The opening ceremony was attended by leading figures from the business world both from the Czech Republic and abroad.
The British Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic has become involved in the Overseas Business Networks initiative (OBNi), a British government initiative to support mutual business cooperation and particularly British export. The initiative’s programme is realised through the cooperation of selected British chambers of commerce and UK Trade and Investment (a British governmental agency for the support of business and investment). The goal is to create a platform and required infrastructure for the support of British small and medium sized enterprises that are seeking new business opportunities.
The British Business Centre is part of the British Chamber of Commerce , which thus acquires a new agenda and expand competencies. The center provides a wide range of services. BCC consultants will provide individual counselling, including market analysis, organising trade missions, seeking partners and finding new business opportunities. "In the past 20 years, British companies have invested more than 2.8 billion euros in the Czech Republic. There are over 300 British companies operating here, ranging from big investors to smaller providers of services founded by British entrepreneurs. Some companies such as Rolls Royce, Mott MacDonald, BAE Systems, Marks & Spencer and Allen & Overy have located their headquarters for Central and Eastern Europe in the Czech Republic," emphasised Marcela Roche, managing director of the BCC, regarding the role of the British Business Centre.
When Lord Ian Livingston, British Minister of State for Trade and Investment, visited the Czech Republic in March, he stressed that the fast growing markets of Central and Eastern Europe represent a huge opportunity for British enterprises. He also set an ambitious goal – by 2020, the UK wants to double its annual exports to the countries of Central and Eastern Europe to a value of GBP 30bn.
For more information, contact:
Tereza Hátleová, Communications Coordinator, British Chamber of Commerce
M +420 608 508 605
E mail: tereza.hatleova@britcham.cz
