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Prime Minister Petr Fiala and Minister of Science, Research and Innovation Helena Langšádlová presented a comprehensive reform of technology transfer on January 25th at the National Technical Library. The reform includes 30 specific legislative and non-legislative measures aimed at promoting the connection between science and business, the commercialization of scientific results, and the use of scientific knowledge for public policy development. The goal of the reform is to transform intellectual property generated at Czech universities and research institutions into value for society.

"Strengthening the innovation ecosystem and establishing more effective collaboration between academia and the private sector has been a key pillar of our government's program statement in the field of science, research, and innovation. Utilizing research in practice and building a knowledge-based economy have always been a long-term priority for me, whether in my roles as rector, Minister of Education, or currently as Prime Minister. This is, after all, one of the key conditions of my vision for a "Restart for the Czech Republic," said Prime Minister .

The reform focuses on strengthening both the supply of research and the demand from businesses and the public sector.

"The Czech Republic has world-class research in many fields, Czech scientists are respected abroad, and we have the most modern research infrastructure. However, we are not very successful in translating this excellent research into economic and social value. Compared to other developed countries, we have a relatively small number of companies founded based on scientific knowledge," noted Minister .

Part of the reform involves legislative changes. This includes a recodification of the existing law on support for research and development from public funds, which will newly define technology transfer as one of the main roles of research organizations. In addition, changes are proposed in the law on higher education and a number of other regulations.

However, a key part of the reform focuses on shifting the mindset of stakeholders throughout the entire system and connecting all its parts: academia, business, the public sector, and the financial sector. The financial sector can play a significant role in the transition to a science-driven economy. Therefore, the reform includes plans to establish a technology transfer investment fund in cooperation with the European Investment Bank, which has already received support from the Government Committee for Strategic Investments.

"We see great potential in investments in the knowledge economy, which is why we recently announced an investment in a technology transfer fund focused on biotechnology. However, the entire infrastructure must be prepared for this, including not only the research results themselves but also a well-focused investment fund that can identify promising projects and develop them. We see the announced reform as an opportunity to prepare these conditions on all sides," confirmed , CEO of Česká spořitelna and one of the speakers at the conference.

The reform is based on the belief that the business sector must be a major driver of change, as innovation is a condition for its development. Therefore, the reform also focuses on various forms of tax incentives for companies that engage in research and development.

"We have long pointed out that the current system of tax deductions for research and development is not suitable for us. Other tools that would encourage companies to engage in risky activities with potentially high added value are completely lacking. In this regard, we are completely unique in Europe. The transfer reform is clearly moving in the right direction by addressing these issues. It will be a challenging path, but we are certainly offering our support," said **Martin Jahn**, Vice President of the Confederation of Industry and Transport of the Czech Republic and a member of the Škoda Auto Board of Directors.

The academic community also recognizes the importance of better valuing the results of scientific work. This applies whether it is basic research or applied research.

"Valuing the results is not only about applied research. Abroad, we see that many groundbreaking discoveries with significant economic and social impact originate from basic research. This has also been the case in the history of Czech discoveries," said **Jiří Homola**, Deputy Chairman of the Government Council for Research, Development and Innovation, and a member of the Academic Council of the Czech Academy of Sciences, referring to groundbreaking discoveries by Antonín Holý, who was instrumental in the development of drugs for hepatitis B and AIDS, and Otto Wichterle, who gave the world contact lenses. "Therefore, I believe that all measures that will stimulate research organizations to transfer knowledge and help them develop their transfer activities are very beneficial," he added.

Universities, institutes of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and other research organizations have their own technology transfer offices, and the reform focuses on their activities as part of strengthening the transfer ecosystem. Some of these organizations have successfully navigated the path of knowledge transfer in recent years.

This was confirmed by **Martin Fusek**, Director of the IOCB Tech technology transfer office and one of the pioneers of knowledge transfer in the Czech Republic: "For many years, we only talked about technology transfer at the government level, but a number of very professional and successful technology transfer units were created. I am glad that now we are not just talking, but finally something is actually happening. The reform is essential. I particularly appreciate the support for academic spin-off companies. The reform removes some obstacles at the legislative level and also focuses on funding."

Although strengthening economic competitiveness and strategic resilience in key technologies is one of the main goals of the reform, it also focuses on transferring knowledge to the public administration and the development of public policies. "Science to policy" is one of the fundamental areas of knowledge valuation that is addressed in the reform through a number of measures, from supporting specialized units for transferring knowledge to public policies (so-called "policy labs") to supporting research capacity within government ministries.

"Effective public administration cannot function without a good understanding of even very complex social phenomena. This requires a strong research base. In our country, this has never been deliberately developed, and it is time to correct that," added Minister **Langšádlová**.Following the presentation of the individual steps of the technology transfer reform, a conference was held to delve into the specific areas of the reform. This event marked the beginning of a series of further activities that will not be solely managed by the Office of the Government of the Czech Republic. Collaboration among all stakeholders is crucial for success. For example, the conference featured a project, supported by the European Commission, which aims to foster the development of a technology transfer ecosystem in the Czech Republic and is scheduled to begin this spring. The complete set of measures can be found on the website transfer.gov.cz. PRESS OFFICE OF THE MINISTRY OF INDUSTRY AND TRADE Top09.cz/gnews.cz-JaV_07 https://www.top09.cz/co-delame/tiskove-zpravy/ekonomika-pohanena-vedou-premier-fiala-a-ministryne-langsadlova-predstavili-reformu-transferu-znalosti-z-vedy-do-praxe-31323.html