Strategic Projects
Economic Diplomacy
We systematically connect the Zlín Region with the world, creating strategic partnerships at the level of regions, economic organisations, universities, and businesses.
We bring in business accelerators and support start-ups and regional companies in expanding abroad and finding international partners. We ensure participation in major business events, the most prominent of which is SXSW, the world’s largest technology conference in Texas. We are partners of Opportunity Austin, the most successful American economic development agency.
We further develop these activities through the coordination of international delegations, through which we connect regional businesses, academia, and the public sector with specific partners abroad and facilitate the formation of new collaborations. We focus on building direct connections, sharing expertise, and opening new opportunities for cooperation, innovation, and entry into foreign markets.
These activities contribute to strengthening the region’s international standing and developing long-term partnerships.
We help establish agreements between universities and educational institutions. We cooperate with American universities in Texas, San Antonio, San Diego, New York, and Seattle, and co-organise exchange programmes for students and faculty.
We support the inflow of investment and know-how into the region in connection with the development of high-value-added sectors, and we adapt the education system accordingly in cooperation with universities and schools.
International Partnerships
We establish and develop long-term international partnerships that connect the Zlín Region with key regions, particularly in Texas. We build a bridge between innovation and industrial ecosystems, opening direct access to cooperation, know-how, and new opportunities for businesses, institutions, and talents alike.
Memorandum with the Bastrop County
Companies and institutions from the Zlín Region have gained another strong tool for developing cooperation in Texas, USA. This comes through a partnership memorandum signed by ZRIA with the Bastrop County in Texas.
The region is located in the heart of the technology corridor between Austin and San Antonio — an area where Elon Musk is building new corporate campuses for companies such as xAI and SpaceX. The partnership opens doors for our companies to access the region’s dynamic innovation ecosystem and leading industry players. The cooperation primarily focuses on strategic sectors such as aerospace, defence, advanced manufacturing, and emerging technologies.
Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce
A memorandum of cooperation with the „Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce“, the largest and most influential business organization in San Antonio and the equivalent of a chamber of commerce — was signed during a business mission to Texas.
This represents another step in connecting regional businesses with the global innovation ecosystem. Through these activities, ZRIA is systematically creating opportunities for companies from the Zlín Region in Texas, as well as for American companies in the Zlín Region, while building a two-way bridge for cooperation.
The memorandum was signed by Petr Kubíček, Director of Strategic Development at ZRIA, and Jeff Webster, President and CEO of the Greater San Antonio Chamber of Commerce, in the presence of Miloslav Stašek, Ambassador of the Czech Republic to the United States, and David Vychytil, Deputy Governor of the Zlín Region.
Zlin Materials Institute
The establishment of a major European centre for the discovery of new materials using artificial intelligence is envisioned in a memorandum signed by the American startup Yonder Materials (CombiMatrixAI Corporation), Tomas Bata University in Zlín, and ZRIA.
The document creates a framework for the establishment of the Zlin Materials Institute (ZMI) — a joint team of researchers, engineers, students, and companies that will combine artificial intelligence with materials science to create a dynamic research environment focused on developing next-generation materials for commercial applications.
Opportunity Austin Memorandum
Students, companies, and startups from the Zlín Region have gained access to Austin — one of the most innovative cities in Texas and the entire United States — 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 key points of the Memorandum of Understanding signed by ZRIA and one of the leading American organizations for regional economic development — Opportunity Austin.
Our Partners
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