Czechs set out to establish contacts with global research centres in Malaysia and Singapore

4 Nov. 2014 | CzechInvest | They are focusing on the areas of biotechnology and biomedicine.

Češi odletěli navazovat kontakty do světových výzkumných center V Malajsii a Singapuru

On Saturday, 1 November 2014, a Czech biotechnology and biomedicine delegation led by a representative of CzechInvest departed on a technology mission to Malaysia and Singapore, where over the course of a week they will gain new partners for research and exchanges of students and young scientists. Among other things, the members of the delegation will offer contract research, which will enable their Asian counterparts to use the extensive possibilities of Czech research infrastructure.

“In recent years, the Czech Republic has invested substantial resources in building up top-quality research infrastructure, which should help to transform the country into an advanced, knowledge-intensive economy. The objective of this mission is, in general, to present the Czech Republic as a technologically advanced country that is able to collaborate with foreign partners and absorb external technologies and further develop them,” says Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mládek.

“Support for research and development has long been one of CzechInvest’s priorities. In the Czech Republic, the mechanical engineering, biotechnology, materials research and nanotechnology, clean energy and information technology sectors now have the greatest access to modern research infrastructure,” adds Karel Kučera, CEO of CzechInvest.

Participants in the mission include the Biotechnology and Biomedical Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic and Charles University in Vestec (BIOCEV), the Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine of the Medical Faculty of Palacký University in Olomouc and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Academy of Sciences (UOCHB). Besides CzechInvest, the Czech embassy in Kuala Lumpur and the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation, a state-run agency, took part in organising the mission.

“For Czech research institutes, seeking out international partners and establishing long-term ties with them is one of the crucial steps toward achieving excellence of international significance. CzechInvest’s initiative in this area is therefore highly welcomed and I am sure that it is helping the long-term development of Czech research,” says mission participant Professor Pavel Martásek, director of BIOCEV.

The main part of the mission’s programme comprises seminars. Representatives of Czech research and development will present their work at, for example, the Malaysian Biotechnology Corporation and to interested parties at the Bio-XCell biotechnology park, which consists of an expansive complex of buildings and facilities that, upon its completion, will place Malaysia among the world leaders in the field of biotechnology.

Besides presentations and exchange of experience, the Czech scientists also plan to visit several biotechnology institutes at, for example, Putra University and the National University of Malaysia. The most important aspect of the Singapore part of the programme is a visit to the laboratories of Biopolis, which during its ten years in existence has become a world-renowned research centre in the field of biomedicine.