You´ve been working in Pilsen for seven years. Could you say you already know it?
I would say so in the meantime. When I arrived, it was quite a new city for me. Now, some colleagues say to me: “You know more about Pilsen than me”.
What places in Pilsen do you love?
A lot of places! Definitely, I love the area where I live, between Velké divadlo and Techmania. I like opera, so I frequently go to Velké divadlo. And also I like the New Theatre. It´s a very modern building from 2014. It´s great equipment here, stage technologies and others. And I love the nature around Pilsen too. Pilsen is a relatively compact city: if you sit on the bike for a few minutes you are in the green. There is one place I definitely normally try to go when friends or family visit me: Radyně. That´s a nice walk from Černice up to the ruin. And when you walk back you have to have a nice dinner in Purkmistr restaurant.
Why did you decide to leave Germany just for Pilsen?
Due to the job offer, I got from ZF, the company I work for now for more than 25 years.I became the Managing director of the Plzen Tech center and was given the opportunity to develop a research and development facility, which was a very attractive challenge for me.
How did you adjust to life with the Czechs? Germans are very organized, while Czechs are known for their ability to improvise.
We approach problems differently, but it’s possible to combine the two perfectly. I try to understand Czech culture and make the most of the Czech mindset. One of my first decisions was to start learning Czech right in the second week after I moved to Pilsen. I felt I needed to learn at least a little so I could talk to people in everyday life. And I’m getting great feedback.
Czech has a lot of words that come from German. Some of them must be pretty funny to you, right?
Yes, some are funny. For example, “jarmark”—in German, it’s spelled “Jahrmarkt.”
But that’s pretty formal.
But you use it! For example, I went to a “jarmark” in Štěnovice.
What do you think Pilsen offers people who come here for work and a new chapter in their lives?
It’s really a great place to live. I say a week in Prague is nice, but a whole year in Pilsen is better.
Really?
Yes. Because Pilsen has everything you need for life: culture, sports, nature. Pilsen has an opera house, a hockey stadium, a swimming pool, good transportation links, and it doesn’t have the downsides of a very large city. For example, you won’t experience traffic gridlock here, and it’s comfortable to live in. Living here is easier than in Germany. I feel very at home here.
In what ways do you think the Pilsen Region has a promising future?
There are cities here with a rich history that also have ambitions for a promising future. For example, we’re working on electromobility. And that stems from the past: Škoda and its electric locomotives.
I also like the connections between people from different organizations, between the city of Pilsen and the university, and so on. That’s on a much higher level than in Germany. And the location in the heart of Europe, close to Prague and close to Germany—that’s an ideal starting point.
What, on the other hand, do you miss in Pilsen or the Pilsen Region? What would you change or improve here?
Definitely nothing in my personal life. Foreigners from the academic world, however, would welcome international kindergartens and schools here. Pilsen also has excellent transport connections to Prague, but the train connection to Bavaria could use some improvement. It’s slow to Munich and quite complicated to Nuremberg.
By the way, I really enjoy taking the train to Prague. I like how Smetana’s “The Moldau” starts playing on the Supercity trains as we arrive in Prague. We don’t have anything like that on German trains.
Your company is part of a large automotive family and needs qualified experts in electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Can you find enough of them in Pilsen?
We’re constantly growing, so we’re always offering opportunities not only to experts but also to graduates, students, and interns. This mix of people is interesting and inspiring. Although our main field is engineering—with a focus on software development, design, simulation, and vehicle calibration for various products, primarily in the e-mobility sector—we’re also looking for IT specialists and people in non-technical professions.
In my top management team, I have two women and seven men. That’s far more women than is typical in Germany, but it’s still not enough. We have twelve or fourteen nationalities in our company. We build on a strong culture focused on people and diversity.
Where do you see ZF Engineering in the context of the entire region, say, in five or ten years?
We have received the Pilsen Region Employer of the Year award three years in a row, so I hope we will continue to be perceived as a good employer throughout the region.
What is your collaboration with the University of West Bohemia like? Do you have any specific projects?
We are working on a research project on electromobility and are a strategic partner of the university. We collaborate most closely with the Faculty of Applied Sciences and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, but we are also a member of the International Industrial Council of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. We regularly support events for students; for example, our experts give lectures on software development in the automotive industry, and we sponsor new equipment for the university. We are also the main partner of the “Formula Student” racing team at the University of West Bohemia.
What other schools do you collaborate with or would like to collaborate with?
We support middle and elementary schools to foster children’s interest in science, technology, or engineering. And we also support German language instruction.
Is there any school you don’t yet collaborate with but would like to?
I can imagine us working closely with the Vocational School of Electrical Engineering in Plzeň-Skvrňany. Because we don’t just need engineers or graduates of technical high schools, but also people with vocational certificates.
What does cooperation between companies, universities, and municipalities look like in Germany?
I’d say it’s similar to here, but German universities are more involved in joint projects with industrial companies. And in Germany, regional governments also support large companies like ours quite well, because they are significant employers.
If one of your friends from Germany asked you: I have an offer to work or study in Pilsen. Should I accept it? What would you tell them?
Definitely yes! Simply yes. I feel at home here; it’s a great place for everything.
