The Czech Republic’s ambitious plan to become an innovation leader by 2030 is falling short, with the country still classified as merely a “modest innovator” within the European Union. This is despite nearly 30 billion Czech crowns being channeled into research support through the Grant Agency (GA CR) and Technology Agency (TA CR) between 2021 and 2023. These findings come from the Supreme Audit Office (NKU), which also highlighted a concerning lack of collaboration between the two agencies.
Although the agencies signed a memorandum of cooperation in 2018 and have declared the necessity of connecting basic and applied research, concrete results remain elusive. Both agencies have publicly rejected these criticisms in a joint statement. The NKU report notes that while applied research results increased by 31 percent over six years, patent numbers have declined significantly—from 113 patents related to TA CR projects in 2019 to just 65 in 2023.
Citation rates serve as a primary measure of basic research quality, with publication being the almost exclusive output of fundamental research. The NKU discovered that citation rates for Czech basic research in prestigious scientific publications still fall below the global average and reach less than half of the European average. This underperformance presents a significant obstacle to the country’s innovation ambitions.
The Grant Agency, however, maintains that its support produces exceptional results, stating: “Scientists supported by GA CR publish more and in higher-quality journals than other scientists in the Czech Republic.” Despite this claim, auditors observed that private sector participation has been declining in recent years, contrary to strategic plans and public statements.
On a positive note, the audit found no evidence that science funding was being used ineffectively or in violation of regulations, which had been identified as issues in previous investigations. This suggests that while the strategic direction may need adjustment, financial governance has improved.