Best Czech Invention

Representatives of CzechInvest joined with the Industrial Property office this week to organise a two-day seminar focused on the “Best Czech Invention” project, which is focused on primary- and secondary-school students who will soon have to decide what kind of secondary school or university they will choose. The aim of the project is to arouse such students’ interest in science, research and technical fields and to promote awareness of intellectual-property protection.  

“With this project, we aim to bring scientific and technical fields closer to students and thus raise their interest in studying such subjects. A sufficient number of technical-school graduates is necessary for our mission to gain sophisticated investments. I believe that whole schools, which are necessary for achieving the desired impact, will actively take part in the competition,” says Alexandra Rudyšarová, acting CEO of CzechInvest.

The project’s financing is currently a subject of discussion, with the organisers endeavouring to obtain funding from European Union structural funds.

Representatives from the Netherlands participated in the conference. The idea for the project in the Czech Republic is derived from the Dutch television competition “The Best Idea of Innovation Award”,which was presented at the seminar by David M. Harry, who familiarised those in attendance with the development and history of the competition. Another seminar participant presented the “Kids and Science” project, which has been successfully implemented in Dutch secondary schools. This project focuses on students aged 12 to 15 with the aim of cultivating their awareness of technology, innovation, and the necessity of knowing how to formulate ideas and to protect their value. Both of the above-mentioned projects are very closely related. A lively discussion focusing primarily on the relationship of children and youths to technology, science and research followed the presentations of the foreign attendees.   

The competition is intended for students aged 12 to 17. Participants in the competition will enter their “technical concepts”, the best of which will be patented by the Industrial Property Office and evaluated during a television show. This successful project began in the Netherlands in 2004 with 110 participants. To date, 2,500 “technical concepts” have been entered in the project,55 of which have been patented. Examples of these patented inventions include the “One, Two, Three” Christmas-tree stand (www.onetwotree.nl) and a bag for transporting and preserving fresh cut flowers (www.flowerbagvase.com). The television ratings of this competition are comparable with those of the “Dutch Idol” musical competition.