The Science and Technology Parks Association of the Czech Republic (STPA CR) belongs to the founding organisations of the Association of Innovation Entrepreneurship of the Czech Republic (AIE CR). The Association started its activities on July 27, 1990 and since that time it actively takes part in establishment preparatory work and assists in the activities of a number of Czech science and technology parks (STP CR).
STPA CR is a union of natural persons and legal entities that support an efficient course of the innovation process from the outcome of science and research as far as to the practice, participate in successful establishment of small and medium sized innovation firms, transfer of technology, hi-tech, and among others provide supporting services utilising infrastructure available.
An important base for establishing the science and technology parks is the scientific and technical potential of the research and development institutions. Their human resources, material and technical equipment, informatics, complex expertise in methodology and management, may represent very powerful initial assets for STP formation and build-up.
In majority of cases the parks emerge from the transformation process of former research an development institutes, sometimes they are products of private initiative of individuals or of creative groups such as research departments or project teams that spin off from a larger organizations (state owned enterprises or research institutes). They continue in their activities as independent non-profit or commercially aimed companies, sometimes provided with useful buildings, offices, production space, laboratories, instruments and equipment by the parent institutions.
The STPA CR is an institution oriented into fields of research, technology and innovation entrepreneurship. It utilises its know-how for establishing prerequisites for dynamic development of innovation companies, for transfer of technologies and education for innovation entrepreneurship. The STP is an internationally recognised way to the fastest overcome of technological backwardness and lack of market competitiveness and to creation of new perspective work opportunities in an active employment policy.
The STPA CR is characterized by two most important functions:
- innovation – development of new products, not only consulting
- incubation – help in start-up of small and medium sized innovation firms, in their market establishment and assistance in risk reduction. There are many different types of incubators registered in STPA CR directory.
- Innovation companies are usually rather small or medium sized firms with the main intention to develop and marker new products (proprietary manufactured product, technology, service). Common feature of such activities is a high-risk level and usually high initial capital investment needed.
Since 1990, following types of STPs have been registered in the Czech Republic:
- science park (centre)
- technology park (centre)
- business and innovation centre (members of European Business and Innovation Centre Network – BIC)
