Digital and innovations – flourishing digital ecosystem

The Czech Republic is actively developing a prosperous and sustainable national digital ecosystem. By implementing key strategies like Digital Czechia, the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, RIS3 Strategy, and the 5G Strategy, the goal is to connect all major stakeholders involved in digital technologies such as AI, HPC, quantum computing, and cybersecurity, as well as the data economy. This collaborative effort aims to foster the growth and prosperity of the digital ecosystem.

Shaping the Future of the Czech Republic with AI

The Czech government acknowledges the significance of emerging digital technologies, which hold immense potential to enhance the quality of life and boost economic performance. This applies especially to transformative power of artificial intelligence that has been lately experiencing significant boom with the widespread availability of generative AI tools to the general public. The Czech Republic puts great emphasis on a human-centered and innovation-friendly approach to digital technologies, which is crucial for upholding democratic values and protecting human rights, while simultaneously fostering a thriving digital ecosystem that boosts business competitiveness by embracing cutting-edge technologies such as AI. This approach is clearly reflected in key strategic documents related to the digital economy, notably in the Digital Czechia concept and its Digital Economy and Society pillar, as well as in the National AI Strategy. The latter is currently being revised to encompass recent advancements in development of AI technologies and policies, including proposed EU’s AI Act. The Ministry of Industry and Trade actively involves all relevant stakeholders in the process of 2024’s revision. A public consultation was organized to gather insights on the topic of AI with altogether 517 participants joining.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade, as the national coordinator of the Digital Europe Programme, plays a crucial role in funding projects that aim to bring technology to citizens, as well as private and public entities. The aim is to establish an interconnected and sustainable digital ecosystem in the Czech Republic comprising of a network of European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIHs), and the AI Testing and Experimenting Facility (AI TEF) in manufacturing. These initiatives support the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises and public administration, and aim to harness the power of AI for the benefit of Czech innovative businesses.

Research, development and innovation in the field of digital technologies are among the main priorities of the Czech Republic. That is why the RIS3 Strategy addresses this issue both in the horizontal priority Digital Agenda, but also across vertical priorities - domains of specialization and missions. The domain of specialization Electronics and digital technologies is most devoted to digitization, both in the topics of key and emerging technologies. RIS3 also works with missions responding to recent megatrends and societal challenges that no state can ignore. It is necessary to prepare for negative impact of climate change or growing and aging population, where digital technologies can help.

The Czech Republic is also actively fostering its innovation ecosystem, particularly in digital technologies. To enhance technology and knowledge transfer, the country has undertaken various initiatives, focusing on innovative startups and spinoffs.

The CzechInvest Agency has been supporting startups and innovations since 2011. By the end of 2023, CzechInvest had already supported over 500 startups through various projects. Notably, the Support for Startups initiative, which ran from 2016 to 2022, sent an average of five startups abroad per month. Following that, the Technology Incubation Programme, launched in 2022, aims to support up to 250 startups in seven promising sectors for Czech economic growth, including AI, mobility or EcoTech.