On June 17-19, 2026, representatives of the Innovation Center of the Ústí nad Labem Region (ICUK) participated in the prestigious EBN Congress 2026, which took place this year in the Italian region of Trentino. The congress annually brings together representatives of innovation centers, business incubators, technology organizations, universities and public institutions from all over Europe and creates a space for sharing experiences, establishing partnerships and finding new opportunities for the development of regional innovation ecosystems.
During the three-day program, ICUK representatives attended expert lectures, panel discussions and a number of individual meetings with foreign partners. The main topics were support for startups and innovative companies, development of the business environment, functioning of innovation centers, technological infrastructure, international cooperation and sharing of good practice examples from individual European regions.
„"Participation in events such as the EBN Congress is an important part of the development of international partnerships for ICUK. Thanks to direct contact with leading European organizations, we gain not only inspiration and examples of good practice, but also opportunities to establish cooperation that can bring concrete benefits to entrepreneurs and interesting projects in the Ústí nad Labem Region," said Ing. Martin Mata, MBA, LL.M., Director of the Innovation Center of the Ústí nad Labem Region.
The congress also included networking meetings and individual consultations focused on sharing experiences in the areas of business support, development of innovation services, makerspace centers, and building international partnerships.
„"The opportunity to personally discuss with colleagues from various European countries about topics that we are also addressing in our region was very valuable. Whether it was supporting startups, operating makerspace centers, or developing innovation services, it was inspiring to see different approaches and at the same time discover that many challenges are similar across Europe. We take away from the congress not only new contacts, but also a number of ideas for further developing ICUK activities," said Ing. Nikola Slamková, manager of pillar II of the TCÚK project.
Participation in EBN Congress 2026 brought new contacts and opened up possibilities for future cooperation with organizations that have long been dedicated to supporting entrepreneurship, innovation and technology transfer into practice. The acquired experience and examples of good practice will be used in the further development of ICUK activities and its services.
ICUK's active involvement in European networks and international partnerships contributes to strengthening the innovation environment in the region and creates new opportunities for business development, cooperation and sharing of know-how.
