We Still Have Much to Offer the World
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We Sll Have Much to Oer the World
“If Europe does not increase investments in technology and educaon, we risk losing our
independence,” says Jiří Baroš, CEO of Edhouse. He warns that Europe is falling behind
in digitalisaon and technical educaon, and if it does not act soon, the consequences could
be serious.
Should the Czech Republic, and Europe
as a whole, invest more in their own
technological independence?
Absolutely yes, if we are to achieve greater
self-sufficiency and, above all, security.
We must keep key services, technologies
and know-how under our own control,
rather than relying on the rest of the
world, which is currently facing the worst
geopolitical instability in decades. Everyone
should realise that saving a few euros
on services or products from Asia or the
USA, instead of paying a little extra for
a domestic or European product, could one
day have fatal consequences. And this is not
fearmongering – it is a purely pragmatic
approach that everyone should recognise
before it is too late.
Are we missing the train?
We are, but it’s still not too late. It feels
as though we lack self-confidenc e, though
I don’t understand why. We are a strong
nation, and the EU as a whole is one of the
world’s strongest economies. We certainly
have much to offer the world – but we need
to step up.
What do you think is the biggest problem?
It is never about just one issue. Above all,
political instability and, of course, education
must be mentioned. While 20 years
ago we were exporting our know-how
and experience to Asia and training their
people, today the situation has reversed
– in many areas, especially technical
and technological, they have caught up with
us, and in some, they even have overtaken
us. Particularly in the East, they understood
that digitalisation, IT and investment
in education are the most valuable assets
that must be nurtured. I believe it is essential
to fundamentally transform education for
children from primary school onwards,
introducing them to engaging technical
fields so they develop a genuine interest
in studying them. The goal should be to
attract new minds, foreign investment
and global companies to the Czech
Republic – for whom we can deliver work
with real added value. I dare say this is the
alpha and omega of the Czech Republic’s
future growth.
Do domestic companies invest in IT
solutions?
Our customers do, because they know
they must. More and more companies are
realising that for them, it’s a matter of survival.
We help businesses analyse where they
should invest and what the return will be.
Increasingly, these are manufacturing
companies, where we can save them vast
amounts of money through IT solutions,
digitalisation and automation. From our
perspective, however, there are still too few
of them – by operating inefficiently, they
lose their margins and competitiveness.
How are we doing in entrepreneurship?
People should start businesses far more
and not be afraid of possible failure. Out
of a hundred new companies, fifty will
be good, ten excellent, and two will achieve
international reach. That’s how growth
happens and how added value is created.
I see courage and a desire to succeed in the
young people who come to our company
for internships – but they still lack the right
drive.
What do you think of the upcoming
generation?
They are very capable people; they just need
to be managed in the right way. I certainly
don’t consider them lazy or incompetent,
as is often said today.
Thank you for the interview.
Jiří Baroš