Stammtisch
2. 4. 2025
Boutique Hotel Jalta
On Wednesday, 2nd April 2025, AFI held its second Stammtisch of the year. The invitation was accepted by the Minister of Industry and Trade Lukáš Vlček, during the gala dinner he discussed with representatives of partners, members and honorary members of AFI in the premises of the Boutique Hotel Jalta.
The guests were welcomed and the evening was opened by Ondřej Votruba and Gabriela Hrbáčková, followed by the Minister's opening speech. Right at the beginning he emphasized the importance of personal meetings with business partners and described his view on the attractiveness of the Czech Republic for foreign investors. He named the weak spots that worsen our good predisposition for investment, explained the importance of active dialogue and finding solutions across the public and private spheres, highlighted the quality of human resources and praised his colleagues in the public administration.
A lively discussion with the participants followed, in which a number of stimulating topics resonated - from the modernisation of the Czech energy sector, small modular reactors and the financing of the completion of the Dukovany nuclear power plant, to the need for infrastructure development and the benefits of the Strategic Investment Act, to the topics of emission allowances, sustainability and green energy. Of course, there were also discussions on investment promotion, the need for transparency in the evaluation of applications for incentives and the amendment to the government regulation on the law on investment incentives. The Minister stressed the need to assess the strategic nature of the projects approved, which, in his opinion, is demonstrated by investments in chip and semiconductor manufacturing or in the defence industry, for example. He explained that the supported projects must be based on the economic strategy of the state and the government must then explain its actions transparently when approving them.
We would like to thank the Minister for his willingness, time and very professional and kind approach, and all participants for their stimulating questions, which opened up an interesting debate.
