At the very beginning of preparing the national project to establish the Czech Semiconductor Centre (CSC), one essential element stood behind its successful launch: the support of the South Moravian Region (project Smart Akcelerátor v Jihomoravském kraji III, aktivita Asistence, Operační program Jan Amos Komenský). We value this support immensely, as it provided the strategic and operational foundation upon which the Centre could be built.
Through the preparatory project “Příprava národního kompetenčního centra pro čipy a polovodiče”, implemented under the Smart Accelerator programme (CZ.02.01.02/00/22_009/0004291) and led by Brno University of Technology (BUT), our institution received targeted assistance that significantly strengthened its capabilities in the semiconductor domain.
This support enabled the creation of a new independent organisational unit at BUT—the Czech Semiconductor Centre—a unified national hub for semiconductor research, training, and industry collaboration. The project helped map and reinforce the technical and human capacities necessary for the Centre’s service portfolio, aligned with the National Semiconductor Strategy of the Czech Republic.
The assistance also played a critical role in developing human capital. Representatives of BUT and partner institutions (including CTU, onsemi, Codasip, JIC, and CNSC) participated in specialised workshops and consultations focused on competence centre management, training programme design, technology transfer, and strategic industry collaboration. These activities directly supported the preparation of the CSC proposal for the DIGITAL Chips JU call, which was later evaluated as the fifth-best proposal in the competition.
Importantly, the preparatory project also connected CSC with the European network of semiconductor competence centres through the Czech National Semiconductor Cluster (CNSC) and the European aCCCess initiative. This linkage now positions CSC within a broader European ecosystem, enabling collaboration, knowledge exchange, and participation in international innovation programmes.
Thanks to the strategic assistance and vision supported by the South Moravian Region, BUT now has a strong foundation for developing a national centre of excellence that will contribute to the advancement of semiconductor technologies in both the Czech Republic and Europe.
