The Prague.bio association was founded two years ago with the aim of connecting Czech and Central European players in the field of biotechnology and strengthening their international visibility. Under the leadership of Petra Kinzlová, the association’s membership base has more than doubled, and next year it will bring the prestigious international conference BioEquity Europe to Prague — for the first time ever in Central and Eastern Europe.
You are the director of Prague.bio, which was established in the summer of 2023. What motivated you to start it?
The main motivation was to connect actors in the biotechnology sector and to increase the visibility of the Czech and Central European region internationally. Even today, we still encounter a kind of mental barrier between the former East and West, and we want to show that Czechia — and the whole of Central Europe — has a lot to offer in this field.
The biotech sector has enormous potential, and Prague.bio wants to help ensure that biotechnology remains in the long-term focus of the state and is perceived as one of the key drivers of innovation and economic growth.
How is your mission progressing?
I believe very well. The association started with six founding members: the Institute of Microbiology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Biotechnology of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Molecular Genetics of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences, the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague, and i&i Prague. We knew that if we wanted to represent the sector, we would need to expand our membership and include business players as well. This worked. In the spring of last year, Zentiva joined, and others gradually followed. By the end of 2024, we had 18 members, and in September 2025 there were 39. About one-third of our members come from the academic sector.
What do you offer to your members and partner institutions?
We connect stakeholders at networking events and create conditions for collaboration, and we receive very positive feedback on this. More and more people attend these events and keep coming back, which we see as a sign of success. Our main local event is the annual September Prague.bio Conference, which keeps growing and this year took place for the third time. Its main goal is to connect research and development with business and investors in biotech — especially in Central Europe — support technology transfer and showcase Czech and Central European biotech to international partners.
What else are you doing to enhance the visibility of the Czech biotech sector in Europe?
We participate in international events (conferences, panel discussions, etc.) across Europe and beyond, and at the same time we work to bring such events to Czechia. We succeeded in doing this with BioEquity Europe, a key international conference with a 25-year tradition focused on biotech investment. The 26th edition will take place in Prague from 4–6 May 2026, for the first time it will be held in Central and Eastern Europe. This is a great honor for us, as it is a unique event with no equivalent in our region.
Do your activities also include communication with industry and state institutions?
Absolutely. Although I feel we still need to grow a bit in this area to become a fully respected partner, we already participate in, for example, the working group of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and we maintain contacts with many public institutions. Biotechnology is an important strategic priority for both Europe and Czechia, but I believe it deserves more attention than it currently receives.
How does Czechia compare to other European countries in the biotech sector?
We have a strong base of highly educated experts and promising startups, but there is still plenty of room for improvement. We need better links between academia and business, more private investment into biotechnology, and a more permeable environment where smaller companies can learn from larger ones.
It’s important for promising startups to have the opportunity to present themselves internationally, reach investors, and get inspired by best practices abroad. We also need to improve conditions for scientists at all career levels so they don’t feel pressured to leave the country or, ideally, so they have a reason to return.
You mentioned the importance of sharing experience and supporting promising projects. Do you also run any educational initiatives?
Yes! Just recently we launched a unique educational project called Lorem Ipsum Academy. One of its programs is called Executive Academy and is tailored for scientists in biotech. Our goal is to give them deeper know-how in founding spin-offs and teach them the soft skills needed to become successful biotech leaders. Activities that help bridge research and practice, and show scientists how to navigate the business world, are something Czechia really lacks.
How do you evaluate this year’s Prague.bio Conference, which took place at the end of September?
I think it turned out great! Around 400 people attended, which is fantastic. Compared to last year, attendance increased again, and we’re very happy about that. We also received a lot of positive feedback from many different directions. We’ve already set the date for next year’s fourth edition — 23 September 2026 — and I’m excited to see how the event will evolve. We’ve already started preparing, as many speakers have busy schedules and need to be contacted early. We’re discussing the program structure, speakers, and the scope of the event to ensure key life sciences players from the region are represented.
The circle closes: I now put my diplomatic experience to use at Prague.bio
Your career path to the leadership of Prague.bio is quite interesting. You actually started in President Václav Havel’s office. How did you get that job?
I began university shortly after the Velvet Revolution and focused on international relations and European studies, which was a new and popular field at the time. After graduation, I wasn’t sure where to start my career. I contacted several state institutions, including the Office of the President, which accepted me. Something that likely wouldn’t be possible today. The office had quite a few young people back then, and we often met distinguished personalities from Western Europe who had spent decades building their careers to reach similar positions. It was an incredible life experience that shaped the rest of my career.
And where did your career lead within the academic sector?
The next stage of my career was influenced by the fact that Czechia was preparing to join the EU, and European integration began to permeate all areas. After leaving the Office of the President, I joined the Academy of Sciences, where I was responsible for the agenda related to the Framework Programmes for research and development. I briefly worked at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and then spent a longer period at the University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, starting in the research office (again working with EU Framework Programmes), later in PR, and ultimately, for over eleven years, serving as the university chancellor.
So the path to Prague.bio wasn’t really that long…
After leaving UCT Prague, I lived abroad for a short time, and when I returned, the opportunity to join the Prague.bio team appeared — and it resonated with me immediately. In a sense, my career has come full circle: I started in diplomacy, and today I often travel abroad to promote the Czech life sciences sector. For me, diplomacy and my role at Prague.bio share a common foundation: bringing people together and building long-term relationships, something that requires trust and a culture of cooperation that delivers real results.
Petra Kinzlová is the Director of Prague.bio, an association that connects research institutions, startups, investors, and other key players. At Prague.bio, she focuses on strategy, partnerships, and international collaboration, promoting the Czech biotech sector abroad. She has a broad interdisciplinary background — early in her career she worked in foreign policy at the Office of President Václav Havel, later moved to the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, where she worked on European research funding programmes, and subsequently spent more than a decade at the University of Chemistry and Technology in Prague.
Original text: Tereza Mašínová, VědaVýzkum.cz