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In the telecoms sector, the Czech Republic has not looked like a model market as far as giving the customer a better deal. But there are signs that the squeeze is being put on some of the big operators on the market and they are being forced to make changes. T-Mobile has just wrapped up its latest step and its peers are likely to follow suit.

In this week’s Business News: major Prague development gets final clearance; PPF aims high with skyscraper investment; troubled waters seen for Karlovarské Minerální Vody; calls goes out to hash growers; and finance minister invests in infertility business.

Pivovary Lobkowicz, parent company to a number of Czech beer brewers including Platan, Lobkowicz and Černá Hora, has become the first such company to join the Prague Stock Exchange.

Long an engine of the economy, car production decreased slightly in the Czech Republic in 2013 when 1.13 million vehicles rolled off the production line. But this year the industry is revving up again, as reflected in the fact that one of the country’s big three producers, TPCA – a joint operation of Japan’s Toyota and the French company Peugeot-Citroen – has been taking on more workers as it introduces new models.

Mixed signals have been sent by the West to Russia and Ukraine during the recent crisis and no more so over trade and business relations. Strangely enough, crucial Czech state support for trade with Russia is being maintained but that to Ukraine remains on hold.

Family firms have a strong tradition but troubled history with many falling victim to the tides of twentieth century Czech history. A new wave of firms have been created but many of them will soon be facing the big question of how to deal with the handover to the next generation.

A conference in Prague this week reviewed the exit possibilities from the current energy crisis in Europe. The conclusions were not very positive with major power companies now staring at a scenario where they are undermined by ever increasing amounts of renewable power on one hand and undercut by state payments in some countries to keep costlier power plants on standby.

Czech defense companies are looking at an upturn in business after a period of flat demand. And Tatra Trucks is one company that has survived difficult times and is now looking ahead to meeting orders won in part thanks to its flexibility in sharing some of the workload with the customer.

Whatever happens in Ukraine, the Czech Republic has sufficient natural gas reserves. That is the message from local gas suppliers, which say the country has enough natural gas to fuel households and businesses for several months.

Following persistent complaints regarding the length of time it takes for foreign investors to bring highly qualified staff to run their businesses in the Czech Republic, Czech authorities have finally moved to ease the allocation of work permits for non-EU workers in foreign companies with over 250 employees.