Czech cities stood out at Expo Real 2024 with world-class architecture and bold development visions.

In early October, Munich hosted the 26th EXPO REAL (Messe München), one of Europe’s premier real estate and investment events. This year’s Expo Real attracted over 40?000 visitors from more than 70 countries??, with almost 2?000 presentations from businesses and organizations operating in the fields of real estate, investment, urban infrastructure and innovation. Expo Real is a crucially important platform for networking among developers, investors, cities and regions seeking out new opportunities for development and investment.

Sustainability

The Czech presence at Expo Real took the form of the joint presentation Czech Cities & Regions, featuring Ostrava, the Moravian-Silesian Region and Prague. The design of the presentation emphasized the concept of sustainability??, and it attracted attention from architects and other experts interested in its innovative concepts and the materials it used. The stand was designed by the architect Ondrej Chybik from the CHYBIK + KRISTOF ARCHITECTS studio, and Chybík himself was present at the stand. The sustainable, modern concept won acclaim from experts and international partners: Ostrava is proving that sustainability is the way of the future.

Energy

This year’s Czech Cities & Regions programme was presented by the talented young speaker Simon Klinga, who quickly won the respect of the panellists and the audience. After his success with the LASAR project, his skills came as no surprise to us. The Ostrava team (which organized the presentation including the programme of accompanying events) recognized Klinga’s potential and ranked him among their top choices, as Forbes Czech Republic and others have done before.

The programme focused on key current issues including sustainability, urban infrastructure, innovation, the development and implementation of AI??, and both newly launched and completed projects in cities.

Last year, Expo Real featured Steven Holl and Eva Jiricna, both presenting their projects in Ostrava. This year’s star was the architect Robert Konieczny, who showcased his revitalization of Ostrava’s historic slaughterhouse to create a new home for the PLATO contemporary art gallery. This project reached the final round of the prestigious EU Prize for Contemporary Architecture - Mies van der Rohe Award, representing a historic success for Czech architecture.

Another guest at this year’s Expo Real was the architect Shane Dalke from the studio BIG - Bjarke Ingels Group, who presented his design for Prague’s Vltava Philharmonic Hall. This beautiful project attracted plenty of attention – and we wish Prague all the best in transforming it into a reality ?.

Opportunities

During Expo Real, Ostrava’s Mayor Jan Dohnal mentioned how important the city’s participation is for striking up new partnerships and attracting foreign investors. Following last year’s event, the city succeeded in finding a developer to expand the Science and Technology Park at Ostrava’s Technical University and signing key contracts for the revitalization of the “skyscraper” on Ostr?ilova Street.

This year, Ostrava has been involved in a range of negotiations focusing on large-scale sports infrastructure projects, including a multifunctional hall for ball sports and the Bazaly football stadium. The city is also successfully selling land at its industrial zones, which are attracting strong interest from international investors.

Thanks to all these activities, Ostrava is becoming an increasingly attractive destination – a trend that is reflected in the city’s positive migration balance, meaning that more people are moving to Ostrava than are moving away.

Invest in Ostrava?

If you’d like to learn more about investment opportunities in Ostrava, you can check out the website ?? investinostrava.cz, which has a complete listing of what the city is offering. Current opportunities include a site on Opavská Street, where we’re seeking an investor to build a hotel. There is also a site on Plzeňská Street, which is large enough for a major project to create a seniors’ centre and related services. And we’re offering a site on ?ujkovova Street – an ideal location for retail units and/or offices. Situated in an attractive part of the city, the site has excellent access to transport infrastructure.

………………………..

Autumn ?? air. The clinking of glasses ?? and lengthening nights. Expo Real. Investments. No hurry. Warm up with art. MEAT DESIGN/THEATRE/MUSIC/CHOCOLATE, or even A MARATHON. Enjoy discovering France, Japan or Poland. Relax, because soon it’ll be ??Halloween, the traditional autumn??goose, and ?snow.