The Zlín Region Has Launched Cooperation with the Successful Opportunity Austin

Students, companies, and startups from the Zlín Region now have direct access to  Austin — one of the most innovative cities in Texas and the United States as a whole — which can become their gateway to the North American market. Business cooperation, student exchange programmes, and joint projects in research, creative industries, innovation, and semiconductors are among the specific points of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by the regional development agency ZRIA and one of the leading American organisations for regional economic development — Opportunity Austin.

Austin as a Global Technology Hub

Thanks to its innovation ecosystem, Austin has become a global technology hub and the number one city in the USA for foreign direct investment per capita. Globally, it ranks among the eight most significant innovation regions, competing with metropolises such as Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, and Seoul. The partnership with the Zlín Region is among the first in Central and Eastern Europe, making the cooperation all the more valuable and prestigious.

“It represents an opportunity to gain new investments and technological know-how that could support our economy and business environment. Cooperation with Opportunity Austin gives us an excellent chance to draw inspiration from the successful approaches that transformed the Austin region. We are convinced that this will support the growth of our companies and attract foreign investment. The topic of Onsemi in our region, semiconductors, and related education at Tomas Bata University — all of this resonates here in Austin. Moreover, they are establishing a division to oversee export activities abroad, they will be seeking partners in Europe, and their mission will reach us as well,” said Petr Kubíček, Director of Strategic Development at ZRIA, at the signing.

Since its establishment in 2004, Opportunity Austin has helped create more than 700,000 jobs and attracted billions of dollars in investment. It played an important role in relocating several global technology companies to Austin, significantly supporting the growth and diversification of the Texas economy.

Supporting International Expansion and Innovation

“The cooperation between Opportunity Austin and ZRIA is a significant milestone in supporting international business expansion and innovation. By leveraging the strengths of both regions, we will create a dynamic ecosystem that supports mutual investment, startups and scale-ups in their global expansion, strengthens education and talent exchange, and will drive joint research and cultural initiatives. This partnership is in line with our strategic goal of connecting with global markets, opening doors to new opportunities, and paving the way for economic growth and technological progress in both Austin and Zlín,” said Roland Peña, Vice President for Global Investment and Innovation at Opportunity Austin.

Thanks to the memorandum, ZRIA is becoming a unique key player in economic diplomacy towards Austin. This is also why the ZRIA initiative has attracted interest among progressive Zlín companies from the very beginning.

“Access to research and technologies from Texas universities will enable us to improve our artificial intelligence services and establish ourselves globally. Such an opportunity is key for us,” says Martin Gazda, founder of IS Produkce.

Similar opportunities are also seen by Petr Kudláček from APRO Robotics, which focuses on modern viticulture and its adaptation to climate change. “The partnership can open new markets for us and accelerate the development of our autonomous vineyards,” he confirmed. And for example, the software company Elixeum sees this step as opening doors to the USA. “I expect know-how on how to properly address the American market, both from a legislative perspective and in terms of practical functionality. We would like to be able to enter the USA and experience first-hand how this market differs. These are open doors for us and we want to make use of them,” said its Director Štěpán Heinik.

Other software companies are also interested in getting involved, such as Polyperfect and Business Logic. “Access to global innovations and technologies that we can gain through this initiative opens up opportunities to improve the services we provide, and at the same time can bring us closer to expanding beyond the Central and Eastern European region,” confirmed Jan Pálka, Sales Director of Business Logic.

Academic Cooperation with TBU

A further substantial component of the cooperation will be education. By connecting universities and educational institutions in Austin and Zlín, the initiative aims to strengthen academic partnerships, support innovation, and offer joint workshops, seminars, and training focused on technology and entrepreneurship. Very specifically, the topic of semiconductor-related study programmes, which TBU in Zlín will be opening, is already under discussion. Its representatives are already planning a trip to Austin.

“It is a tremendous opportunity for our students and faculty to gain experience and knowledge from a Texas university and other educational institutions that significantly contributed to the transformation and development of Austin. As a university, we would like to play a similar role in the transformation of the Zlín Region, and it is therefore a wonderful opportunity to receive support from someone who has successfully performed such a key role. The first step is an exchange programme in the field of semiconductors, which we want to implement,” said TBU Rector Milan Adámek.

The memorandum between ZRIA and Opportunity Austin is a significant step towards creating an environment that supports innovation, new investment, and technological growth — all of which can increase the competitiveness of the Zlín Region.