Adéla Hradilová - Supporting Entrepreneurship and Innovation in the Moravian-Silesian Region
www.posiv.cz ǀ 87
WOMAN
personalities and new startups are emerging. However,
in other parts of the region, the outflow continues.
These general trends also include climate change and
the ageing population.
Do you plan to develop the entrepreneurial
environment in the region, particularly among
women entrepreneurs and young innovators?
We start fostering entrepreneurship as early
as elementary school, for example through
the Innovation Safari project. At high schools, we
do it through the Moravian-Silesian Technological
Academy. We collaborate with the city of Ostrava on
the Talent City project, where we showcase successful
young entrepreneurs and host workshops for the
general public.
For university students, we offer programs like Lab
Zero and Demola, as well as special events aimed
at female students. This system encourages young
people in the region to be entrepreneurial and gives
them the courage to bring their own ideas to life.
What international projects do you consider most
important for developing the innovation ecosystem
in the Moravian-Silesian Region, and what is your
vision for their further development?
I see three key projects funded by the Operational
Programme Just Transition – REFRESH, LERCO, and
CEPIS, which support international collaboration and
attract foreign scientists. These projects will improve
infrastructure for research and development in
the region.
The Moravian-Silesian Region often faces a brain
drain. Do you have plans to improve conditions
for retaining talented individuals in the region and
engaging them in innovation projects?
We shouldn’t prevent people from going abroad for
experience. What’s important is creating conditions
that motivate them to return. We need to offer
attractive research projects, job opportunities in R&D
departments of large companies, and support for
tech startups. Alongside that, we need good schools,
housing, and healthcare, which are key factors for
attracting talent back. Emerging topics like quantum
technologies and quantum computing are also crucial
to drawing in more experts.
MSIC has seen seven years of successful
development. Do you have long-term goals for
the next phase of the centre’s development, and how
will you measure its success in the coming years?
In the last seven years, we’ve significantly expanded our
range of services, supported more than 1,227 projects
across hundreds of clients, and we’re now focusing
on improving our services. We want to continue
supporting startups and help small and medium-sized
businesses adapt to new technologies, which will aid
their international expansion. A major emphasis will
also be on technology transfer and commercialization
of research and development at universities.
Adéla, thank you for the interview.
“
We start fostering entrepreneurship
as early as elementary school.
”
Adéla Hradilová is the
Director of the Moravian-
Silesian Innovaon Centre in
Ostrava, where she coordinates
the planning and implementaon
of acvies supporng small and
medium-sized enterprises as well
as startups. Her experse lies
in grant consulng. She bases
her work on a solid foundaon
of professional knowledge gained
through studies at Palacký
University Olomouc and in
Athens, as well as a decade
of experience in developing
innovaon ecosystems and
business support, inially at JIC
(Brno) and subsequently at MSIC.
Her extensive experience provides
her with a detailed understanding
of the business landscape and
the regional needs.