Recently, the importance of scientific diplomacy has been growing, and it is becoming one of the new trends in the Czech context. This can be seen, for example, in the expansion of the scope of the Department of Economic Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs into the Department of Economic and Scientific Diplomacy. This change also supports the academic debate on the emergence of the concept of so-called innovation diplomacy, which aims to use science not only for classical diplomatic purposes, but also for profit using science, research and innovation (RDI).
Innovation diplomacy has significant implications for international relations, national political strategies and global dynamics. It promotes cooperation, innovation and trade relations and contributes to addressing contemporary global challenges. Despite its ambitious plans, the Czech Republic has long lagged behind most Western countries in innovation rankings. In 2023, it is ranked 31st in the WIPO Global Innovation Index (GII), 7 places lower than in 2021. Moreover, it also lags behind comparable countries in the number of foreign representation engaged in science, research and innovation.
In his policy paper, Ondřej Neuschl reflects on the Czech potential for innovation diplomacy and offers concrete recommendations to improve the Czech innovation diplomacy system.
The unabridged version of the policy paper is available here:
