The construction of MUNI BioPharma Hub financed by the European Union as part of the Národní plán obnovy initiative has been granted financial support through the Ministry of Education in the amount of 2.4 billion crowns.
“The European Union invests in the Czech Republic to stimulate and modernise its economy. Some of these funds are allocated in research as top-quality science needs appropriate conditions. It can play a key role, for example, in contributing to the resilience of the society through the development of new drugs or therapeutic procedures,” says Head of Representation of the European Commission in the Czech Republic Monika Ladmanová.
As part of the Národní plán obnovy initiative, the government undertook to construct, by June 2026, at least 100,000 square metres of university premises and facilities. The BioPharma Hub is among three projects selected. “Czech universities must prepare for the arrival of a more populous generation, which is why they need to increase capacities in fields that educate future experts in the health and well-being of the population, as well as key issues such as aging,” adds Minister of Education Mikuláš Bek.
The construction process at the site of the future BioPharma Hub is well underway. The future new home of the Faculty of Pharmacy will also represent a key added value in the areas of education, science and research, pharmacy, molecular biology and other biotech fields. “I visit the campus on a regular basis. I am happy to announce that everything is going according to plan. The foundations are basically finished, including excavations for piloting or heat pump boreholes. According to our plans MUNI BioPharma Hub should open for students in two years. Thanks to its unique concentration of capacities in education and research and state-of-the-art technologies it will play a key role in the solving of key social issues and improve the role of the Czech Republic as a centre of education, research and innovations,” says Masaryk University Rector Martin Bareš.
The plans for the further development of the campus in Bohunice do not end with the MUNI BioPharma Hub, whose costs are currently estimated at more than four billion. The rector’s plan currently includes the construction of a “science and technology park” (Vědeckotechnický park). Based on recent negotiations with the representation of the City of Brno and the South Moravian Region the plans are now even closer to reality. “Our goal is a highly conceptual, complex and harmonised infrastructure with a high added value for the benefit of students as well as the private sector, thereby bringing economic benefits to the city and the region,” Bareš explains.
The works on the spatial and architectural solutions are the next step in the project. Working in coordination with the future unique infrastructure of MUNI BioPharma Hub, the park will help accelerate the transfer of clinical research knowledge to practice, be they new treatment procedures, new pharmaceuticals etc. “The city, the region and the university are in agreement. One half of the future science and technology park should serve as an incubator for new companies, while the other half will be intended for larger ones. This should foster the development of highly specialised industry and employment, but also the cooperation with students and scientists in actual projects. Moreover these synergies will be focused in one area for the maximisation of the desired effects,” says head of the strategic project MUNI 2021+ David Póč.