We took part in an inspiring study trip of incubators and accelerators to the heart of the technology world - Silicon Valley. The foreign trip, which took place from October 28 to November 3, offered all participants a detailed look into the innovation ecosystem of this location of world importance.
The first days started in San Francisco, where we were introduced to the local innovation ecosystem. This was followed by a series of discussions and presentations by prominent figures, including Consul Jana Přikrylová and Richard Pivnička, Honorary Consul of the Czech Republic in the Bay Area. During the week, we also visited several major technology centers and universities, including Apple Park, the Plug and Play Tech Center, the Sutardja Center for Entrepreneurship and Technology at UC Berkeley, and the Ozmen Center for Entrepreneurship at the University of Nevada Reno.
A highlight of our program was a visit to the Tesla Gigafactory, where the latest technologies in the field of electromobility were presented. The program concluded with a meeting with representatives of the Nevada Economic Development Authority and the Northern Nevada Development Agency, which provided participants with valuable information about the business environment in the region.
After returning from the trip, we remain in contact with individual representatives of American institutions and currently we are preparing a collaboration that follows on from the meeting that took place in the USA. This cooperation is part of our efforts to support business in the Ústí Region. The contact person for American institutions is Lukáš Eršil, who can be contacted via email ersil@icuk.cz. And from February 2024, ICUK will have a representative directly in Boston!
This journey thus enabled us to establish valuable contacts and gain inspiration for the further development of the innovation ecosystem in the Ústí Region. The whole event was not only professionally beneficial, but also provided the participants with a unique opportunity to see how innovation happens in practice in one of the world's most dynamic technology centers.
