A week full of innovation at BUT encouraged students and researchers in entrepreneurship

Innovation Week at Brno University of Technology supported students and employees in developing their ideas and entrepreneurial mindset. The university kicked it off with a meeting with the CzechInvest agency, organized an Innovation Day focused on opportunities for knowledge transfer into practice, and actively participated in the nationwide Innovation Week 2025, where BUT was one of the main academic partners.

Knowledge transfer and support for entrepreneurship are considered the pillars of a modern institution at BUT. According to the university’s rector, Ladislav Janíček, technology transfer is one of the strategic directions of Brno University of Technology’s operations, and entrepreneurship is a desirable activity that the university strongly supports.

Entrepreneurship as Part of the BUT Culture

The week full of innovation began at BUT on Monday, October 6, with a meeting with the CzechInvest agency. The discussion covered topics such as semiconductors, battery research, and broader cooperation development. In the evening, the Innovation Day followed, showing that the university is not only a place of education and research but also a place that actively supports students and researchers in bringing their ideas to life. “At the university, we support entrepreneurship becoming a natural part of the academic environment. It’s not about turning scientists into entrepreneurs but about enabling them to transform the results of their work into real benefits for society,” added Martin Weiter, BUT Vice-Rector for Research and Knowledge Transfer.

The goal of the event was to show how the university helps students and employees turn their ideas and research results into practice and to build successful start-ups or spin-offs. During a round table discussion titled Support for Entrepreneurship and Knowledge Transfer at BUT, representatives of the university’s management and founders of successful companies – Codasip, Sewio, and NenoVision – all originating from Brno University of Technology, spoke on these topics.

Karel Masařík from Codasip and Jan Neuman from NenoVision agreed that entrepreneurship is a journey that evolves over time. “Investors primarily don’t look for a product, but for the ambition and enthusiasm of founders who believe in their technology so much that they dare to leave the university and enter the commercial world,” explained Milan Šimek from Sewio during the discussion. Karel Masařík later added that besides enthusiasm, resilience is also very important. “You have to try and gain experience,” he said.

Participants of Innovation Day also learned about the Knowledge Transfer Office, which helps turn ideas into reality and is a partner for anyone who wants to bring their projects into practice. “We want students, PhD candidates, and researchers not to be afraid to come forward with an idea at an early stage. We help with protecting know-how, preparing a business model, and founding a spin-off company,” explained Josef Sláma.

During the discussion and subsequent networking session, practical tips were also shared on how to get involved in upcoming training sessions, competitions, and entrepreneurship support programs such as Booster Challenge, Brno PhD Talent, or the Proof of Concept project. The presentation also included an introduction to the ContriBUTe – Let’s Do Business! initiative, which connects students across faculties and offers education and mentoring in the field of entrepreneurship.

In addition to Innovation Day at BUT, the university also took part in the nationwide Innovation Week 2025, held in Prague, where several BUT start-ups and spin-offs were showcased, along with the university itself. The goal of all these activities was to highlight opportunities to transfer the results of science and research from the academic environment into practice and to create new innovative projects.