• As with almost every sector in every part of the country, manufacturers face a dramatic shortage of workforce. The absence is particularly strong in skilled technicians. Many manufacturers have already adopted Industry 4.0 before it became a buzzword, and will be intensifying the search for solutions in areas of the operation that are low volume or require customized work. What is next? AmCham will be preparing recommendations to the next government on how to address the lack of workforce today, as well as how to calibrate the education system for a workforce that matches demand tomorrow. We also plan to organize a similar session for Bohemia in October. Read about Manufacturing Roundtable in ModusLink Brno.

• Brno has no shortage of successful start-ups who are pushing to become global players. Two who already have- Y Soft Corporation and Thermo Fisher Scientific- headed a roster of such companies who explained their technologies and their market strategies. What is next? AmCham is going to make a Brno promotion video emphasizing the city's potential as a product development hub. View the tech companies' profiles below.

• With the gracious permission of IBM, Ms. Kelly Adams-Smith led a discussion about the influence, positive or negative, of the EU. As the participants related how Brno has turned into such a powerful economic engine, it was clear how much EU funds, access to EU markets, and the flow of manufacturing jobs from Western Europe to the region has contributed

• Ms. Adams-Smith also visited Alliance Laundry Systems facilities in Pribor. 

Photos/Credit: US Embassy in the Czech Republic: