Over the past two years, I have had the privilege of traveling throughout the Czech Republic to highlight the significant role U.S. investment plays in this country’s rapid economic development. I have visited manufacturing assembly lines, technical service centers and research and development centers and am very pleased with the diversity of U.S. companies that call the Czech Republic home. I am continuously impressed with the robustness and technical sophistication of the Czech economy.
In my travels it is quite evident that U.S. investment brings innumerable benefits to employees, their families and local citizens. Many U.S. firms are good corporate citizens, supporting the local community through programs such as student internships, hiring disabled employees, donating equipment to schools and volunteering. Results like this are impossible to achieve without the support of local governments and universities that are proactive, progressive, and pro-business. Last month, I participated in a ceremony in Brno, along with Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and Minister of Health Tomas Julinek, to celebrate the International Clinical Research Center (ICRC), a cooperative project between the world renowned Mayo Clinic of Rochester, Minnesota and St. Anne’s University Hospital in Brno. I am very pleased that the long-standing friendship between the U.S. and the Czech Republic has been further cemented; the ICRC project highlights the bold strides the Czech economy has made in the past years from a manufacturing hub to, increasingly, a high-tech powerhouse.
I have seen how the synergy between Czech and U.S. companies, workers, and academic and research institutions has meant more jobs and increased opportunities for Czech workers, students, and scientists. I hope that this positive momentum can be maintained, to do so it's essential to think creatively, invest in education, and create a business-friendly climate. I am confident that this good news story will get even better in the future.
