The Česko na křižovatce conference, held in Prague on April 16, brought together politicians as well as representatives from business and employer organizations to discuss the future of the Czech economy. Among the participants was Radek Zbořil, head of the Materials-Envi Lab, who not only assessed the current situation but also presented proposals for improvement.
Professor Zbořil took part in a discussion panel alongside the Deputy Minister for Science, Research and Innovation Pavel Doleček, the Board of Directors’ member of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic Petr Jonák, and the Chair of the Healthcare and Social Services Section of the Czech Chamber of Commerce Eva Karásková. In his remarks, he also highlighted the so-called “European paradox” — the situation where the EU, while being a global leader in scientific output (accounting for nearly a quarter of the world’s high-quality research publications), continues to lag behind in valorizing these results and translating them into practice.
“This issue has both quantitative and qualitative dimensions. If we look at countries that invest the most in science and research — such as Israel, South Korea, the USA, or Japan — they are also clear leaders in technology transfer and the valorization of research results. All of the above-mentioned countries invest over three percent of their GDP in science and research, with Israel investing even more than five percent. In comparison, the Czech Republic invests only 1.8 percent, which is below the EU-27 average of 2.2 percent,” Zbořil explained.
He pointed out that despite significant investments into science in the Czech Republic since 2007 and the development of unique infrastructure, the country still lags behind most European states in research valorization. One key reason, he noted, is the fragmentation of the Czech research landscape, which includes more than 50 institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences and 26 public universities. By contrast, Israel — with a similar population size — has only nine research-focused universities that generate significant income from commercialization. Moreover, Israel has found a way to overcome the well-known “valley of death” in technology transfer by focusing on the commercialization of excellent R&D results.
“As I mentioned at the conference, I see three key tools that could help improve the situation. The first is the creation of a platform to support disruptive innovations within the Czech corporate and research environment, with simultaneous investment from both the government and private sector — potentially serving as an alternative to existing programmes under TA CR and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. Secondly, I recommend supporting the establishment of professional companies focused on the commercialization of R&D, led by experts in technology transfer. And finally, there should be a system of tax relief and incentives for companies conducting research and development — something that is still sorely lacking in the Czech Republic,” said Zbořil.
The conference was opened by the Prime Minister Petr Fiala, who held a discussion with business leaders about the Czech Republic’s position in the European economy and government policy measures. Also in attendance were cabinet ministers, the President of the Czech Chamber of Commerce Zdeněk Zajíček, the President of the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic Jan Rafaj, and other key public and private sector figures.
More information is available at https://www.ceskonakrizovatce.cz.
