HRADEC KRÁLOVÉ REGION
As regards the number and importance of natural assets, the Region is one of the richest in the Czech Republic. Many areas and localities are extremely valuable and there is a large number of protected areas. From the point of view of areas of natural beauty, the most valuable are the Krkonoše National Park and the Orlické hory Mountains, Broumov and Bohemian Paradise Protected Landscape Areas. The rich and varied natural and cultural wealth of the Hradec Králové Region, its attractive natural localities and the well-preserved environment are good prerequisites for the development of tourism. Especially attractive areas are those with a high natural potential, areas boasting a rich cultural heritage of historical sites, as well as several renowned spa resorts. To meet the requirements of the massive development of cyclotourism and its growing popularity in recent years, new cycle trails of regional and supraregional importance are being built and marked. Hiking trails, too, have a long tradition in most areas of the Hradec Králové Region. The Region also boasts several spa resorts, the most popular of which is Janské Lázně, known for the treatment of diseases and disorders of the nervous system, the motor system, and skin diseases. The spa town is also a well-known winter sport resort.
ECONOMIC POTENTIAL The Hradec Králové Region can be characterised as being an agricultural and industrial area with well-developed tourism. Industry is primarily concentrated in towns, while agricultural production thrives on the land bordering the Labe River. From the sectoral point of view, employment is high in branches such as car making, manufacture of electrical equipment, engineering, textile production, healthcare, and the rubber and plastics sector. The main export items are products of the automotive and engineering industries and electrotechnical components. Exports are dominated by motor vehicle components and cars, which account for more than one-quarter of total exports. More than 3 % of total regional exports is accounted for by rotating electrical machines and parts thereof, ferrous products, circuit switching and breaking devices, pumps, cisterns, textiles, and rubber products. Sectors with the highest sums spent on research and development in the Region include Information Technologies (software development) and architectonic and engineering activities (development and construction of components for the automotive and engineering industries, development and supply of technological
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wholes for the chemical industry, power engineering, coke production, and food processing), which together account for more than 30 % of the expenses. This is followed by the manufacture of components and accessories for motor vehicles and their engines (especially braking and windshield wiping systems), research and development in the area of natural and technical sciences (breeding, textile materials, and biotechnologies), manufacture of other special purpose machines (printing machines, mining and building machines, machinery for pharmaceutical and food processing plants, and power generating equipment), manufacture of rubber products, medical devices, and other items. There are several clusters operating in the Region. The IT cluster in Hradec Králové focuses on the use of new information and communication technologies in the development of products manufactured by the cluster members, distributed backups, automatic control of the development of information systems, information systems’ safety and the housing server. The Hradec Králové TECHNOLOGICAL CENTRE participates in the realisation of projects financed from EU funds, the aim of which is to raise the level of education and competitiveness in the Region and, in particular, to facilitate students’ entry into professional life. Within the framework of these projects, the Technological Centre cooperates with recognised research and educational institutions in the Czech Republic (Hradec Králové University, Masaryk University, the Association of Scientific and Technical Parks). One of the firms having their seats in the Hradec Králové Region is Elceram, the only firm in the Czech Republic specialising in the manufacture of ceramic printed circuit boards and sensors. There are at most five such specialised companies in Europe. The manufacture of ceramic printed circuit boards is historically linked with the local Research Institute of Electroceramics. The firm is building on the tradition of the Czech-Japanese capital investment project, which used the experiences of the Tesla Hradec Králové company. Besides the electrical engineering industry, it also supplies its products to engineering firms and the auto motive sector. Ceramic printed circuit boards are used, for example, in ABS automobile units and ceramic components help to reinforce tank armour. Various projects are realised in the Technological Centre. For example, in 2020 the Czech company TRILAB was developing special shields there. Currently it is distributing a completely new model of protective shields, which greatly surpass shields printed on 3D
Photo: © Regional Office of the Hradec Králové Region archives
The Hradec Králové Region is situated in North-East Bohemia. More than one-third of its boundary, a stretch of about 208 km, forms the Czech Republic’s state frontier with Poland. The Region consists of five districts – Hradec Králové, Jičín, Náchod, Rychnov nad Kněžnou, and Trutnov.
