On May 20, 2026, the SemiconDays programme continued at the premises of the Ministry of Industry and Trade. The event Czech-Saxon Partnership for Innovation: Funding Opportunities for Academia and Industry, aimed at supporting Czech-Saxon cooperation in research, development and innovation, The matchmaking meeting connected representatives of companies and research organizations with the aim of strengthening the creation of joint projects and increasing the use of available financial instruments. The event was intended primarily for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), but also for large companies interested in cooperating with SMEs and the research sector.
The opening part of the program introduced key instruments for supporting international cooperation, in particular the ZIM, TA CR, IraSME and CORNET programmes. These initiatives provide both financial resources and an institutional framework for the implementation of joint Czech-Saxon projects. The benefits of these instruments were illustrated by specific examples from practice, including through the activities of the INOTEX organizations and the CLUTEX cluster, which demonstrated the possibilities of applied research and effective technology transfer to industrial use.
The second part of the event was dedicated to dynamic pitch presentations, in which participants briefly presented their activities, competencies and cooperation potential. A wide range of actors of the Czech-Saxon innovation ecosystem were introduced - from universities and research organizations such as Fraunhofer ENAS, TU Chemnitz, HiLASE, PTS Heidenau or VSB-TU Ostrava, through applied research institutions (e.g. COMTES FHT) to innovative technology companies and spin-off companies such as 3DMicroPrint, evico or Reasunta. They were also supplemented by specialized companies, such as SCI GmbH, GPSlife or asphericon.
The programme also included organizations supporting cross-border cooperation and investment, in particular Saxony Trade & Invest, which has long been connecting Czech and Saxon partners. There were also representatives of clusters and professional platforms, such as AAVIT, Czech Digital Association or the SmartERZ initiative, including the makeChip technology platform. The format of short presentations allowed participants to quickly gain an overview of the competencies of individual actors, identify synergies and establish new contacts.
The event thus significantly contributed to the development of Czech-Saxon cooperation in the field of research, innovation and technology transfer and at the same time supported the fulfillment of the objectives of national and regional RIS3 strategies, especially in strengthening the links between the research and application sectors and the development of the innovation ecosystem in key technological areas.
