Babiš noted that countries supporting science and research are the most prosperous. He believes that thanks to its research background, technical tradition, and stability Czechia is well placed to become one of those countries.
We cannot be Europe’s assembly plant forever; we must support innovations, science, research, new technologies and interconnect it all with the digital state, said Babiš. Our industrial tradition, research background, and entrepreneurial skills will help us close the research and education gap, he added.
According to Babiš, Czechia must also offer good conditions for scientists that can make them stay in the country or even return from abroad. He believes that the state has to create a positive environment for innovative projects. To do so, it has to be more citizen- and company- friendly and allow them to deal with its agenda online, added Babiš.
Babiš highlighted the Digital Czechia strategy adopted by the Government in December, which aims to support online communication between the state and its citizens. Now, it is important to implement the strategy; the technical conditions are met, he added.
Foreign Minister Tomáš Petříček called on the EU members to join forces in modern technologies to face up to global competition. MEP Dita Charanzová pointed out that in information technologies, the EU is currently lagging behind the United States and China. Charanzová proposed creation of pan-European companies that could be competitive on the global market, mentioning Airbus as an example.
