Šantora is quick to crack a joke about his status in the city. “I’m like Mrs. Colombo, you hear about me all the time, but never see me,” he says with a smile. This modesty marks the whole interview. While it’s clear he’s proud of what he’s achieved, he downplays it a lot.
This article is part of a series about the Plzeň ecosystem. We also have an in-depth report about the scene as a whole, as well as a detailed look of arguably its most successful component, DronySIT.
IT management
SIT is, at its core, the city’s IT management company and Šantora has headed it “for a very long time.” Though he doesn’t have a technical background himself, he took over almost two decades ago to help the city refurbish its IT infrastructure, something that it still does today, ”we have 7,000 computers and 300 kilometers of optical network throughout the metropolitan area.”
Part of his job was maintaining the electronics used in schools, like interactive whiteboards and tablets. Quickly, he and his colleagues noticed that not that not many teachers would use these tools, though. “We provided each school with interactive books, but only 15 to 20 percent were used, and the rest stayed in the box.”
It was clear that the teachers would need to be taught, and Šantora needed external help for this. However, in Plzeň, as anywhere else, the city isn’t going to give you a budget for an idea, so Šantora started with the money he already had in the SIT allocation as he felt the problem was too important to ignore: “Plzeň is an industrial city, and we need educated people, talented people for a better future.”
Through this initiative, the Centre of Robotics, the city’s center for robotics, was started. “We opened the courses for children at the Center of Robotics. We had teachers there, and they would then help teachers from our basic schools. The school teachers accepted this way of working.”
Robots and drones
The Centre of Robotics would turn out to be only the start. As kids “graduated,” it became clear there was plenty more for them to do and learn. Initiatives like BIC – the business incubation and acceleration center – and the TechTower were developed at the same time to meet those needs.
Another big part was DronySIT, the drone hub, which was one of the first of its kind in the Czech Republic. “Drones are a new technology with great potential for the future,” says Šantora. “We bought three drones with our budget and then waited by the phone hoping somebody from Hollywood would call us and tell us they needed some drone shots.” He laughs.
When that didn’t work, Šantora’s son had the idea to maybe train kids to use them. Somehow, word got around, and police and fire departments, from Czechia and beyond, started to show interest. Local police wanted to use drones to help them find people, for instance, though the start was slow, as local permits didn’t always allow the drones to fly freely.
One day, however, a building collapsed, according to Šantora, “We decided that we will use emergency protocols defined for the Integrated Rescue System, enabling drone deployment without prior approval in critical situations. We found a way how to be on site in real time and provide the services, and then reported it to the authorities afterward.” It was a risky move, but it paid off, and DronySIT gained the trust of emergency services.
From nothing, in a few years, DronySIT had 128 events in 2024. In fact, the project was so successful that laws were changed based on DronySIT’s performance, like allowing drones to fly at night – if the right permits are obtained. Mostly, though, Šantora seems pleased that they can help. “We’re very happy that we are able to provide something.”
Navigating the system
They’re not the only ones: as we’re talking, a date has been set where Šantora will be awarded a medal by the Plzeň police, an honor he waves away, though you can tell he’s pleased to be recognized by his city.
“I like Plzeň, I’m proud of Plzeň, and it’s my feeling that it’s a very good place to live. I try to do something for my children or for my grandson; to have the same or better quality of life.”
Still, though, the question remains about how he managed to create what he has. City budgets are tight, and politicians don’t like to part with money that may be spent elsewhere, so how has he managed to build out SIT?
“You have to navigate it. Just play the game. I’ve been doing it for 18 years, finding ways to provide them with something that is good for them. I need to market it, provide a good package, and then we get the money.”
“I can say that throughout the history of the city and throughout my time, we didn’t have problems with it. On the political level, they believe in us, and they see what we’re doing is good for voters. Of course, over such a long time we’ve developed a good relationship, so I can now go to the mayor and ask for support for a new idea.”
“It was the reason why we got the chance to reconstruct Tech Tower because it was 750 million crowns, and our EU grant was only 250 million. More than half a billion we paid from the city budget.”
Vision for the future
A massive sum, but it’s clear that Šantora’s vision for Plzeň has inspired politicians. As a former industrial powerhouse that has fallen on harder times, it’s vital for the city to grow into a technological hub.
“I am an old guy and I am not able to understand younger generations. People like me don’t see what newer generations see, like with robotics. We will need to cooperate with this new generation because there are many new startups with big potential, and I need to change the support they get.”
“Big companies have an easy time getting money from the government through grants and all that, but we decided for another to use public money and support something new. To help with skills that can help people grow because they don’t understand how the city works, how politics work.”
He thinks for a second, “I cannot say that I am a teacher. I’m more of someone who knows how to bring the right people and ideas together at the right time.”
