Do you need to test a new material, develop a prototype or validate a technology under more realistic conditions than your laboratory can provide? The first pilot survey of testing and experimental infrastructure shows that there is a wide range of specialist facilities available, covering the whole of the Czech Republic. However, it is not easy to find out exactly what each facility offers and how to access their services. A new study by the Technology Centre Prague, produced in collaboration with the Ministry of Industry and Trade as part of the STRATIN+ project, represents the first step towards creating a systematic approach to these infrastructures.

Technology Centre Prague (TC Praha), within the STRATIN+ project, has launched a new course on strategic foresight for public administration — and demand quickly outpaced the twenty available places. The course, delivered entirely in Czech, is aimed at analysts, strategists and managers working in public administration and research organizations, and all seats were reserved shortly after applications opened.

How can European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) be used as effectively as possible to support research, development and innovation after 2028? A new study by the Technology Centre Prague identifies areas where European funding can have the greatest impact. The recommendations, based on an analysis of the needs of the Czech R&D&I system and experience with the use of ESIF to date, were among the inputs for the first meeting of the 2028+ Preparatory Committee, an advisory body to the Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports responsible for preparing the next programming period.

Grant providers have a major impact on research careers, yet their role in promoting gender equality remains largely overlooked. Jana Dvořáčková from the National Contact Centre – Gender and Science at the Institute of Sociology of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic has prepared a new handbook that addresses this gap and places the issue in the context of European research and innovation policy.