ŠAVŠ/TAČR Digital Czechia in a Digital Europe

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RECOMMENDATIONS • In order to better cover the entire Czech Republic and ensure equal access for SMEs to digitalization projects, the Czech Republicmust start building a network to support research and innovation in a more centralized and systematic way. • Instead of building a completely new support network, it would be appropriate to build on existing regional innovation centers (Innovation Centers, Technology Centers, BICs, etc.) and centrally expand their portfolio with interconnected programs to support the implementation of digitalization processes. • The Czech Republic must do more to increase awareness of the possibilities of digitalization among SMEs. • In order to multiply its innovation potential as much as possible, the Czech Republic should continue its efforts to involve and connect as many local actors as possible (state and public institutions, non-profit sector, chambers of commerce, private sector) in the field of digitalization. • The Czech Republic should, as far as possible, be involved in the creation of digitalization standards at the international and, above all, European level. • Following the example of Germany, the Czech Republic should also support SMEs by creating standardized digitalization templates that Czech companies, with regard to their industry, could easily implement. • The Czech Republic should also strive to create a specialized center focused on the commercialization of products and innovative solutions created within Czech SMEs and startups. • With regard to the financing of public projects supporting the digitalization of SMEs, the Czech Republic should strive for central coordination, as it ensures a relatively high degree of efficiency and systematic nature. • Following the example of the Go-Digital Project, the Czech public sector should strive for the greatest possible involvement of private services (consulting, ICT, security, etc.) specializing in digitalization and automation within the process of digital transformation of SMEs. • With the progressive slowdown of the Czech economy and the coming recession, the pressure to digitalize SMEs will increase. In the coming years, the Czech Republic must systematically create a digital consultancy network that will be able to support the efficiency of Czech SMEs in times of economic recession – the goal must be to create such a system before it breaks out.