Our team in the Czech Republic recently joined the “A Change for the Better” initiative. The initiative aims to bring together companies, think-tanks, experts and individual citizens to find technologies and smart solutions to kick-start the economy in a sustainable way. The pandemic has showed how quickly and effectively businesses and non-profit organisations can work together with the government. The initiative wants to develop this cooperation and focus the attention of businesses, scientists and the government on four key areas in particular: drought, waste, energy and mobility.

Ideas and solutions are being created via three working groups: Circular Economy (which focuses on waste recovery, innovation in recycling and the reduction of landfill), Energy and Mobility (which focuses on renewable energy sources and innovation in clean mobility) and Landscape (which focuses on water retention and ways to tackle droughts in cities). Each working group aims to create a list of 10 recommendations which should be published by the autumn. They will then be presented at events organized by partners (for example, at Innovation Week) to start a debate involving companies, experts and politicians from both the government and opposition parties.