From a Mining Hub to Modern Industry Discussing the Moravian-Silesian Region’s Transformation With J
18 ǀ POSITIV 1/2024
BUSINESS
From a Mining Hub
to Modern Industry
Discussing the Moravian-Silesian Region’s
Transformaon With Jakub Unucka
The Moravian-Silesian region is undergoing a metamorphosis that is turning it into being the center
of cung edge modern technologies. Chairman of the Editorial Board, Radúz Mácha spoke with
Jakub Unucka, 1
st
Deputy Governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region for Energy, Industry and
the Smart Regional Development, about some of the region’s newest projects, and how they are
being interlinked to create a unied technological chain.
The Vitesco Technologies corporation
in Frenštát pod Radhoštěm has begun
expanding their production capacity and
is building a new plant in Ostrava-Hrušov.
What is your evaluation of this step in
regards to the developmental intentions
of the region and its plan for the strategic
transformation of the Moriavian-Silesian
region? Is the Ostrava region changing
from a mining hub into the epicenter of
modern technologies?
I am very happy to see that Vitesco
decided to direct their investment into
our region and expand production
into Hrušov. This step fits into our
transformation plan perfectly, as we
move away from the “black” and towards
the “green.” The Hrušov plant is going
to make use of green energy to produce
control units for electric vehicles, which
is something our region is missing at
the moment. This segment is guaranteed
to see a lot of dynamic development in
the near future. Whether electric vehicles
crush the competing powertrain options,
or if they become simply one of numerous
alternatives, they will remain present
nonetheless.
As part of its economical transformation,
the region is experiencing the creation
of many similar developmental projects
that are starting to interlink and follow
up with each other, creating a unified
technological chain (computer chips,
assemblies, integrated control units,
systems and aggregates, modules, final
products). Is this the right way forward?
This is much more than an internal chain
within manufacturing companies, it is
something that also involves research and
development. Not only is there a surge in
manufacturing companies, but each and
every one of them is also cooperating
with VŠB-TUO, whether it be their
Faculty of Material Engineering, Faculty of
Electrical Engineering, or any other. Such
companies will want to stay here, because
this is where the people that provide them
with key know-how are.
We are seeing a resurgence of a trend we
had last seen in the days of the metallurgical
industry, where we mined coal, turned it into
coke, imported ore, turned it into steel and
then used it to create a product. The steel
industry in our region was perfected into
a comprehensive production cycle that
was followed up on by the engineering
industry. All of the accumulated value was
preserved within that cycle. Therefore,
if we manage to build a chain from the
production of computer chips to final
vehicle assembly, we will have something
very solid that will once again preserve
value for the region.
As the 1
st
Deputy Governor of the
Moravian-Silesian region, you are in charge
of industry, energetics and smart regional
development. In your view, what are the key
pillars that will support the transformation
and industrial development of our region in
the next couple years?
There are many different visions and
ideas, however, the true manifestation
of the region’s transformation will not be
decided by politicians, but entrepreneurs.
They will be the true arbiters of whether
or not our transfer towards a greener
industrial sector will be smooth. The role
of the politicians here is, and will be, to
not be in the way. Something we must
begin addressing together however, is
the cardinal question of whether our
region will have enough energy to fuel
the efforts to make our industry and
transportation greener. To this day, we
have been procuring a significant portion
of our energy through coal in heating,
power, and coking plants. What can we use
in place of coal? Will we import energy?
Do we even have the infrastructure, wires
and pipes, for something like that? Can we
help ourselves? Can coal slurries be used
somewhere other than boilers? Are wind
turbines really that bad? In my opinion,
these are some of the most pressing
industry issues within the region is facing
now, and we need to start coming up
with solutions as soon as possible. If we
cannot, rather than a transformation, we
will be facing stagnation, and I believe that
this is something the citizens of our region
do not deserve.
Mr. Deputy Governor, thank you for
the interview.
“
Thetruemanifestaon
oftheregion’stransformaon
willnotbedecidedby
policians,butentrepreneurs.
Theywillbethetruearbiters
ofwhetherornotourtransfer
towardsagreenerindustrial
sectorwillbesmooth.
”