On 14 June, the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic participated in a roundtable discussion at CIIRC on private investment into public research. 

AmCham member companies, the Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček, the Deputy Minister of Industry and Trade Silvana Jirotková, US Ambassador Stephen King and representatives of Technical University in Prague (ČVUT) heard two case studies outlining complications investors have experienced in the Czech Republic; one presented by Milan Šlapák, GE Aviation, and one by prof. Vladimír Mařík, ČVUT, CIIRC. They both stressed that one of the main obstacles to investing in the Czech Republic is a rigid bureaucratic system, with lack of trust. 

"Germany accounts for 30% of all research spending in the EU. The challenge for the rest of us who want to compete with Europe’s powerhouse in innovation is how to invest in big bets that expand the public research infrastructure, create spin-offs and start-ups, and, most critically, result in globally successful products that generate the profits to make research sustainable. To achieve this, the interests and incentives of government, universities and businesses must be aligned to create a positive feedback cycle", says Weston Stacey, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic, adding thanks to all roundtable participants for showing the spirit of cooperation that will make the Czech Republic The Country for the Future.

Would Czech research policy be more successful if it focused on paying for outcomes, instead of concentrating on what equipment was bought or how many researchers were paid?

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