Programme agreement signed for the Research programme in Czech Republic

The programme agreement for Czech Research programme was signed on 22 July 2019.

Photo credit: Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry

Key information about the programme

  1. The programme is operated by: The Technology Agency for the Czech Republic (TACR)
  2. The Donor Programme Partner in this programme is: The Research Council of Norway (RCN)
  3. The programme’s objective is: Enhanced research-based knowledge development
  4. The programme funding amounts to € 30 million (excluding co-financing), out of which €14 million is funded through the EEA Grants and € 16 million is funded through the Norway Grants.

Why is the programme needed?

With growing competition in a globalised market, the ability to quickly adapt new technologies, knowledge and processes commercially is a key aspect of economic growth. One of the main prerequisites for increasing the competitiveness of enterprises is the ability to create and use the results of applied research. Stronger uptake of research results by businesses is key. According to the European Commission’s 2019 country-specific recommendations (CSRs), the Czech Republic remains a moderate innovator at EU level. Increased research performance and stronger links between the public sector and academia are needed to boost performance. The Czech Research programme will stimulate cooperation between researchers and enterprises of the Czech Republic and Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein, in applied research, experimental development and innovation. 30% of the programme funds are dedicated to projects on carbon capture and storage (CCS).

What will the programme achieve and who are the beneficiaries?

The Czech Research programme supports capacity building in applied research, including support for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), social sciences, humanities and arts research. Support will be given to collaborative research projects between the Czech Republic and the Donor States. The programme aims to boost the number of applied results and experimental ideas in areas where there is mutual interest of cooperation. These results can be patents, utility models or industrial designs, prototypes, functional samples, software and so on. It is foreseen that the programme will increase the mutual efforts between research institutions and enterprises to acquire new knowledge that will enable efficient, effective and systematic use of new products, services and production processes. With the expected activities the programme also aims to achieve:

  • 20 joint peer-reviewed scientific publications submitted
  • 20 joint registered applications for Intellectual Property Protection
  • 40 new products/technologies developed
  • 5 CCS projects supported in pre-commercial phase
  • 240 researchers supported
  • 40 SMEs supported
  • 30 partnership projects between SMEs and research organisations established

How will the programme strengthen bilateral relations?

The Czech Research programme has a clear focus on strengthening bilateral relations between the Czech Republic and the Donor States. The research funding has a strong bilateral character as all projects shall include partners from Romania and at least one of the Donor States. Bilateral cooperation enables the exchange of knowledge and expertise through long-term research cooperation and increased publication of joint articles.

Research organisations, enterprises and public institutions who wish to participate can register in the partner search database for the EEA and Norway Grants maintained by the Research Council of Norway RCN.

Availability of funding through open calls

The funding in this programme will be made available through one open call tentatively planned for the fourth quarter 2019. More information about the call will be made available on the website of the EEA and Norway Grants.

Download the full programme agreement for more detailed information about the programme. More information can also be found on the Programme Operator’s website and the website of the RCN.