Agriculture for the 21st Century

This traditional domain in the Olomouc Region currently places much more emphasis on sustainability and ecology. Activities in this area primarily involve basic and applied research in agriculture, the food industry, and the environment; manufacture of seed, plant protection preparations, substrates, and animal feed; and production of agricultural machines and parts, innovative growing methods, and development of applications.

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Research, Development, and Innovations

Research and development activities focus on addressing current challenges in agriculture, with the main link being sustainable development. Examples include the development of seeds with increased resistance to pests, thus minimising the use of pesticides and chemical sprays; research into the genetic resources of plants, genetic and breeding technologies of legumes, and cultivation technologies; testing and analyses of inorganic and organic substances, types of soils, biological materials; and work with growth regulators and research into the effects of the environment on plants. An entity significant in biotechnological and agricultural research is Centre of the Haná Region for Biotechnological and Agricultural Research (CATRIN – CRH), unique worldwide in reading the genetic information of crops, especially wheat and barley.

The research and development of agricultural technologies centres, for instance, on hydroponics, but also on digital applications facilitating livestock flock registers, etc.

Relationship with Schools

Agriculture is facing a shortage of skilled staff due to flagging popularity of the sector. Agriculture still has not become a “hot” field, though its future is associated with digitalisation of manufacture, development of software for efficient fertilisation, environmentally conscious attitude towards pesticides, etc.

Companies try to fill this market gap through cooperation at secondary school level (field trips, work experience). In a similar vein, the companies cooperate with universities by trying to participate in the courses within various curricula. However, direct linking of educational offers of universities to this domain is lacking in the Olomouc Region. The Faculty of Science of UP Olomouc offers related programmes such as chemistry, ecology, and biochemistry.

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TURNOVER IN AGRICULTURE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY IN BN CZK

Agriculture has a long history in the Olomouc region. Agricultural land makes up 54 percent of its total area, with arable land accounting for 76.5 percent (according to 2020 data). In 2021, agriculture generated a turnover of 0.492 billion CZK in total value. The export of this domain exceeded 0.215 billion CZK in the same year. The Olomouc region, with its 5 research organizations, is one of the leading regions in the Czech Republic in terms of research.

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PATENTS WITHIN SPECIALIZATION DOMAINS

Biomedicine, Life Science, and Well-being are among the domains that easily overshadow other fields in terms of the number of patents, despite being the third smallest domain in our region with only 1860 employees (as of the end of 2021). In 2021, the total turnover was 5.2 billion CZK. In the Olomouc region, we can find two crucial institutions - Catrin, the Institute of Molecular and Translational Medicine at the Faculty of Medicine of Palacký University, and MedChemBio cluster, which aims to support the development of medicinal chemistry and chemical biology.

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PATENTS WITHIN SPECIALIZATION DOMAINS

Optics: The Olomouc region is unique in the field of optics, with both top companies and research teams concentrated here. In 2017, the Czech Optics Cluster was established here, which is very active in this domain of specialization. The quality and position of this domain in our region can be well illustrated by a total of 42 patents and trademarks obtained in optics in 2021. The annual turnover in this field in the same year amounted to 12.8 billion CZK, of which 2.1 billion CZK was turnover. In 2021, more than 4,500 employees were employed in this domain.

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EXPORT WITHIN SPECIALIZATION DOMAINS IN BN CZK

From an export perspective, Pumping and Water Management Technology is the second strongest domain in the Olomouc region. It also significantly contributes to employment in the region, with a total number of employees exceeding 4,000. The quality of this domain in our region is confirmed by the number of patents (39) and trademarks (41) obtained in this area. The Center for Hydraulic Research and the SIGMA Research and Development Institute have a large share of the credit. The total annual turnover in this domain stopped at CZK 10.6 million last year.

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EXPORT WITHIN THE SPECIALIZATION DOMAINS IN MLD. CZK

Advanced materials and technology are unequivocally the most significant domain of the Olomouc region. With an annual turnover of 117 billion CZK and exports worth 5.5 billion CZK, it ranks first. Its exports account for almost one-third of the total exports within all specialization domains. With 17,400 employees, it also holds a crucial position in the employment mix of the Olomouc region. In 2021, this industry sector managed to obtain 39 patents. Significant institutions in the field of research include Catrin - Regional Center for Advanced Technologies and Materials or the Bachelor Studies Center in Šumperk, VSB.

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NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES IN THE CULTURAL AND CREATIVE INDUSTRY

The creative and cultural industry has shown great potential in the past four years. Its annual turnover in 2021 reached 1.8 billion CZK, and exports within this domain have been steadily holding at 44 million CZK within the Olomouc region. An interesting fact is that 8 patents were obtained in the creative industries in 2021.

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