Expert Reports
Defense Industry: Development and Innovation, Challenges and Problems
Aspen Institute CE | Daniel Koštoval
Ensuring defense capability, thereby deterring a potential aggressor or defeating them if necessary, is impossible without the defense (armaments) industry. A large and intense military conflict, especially of a strategic nature, cannot be successfully managed without high-quality and battlefield-competitive weapon systems in sufficient quantities. Firepower depends not only on the number of platforms, but also critically on the amount of ammunition available at the required time. The defense industry is thus an integral part of the capabilities that define a country or alliance's effectiveness in self-defense. A state that wants to defend its sovereignty and territorial integrity against an aggressor must have and develop a defense industry adequate to current and foreseeable threats.
Management of Local Educational Systems: Description of Czech Inefficiency, Foreign Trends and Islands of Good Practice
Aspen Institute CE | PAQ Research
In the Czech Republic, there are 2,635 municipalities responsible for 3,620 public elementary schools. This highly fragmented system, where the vast majority of municipalities run a single school, is inefficient and, in some cases, unjust regarding educational conditions. It is time to seek new ways to ensure all children receive quality education (qualified teachers, support staff at all schools, quality educational leadership). Conditions need to be adjusted for small municipalities that run schools which are financially unsustainable. An established solution is the formation of school federations, which offer financial and educational benefits.
Micro and small Enterprises: The Role of Key Actors in Strengthening the Competitiveness of the Czech Republic
Aspen Institute CE | Data Ethics Lab
The research is based on the quantitative GARI study (KOŘAN, 2023), which provided the first indicative results. These results highlighted key areas and data that the quantitative method could not fully clarify. We consequently proposed a qualitative study focused on key actors in various regions and interpreted the sourced quantitative data (Eurostat, OECD...) with the assistance of the key digitalization stakeholders present in the regions. We selected institutions such as regional offices, chambers of commerce, universities, innovation centers, CzechInvest, and representatives of small entrepreneurs from the Moravian-Silesian Region, Hradec Králové Region, and Vysočina Region. The aim was to determine the state of digitalization of small and micro enterprises in the regions, uncover problems, and identify possible solutions. We sought to gain specific insights from the actors regarding existing best practices and recurring problems that form the root causes of successes or failures in digitalization.
The Future of the Czech Labor Market
Aspen Institute CE | Boston Consulting Group
In 2022, BCG, in collaboration with the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the Aspen Institute, and others, published a study forecasting changes in the Czech labor market by 2030. Key findings included the projected transformation of the labor market structure, an aging workforce, and a rise in unfilled positions, with a shortage of around 190,000 workers expected by 2030. The updated projections, extended to 2035, incorporate additional economic and technological developments. One major factor is the integration of approximately 375k Ukrainian refugees who came to the Czech Republic due to the conflict in Ukraine, with about 210k being economically active. It is projected that 70% of the refugees will remain in Czechia beyond 2030. The second important factor is the rapid advancement and increasing adoption of generative artificial intelligence (GenAI) since late 2022. GenAI is anticipated to dramatically boost workforce productivity, reshape the labor market structure and redefine some roles across sectors. The third factor is the end of the economic recession following the COVID pandemic, with inflation stabilizing and real wages rising. Combined with increased household consumption and a recovery in investment growth, this will support economic revitalization.
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