Czech space activities are coordinated by the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic, which leads the Coordination Council composed of representatives from multiple ministries. The ministry is responsible for the National Space Plan, cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA), and managing EU space policies, including the Galileo and EGNOS programs. Czech Republic also hosts the EU Agency for the Space Program (EUSPA) in Prague, enhancing its international standing.
National Space Plan for 2020-2025
The National Space Plan 2020–2025 outlines the Czech Republic’s vision to be a competitive, innovative, and high-value-added economy with strong industrial and scientific excellence. Its key objectives include enhancing national space capabilities, increasing international visibility, fostering innovation, and maximizing return-on-investment. Major activities focus on participation in ESA and EU space programs, developing space technologies and applications, and supporting space-related research at universities and scientific institutes.
Key Organisations
- Ministry of Transport: Coordinates national space activities, represents the Czech Republic in the European Space Agency, and manages the Czech Space Portal. It supports the integration of satellite and telecommunication technologies into transport systems and fosters collaboration with industry and academia.
- Czech Space Team: An active consortium of public institutions including the Ministry of Transport, CzechInvest, Planetum, and the Czech Academy of Sciences supporting Czech space activities. They organize the annual Czech Space Week and lead the “Czech Path to Space” space popularization initiative.
Czech Space Associations
- Association of the Czech Aerospace Industry (ALKP): Represents Czech aerospace manufacturers, promoting collaboration, competitiveness, and integration into international aerospace supply chains and policy development.
- Brno Space Cluster: A regional hub uniting companies, academia, and institutions in Brno to foster innovation, partnerships, and Czech space industry visibility.
- Czech Aerospace Cluster (CAC): Facilitates cooperation among aerospace entities in the Moravian-Silesian Region, supporting R&D, education, and international partnerships.
- Czech Space Alliance (CSA): An industry association of space SMEs collaborating on ESA and EU projects, focusing on export, innovation, and advanced space technologies.
- GNSS Centre of Excellence (GCE): A national centre supporting development and application of satellite navigation technologies (GNSS), innovation, and European and global market engagement.
ESA initiatives in the Czech Republic
- ESA BIC Czech Republic: Supports Czech space startups through incubation, funding, and mentoring, helping them commercialize space technologies and enter global markets. Operated by Agency CzechInvest and Innovation Agency JIC.
- ESA Business Commercialisation Ambassador: Promotes space-related business opportunities and supports companies in using space assets for terrestrial applications and commercial innovation and provides funding opportunities through ESA BASS and InCubed programs, run by Agency CzechInvest.
- ESA Technology Broker: Connects space and non-space industries, facilitating technology transfer from ESA projects to commercial sectors for broader economic impact. ESA Technology Broker provides funding opportunity through ESA Spark Funding Programme. It is operated by Technology Centre Prague.
- ESERO Czech Republic: An ESA educational initiative engaging Czech students and teachers in STEM through space-themed materials, training, and activities. Implemented by a consortium of Czech institutions and planetariums.
Research and Academia
- Czech Academy of Sciences (CAS):
- The Institute of Atmospheric Physics, which contributes to international climate and Earth observation missions, including the development of onboard instruments for satellites.
- The Astronomical Institute, active in solar physics, astrometry, and the study of near-Earth objects. It collaborates on ESA and international research programs, providing Czech researchers access to global data and mission participation.
- Czech Technical University (CTU): One of the country’s leading technical universities, involved in nanosatellite development, satellite navigation, and AI for space data. Regular partner in ESA research and technology projects.
- Brno University of Technology (VUT): Offers the master’s program Space Applications in English, combining space engineering and practical internships. Leads student satellite team YSpace and co-founded the CAERPIN research consortium for ISS experiments and broader space cooperation.
- CAERPIN (Czech Aerospace Research Institute): A national academic consortium uniting Czech universities and research centres to prepare space experiments and promote student engagement in future missions, including human spaceflight.
- Masaryk University, VSB – Technical University of Ostrava, University of West Bohemia: These institutions focus on interdisciplinary research in materials, mechatronics, and biology in space, often in partnership with CAERPIN or ESA-related initiatives.
Czech Space Funding Opportunities
| Program Name | Description | Focus | Support | Link |
| ESA BIC Czech Republic | ESA Business Incubation Centers support start-ups working with space technologies. | Start-ups, innovation, space technology applications. | Up to 180,000 EUR, mentoring, technical support. | ESA BIC |
| ESA Spark funding (by ESA Technology Broker Czechia) | Funding for commercial applications of space technologies in early project stages. | Commercial applications, prototypes. | Up to 75,000 EUR per project. | ESA Spark Funding |
| ESA InCubed+ (by ESA Ambassadors Czechia) | Co-funding for innovative business solutions using Earth observation data. | Earth observation, data-driven solutions. | Up to 50% co-funding for selected projects. | ESA InCubed+
(only in CZ) |
| ESA BASS (by ESA Ambassadors Czechia) | Boosting activities for space start-ups and SMEs. | Business acceleration, space technology applications. | Financial support, mentoring, networking. | ESA BASS (only in CZ) |
| Program Aplikace III Deep Tech (by Ministry of Industry and Trade of CZ) | Support for research, development, and innovation aimed at practical implementation. | Technologies with commercialization potential, product and service development. | Up to 85 % financing for projects with budget up to 4,900,000 EUR (in CZK). | Aplikace III (only in CZ) |
| Program Potencial (by Ministry of Industry and Trade of CZ) | Support for building and developing industrial research and development centers. | R&D capacity building, laboratories, testing facilities. | Up to 70 % financing for projects with budget up to 3,900,000 EUR (in CZK). | Program Potencial (only in CZ) |
| Program TREND (by Technology Agency of CZ) | Support for research and development focused on the competitiveness of Czech industry. | Research, development, and innovation in industry. | Up to 70% of eligible costs of the project budget (in CZK). | TA CR TREND (only in CZ) |
| Fundamental Elements (by EUSPA) | Support for developing receivers and modules for Galileo and EGNOS. | Infrastructure for satellite navigation. | Funding for hardware and software development. | Fundamental Elements |
| Horizon Europe (by EUSPA) | Program funding research and innovation in space technologies. | GNSS, Copernicus, downstream applications. | Project funding based on specific calls. | Horizon EUROPE – EUSPA |
| Cassini Initiative (by EUSPA) | Support for start-ups and SMEs in space technology. | Entrepreneurship, innovation, investment. | Acceleration, networking, grants and financial prizes up to 1,000,000 EUR. | Cassini |
| Horizon Europe (by Technology Centre Prague) | Cluster 4 focuses on supporting digital technologies, industry innovation, and space applications. | Digital technologies, industrial innovation, space technologies, and their applications in various sectors. | Project funding based on specific calls. | Horizon EUROPE – TC Prague |
TEXT: Veronika Mašínová
FOTO: pixabay.com