More expensive apartments, inflation, war. What do the richest Czechs expect from 2022?
What will the next 12 months be like? Will we win over the pandemic, energy prices and inflation rampant like steroids, or are we having a hard time? In what direction will the business develop? Will things go back to normal and the wheels of production and transport revolve around the globe again, or do we have to prepare for further deadlocks and crises?
Unfortunately, we do not have a crystal ball. But we are talking to people who influence a substantial part of Czech industry and employ tens of thousands of people. And so we asked the Czech billionaires what they think the new year will be like. What do they expect, what are they looking forward to, what are they afraid of? And what are they up to in 2022?
Zbyněk Frolík, owner of the manufacturer of medical equipment Linet
The only certainty is uncertainty. On the one hand, I see the new year optimistically because the pandemic is gradually depleting and we are used to living with the covid as a flu and treating him. I also expect growth in economic activity in the world and in our country. In our business globally, I see the potential for further growth and rewriting existing records.
On the other hand, I am concerned about the geopolitical situation in Ukraine, inflation in general and rising energy prices in particular. This can bring great social problems, pressure on wages, but often with inadequate growth in value added. All this under government pressure for budget savings.
Igor Fait, Brno investor and founder of Jet Investment
I wonder what the year 2022 will bring as a surprise. It is impossible to predict what will happen, because there are too many unpredictable influences and events. Will the pandemic end? Will the threat of invasion of Ukraine disappear? Or will it be the other way around? Will Putin stop playing with the gas tap? Will disrupted supply chains calm down? Will quantitative easing stop?
These are all issues that can and will significantly affect this year – from inflation through the foreign exchange market and rates, to the growth or decline of individual economies. When things go wrong, extreme unrest can happen in extreme cases.
I would therefore very much like 2022 to mean calm and stabilization. So that we can finally predict and plan something on the basis of current economic laws and not on the basis of random one-off events.
As far as the Jet is concerned, we have an important year ahead of us as we increase the Jet 3 Fund, which should be the largest private equity fund in the Czech Republic. At the same time, we are facing the exit of some assets from our Jet 1 fund and, last but not least, stabilization, growth and the use of synergies across our companies and new acquisitions in the Jet 2 fund. This is a challenge we are looking forward to.
Milan Kratina, co-owner of Accolade
The year 2022 will not be easy for Europe. Compared to the USA and China, we have most of the inputs more expensive, which, combined with the regulations that lie on us in Europe, does not create optimal starting conditions for our companies in global competition.
The only way forward is hard work and a high level of creativity. For us in industrial real estate, this means the maximum possible support for the growth of our tenants in the field of production, logistics and e-commerce.
Simona Kijonková, founder of Zásilkovna
How do I see the year 2022? As another very challenging year in a row, full of new changes and challenges that we will have to face again as entrepreneurs. But challenges bring opportunities. We will soon read about those who will be able to take advantage of these opportunities on the Forbes website.
Many new ideas will come, a number of new projects and startups will emerge. Existing entrepreneurs will continue to digitize their business and automate processes.
So what am I looking forward to? I have changes and challenges, I like looking for new solutions to improve processes and customer experience. So I am most looking forward to the new projects and products that we are preparing and will be launching them in 2022.
I am also looking forward to completing the transformation of our Packet group, which we have been working with the team for several months and will work on for almost the next year. The aim is to prepare the company for its next stage.
What am I afraid of? I am afraid of the greater degree of polarization that I have been perceiving for a long time. I am afraid of the negative consequences that the current situation leaves on our children from the point of view of their physical and mental health, from the point of view of their freedom.
We are already learning to polarize in children’s groups. I am worried about their happy childhood and happy future.
Dušan Kunovský, owner of the Central Group developer
What awaits the real estate market in 2022? The growth of new apartment prices accelerated sharply again. In addition, the pace at which the Czech National Bank is now raising interest rates in an effort to combat inflation is record-breaking. This will increase the price of both mortgages and financing for companies.
For 2022, I expect a slight decline in the number of apartments sold and also a gradual increase in supply. However, the prices of new flats will continue to rise, although this should no longer be the case. At Central Group, we expect it to be in the range of five to ten percent.
It will be very important for the future of the Czech construction industry how the new Chamber of Deputies and the government will react to the already approved new building law.
Kvido Štěpánek, owner of Isolit-Bravo
I look forward to 2022 being a year of cleansing – from a trend that was unbearable and the covid pandemic accelerated its fall as a catalyst.
That at least the distorted economic relations, ie the unbearable social setting, when fewer and fewer people work, nonsensical subsidies are handed out and stupid political decisions are made, begin to equalize, they do not take into account the basic three-membered group.
I’m also looking forward to finally stop hysterizing around the covid, destroying the economy. And I’m afraid that this might not happen yet and that the current pseudo-set could still persist.
Jiří Hlavatý, owner of the Juta textile factory
What is the vision of 2022 for me? I admit that I am most looking forward to spring. I hope that with warming and the sun, electricity prices will come to their senses or the Council of Europe and the European Commission will come to their senses. However, enjoying is a luxury for us nowadays. In Jute, we calculate the current increase in energy prices of around five hundred percent. It is in the order of many hundreds of millions of crowns in costs.
I am afraid we will not be able to fully reflect these insanely high costs in our prices. Our competitors are also countries outside the European Union with negligible energy costs. We are therefore preparing for austerity measures and we will do our best to deal with everything.
Europe has gone mad, but I do not believe in coincidences – let everyone interpret it in their own way. Raising money is a priority today. Where does the money end?