On 1 October 2025, at a networking event at the Opero Business Hub, the Innovate Prague project was presented with the ambition to strengthen the capital’s position as an important European centre of innovation, science, and entrepreneurship. Prague Innovation Institute in collaboration with the City of Prague Under have provided a framework for a range of services and activities to support the growth of innovative projects, increase their visibility and connect key actors across industries in the Czech Republic and abroad under the new virtual brand.
“We see Innovate Prague as a digital hub of Prague’s innovation ecosystem, where companies, organizations and startups meet so that they can connect faster, share experiences and establish new collaborations not only in Prague, but also with international partners. We want to develop the platform reflecting the needs of the community from the very beginning, therefore we consult all steps directly with the community representatives,” says Tomáš Lapáček, director of the Prague Innovation Institute, about the project.
Innovate Prague offers support to startups, small and medium-sized enterprises, research institutions and municipal organizations. It focuses on assistance with raising finances, provides the opportunity to participate in networking with the Prague innovation community and international partners, and helps promote the achievements of Prague’s innovation ecosystem beyond the city limits, all under one brand.
“The launch of Innovate Prague is another milestone in Prague’s efforts to help Prague innovators and innovative entrepreneurs from start-ups. The interest of the city and of its inhabitants is clear: we want to be a city where new ideas find favourable environment and space for their development. This includes a background of capital investments in innovation and a network of quality mentors. It will be a big step in benefitting from the enormous potential of qualified experts that Prague has,” adds Daniel Mazur, councillor of the Capital City of Prague for ICT, smart cities and science, research, and innovation.
The capital city’s efforts to improve its residents’ live through innovation have recently gained recognition at the international level: Prague received the prestigious main prize in the Human-CentriCity category at the Smart Life Week 2025 conference, which took place in Seoul, Korea, at the turn of September and October. The Smart Life Week conference focuses on smart city projects that focus not only on technology, but above all on improving the quality of life. It shows that a smart city should not only be defined by the number of sensors and smart solutions, but mainly by how well it serves people.
The team of the Operátor ICT (OICT) municipal company cooperates with the city on innovation management projects. The projects focus, for example, on climate change adaptation, support for smart and sustainable transport or energy efficiency. They are available to municipal units and are based on the specific practical needs of the city.
“This success documents that the systematic approach to innovation we apply in Prague is also important in the international context. It is not just about individual projects, but about the way in which we can integrate the needs of the city, professional capacities, and global trends into one comprehensive framework. This allows the city to improve in prioritizing what to invest in and in ensuring that funds are directed to solutions with long-term values. This is the moment when innovation becomes a valuable city development tool,” says Petr Suška, Vice-Chairman of the Board of Directors of OICT, who is responsible for Smart City and Innovation.