Michal Brijar is the manager responsible for the industry segment of the Thein Group. In this role, he builds on his extensive experience in the automotive business, where he has held management positions in technology management and the planning office. His domain is implementing new products, optimising production processes and improving performance. He has experience in consulting work, where he helped with corporate restructuring.
You are building a portfolio of engineering companies within the Thein Industry Group. What is its cope, and what is your focus?
The current portfolio of companies in Thein Industry is made up of companies that supply components and more complex units mainly to the railway and energy industries. We see stability and reasonable growth in these two sectors. We want to continue investing in and building on the industries mentioned above. Another investment “pillar” we want to develop is high-tech manufacturing. The main motive is to ensure volume stability within our manufacturing plants, where we are primarily dealing with higher value-added orders today but logically with lower batches. The Group’s future direction will focus mainly on building a portfolio of companies to create an ecosystem of companies with synergies, i.e., a gradual progression from components to the final product. The company portfolio comprises Czech-Slovak engineering companies that we want to operate and develop in the long term.
The strongly developing rail transport is not only about engineering components but also about cyber security. Can you manage these security processes as well?
Within the Thein Group portfolio, we can also cover cyber security through one of our entities – Thein Security. We have experts who handle selected projects across industries. The entity above, Thein Security, offers services and comprehensive technology solutions for protecting companies in cyberspace, including preventing sensitive data leaks, defending against sophisticated attacks, detecting unknown malware or actively protecting against DDoS attacks. One of our main specialities is our Security Operations Center (SOC), providing customers with first-class external data surveillance in cyberspace.
You carry out locomotive reconstruction and rentals. How do you see the application of alternative drives on railways?
Yes, we carry out locomotive refurbishments and leases. This year, we have started operating the first electric locomotive on the Polish market. By the end of this year, we would like to put three more locomotives into operation. We see locomotive rental as a stable sector with excellent growth potential, so we want to focus on this area as much as possible in the coming years. Regarding the assertion of alternative propulsion on railways, we also see great potential there in the future, which needs to be developed, especially in the area of hydrogen technology. We believe these innovations will play a vital role in the rail industry not only here but also in other areas. We are primarily building a supplier ecosystem of manufacturing and technology companies that can deliver a complete solution, i.e., from design through financing to final project implementation.
Innovation is about research and development. Do you collaborate on projects with universities?
The Thein Investment Group promotes innovation and scientific progress in collaboration with academia. We are working with universities on R&D projects and plan to expand these collaborations significantly in the future. We engage in projects related to new technologies, materials, and industrial processes to push the boundaries of innovation and enhance the competitiveness of our companies.
Thank you for the interview.
