At the summit of the International Transport Forum (ITF) under the OECD, the Czech Republic assumed the presidency of this international organization for the coming year. The Czech delegation at the summit in Leipzig, Germany, was led by Minister of Transport Ivan Bednárik. During its presidency, the Czech Republic will focus primarily on sharing experiences with financing the construction of transport infrastructure, strengthening the role of rail freight transport, and introducing modern digital technologies in transport. The highlight of the Czech presidency will be the 2027 ITF summit, to be held in Leipzig under the theme “Governing Resilient Transport.”
Transport Minister Ivan Bednárik and Rashad Nabiyev, Minister of Digital Development and Transport of the Republic of Azerbaijan, signed a memorandum today on cooperation in the fields of transportation, modern mobility, and strategic connectivity between Europe and Asia. The document establishes a framework for cooperation in the fields of aviation, including the development of direct air routes, public transport, infrastructure safety and resilience, and intelligent transport systems. The signing took place on the occasion of the International Transport Forum, which is being held this week in Leipzig, Germany.
The new government's priorities include completing the backbone motorway network, developing railway infrastructure, modernizing Prague Airport, including rail connections from the city center, and securing stable financing for transport infrastructure construction using European funds and a public-private partnership model.
At the Ministerial Council of the European Space Agency (ESA) the Czech Republic confirmed its participation in the new programmes of the agency, thereby boosting its position in the European space sector. This follows up the National Space Plan 2026–2032, recently approved, which sets out a long-term vision for the development of Czech space activities. Thanks to these new ESA programmes signed, up to €113 million could be made available to domestic industry.
A new form of cooperation is emerging between the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic and the British Department for Transport. It will help strengthen mutual coordination and sharing of experience.
The European Space Agency (ESA) will support in the Czech Republic the implementation of 13 Czech scientific and technological experiments that will be part of the upcoming mission of Czech astronaut-in-training Aleš Svoboda to the International Space Station (ISS). These include, among other things, research into the behaviour of the immune system and tumour growth in microgravity, and the world's first project in the field of nanorobotics focused on testing microrobots in space. A detailed presentation of the experiments took place during Czech Space Week, the largest domestic festival of space activities.