On 10 November 2010, the annual meeting of DTEF was held at the Århus city hall. DTEF is a unique group of Danish companies and business people interested in doing business or possibly investing in the Czech Republic. The Czech Ambassador to Denmark, Zdeněk Lyčka, together with his first secretary Jiří Borcel, attended the meeting. The annual report was discussed and ideas as well as suggestions as to the future activities of the forum were made.

DTEF’s annual meeting

The Chairman of the board and Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in Denmark, N. Brøchner, presented the annual report. Last year, the board held two meetings (CZ, DK). Furthermore, DTEF has, with the participation of the Czech Ambassador, held a very successful seminar for its members. The meeting was held at the premises of the company, Færch Plast (which invests in Liberec) in Holstebro (Jutland), where amongst others Professor of Czech language P. Bugge and Lector K. Haušildová from the University of Århus gave the audience a presentation in cultural differences between the two countries seen from a business point of view. One of the biggest successes of last year is without a doubt the update and modernisation of the Forums website, which will, in the future, function as a platform for acquiring and exchanging information, relevant to the cooperation between business people of both countries. The modernisation of the website now gives the members the possibility of giving their own posts via blogs.  

From the right: N. Brøchner, Honorary Consul, Z. Lyčka, the Czech Ambassador to Denmark, N. Wammen, the Mayor of Aarhus, O. Moesby, the Danish Ambassador to the Czech Republic,   H. Petersen , the representative from the Export Council and J. M. Knudsen, the head of the trade department at the Danish Embassy in the Czech Republic

After DTEF’s annual meeting, the seminar Focus on the Czech Republic was held. The seminar was arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the Export Council’s branch located in Århus) together with DTEF, municipality of Århus, Business Club Århus and Midtjyllands Væksthus. The Representatives from the Czech Embassy were both invited and the Czech guests participated actively in the networking of the seminar.

The seminar consisted of two parts; the informative and the practical. The seminar was opened by the Mayor of Århus, N. Wammen. After the opening, the Danish Ambassador to the Czech Republic, O. Moesby, contributed with a talk on the political situation in the Czech Republic. He was followed by the head of the trade department at the Danish Embassy in the Czech Republic, J. M. Knudsen, who analysed the existing possibilities in the Czech market. After the break, Honorary Consul, N. Brøchner spoke of the experiences from the Danish-Czech cooperation. The Marketing Director from the company R82 M. Rahbek spoke of the manufacturing of aids for handicapped people (production in the Czech Republic), and the General Manager from Færch Plast, A.T. Jensen, who talked about establishing a production company in the Czech Republic.

The representative of the Export Council, H. Petersen, at the opening of the seminar.

The speakers contributions on the cooperation with the Czech Republic were positive. The representatives unanimously recommended realizing investments in the Czech Republic (good business environment, educated and cheaper ordinary labour and good managers, as well as the fact that all evaluations confirm perspectives in existing investments because of, amongst others, the existence of prepared investment industrial zones, the presence of higher education in many regions, which secures qualified labour). The representative from Færch Plast highlighted the good cooperation with the agency CzechInvest by preparation and realizations of investments.  

But also the less positive sides of business investments in the Czech Republic were addressed, f. ex. Anoverbureaucratized environment below standard (stamps; attempt to get higher fees for administrative work with foreign business people than with the Czechs, stricter demands when establishing a foreign business than with a similar Czech business; the ordinary Czech workers only want Czech leaders). The seminar ended in a unanimous recommendation of engaging Czech lawyers and leaders, who can figure out the complicated rules and regulations, and who have a rich network of local contacts at their disposal, which should make the investment significantly cheaper.      

Looking holistically at the seminar Focus on the Czech Republic, the conclusion is positive for the Czech Republic. The 40 participants left the seminar knowing that the Czech Republic is a suitable country for foreign investments.