When Germany Sneezes, Czechia Catches a Cold

INVESTORS IN MSK Dobré zkušenosti zahraničních firem se zdejším prostředím a lidmi vedly ke stále masivnějšímu přesouvání výroby do ČR. Bylo tak jen otázkou času, kdy se začnou přesouvat také jiné typy činností s ještě vyšší přidanou hodnotou, zejm. výzkum, vývoj (dále VaV) a další činnosti spojené s inovacemi. V současnosti jsou velké zahraniční společnosti hlavním motorem rozvoje podnikových VaV kapacit v ČR. Zároveň je patrný trend růstu dynamiky vzniku nových high-tech start-upů. Významným impulsem jsou lidé, kteří prošli VaV týmy úspěšných globálních korporací, nejčastěji německých. Samotné Německo dnes hledá cestu, jak propojit silnou tradici globálně úspěšných korporací s dynamikou start-upové ekonomiky. V globální „soutěži“ o jednorožce Německo silně zaostává jak za USA, tak jinými inovačními lídry v Evropě. I přesto je vidět, že německá houževnatost a systematičnost se začíná projevovat i v této oblasti. Pavel Csank, výkonný ředitel Moravskoslezského inovačního centra When Germany Sneezes, Czechia Catches a Cold The area between Germany to the west and Russia in the east has many of its own particulars. If we borrow a phrase from the famous book by Professor Samuel P. Huntington, The Clash of Civilizations, this area contains the cultural border between two ‘civilization circles’ which differ greatly. Two examples of these differences are the conception of the individual’s importance in society and related differences in outlooks on the free market. In his widely popular works, Timothy Snyder documents the political clashes within this border region, conflicts which, at their raging peaks, caused millions of casualties. Within this region, historically filled with turmoil, the Czech Republic has a single key guarantee: Germany’s influence on its overall standing. Germany is characterized by its truly commendable economic vitality; through all the fatal consequences of Europe-wide conflicts, it has always managed to get quickly back on its feet and maintain its rank amongst the most economically powerful nations. Even issues caused by the country’s unification are simply history now. Today, Germany represents a global economic superpower, setting the pace for all of Europe. Neighbouring countries, with economies that are comparatively much smaller, are heavily reliant on Germany’s status. In fact, Czechia’s economic link to Germany is so strong that the somewhat ironic title of this article is not that far from the truth. The Czech economy is sometimes even, more vulgarly, referred to as the Seventeenth Federal Republic of Germany. Nonetheless, even through historical misgivings, it is important to take note of the greatly influential economic benefits stemming from our proximity to Germany. Over the past thirty years, Czechia has come a long way towards the development of a market economy propped up by business and innovation. Germany has been and still is a dominant business partner throughout this journey. We ought to keep in mind how many domestic companies gained not only local but also global respect through partnerships with German businesses. economy. Direct foreign investment brought modern technologies, management approaches and the opportunity for personal development to many people, many of which then made use of these new contacts and experiences to build their own successful businesses. In the 90s, there was no better way to let so many people into the global economy at such a quick pace. Positive experiences of foreign companies with the local environment and people lead to a massive increase in the migration of production to Czechia. It was therefore only a matter of time before different types of trades with an even greater added value, such as R&D and other occupations connected to innovation, would start making this same migration. Currently, large foreign companies are the engine behind Czech companies‘ R&D capacities. At the same time, we are noticing a rise in the dynamics of new high-tech startups. A significant driving factor behind this are people that have experience in R&D teams of successful global corporations, most commonly German ones. As for Germany itself, it is currently looking for a way to connect its strong tradition in globally prosperous corporations with the dynamics of a startup-economy. Germany is seriously lagging behind the USA and other European innovation leaders in the global development race, however, the tenacity and systematic nature of the German people are starting to bear fruit even in this field. Pavel Csank, Chairman of the Board German and other foreign companies play a vital role in the evolution of technology and innovation within our POSITIV 4/2021 ǀ 37