Institute director Joseph F. Patrouch travelled to Kitchener, Ontario at the invitation of the Czech ambassador Karel Žebrakovský to participate in the first annual Czech Republic-Canada Technology and Innovation Day held on Sept. 21, 2011 in the Tannery Event Centre, a revitalized industrial building in downtown Kitchener which now houses the offices of various technology firms. The event was hosted by the Czech Embassy in Ottawa, the Czech Ministry of Foreign Affairs, CzechInvest (an investment and business development agency based in Prague), the Czech ICT Alliance (an organization specializing in promoting Czech information and communication technology firms) and the Canadian Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade (DFAIT).
Approximately fifty participants from Canada and the Czech Republic assembled to discuss current research projects and the structures which support international trade, innovation, and development in the two countries. In her introductory comments, Miroslava Kopicová, the Vice-Chair of the Research and Development Council of the Government of the Czech Republic, outlined the research infrastructure of the country and discussed the current educational reforms underway there.
Wirth Institute Director Patrouch initiated discussions with a number of Czech representatives at the conference about establishing ties to the institute and recognizing its role as an important conduit of information between Canada and Central Europe. Various potential future projects were touched upon, particularly in the area of integrating the social sciences and humanities into technological research and development projects. As a number of conference participants, including Ms Kopicová, pointed out, much of the most innovative research currently conducted in this field integrates cultural and technological components.
Dr. Patrouch plans to continue these initial discussions about deepening the ties between the Czech Republic and the Wirth Institute during his travels to Ottawa this week, where he will meet with embassy officials from the Czech Republic, Croatia, Slovakia, and Austria. Please contact him if you would like more information regarding the Technology and Innovation Day and potential ties to institutions and researchers in the Czech Republic.