Czech Republic research and development funding

Discussions regarding research funding in the Czech Republic have highlighted concerns over real-term declines. While the government allocated approximately 45 billion CZK for the upcoming year, experts noted this was roughly 2 billion CZK less than the sector required. Economists observed that inflation-adjusted spending on research and development had decreased by about one-sixth over an eight-year period, leaving Czechia’s expenditure at approximately 0.6 percent of GDP, which is roughly half of the European Union average per capita.

Subsequent data from the Czech Statistical Office indicated that R&D expenditures rose by 8.2% year-on-year to 158.8 billion CZK in 2025. This growth was driven by both the business and public sectors. Business sector spending reached 100.7 billion CZK, with significant contributions from foreign-controlled companies, particularly those from the United States and Germany. Public sector funding also saw a 12.4% increase to 58.5 billion CZK, supported by national sources and European Union funds, marking the highest level of EU funding in a decade. Consequently, R&D spending as a percentage of GDP rose to 1.85%.