Industrial developer Panattoni and the chemical company WACKER inaugurated the construction of the new industrial complex Panattoni Park Karlovy Vary. The new park with a built-up area of over 23,000 sqm has started construction on the northeast outskirts of Karlovy Vary and is scheduled for completion in spring 2025. The tenant will be WACKER, which focuses on the refinement of silicone compounds. The new production plant will also include laboratories and testing facilities. The new building aspires one of the highest ratings in the international sustainability certification BREEAM New Construction, at the Excellent level.
This is the second plant in the Czech Republic for the German company WACKER, which has been operating in Pilsen since 2008. The group focuses on the manufacture of state-of-the-art specialty products for use in a range of fast-growing markets, including photovoltaics, electronics, automotive, construction, electrical engineering, renewable energy, pharmaceuticals and household and personal care products. The plan is for WACKER to create up to 200 jobs in the first phase of the project in a new manufacturing, research and development facility.
"Karlovy Vary will be a new and important pillar for our silicone activities in Europe and will strengthen our position as a leading manufacturer of silicone specialties. With today’s groundbreaking ceremony we’ve achieved our first milestone,” said WACKER Executive Board member Christian Kirsten. “Our silicone rubber is in demand in all key growth markets. The main drivers are megatrends such as electromobility, renewable energies, and the expansion of power grids. In order to be able to meet this demand in the long term, we need to lay the foundations for our future growth now. With Karlovy Vary, we are now opening a new chapter in the success story of our silicones.”
In Karlovy Vary, WACKER will specifically deal with the modification of silicone mixtures for further processing into final products such as insulating elements for electric vehicle batteries, sealing elements for electronic components and silicones for medical and healthcare applications. By processing compounds for the production of final components in all of the above areas, the company will actively contribute to the Net Zero Industry Act of the European Union's Green Deal for Europe industrial plan.
"I am delighted that WACKER will be the first tenant to occupy the new Panattoni Park Karlovy Vary, which brings value-added manufacturing, research and 200 jobs for mostly skilled employees. The whole project proves that the Karlovy Vary Region has a huge potential to attract really top investors," says Pavel Sovička, Managing Director, Panattoni CZ & SK.
The project also stands out for its excellent transport connections. It is located close to the D6 motorway at exit 125 and the European E442, which provides fast connections to Germany and Slovakia. Thanks to this, it takes only 70 minutes to get from the new hall to Pilsen and 90 minutes to Prague. The proximity of the main railway station in Karlovy Vary, just two kilometres away, and the strategic location in relation to the neighbouring towns of Sokolov and Cheb is another key benefit.
"Karlovy Vary is open to new business opportunities. We appreciate the start of construction of the new Panttoni Park Karlovy Vary industrial park with tenant WACKER, which will bring not only production, but also research and a number of skilled jobs, and we look forward to the completion of the project as early as 2025," adds Andrea Pfeffer Ferklová (ANO), Mayor of Karlovy Vary.
Employees will also be able to travel to the site using public transport, as the bus stop is within a short walking distance.
The building will be equipped with modern technologies that reduce energy consumption and ensure a high level of environmental friendliness. These include, for example, heat pumps, photovoltaics, heat recovery and the environmentally friendly treatment of rainwater.
