EUR 3.5 billion to help advance research and education in Czechia

The Operational Programme Jan Amos Komenský will make the country more competitive

On 4 October, the Czech government met in Prague to approve the Operational Programme Jan Amos Komenský (OP JAK). This programme will see a major EU investment package worth CZK 90 billion (over EUR 3.5 billion) strengthen the country’s research and development sector.

What is more, OP JAK will use EU funds to further support the improvement of education in the period 2021-2027.

Increasing Czechia’s competitiveness

With financing flowing into the Czech research and education sectors, the country will undoubtedly become more competitive. Furthermore, the standard of living will rise significantly as Czechia’s labour market will become more skilled.

The government revealed the aims of OP JAK, noting that it seeks to support the development of an open and educated society. Expanding on this, it sets out to foster knowledge, skills, and equal opportunities. In this way, OP JAK will help develop the potential of each individual, reducing the risk of exclusion.

The programme’s key priority is to focus on supporting research and development. For this reason, the government will allocate CZK 43 billion (over EUR 1.69 billion) to projects in this sector. OP JAK’s second objective is to support all levels of education – from pre-school to tertiary. It follows then that CZK 19 billion (over EUR 747 million) will be put aside for higher education and CZK 28 billion (over EUR 1.1 billion) for regional education.

According to a press release by the government, work on the preparation of the programme originally began in 2019. Now, interested bodies will soon be able to apply for financing as the first calls will reportedly be announced in the middle of 2022.

With such substantial investments in key fields, the future of Czechia’s education and research looks brighter than ever.