Conference to Explore Business/Academic Partnerships with Pittsburgh Sister City of Ostrava, Czech Republic

Anyone interested in learning about doing business or exploring partnerships in Pittsburgh's Sister City of Ostrava, Czech Republic, is invited to a free conference on May 17 featuring the Ostrava Lord Mayor and the President of the Technical University of Ostrava, co-hosted by GlobalPittsburgh, at the University of Pittsburgh's Katz Graduate School of Business from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Located on the border with Poland in the eastern part of the country, Ostrava is a post-industrial region with a recent history similar to Pittsburgh's. It is the second largest metropolitan area in the Czech Republic after Prague with a population of 1.2 million people.

Petr Kajnar

During the conference the delegation will present an overview of business and academic opportunities in Ostrava. Leading the delegation are Ostrava Lord Mayor Petr Kajnar and Technical University President Dr. Ivo Vondrak. Vondrak is also Director of the IT4Innovations Centre of Excellence, which has been charged with the development of a supercomputer which in 2014 will become the fourth largest such computer in Europe.

According to Kajnar, the aim of Ostrava mission is to "develop closer economic ties with U.S. companies and organizations and the city of Ostrava in the Czech Republic and support global business expansion for all participants and interested parties through closer international cooperation.

"Our goal is to support Czech industry on an international platform and support the drive for economic growth. We will deliver presentations during the visit to highlight the opportunities, possibilities and benefits in doing business with us.

"Whether your company or organization is looking to export products or services, we can and will help provide you with key partners in the local markets. Whether you are looking to expand production to Central Europe, we will provide you help and incentive programs to assist your development, growth and integration into our region. Whether you are looking for cooperation partnerships, trade links and a solid partner in Central Europe, then Ostrava is your partner.

"This mission is defined as a cost-effective tool for helping potential U.S. partners and companies learn first-hand about the European markets and how we can benefit by connecting to each other," Kajnar said. "Our Trade Missions brings strong local partners, strong US partners in Ostrava to you to show firsthand the benefit of doing business with us."

Delegation members include:
Petr Kajnar, Lord Mayor, City of Ostrava
Dr. Ivo Vondrak, Chancellor, Ostrava Technical University
Stanislav Benes, Deputy Consul General, New York Consulate of the Czech Republic
Dalibor Madej, First Deputy Lord Mayor, City of Ostrava (responsible for environment)
Vaclav Palicka, Head of the Department of Economic Development, City of Ostrava
Jason Fitzgerald, Special Advisor for Foreign Investment, Global Networks
Dr. Martin Duda, Director, IT4Innovations, Ostrava Technical University
Dr. Vit Vondrak, Professor, Ostrava Technical University
Dr. Philip Stanek, Professor, Ostrava Technical University
Marian Piecha, Ministry of Trade and Commerce
Lubomir Gogela, Manager, National Engineering Clusters, Vitkovice Machinery Group
Jiri Michalek, Strategic Business Director, Vitkovice Machinery Group
Petr Lukasik, Director, Business Intelligence, Tieto
Roman Michalec, Managing Director, Ostrava Science and Technology Park
Miroslav Krizek, CEO, Czech Invest


Participation in the conference is free but pre-registration is required. CLICK HERE to register. For more information, please contact Carol Hochman, Honorary Consul for the Czech Republic, at pittsburgh@honorary.mzv.cz.