The Italian-Czech Business Forum entitled “Innovation for Better Life” was on the agenda of the visit to the Czech Republic by the Undersecretary of State for Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation, Hon. Manlio Di Stefano. The event was organised by the Italian Embassy in Prague, the Foreign Ministry of the Czech Republic, Confindustria, ABI and the Italian-Czech Chamber of Commerce.
The event opened with remarks by Undersecretary Di Stefano and by the Deputy Foreign Minister of the Czech Republic, Martin Tlapa. Both emphasised the complementariness of the two Countries’ economic systems and focused on the business opportunities created by the “Innovation Strategy of the Czech Republic 2019–2030”. The Strategy’s main focus is on financing the development of innovative research programmes accounting for 2.5% of the GDP by 2025 and 3% by 2030.
Undersecretary Di Stefano recalled that the stability of macro-economic indicators, combined to Europe’s lowest unemployment rate, the presence of relatively inexpensive skilled labour and the high demand for industrial automation by local companies, turns the Czech Republic into a particularly interesting market for Italian firms. In this context, the Italian industrial automation sector is in the position of developing win-win partnerships in technology-intensive sectors such as the automotive and instrumental machinery industries. The event also highlighted the potential represented by the local aerospace industry: indeed, the Czech Republic stands out for its capacity to produce the whole aircraft manufacturing cycle on site. Moreover, the Country is among the world’s leading manufacturers of light and sport aircraft, in addition to hosting the headquarters of the European Global Navigation Satellite Systems Agency. The event also explored the numerous collaboration opportunities with leading Italian companies in the aerospace sector, especially on launchers. The Forum continued with B2B meetings and special sessions focused on industry 4.0, energy efficiency, mobility, civil security and protection and the aerospace industry.
