The Ústí Region is technically the hardest Czech region to assess — historically it was the heart of heavy chemical and energy industry (Spolchemie, AGC Flat Glass, ČEZ coal energy), today it's in a process of deep transformation. The European Industrial Emissions Directive (IED) and the gradual phase-out of coal energy mean the region is going through a generational transformation. For an integrator that means two parallel worlds: one in decommissioning (Počerady, Prunéřov coal plants in decline), and one in development (special chemistry, automotive glass, hydrogen technologies).
Spolchemie — special chemistry and ATEX
Spolchemie in Ústí nad Labem (Spolek pro chemickou a hutní výrobu) is a manufacturer of special chemicals — epoxies, hydroxides, inorganic base materials for the EU market. For an integrator it's a classic ATEX environment with the full zone spectrum: 0 (continuously explosive — production reactors for light organic intermediates), 1 (intermittent — handling zones), 2 (rare — warehouses), plus dust-explosive zones (20/21/22) for powder products.
Work uses intrinsically safe equipment (Pepperl+Fuchs, Stahl ATEX, Phoenix Contact IS), full SIL hazard analysis (IEC 61511) for every PLC update, and certified designers under ČSN EN 60079. For us Spolchemie is an environment familiar from analogous work at Slovak Slovnaft (MOL Group) — the same Ex d / Ex e / Ex t regime, the same hot-work permit procedures, the same level of documentation before every intervention.
For peripheral zones (admin, warehouses outside zones, QA labs) we're realistically deliverable. For core production zones it's a specialised overlay where long-standing Czech suppliers with SIL-certified personnel work first.
AGC Flat Glass Czech — automotive glass
AGC Flat Glass Czech in Teplice (25 km west of Ústí) is a manufacturer of flat and bent glass for automotive and construction. AGC as a Japanese owner (Asahi Glass Company) has several plants in Europe, of which Teplice is one of the largest — annual production around 250,000 tonnes of glass. Main customers: Volkswagen Group (Mladá Boleslav, Kvasiny, Vrchlabí), Toyota Kolín, Mercedes-Benz, BMW.
For an integrator the glass industry is defined by a specific environment — bath furnaces above 1,500 °C, continuous 24/7/365 production with no scheduled outages (every outage means total furnace reconstruction), and precise temperature control in the annealing lehr. For an integrator that means most industrial installation work happens during planned "cold repair" outages run once every 8–12 years.
For us AGC is interesting through automotive supplier integration — glass is a component that must be delivered in perfect JIT (just-in-time) mode for VW Group assembly lines. That means: integration with the VW SupplyOn portal, EDI communication, RFID tracking of pallets, automated dispatch inspection points.
ČEZ Počerady and Prunéřov — coal energy in transformation
ČEZ has two large coal plants in the Ústí Region — Počerady (1,000 MW, in decommissioning process from 2024) and Prunéřov (490 MW, planned closure 2030 or earlier). These plants were for decades the backbone of Czech energy, today they're in decline due to EU emissions quotas (EU ETS) and CO₂ price.
For an integrator that means an atypical segment — decommissioning work. Retiring a plant from operation isn't a simple demolition; it's a complex project with full environmental regulatory geography: technology retirement (boilers, turbines, generators, transformers), recycling of steel structures, zone decontamination, area reclamation. For the demolition work itself, specialised firms are the suppliers (Demonta, ENRECO, Krones Engineering Services). For us peripheral segments are interesting — administrative IT, warehouses, retirement of electronic systems, cable recycling.
BorsodChem MCHZ Ostrava and the chemical cluster
BorsodChem MCHZ (Moravské chemické závody, technically Moravian-Silesian Region) in Ostrava-Mariánské Hory produces aniline, fertilisers and special chemicals. For an integrator it's a classic chemical industry with ATEX and SIL overlay — similar environment to Spolchemie, but with its own supplier orbit.
Glaverbel Czech Most — technical glass
Glaverbel Czech in Most (50 km west of Ústí) is a manufacturer of technical glass for construction and special applications. For an integrator it's a parallel to AGC, just at a smaller scale.
Our commuting relationship
From Prešov to Ústí nad Labem is 9 hours' drive on the D1 via Brno and Prague — Ústí is as remote as Liberec, on the opposite side of Czechia from Ostrava. For Ústí we maintain Monday-to-Friday mode with accommodation.
We don't yet have a directly delivered project in the Ústí Region. For AGC Flat Glass Czech we have an analogous reference via the automotive supplier orbit (Magna Kechnec, Bratislava automotive injection line). For Spolchemie we have an analogous reference via Slovak petrochemical work (analogous ATEX/SIL level to Slovnaft).
Which pillars fit best
For Spolchemie and the chemical cluster — **Electro + Industry** with ATEX and SIL focus. For peripheral zones we're directly deliverable; for core ATEX zones via a subcontractor model with a SIL-certified partner.
For AGC Flat Glass Czech — **Electro + Software/AI + Data Centres**. Automotive supplier integration, JIT logistics, RFID tracking, EDI communication with VW SupplyOn.
For ČEZ Počerady/Prunéřov decommissioning — **Electro + Industry** in peripheral zones. Administrative IT, retirement of electronic systems, cable recycling.
Conclusion
The Ústí Region is in generational industrial transformation — coal energy in decline, special chemistry in stabilisation, automotive glass in growth. For us it's a region where it pays to come with a specific segment — a generic offer has nothing to do in Ústí. Response time for a site visit in the Ústí Region is 7 working days (accounting for travel distance).