Czech Academy of Sciences to launch a joint-stock company
26. 02. 2026
The CAS is establishing a joint-stock company designed to bring scientists and investors together and accelerate the path from lab to marketplace, making it easier to translate research results into real-world applications. Eight CAS institutes are among the first shareholders, with additional partners expected to join from across the Academy’s total of 54 institutes. The new subsidiary company plans to introduce transparent procedures for founding tech companies and to define clear rules for bringing external capital into CAS projects. The initiative was presented to the media on 25 February 2026 by CAS President Radomír Pánek and Vice President Ilona Müllerová.
The Academy Council of the CAS confirmed the ambitious project at the beginning of February. “For a long time, we have been actively seeking ways to put our scientific results to practical use. Establishing a joint-stock company fully owned by the Czech Academy of Sciences will professionalize the creation of spin-off companies that build on our research outputs and will connect them with entrepreneurs and investors,” CAS President Radomír Pánek stated at the press conference.
The move to create a robust system for transferring science into practice was welcomed by Karel Havlíček, Czech Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade. “The Czech Academy of Sciences is the largest research institution in the Czech Republic and must help shape our future,” he said. According to Havlíček, the new Czech government is reforming the governance of research and considers the appointment of Radomír Pánek to the presidium of the Research, Development and Innovation Council (RVVI) a key turning point.
SUPPORTING PROMISING PROJECTS
A central pillar of the Academy’s new initiative is an incubation program that will connect research teams and their technologies with strategic partners. It will enable them to jointly develop and commercialize the most promising research projects. “We have more than fifty institutes across all scientific disciplines and an enormous portfolio of results. We already support the creation of spin-offs and start-ups, but in the future, we want to expand that support,” noted CAS Vice President Ilona Müllerová, who oversees knowledge and technology transfer at the Czech Academy of Sciences.
She also highlighted the Applications and Commercialization Development Program (PRAK) by way of which the Academy has awarded nearly CZK 33 million to 73 selected projects since 2023. This program, along with other activities aimed at transferring research into practice, falls under the remit of the CAS Technology Transfer Centre (CETAV), established in 2016. CETAV is headed by Martin Smekal, who will also lead the newly founded joint-stock company.
BASIC RESEARCH AND APPLICATIONS
The Czech Academy of Sciences is a leader in basic research in the Czech Republic, but it is increasingly focusing on real-world applications as well. In recent years, at least ten spin-offs and twelve start-ups have been established at CAS institutes, with many more in preparation. The CAS institutes have sold numerous licenses in physics, engineering, biomedical, and chemical fields. Income from applied research and industry collaboration now accounts for a growing share of many of the CAS institutes’ budgets.
The new joint-stock company is expected to further strengthen this trend. Its current shareholders are the Centre of Administration and Operations of the CAS and seven CAS institutes: the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the CAS, the Institute of Scientific Instruments of the CAS, the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the CAS, the Institute of Plasma Physics of the CAS, the Institute of Geonics of the CAS, the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the CAS, and the Institute of Hydrology of the CAS.
In addition to its focus on technology and capital, the company also aims to become a talent incubator. “We are actively engaging with potential managers and founders who could become part of future spin-off teams. We are building a community that connects visionaries from the world of science with business while attracting experienced leaders,” Smekal noted.
Written and prepared by: Leona Matušková, External Relations Division, CAO of the CAS, drawing on the CAS press release
Translated by: Tereza Novická, External Relations Division, CAO of the CAS
Photo: Josef Landergott, External Relations Division, CAO of the CAS
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The Czech Academy of Sciences (the CAS)
The mission of the CAS
The primary mission of the CAS is to conduct research in a broad spectrum of natural, technical and social sciences as well as humanities. This research aims to advance progress of scientific knowledge at the international level, considering, however, the specific needs of the Czech society and the national culture.
President of the CAS
Prof. Eva Zažímalová has started her second term of office in May 2021. She is a respected scientist, and a Professor of Plant Anatomy and Physiology.
She is also a part of GCSA of the EU.