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Erste Group supports social organizations in CEE with emergency loans during Covid-19 crisis
Erste Group’s Social Banking is helping social organizations in CEE by offering them Covid-19 emergency working capital loans for which the ERSTE Foundation is covering all loan-interest payments for 2021 . Initially launched in May 2020, these loans aim to support non-profit organizations (NPOs), especially those within the fields of health and social welfare. Based on the demand coming from the social sector, Erste Group has prolonged the initiative until September 2021. Erste Group disbursed EUR 14 mn in loans, including emergency working capital loans, to over 100 social enterprises and NPO’s in 2020.
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Mission Possible: The Race for a Vaccine
Facing a deadly new virus infecting millions of people, Pfizer’s bold plan to create the first COVID-19 vaccine is launched. National Geographic’s new documentary tells the inside story of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.
Czech confidence drops further in March
As another lockdown comes into force in the Czech Republic, household confidence plummeted in March to levels seen last November and are only slightly higher than they were during the first wave. Business confidence declined too, but mainly due to services. In general, it remains solidly above the lows of the first wave of the pandemic
Revamped rules for crowdfunding in the Czech Republic
On 10 November 2021, new rules for crowdfunding will come into force. However, these rules will not affect consumer financing (as represented e.g. by the zonky.cz project: people lending to people), but strictly to entrepreneurs and SMEs and loans in amounts of up to EUR 5 million.
Czech industry weakened slightly at the beginning of the year
At the beginning of the year, industrial production weakened roughly as expected, as car production declined. Domestic orders fell sharply. We expect manufacturing to weaken for the entire first quarter. The brake is on the supply of components and restrictions for workers due to the pandemic. In the coming quarters, production growth should continue, reaching less than 10% for the whole year.
Strategic Directions for Czech Economic Policy
- Transition to High-Tech Manufacturing and Exports
- The City Campus as Idea Factory
- Government Programs and Processes That Drive Innovation
- Government as a Competitive Advantage, including Digitization
Advocacy Priorities for 2023
Technology, People, Infrastructure
Actions Recommended in Areas:
1. Establishing Policy Objectives for Research.
2. Research Investment and Cooperation. Big Bets (Key Technology Projects).
3. Establishing Databases for Tracking Public Policy Outcomes.
4. Public Procurement as an Innovation Tool.
5. Immigration of STEM Talents.
6. Digitization of Immigration.
7. Adult Reskilling and Upskilling.
8. Digitization of Land Use.
9. Infrastructure Development, including Technology Parks.
Read the documents in English and Czech.
Policy pipeline
In Policy Pipeline policy developments in the Czech Republic and abroad are monitored to bring better understanding of current topics and trends.
