Líně: Legal Preparation of the Gigafactory for Volkswagen
The Czech Republic was competing for one of the largest industrial investments in its history. Frank Bold was involved in the legal preparation.
Support from site preparation to strategic communication
When the state agency CzechInvest launched preparations in 2022 for the former airfield site near Líně in the Pilsen region, it faced an unprecedented challenge. The Czech Republic was responding to the interest of the Volkswagen Group – through its Škoda Auto subsidiary – in building a gigafactory for the production of battery cells for electric vehicles.
Frank Bold experts joined the project in two key roles: as legal advisers and as consultants for strategic communication.
The project quickly revealed one fundamental truth: technical and territorial readiness alone is not enough. Without the trust of local communities and their genuine involvement in the process, the project could not succeed.
In the area of communication, Frank Bold was part of the teams that:
- developed CzechInvest’s communication strategy towards the affected municipalities,
- organised and facilitated public hearings with residents,
- was present at negotiations with local elected representatives.
Municipalities as co-owners, not just neighbours
The then Minister of Industry offered a concrete instrument of shared decision-making: a joint venture between the state and the surrounding municipalities, which would have a direct say in the development of the site and the operation of the entire strategic business park. The municipalities would not merely be recipients of information – they would become active co-decision-making partners. Frank Bold contributed to the preparation of this step.
“The Líně project demonstrated that a large industrial investment cannot succeed without the genuine involvement of local communities. Informing them is not enough – they must be given the tools to make real decisions about their surroundings. That is what we worked on with CzechInvest from the very beginning,” says Pavel Franc, CEO of Frank Bold.
An approach that outlasted the project itself
The gigafactory in Líně was ultimately never built – Volkswagen revised its investment plans. However, the approach developed during the project’s preparation has endured.
In 2024, it served as the basis for establishing the State Investment and Development Company (SIRS), whose mission is to proactively prepare investment sites across the country so that they are ready to receive strategic investors at any time and without unnecessary delays.
Frank Bold contributed to the creation of a systemic solution that is now shaping the preparation of other large-scale projects in the Czech Republic.
Experience at the intersection of law, business and the public interest
At Frank Bold, we specialise in comprehensive support for strategic investment projects – from site preparation and legal advice to community engagement and structuring the relationship between investors and public institutions.