Skoda JS (part of OMZ Atom, which is itself a part of United Machine Building Works) signed an over ?3.5m contract with Nuclear Research Institute Řež for upgrading their research reactors LVR-15 and LR-0 on November 16, 2006. The project will be completed in the first half of 2008, with 50% of financial backing coming from the European Union structural funds.

The tender for taking care of the technological aspect of the project known as Řež Scientific Technological Park and Hatcher Entrepreneurship was announced by the Nuclear Research Institute in July 2006.

Skoda JS is going to employ the experience the company gained when modernizing the LVR-15 training reactor in Řež ten years ago and when upgrading the VR-1 training reactor at the Nuclear and Physics and Engineering Departments of Czech Technical University in Prague.

The research and development of the experimental reactors as well as supplying equipment for power reactors are part of Skoda JS regular orders. The company has supplied seven research reactors since 1970, says the press officer for United Machine Building Works.