Brno was once famous for its textile industry. But due to its subsequent decline in the late 20th century, the second largest city in the Czech Republic had to reinvent itself.
Twenty years ago, a new business hub was established in Brno. JIC (South Moravian Innovation Center) was one of the first technology incubators in the eastern part of the European Union.
Today, its success is a magnet for entrepreneurs and companies with an international outlook.
In the history of the JIC, several hundred companies passing through our services have a turnover of around €700 million… said Michal Veselý, Chief Marketing Officer at JIC.
IDEA StatiCa started from scratch at JIC 12 years ago. Specialists in concrete and steel connections, they are now one of the world leaders in their sector, with more than 6500 customers.
“JIC helps you move forward,” Juraj Sabatka, CEO of IDEA StatiCa told Euronews. “What is more valuable and comes later when you work with JIC is the consultant [aspect]. That means, talking to the public and [using the] specialized services that JIC provides, that means they can review your business plan, they’ll review your go-to-market model, they’ll review your development operations and they’ll help you do it.”
JIC has contributed to the creation of more than 3500 skilled jobs since 2003. Its total budget exceeds €12.5 million, of which 72% is funded by the European Integration Policy.
One of the motifs of the group is ‘entrepreneurship for a better world’. JIC supports start-ups such as Tierra Verde, which specialize in environmentally friendly cleaning products. They started selling organic soap. They now sell 250 products.
The CEO of Tierra Verde, Jan Čillík told Euronews “at the moment, JIC is helping Tierra Verde with two projects. One is focused on automation, and the second is focused on sustainability. And JIC is helping us to open , let’s say, [the] European Market for Tierra Verde.”
In order to encourage and increase entrepreneurial awareness, JIC is providing training sessions for future business leaders. Workshops and activities are held in collaboration with Czech universities and hope to inspire young people in the region to develop ideas that will make a positive difference in the years and years to come.
“What kind of values do we impart to students? I think it’s encouraging,” said Veronika Rejšková, team leader with JIC’s Student Development team. “It’s also freedom as their own choice, what they will do, and maybe creativity too, that they can do something very really bring up new. , which no one had heard of before”.
In recognition of its success to date, JIC has been nominated for the 2022 REGIOSTARS Award – which celebrates the best of projects funded by the EU under the cohesion policy.
