With the completion of the new NÚKIB headquarters in Brno, it is now expected to be in 2027

Brno - The construction of the new headquarters for the National Cyber and Information Security Agency (NÚKIB) in Brno, costing almost a billion crowns, has encountered several years of delays compared to the original plans. The start of construction is now scheduled for the turn of 2024 and 2025, and the construction works should be completed three years later. The schedule shifts arose due to COVID-19 measures and changes in the agency's management. CTK was informed about this by NÚKIB spokesperson Eva Rajlichová. According to the initial plans, the building was supposed to be completed this year, with the subsequent deadline being 2024.

The agency is located in Brno on Mučednická Street, and the new headquarters will be built in Černá Pole in the area of the original barracks. "Currently, work is underway on the documentation for the building permit - we expect its issuance by the end of this year. Given the specifics of the project, preparing the relevant documentation is relatively time-consuming. The future building will meet the parameters of quality and sustainable architecture, but it must also stand up to security and technical considerations," stated the spokesperson.

The project includes a main administrative building, an entrance building, a facility for technical and technological support, and a multipurpose building, among other things, possibly with facilities for a children's group. According to the spokesperson, the start of construction will depend on the issuance of the building permit and the completion of the selection of the contractor. The agency currently anticipates the timeframe at the turn of 2024 and 2025, she stated. "The construction works could potentially be completed by the end of 2027. Whether this will be achieved depends on several circumstances, primarily any unforeseen complications during the actual construction," added the spokesperson.

The deadlines have been postponed so far. According to the initial plans, the building was supposed to be finished this year. Plans changed in 2020, and construction was then scheduled to start in 2022, with completion expected two years later. "The delay compared to the original project schedule resulted from a combination of several factors. The pandemic of COVID-19 and the related restrictions were a complication. An unexpected personnel change in the position of NÚKIB director also influenced the timeline," the spokesperson stated. Dušan Navrátil was dismissed from the head of NÚKIB at the end of 2019, and Karel Řehka replaced him a few months later. According to the NÚKIB spokesperson, negotiations also took place for several months with participants in the negotiation process without publication, which followed the competition for the project contractor.

In 2019, NÚKIB estimated that the preparation of project documentation would cost 56 million crowns, with construction costs amounting to 977 million. The agency still works with the same figures. "What will be crucial is how much the contractor can be auctioned for," added the spokesperson.

NÚKIB was established in the summer of 2017 as a spin-off from the National Security Office. As a central administrative authority, it is responsible for cyber security, including the protection of classified information in the field of information and communication systems. It also deals with non-public services within the Galileo satellite system.