The state agencies CzechTrade and CzechInvest will merge into a new organization called CzechBusiness starting August 1, 2026. This new entity aims to provide businesses with a single point of contact for support in areas such as export, investment, innovation, and startups. The Ministry of Industry and Trade expects this change to also reduce operating costs and eliminate overlapping activities.
The new agency, CzechBusiness, will be based on the existing structure of CzechTrade. According to Minister of Industry and Trade Karel Havlíček, the merger of these two institutions should simplify access to government services for companies while also increasing their efficiency.
"Instead of having two separate institutions, we will have one that provides services in the areas of export support, investment promotion, and startup infrastructure development," said Havlíček. He added that businesses want to be able to obtain the necessary assistance from a single source.
CzechTrade has traditionally focused on helping Czech companies enter foreign markets. CzechInvest was primarily responsible for attracting investments to the Czech Republic, supporting the business environment, and developing startups. CzechBusiness will integrate these activities and provide companies with services ranging from initial business ideas to international expansion.
The merger process will be gradual. Starting in September, the foreign offices of both agencies and their administrative support will be integrated. By the end of this year, individual departments should also be unified. The full range of joint services and new programs are scheduled to launch on January 1, 2027. Existing services will continue uninterrupted until then.
The CEO of CzechTrade, Rudolf Klepáček, stated that the merger could help attract foreign investment because the new agency will be able to represent the Czech Republic in a larger number of markets. The experience of CzechInvest could also help Czech exporters, for example, when establishing joint ventures with foreign partners.
The Ministry of Industry and Trade began preparations for the integration in February. Its goal is to eliminate redundancies, share resources, and maintain access to services in both domestic regions and abroad. Similar institutions are organized in Finland, Sweden, or France.
The merger of CzechTrade and CzechInvest has been discussed repeatedly in Czech politics since 2007. Some joint activities have already been integrated, including moving the state agencies into a single building. CzechBusiness is now intended to complete this integration organizationally and offer companies a unified support system.
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