The Czech Republic among the Nanotechnology Elite

15 Feb. 2012 | CzechInvest | The Czech Republic has its own pavilion for the first time at The International Nanotechnology Trade Fair Nano Tech 2012 in Tokyo.

The eleventh annual edition of one of the world’s biggest and most important nanotechnology trade fairs, Nano Tech 2012, begins today in the Japanese capital. For the first time this year, the Czech Republic will have its own pavilion at the fair in which a total of ten Czech firms and institutions will exhibit. CzechInvest and CzechTrade were instrumental in helping to ensure their participation in the trade fair. The Embassy of the Czech Republic in Japan also contributed to the realisation of the event.

“For presentation of Czech nanotechnology firms, we chose the Japanese trade fair because it is one of the most important in the world. The Japanese are at the absolute top of the nanotechnology sector,” explains Miroslav Křížek, CEO of CzechInvest. “The exhibitors from the Czech Republic have an extraordinary opportunity not only to present their products and services, but also to gain new contacts and to arrange business opportunities which will aid their further development. Cooperation between Czech and foreign forms and institutions is also an opportunity for the development of the nanotechnology sector in the Czech Republic generally and for growth of its significance in the world,” he adds.

The Czech ambassador to Japan, Kateřina Fialková, participated in today’s opening of the Czech pavilion. “Czech participation in Nano tech has become a longstanding tradition, which is being further developed. A record number of Czech exhibitors have come to this year’s event. The Czech Republic is the only country in Central and Eastern Europe to participate in this trade fair,” says Kateřina Fialková.

The establishment of the first Czech pavilion at Nano tech 2012 was preceded by the attendance of CzechInvest representatives at previous editions of the event. For example, their participation in Nano tech 2011 led to an agreement on cooperation between Shinshu University in Japan and the Faculty of Textile Engineering at the Technical University of Liberec, which is distinguished primarily by its invention of a technology for producing flat nanofibre structures. The participation of Czech firms in Nano tech 2012 was financially supported within the project “Joint Participation in Specialised Exhibitions and Trade Fairs Abroad” with funding from the Operational Programme Enterprise and Innovation.

One Czech exhibitor with previous experience at the trade fair is Kertak Nanotechnology s.r.o., which was invited to Nano tech 2011 directly by the Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO). Other Czech firms exhibiting at this year’s edition of Nano tech include Pardam s.r.o., ELMARCO s.r.o., the CLUTEX technical textile cluster, Spur a.s. of Zlín and Advanced Materials – JTJ, s.r.o., which developed and produces photo-catalytic coating materials. “We expect from the trade fair especially the opportunity to penetrate the Japanese market, were commercialisation of photo-catalysis began a quarter-century ago. Of course, we also welcome the opportunity to establish relationships with other Asian entities,” says Jan Procházka, executive and director of Advanced Materials. The Technology Centre of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, the Technical University of Liberec, CzechInvest and CzechTrade are also exhibiting in the pavilion.

A total of 510 firms and organisations from 23 countries are presenting in an area covering 7,218 m² at Nano tech 2012, the eleventh annual edition of the international nanotechnology trade fair. More information is available on the trade fair’s website at http://www.nanotechexpo.jp/en/index.html.