“This project is incredibly exciting and carries a great deal of responsibility,” says Pavel Sobotka, co-owner and CEO of Frentech Aerospace. The company is leading the development, production, and testing of the shuttle’s chassis — a core structural component critical to its performance and safety in orbit. Valued at nearly 300 million CZK, the Space Rider project is not only one of Frentech’s largest endeavors to date, but also a showcase of Czech engineering on an international stage.

What makes this project even more notable is the collaboration it has sparked among Czech aerospace firms, with Frentech acting as the primary coordinator. “We’re managing a team of Czech companies contributing to the shuttle’s development. It's a national effort, in a way,” says Sobotka. The shuttle contract has helped Frentech achieve a record-breaking annual turnover of 272 million CZK — a dramatic leap from previous years. Before this, the company’s best financial result was 220 million CZK, while its lowest point after the pandemic-induced aviation industry slump dipped just above 100 million CZK.

Space-related contracts, including work with ArianeGroup on components for the Ariane 6 rocket, have become a vital part of Frentech’s business. In 2024, these projects made up more than half of the company’s income — a sharp rise from the historical average of 35 to 40 percent. “This is the strongest space year we've ever had,” Sobotka confirms.

Despite the recent focus on space, Frentech maintains a diversified portfolio across three core sectors: space systems, aviation, and precision instrumentation. In aerospace, the company supplies parts directly to major players like Airbus, including components for the A350 and A400M aircraft. Even with the Airbus A380 no longer in production, Frentech continues to provide replacement parts to keep the existing fleet airborne. The company also partners with major defense and civilian aviation firms such as Eaton, Collins Aerospace, Embraer, and Czech manufacturer Aero Vodochody — notably contributing to the C-390 military transport aircraft. The third cornerstone of its operations is high-precision instrumentation.

Frentech is a key supplier to Thermo Fisher Scientific, the U.S.-based global leader in electron microscopes, which operates a major facility in Brno. Alongside optics components, Frentech also manufactures parts for advanced gas analyzers. Founded in 1994 by Pavel Sobotka, Frentech Aerospace originally focused on medical and microelectronic devices. Its gradual pivot toward aerospace began with contracts for Airbus, and accelerated after the Czech Republic joined the ESA in 2008, opening doors to space missions and satellite technologies.

Now, three decades later, Frentech stands as a symbol of Czech innovation in one of the world’s most demanding industries. As the countdown to the 2027 Space Rider launch begins, Sobotka and his team remain firmly grounded — even as their work reaches for the stars.

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Source: Forbes