CzechAccelerator 2011-2014 Offers Innovative Firms Another Chance to Establish Themselves in the World

Innovative Czech firms will be able to seek new opportunities for doing business, raising capital and engaging strategic partners in five destinations around the world thanks to CzechInvest’s CzechAccelerator 2011-2014 programme. The agency recently issued the third call for submission of registrations for participation in the programme on the East or West Coast of the United States, or in Israel, Switzerland or Singapore. Registrations are being accepted from 20 February to 22 April 2012.

“Strengthening the Czech Republic’s competitiveness and building an economy driven by innovations are among our priorities. CzechAccelerator 2011-2014, which is supported from the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation and has had a very successful pilot phase, is one of the tools for achieving this objective,” says Minister of Industry and Trade Martin Kuba.

“A year ago I promised that I would be glad to help such a promising programme as Czech CzechAccelerator 2011-2014 to expand to new destinations. Czech firms have recorded a number of successes in the United States and can now demonstrate their prospective projects in other global technology centres, to which the initial participants are headed,” says Petr Očko, director of the EU Funds, Research and Development Section of the Ministry of Industry and Trade.

“The project supports Czech small and medium-sized enterprises with innovation potential which have a chance to succeed with their products on the global market. Concluded contracts and the experience of Czech firms abroad prove that it works,” says Miroslav Křížek, CEO of CzechInvest, adding: “CzechInvest thus obtains feedback, thanks to which we can adapt the programme to the needs of firms during the development of their business activities abroad in the future.”

Singaporefor start-ups

Particularly firms in the areas of ICT, biotechnology and life sciences can find new opportunities for development in Singapore.The business accelerator of Expara IDM Ventures Pte. Ltd. in Singapore provides consulting for start-up companies and cooperates with venture-capital funds, business angels, research institutes and government agencies. More information is available at www.expara.com.

Israelfor business development

Trendlines Group LTD of Israel offers consulting services in the area of business development, capital and physical equipment for companies operating in the areas of life sciences. It also includes an incubator, the Misgav Venture Accelerator, focused on medical devices, biotechnology and pharmacy. More information is available at www.trendlines.com.

Switzerlandfor innovative and technologically oriented firms

Switzerlandis open to firms in the areas of biotechnology, life sciences, clean technologies and precision engineering. The Technopark Zürich Foundation (TZF) has been providing premises and financing via private funds for innovative and technologically oriented companies since 1988, while also assisting with the transfer of knowledge from the research sphere to the commercial market.  TZF hosts more than 250 high-tech firms, service companies and research and university institutions. More information is available at www.technopark.ch.

The United State for innovators in the areas of ICT, nanotechnology and medical technology

The US MAC incubator, which hosts the CzechAccelerator in Silicon Valley, and MassGlobal Partners, in cooperation with Cambridge Innovation Center in Boston, ensure for project participants advisory and consulting services, mentoring and coaching, office spaces and possibilities of meetings and networking between participants and potential partners (i.e. venture-capital funds, technology and business partners). Particularly firms which operate in the areas of ICT, life sciences and nanotechnology can find opportunities in Silicon Valley, whereas firms in the areas of medtech, cleantech and life sciences can gain valuable experience in Boston. More information is available at www.usmarketaccess.com, www.massglobalpartners.com and www.cictr.com.

Potential participants will present themselves to an assessment committee, which will select the best candidates. These will depart to the various destinations at the beginning of July 2012. Prior to departure, they will undergo preparation focused on their given destinations which include professional and practical training including, among other things, legal training focusing on patent protection, intellectual-property rights, establishment of new branch offices and taxation (provided by the partner company CMC Graduate School of Business, www.cmc.cz) and marketing, economic consulting and practical services for successful operation in the target market (provided by DRILL BS s. r. o., www.drill.cz). 

The CzechAccelerator 2011-2014 programme is financed from the Consulting Programme, which is part of the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation. More information is available at:www.czechaccelerator.cz.

For more information please contact the CzechInvest Press Centre

Štěpánka Filipová, spokesperson, phone: +420 296 342 538, stepanka.filipova@czechinvest.org

Contact to Ministry of Industry and Trade:

Veronika Forejtová, spokesperson , phone: +420 224 853 291, forejtova@mpo.cz, press@mpo.cz 

Contact to the representative PR agency ConPro:

Petra Dvořáková, ConPro, Account Manager, tel.: +420 224 815 817, e-mail: petra.dvorakova@conpro.cz