about us

The Regional Development Agency of the Usti-Region PLC is an organisation for support and co-ordination of economic and social development of this territory. It is designed on the same basis as development agencies successfully operating in EU member states. The goals, structure and a range of activities of the Agency are tailored to the regional conditions and environment. The Agency has been listed in the Phare/Tacis Central Consultancy Register of the European Commission under the registration number CZE - 20597 since 1995. It is the host organisation of the regional Euro Info Centre (EIC), which is a part of the European Commission's international network of EIC's. The Agency is a member of the European Association of Regional Agencies (EURADA) and the Czech Association of Regional Development Agencies (CARA). It represents CZECHINVEST, the national inward investment promotion agency and the Association of Innovative Entrepreneurship of the Czech Republic in Usti-Region. The Agency established the Regional Information Centre in 1995, it co-ordinates the Regional Centre for Tourism and a group of land-use planning experts in the Regional Spatial-Planning Centre.

The top priority of the Agency is the support and co-ordination of activities contributing to a systematic development of the Usti-Region. It co-operates with public administration, local authorities, Euroregions and EU institutions. There is a favourable co-operation with enterprises, non-governmental organisations and of course with many foreign institutions.

The seat of the Agency is located in the Town of Most within the Research Institute of Brown Coal (Vyzkumny ustav pro hnede uhli). The Agency has two branch offices, one in the Regional Authority in Usti nad Labem (Tel.: +420 475 657 331), the second in the head office of Velveta PLC in Varnsdorf (Tel.: +420 412 352 379).

mission and goals

• Provide information services to organisations and institutions in the public and private sectors
• Provide quality expert services in regional problem solution and implementation of the development strategy
• Mobilize main actors of the Usti-Region and their financial, material and human resources to be used for regional development
• Maximize effects of the region's strengths and exploit them commercially for further development of the Usti-Region

history and organisational structure

The Agency was established as a Public Limited Corporation by organisations from the region's public and business sector in 1994. After establishment of the Usti Region (2001) was the ownership structure of the Agency was adapted to a balanced participation of municipalities, the Region, Chambers of Commerce, Chambers of Agriculture, Trade Unions and a university). The main statutory body of the Agency is a five member Board of Directors composed of representatives of shareholders. A six member Supervisory Board acts as the controlling body. The executive team has twenty full time experts and a pool of external experts of various professions.

services provided

• Information from the Regional Information Centre (demographic data, environmental matters, tourism, transport, business environment, land and property, infrastructure, resources, etc.)
• Economic and social research, feasibility studies and development plans for the public and private sectors
• Development, co-ordination and implementation of development projects (e.g. supported by European Union's Programmes)
• Business consulting, system approach to programmes and projects, co-ordination of activities in compliance with regional strategy
• Complex services for investors (searching for suitable land and property for business activities, administrative work, translations, interpreting and other specialised services upon request)
• Support for small and medium sized enterprises
• Acquisition and utilisation of domestic and foreign financial resources. (e.g. from EU Programmes)
• Development and co-ordination of international co-operation in accordance with the EU strategy
• Overall promotion of the Usti-Region
• Other activities stimulating and supporting regional development

iso 9001 certificate

The activities and services of the Agency are practised and provided in accordance with the implemented Quality Management System. The Certificate No. C-61467 was granted by the Czech Ship's and Industry Register in 2001 in conformity with the Standard CSN EN ISO 9001:2001.

our foreign partners

• Regional Development Office of West Flanders/Belgium GOM - West Vlaanderen with the seat in Brugge
• Regional Development Agency of the Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén Region/Hungary Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén-Megyei Fejlesztési Ügynökség with the seat in Miskolc