Data report
Brno Tech Region 2026

Companies in the region have been increasing their investment in their own development for a long time. Over the last ten years, their expenditure on research and development (R&D) has grown by 73%. The latest available data from 2024 confirms that this pace is not slowing down, with investment jumping by a further 8.3% to a record EUR 610 million.

The largest share of this total combined sum goes to the IT sector, which is represented by large global players and dynamically growing startups. With investments of EUR 246 million, the IT sector accounts for 40% of all business expenditure on innovation in the region. These figures have more than doubled since 2015.

The second strong pillar is the manufacturing industry, with investments of EUR 208.2 million. Its most significant growth is in the production of electronic and optical devices. Expenditure in this area has more than quadrupled since 2015 (from EUR 20.8 million to EUR 90.9 million in 2024).

The following sectors also have a strong presence in research activities:

• Engineering: EUR 33.2 million 
• Manufacture of electrical equipment: EUR 26 million 
• Pharmaceuticals: EUR 12.3 million 

The extraordinary importance of IT and the manufacture of electronic and optical devices is also confirmed by a long-term trend — these two sectors alone account for more than 83% of total investment growth since 2015. Today, they together account for 55% of all corporate expenditure on R&D in the region.

Specialized development centres and research companies, which invested an additional EUR 87.9 million in 2024, represent a separate category.  

Strong investment in R&D is taking place in the region, thanks to its extensive industrial capacity. More than 128,200 people are currently employed in industry in the Brno Region. It is precisely this combination of strong development and manufacturing base that creates the conditions for further growth, and represents a competitive advantage for the region, especially in a time when companies are moving production and supply chains closer to European markets.  

Brno and the Brno Region are known for their dynamic startup scene. Nevertheless, more than 60% of R&D spending is concentrated in large companies with more than 250 employees. A total of 73% of R&D investment in the region is made by foreign companies.

The two largest investors in corporate R&D in the region are Honeywell and Thermo Fisher Scientific, whose investments are very similar in volume. Among the 15 largest investors in corporate R&D, we also find three local companies: TESCAN, Seyfor, and Y Soft.

The numbers mentioned above do not only represent employees in R&D, but the total number of people employed in the region, including production, management, sales, and other support professions. A list of other technology companies operating in the region is available at brnotechregion.com.

Financial Times: JIC among the TOP 50 startup hubs in Europe  

In order to increase the share of local companies in R&D investments in the future, the JIC innovation agency also operates in Brno. Its goal is to support the creation of globally successful companies and develop the local startup environment. The Financial Times ranks JIC among the 50 best European centres providing incubation and acceleration programmes. Since 2003, it has supported more than 1,300 companies, including the aforementioned Y Soft.  

The Brno Region maintains its position as the Czech leader in knowledge “intensity”, i.e., the share of R&D expenditure in relation to GDP. In 2024, this share rose slightly again to 2.9%, which means that the region significantly exceeds both the Czech average (1.8%) and the EU average (2.2%).  

Total investment in R&D reached EUR 1.04 billion. This is 8.3% more than the previous year.  

Most of the region's R&D expenditure (94%) is concentrated in Brno. According to the latest available data (2021), the intensity of investment here reaches 5.1% of GDP, which is above average in the European context. R&D are thus key pillars of the city's economy.

Corporate investment in R&D 

• Growth in high-tech fields: investment is mainly directed towards scientific and technical activities (+32% year-on-year), information technology (+8.6% year-on-year), and electrical engineering (+4.4% year-on-year).  

• Decline in traditional industries: the opposite trend is seen in engineering and metalworking (a 5% year-on-year decline)  

As we have already mentioned, according to the latest data for 2024, the knowledge intensity in the South Moravian Region reaches 2.9%, which ranks it first in the Czech Republic and above the EU average (2.2%).

When comparing with other European regions, we rely on Eurostat data, which provides the most recent figures for 2023. During this period, the knowledge intensity of the South Moravian Region reached 2.8%, placing it above the EU average (2.3%) and on par with a number of strong European innovation regions.

Similar values are achieved, for example, by Tampere in Finland (2.9%) and the region around the city of Oulu (2.8%), Tyrol in Austria (3%), Upper Franconia in Germany (2.9%), Bremen (2.9%) and Hamburg (2.7%).  

The absolute leader in the EU is Walloon Brabant (9.3%), a region with a smaller population but a strong concentration of research and home to the important UCLouvain university. The German regions of Stuttgart (7.8%), Braunschweig (6.1%) and Karlsruhe (5.9%) are also well above the EU average (2.3%).  

What is knowledge intensity? This indicator measures how much of a region's economy is based on knowledge and innovation. It tracks the ratio of R&D expenditure to GDP.  

Brno in the global context of startups  

While Eurostat tracks R&D, the StartupBlink platform evaluates cities' ability to turn ideas into business in its Startup Ecosystem Report ranking. The evaluation is based on three factors:  

• the number and quality of active startups  

• supporting infrastructure (incubators, coworking spaces, availability of investors)  

• business and technological environment  

Brno rose to 186th place in the world this year, confirming its position as a key player in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), where it is the 12th most successful city. Prague ranked 85th. Czechia as a whole confirms its stability: it remains in the global top 30 and ranks an excellent 3rd in the CEE region.

The strength of R&D in the region is reflected not only in investments, but especially in its people. In 2024, 23,411 people worked in this field in the Brno Region. This corresponds to 4% of all employees in the region, which is the second highest share in Czechia after Prague (6.5%).  

Brno as a strong centre of science and research: 

• One in ten people in Brno works in R&D. This is an exceptional value in the Czech context; for comparison, in Prague it is roughly one in fifteen, and the national average is one in twenty. 

• The regional capital accounts for 91% of all scientific capacity in the region. It is this concentration of experts in one place that determines the technological character of the city.  

The focus on innovation in the Brno Region is paying off. Over the last twenty years, the number of people working in R&D has doubled. Although data from recent years show slight fluctuations in total numbers, the volume of work (converted to full-time equivalents) remains stable and even increased slightly between 2023 and 2024.  

Research in the region is not just the domain of universities. Most experts (58%) work in the private sector, mainly in branches of international technology companies.  

Over 23,400 people* work in R&D in the Brno Region. To put this into perspective, this is a similar number of scientific talents to those found in much more populous and wealthier regions around cities such as Dresden (23,149), Nuremberg (25,227), Malmö (22,104), and Aarhus (20,732). Brno and its surroundings are thus on par with established European technology centres in terms of research capacity.   

The high concentration of talent is also confirmed by a comparison with metropolises such as Berlin (64,733), Vienna (53,562), Stockholm (43,817), and Helsinki (41,523). Although these cities have a higher number of researchers in absolute terms, when adjusted for the size of the region, the Brno Region is at a comparable level. In absolute terms, its scientific base is even comparable to entire member states, such as Slovenia (25,863), Lithuania (26,328), and Croatia (28,059). This confirms that, in the European context, the region is one of the above-average areas in terms of R&D, although there is still room for further growth and development.   

Since 2021, institutions in Brno and the Brno Region have received more than EUR 167.5 million from the Horizon Europe programme, representing 28.2% of all funds allocated to Czechia.  

The drawdown is highly concentrated, with the five largest recipients (Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Honeywell, Codasip, and St. Anne's University Hospital) accounting for approximately 81% of the total volume.  

Technology companies also play an important role. The largest recipients are Honeywell and Codasip, thanks to which companies from the Brno Region have received 38% of all Horizon Europe funds directed to the private sector in Czechia.  

Honeywell's Brno-based projects with a significant development role include NEWBORN (hydrogen aircraft propulsion, 13 European partners) and OperA (15 partners from 11 countries), focused on the integration of cargo drones and air taxis into air traffic.

ERC grants for Brno research  

The Horizon Europe programme includes grants from the European Research Council (ERC), which are considered the most prestigious European grants for cutting-edge research.  

Brno institutions (Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, St. Anne's University Hospital, and the Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences) have so far received 24 ERC grants, accounting for almost a quarter of all grants awarded in Czechia. They have brought more than EUR 36 million to the region.  

Half of the grants went to life sciences, approximately one third to technical fields, and the rest to humanities and social sciences.  

Brno and the Brno Region confirm their role as a key IT hub. A total of 33,300 IT specialists work in the region. Approximately 25,000 of them are employed (twice as many as in 2011) and the rest are freelancers and entrepreneurs.  

Structure of IT talent in the region:  

• Specialists (15,400): software development, systems and network analysis.  

• Technicians (8,500): operation, support, and maintenance of systems.  

• Managers (1,100): ICT management and coordination.  

IT is one of the best-paid fields in Czechia. While the median wage in the entire economy was approximately EUR 1,730 (CZK 42,901) in 2025, the median wage for IT managers was EUR 5,148. For specialists (e.g., developers and analysts), it ranges from EUR 2,618 to EUR 3,637. Even technical positions in the area of operation and support are at or above the national median, with a range of EUR 1,739 to EUR 2,493. 

Technical orientation of the Business Services sector

Brno stands out for its specific composition of the business services sector. The 73 largest business service centres employ 43,750 people. More than 24,000 of them (55%) work in IT services, R&D, as well as software development and data analytics. The national average is 36%, which confirms the significantly higher technical orientation of the Brno sector. English is the standard working language, as 40% of people employed in this sector are from abroad.  

AI Ecosystem and Cutting-Edge Research  

The region is becoming a magnet for companies that develop and deliver AI-based solutions. It is a dynamic segment, with almost half of the companies having been established in the last five years. Most of them (over 50%) doubled their revenues between 2022 and 2024.  

• Cutting-edge research: Brno has a strong research background in speech technologies, thanks in part to the Speech@FIT research group at Brno University of Technology. 
• Milestones: In 2025, Brno hosted the prestigious global event JSALT, and the Brno-based technology company Phonexia, a spin-off of the aforementioned Speech@FIT group, was successfully acquired by the Crescendo Equity Partners fund. 

Electron microscopy ranks among the seven most sophisticated manufacturing products in the world, due to its extremely knowledge-intensive requirements. Brno's strength lies in its unique connection between companies, research, and education: top-notch workplaces such as CEITEC, the Institute of Scientific Instruments of the Czech Academy of Sciences, and the Institute of Physics of Materials of the Czech Academy of Sciences (where the Centre for Electron Microscopy was established in 2025). Together with the Brno University of Technology and Masaryk University, they create an ecosystem that systematically nurtures new talent and pushes the boundaries of the field. Thanks in part to the Brnoregion Microscopy platform, an environment based on trust and cooperation has been created that keeps Brno on the global map of high-tech industry.  

This strong ecosystem is also home to companies such as Thermo Fisher Scientific, TESCAN, and Delong Instruments, which make Brno a world centre for microscopy. They employ over 2,900 people and have a turnover of around EUR 1.5 billion. Every year, they invest more than EUR 82 million in research and innovation. Including related companies in the supply chain, the industry employs up to 5,000 people in the region.   

Thermo Fisher Scientific is the fifth largest exporter in Czechia. It is currently investing billions in Brno to expand its production and research centre. The global importance of the sector is also confirmed by the planned acquisition of TESCAN by the Japanese company Shimadzu for EUR 568 million. 

The strength of Brno's ecosystem is also underlined in the cooperation between large companies and startups. For example, Brno-based Advascope is working with Thermo Fisher Scientific to develop cutting-edgedetectors that enable more accurate and sensitive imaging in electron microscopes.

NenoVision also achieved significant success in 2025 when its technology began to be used by American chip giant NVIDIA.    

Brno at the heart of chip development  

The semiconductor sector is also closely related to electron microscopy. Brno is the centre of chip development in Czechia, with around 500 experts working on chip design and the development of specialized software (EDA). It is also home to the Czech Semiconductor Centre.    

Technologies for global markets are developed in Brno by Codasip, onsemi, and NXP Semiconductors, complemented by cutting-edge research at Brno University of Technology, Masaryk University, and the CEITEC centre. The attractiveness of the region is also confirmed by the arrival of new players. In 2025, the German company Elmos Semiconductor, which focuses primarily on semiconductors for the automotive industry, opened its R&D centre here.    

Local startups are also doing well. The semiconductor company Dynanic has been ranked among the "Companies to Watch" in Deloitte's FAST 50 ranking, and DG Solutions is expanding to Taiwan.   

Rožnov pod Radhoštěm also plays a strategic role in the wider region, where onsemi has announced a EUR 1.8 billion investment in expanding chip production — the largest direct foreign investment in the modern history of Czechia. Production is scheduled to start in 2027. 

Brno builds on a long tradition in the aerospace and defense industries. Today, it is developing a strong and interconnected ecosystem of companies, universities, and research institutions. A key player is Honeywell, with more than 1,100 employees. Its Brno branch is the company’s largest development center in Europe and develops technologies ranging from black boxes to hydrogen propulsion and quantum sensors, as well as advanced technologies for modern aviation and defense—such as those used in F-35 aircraft.

However, the region’s strength does not rest on a single company. The Brno ecosystem also includes companies linked to the global supply chains of Airbus and Boeing—such as Frentech Aerospace. Additionally, there is the turbine engine manufacturer PBS from nearby Velká Bíteš, as well as engineering firms specializing in precision machining. The region also holds a strong position in simulation and training technologies: alongside Honeywell and Sweden’s SAAB, companies such as Bagira, Dogfight Boss, VR Group, and Vrgineers operate here. This segment will be further strengthened by a new simulation and experimentation center being built by VR Group and Lockheed Martin in connection with the Czech F-35 program.

The drone and unmanned systems segment is also growing. Honeywell is involved in the development of autonomous drones and ground control stations; TRL Drones has garnered attention by winning a prestigious award for the most innovative exhibit at the IDET trade fair in Brno; and Mejzlík Propellers supplies carbon propellers for drones. 

The public sector also plays an important role. The industry’s infrastructure includes the University of Defense, the Aviation Institute at Brno University of Technology, the Military Research Institute, the Military Technical Institute in Vyškov, and the Brno branch of VZLU AEROSPACE.

Brno also benefits from a broader Czech infrastructure, which ranks among the most advanced in the world. The Czech Republic is one of only nine countries in the world capable of the complete development and production of aircraft and their engines. A significant portion of the industry is concentrated in the neighboring Zlín Region (within an hour’s drive of Brno), where the Czech Aerospace Cluster operates. The cluster brings together companies with more than 6,000 employees, over 9,500 aircraft produced, and an annual turnover exceeding 400 million euros. 

Brno and the Brno Region are among the key centres of Czech space activities. More than 30 companies focused on the development and production of technologies for satellites and space missions operate in the region. Entities from the region have so far been involved in more than 350 collaborations with the European Space Agency (ESA).

The development of the startup segment is supported by the ESA BIC Brno incubation programme. Between 2018 and 2025, it supported 22 startups with EUR 1.1 million. These companies subsequently attracted more than EUR 15 million in private investment, confirming the significant leverage effect of public support. The startup ZAITRA has achieved significant international success, ranking among 61 projects from across Europe that were supported in the current call for proposals of the prestigious EIC Accelerator programme. Only two companies in Central and Eastern Europe were successful, and one of them is ZAITRA.  

In addition to startups, technologically advanced companies involved in European projects also operate in the region. One example is Frentech Aerospace, which is developing landing gear for a European reusable space shuttle.

Major European space companies, such as Germany's OHB and Italy's S.A.B. Aerospace, also operate in Brno. The local branch of Honeywell is involved in space activities as well.    

The ecosystem is also based on a strong academic and institutional background. The Brno University of Technology offers an international study program called Space Applications, and the Brno Space Cluster connects companies, universities, and research organizations involved in European projects. The national program Czech Journey to Space 2027 also has a strong Brno footprint: astronaut Aleš Svoboda, who comes from Brno, is preparing for a mission to the ISS, and part of these preparations include three experiments from, among others, the Faculty of Agronomy at Mendel University in Brno. One monitors the stress load on the astronaut, while the other two examine the behaviour of microalgae in microgravity conditions.

Cybersecurity is one of the fastest-growing technology sectors, and Brno has established itself as one of its European centres over the past two decades. During that time, investments exceeding EUR 1.5 billion have flowed into local companies. 

Whalebone, ThreatMark, and Safetica confirm the strength of Brno's cybersecurity sector with undeniable successes. Whalebone protects 1.6 billion users, won the Innovator of the Year award, and is aiming for 700% growth by 2026. ThreatMark scored with its ScamFlag solution, which won the European AI Award. In addition, these three companies together raised nearly EUR 40 million from investors at the beginning of 2025 alone.

Brno as a development base for global cybersecurity  

Just as Brno is home to its own growing technology companies, global players are also choosing it as home for their development centres. Strong teams are based here, for example, at Gen Digital (Avast), SolarWinds, Jamf, ESET, Progress, and Dynatrace. The latter two global companies entered the Brno ecosystem through acquisitions of local technology players: Flowmon Networks (Progress) and Runecast Solutions (Dynatrace). The OpenSSL Software Foundation has also been based in Brno since 2025.    

Czechia ranked first in the global Cybersecurity Index, which assesses the readiness of countries to face cyber threats. Currently, there are approximately 1,500 cybersecurity experts working in the region.  

The gaming industry is one of Czechia's largest cultural exports today, and Brno is one of its key centres.  

More than 1,000 people are currently developing games in the Brno Region, from employees to freelancers to small independent teams. The region is also home to more than 40 game studios.  

Brno developers are behind internationally successful titles such as the Mafia series, and they contribute to games by Bohemia Interactive (e.g., Arma 3), Grey Zone Warfare, and the sequel Kingdom Come: Deliverance II, on which the Brno branch of Warhorse Studios collaborated. The long-term quality of local production is also confirmed by the average rating of local games on the Steam platform, which reaches 84%.  

Mobile games also have a strong position. The growth of this segment is illustrated, for example, by Brno-based Terahype, which increased its revenues almost tenfold between 2024 and 2025.  

The region also has strong expertise in visual production and 3D art — Brno-based creators participated, for example, in the global title Farming Simulator 25 (2025), for which they prepared part of the 3D graphics.   

In addition to large productions, successful indie projects are also being created, such as the horror game Mourning Tide (2026) and titles such as Hlína (2025) and Pushmania (2025). This type of project is systematically supported by the Gamebaze incubator at the KUMST hub, which has so far supported 14 game studios and projects. New talent is also being nurtured by the Game Art department at the Secondary School of Art and Design in Brno.

Over the past five years, companies in the Brno Region have attracted investments totalling at least EUR 300 million. The year 2025 confirmed the market recovery and became the second most successful year of the region's modern investment era, excluding extraordinary one-off investments in AVG in 2005 (EUR 44 million) and 2009 (EUR 136 million).     

Unlike the transactions at that time, which were concentrated in one company, today's investments are spread across multiple companies. At the beginning of the year alone, EUR 40 million went to companies in the field of cybersecurity, specifically to Threatmark (EUR 22 million), Whalebone (EUR 13 million), and Safetica (EUR 3.8 million).  

The maximum to date remains 2022, with a volume of over EUR 200 million. The largest amount went to Kiwi.com (EUR 100+ million) and to Tatum, Kontent.ai, and Kentico.   

Although global brands such as Seyfor, Notino, and Y Soft have grown in Brno, there is still a noticeable lack of investment. Most of the capital comes from outside, from Prague or abroad, and the local market is currently unable to meet the high demand from local companies. In recent years, however, local VC funds and investors have been trying to change this: 

• According to the European Sifted 250 ranking, which maps the 250 fastest-growing startups in the EU, the Brno-based Purple Ventures fund was among the most active investors, ranking 22nd in terms of the number of investments in companies from this selection for 2025.

• Capital from successful sales: Successful company sales release capital for further development of the region. One example is the sale of Tescan, whose founders are reinvesting the proceeds in other technology companies through the Electron Capital Partners group.    

• The Garage Angels group of angel investors is also very active, with more than EUR 12.4 million invested, and Y Soft Ventures is an example of how successful companies themselves increase the availability of capital. 

• At the same time, there is a separate Czech ranking of investment activity from CzechCrunch, which tracks the most active investors in Czech startups across the market in terms of the number of investments. In this comparison for 2025, Purple Ventures ranked 1st and JIC Ventures ranked 5th.   

• Public administration: The region and the city of Brno are responding to the lack of capital through the newly launched JIC Ventures 2 fund, which combines funds from private investors, banks, and public administration.    

The largest acquisition of 2025 was the announced sale of the Brno-based company TESCAN to the Japanese technology company Shimadzu. According to Shimadzu's estimates, the value of the transaction will reach EUR 568 million, making it one of the most significant exits in the history of the Czech technology sector.  

From an investor's perspective, this is an extraordinary appreciation: TESCAN was bought by the American investment fund The Carlyle Group in 2022 for EUR 280 million. The sale three years later confirms not only the quality of the company itself, but also the global competitiveness of the technologies developed in Brno.  

Other significant exits in 2025  

In addition to TESCAN, there were other sales of Brno-based technology companies in 2025, this time in the lower millions of euros. These were mainly companies operating in the fields of fintech, artificial intelligence, and medical technologies.  

• In the fintech sector, Roger was sold.  

• In the AI sector, the startup Coworkers.ai was sold.  

• In the medtech segment, BioVendor was acquired by the ARCHIMED group.  

• The company Phonexia was bought by the South Korean company Crescendo Equity Partners.  

• The Brno startup ROI Hunter was taken over by the American company Pattern. 

Other connections between Brno exits and acquisitions  

• The total value of exits since 2016 amounts to at least EUR 3 billion. The largest single transaction remains the acquisition of AVG for EUR 1.2 billion, but other significant sales have been added in recent years, most notably the expected sale of TESCAN for EUR 568 million.  

• The value created by exits returns to the region, not only in the form of capital, but also in the form of experience. Founders and key managers often remain in Brno and get involved in further business ventures as investors, mentors, or co-founders of new companies. A typical example is TESCAN, whose owners are reinvesting capital and experience in other technology companies through the investment office Electron Capital Partners.  

• Brno companies are not only targets for acquisition, but also active buyers. The rapidly growing software group Seyfor has acquired more than 30 companies in six European countries in recent years. In 2025, TESCAN took over the American company FemtoInnovations, Y Soft bought the Danish company EveryonePrint, and BioVendor has acquired companies such as ViennaLab and DiaSource in the past.  

The Brno Region is an attractive location for global technology companies. According to data from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre, 57 companies from the Top 2000 list of the world's largest companies in terms of R&D expenditure have branches here. All of these companies have foreign owners and no Czech company has yet made it into this ranking.     

Among the ranked companies operating in the region, there are 20 companies from the European Union (13 of which are from Germany), 20 from the USA, and 9 from Japan. Companies from the United Kingdom, India, and Taiwan are also represented. The strongest sectors represented include software and IT services, electronics, hardware, technological equipment, and automotive.  

In addition to the talent pool and global companies, Brno also attracts companies with a large volume of available office space. In 2025, the highest rent in Brno was around EUR 19/m². 14.4% of offices are vacant, with 103,100 m² of unoccupied office space out of a total of 715,700 m². Another 92,300 m² is currently under construction. For industrial space, the highest asking rent is EUR 7.25/m², and 180,000 m² is under construction. 

Companies in Brno and the Brno Region are growing and naturally expanding their operations abroad. These are not only technology startups, but also companies in the engineering and service sectors. Foreign expansion takes various forms, from the establishment of development centres and branches to the creation of subsidiaries.  

The main reason for expansion is proximity to key markets, especially the US. These are essential for companies in terms of customer acquisition and further growth. Only some companies relocate their formal headquarters, and this is often due to pressure from foreign investors. In most cases, however, company management remains in Brno.  

Some globally successful companies eventually move their main activities to the US, which remains the most attractive environment for technology companies. This is another reason why it is important to continue improving the conditions for the growth of companies in Czechia and the European Union.  

Czechia and the entire Central and Eastern European region have long suffered from a lack of capital compared to Western Europe and especially the US. Connections to foreign venture capital funds and large technology companies are therefore essential for the global growth of local companies, without which further development of the technology ecosystem would not be possible.

Foreign capital comes to the region in various forms, from investments supporting further growth to acquisitions of entire companies. Investments are directed both to companies that remain strongly anchored in Brno and to those that have moved part of their activities, for example, to the US, but continue to maintain development or key teams here. The good news is that the attractiveness of Brno-based companies to foreign investors continues to grow over recent years. 

IT, science, and technology are the driving forces behind the modern economy, and this is doubly true in the Brno Region. In 2024, over 70,000 people worked in these fields, which is 52% more than in 2011. Of these, 25,000 people worked in IT and 45,000 worked in other scientific and technical positions. The vast majority of them (about 95%) work in the private sector.  

Salaries in these fields are among the highest in the region. In 2024, the median gross monthly salary for specialists in science and technology was EUR 2,659, and in IT it was as high as EUR 3,282. Technical positions were paid slightly less: EUR 1,951 in science and technology and EUR 2,222 in IT.  

The statistics are based on the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) and cover a wide range of professions, from development and data analysis to technical specialization and project management. In addition, freelance work is common in IT, which is not fully captured by official statistics. Even without these figures, however, it is clear that Brno and the Brno Region are among the strongest technology centres in the country.  

The Brno Region is attracting an increasing number of people from abroad. At the end of 2025, there were 112,871 of them living here — almost three thousand (2,837) more than the previous year. People with foreign roots now make up 9.2% of the region's population. However, the actual number is likely to be higher, as many EU citizens (especially from Slovakia) live, study, and work here without official registration.  

Key context:  

• Long-term trend: Even setting aside the fluctuation following the Russian invasion of Ukraine (2022), the number of foreigners in the region is growing steadily. It has almost tripled since 2010.  
• Support for integration: A network of professional organizations helps foreigners arrive and settle in the region. For example, the Brno Expat Centre has supported over 13,000 qualified experts in its 15 years of existence. Services for the entire region are provided by the South Moravian Centre for Foreigners.  

The Brno Region is one of the largest melting pots in Czechia. Currently, 157 different nationalities live here. The composition of the population is interestingly balanced — a quarter are people from EU countries, half are residents of other European countries, and the remaining quarter have come to us from more distant corners of the world. 

Largest communities in the region  

• Ukrainian community: With 61,000 people (61,062), this is the strongest group. Their arrival, accelerated by the war, is giving the region an unexpected boost. It is not just about auxiliary professions, entire technology companies are moving to the region. One example is the energy company RSE, based in Brno, which manufactures modern heat pumps and battery storage systems in Blansko.  

• Slovak neighbours: They are the second largest group in Czechia (18,771 people). Their number has doubled since 2010, although the true figure is likely even higher than official records indicate, given the proximity of the border and the language.  
• The world in a nutshell: The remaining 33,038 foreigners come from other countries. In the region, you will find over 5,000 Vietnamese (5,230), strong Russian (2,234) and Indian (1,540) communities, as well as people from the Philippines (1,508), Romania (1,413), Hungary (1,121), Bulgaria (1,065), Poland (986), Great Britain (857), Mongolia (800), the USA (730), and Turkey (713). In terms of dynamics, the community from Myanmar stands out — although it numbers “only” 188 people, that is twice as many as last year. 

Almost 60% of all foreigners in the Brno Region live in Brno. Officially, people from other countries make up about 16% of the city's population, but the true figure is likely higher since the figures are distorted by the fact that people from the EU (and especially from Slovakia) often do not register their residence. A large part of this community consists of qualified experts who are drawn to the city by its strong base of technology companies and international corporations.  

According to the results of the Brno Expat Survey 2023, the city is becoming an increasingly popular long-term home.  

• Half of those surveyed have lived in Brno for more than five years.  
• 40% of those surveyed are considering staying permanently (an increase of 10% compared to 2018).  
• 85% of respondents would recommend Brno to their friends or loved ones. 

Respondents rate the quality of public transport, safety, family facilities, and access to education most highly. The lowest-rated area has long been housing, especially its affordability.  

Brno in the European league  

In the quality of life index (Numbeo 2025), Brno ranks an impressive 55th place in Europe. It ranks alongside cities such as Berlin, Stockholm, and Bristol. It even ranks second in Central and Eastern Europe and scores highest in the following categories:  

• safety: 17th place in Europe  
• health care: 31st place in Europe 

In 2025, 68,236 people were studying at Brno's universities. Since 2020, the number of students has increased by 7.3%, reversing the downward trend that had persisted since 2011 due to weaker population cohorts.  

There are six public universities in Brno: Masaryk University, Brno University of Technology, Mendel University, Janáček Academy of Music and Performing Arts, University of Veterinary Sciences, and University of Defense. The vast majority of students study at these universities, with a few thousand attending private universities.  

The current growth is driven by larger generations and growing interest from abroad. According to demographic projections, this trend is set to continue, with the arrival of large cohorts from the second half of the 2000s and 2010s, a further increase in the number of Czech students can be expected in the coming years.   

Brno maintains a strong position in STEM fields. Most students are in engineering, manufacturing, and construction (12,282), reflecting the region's industrial tradition. One-third of all technically oriented university students in Czechia study in Brno.   

The field of information and communication technologies is growing particularly strongly. The number of IT students in Brno has increased by 12.3% since 2020, reaching 6,408 in 2024.  

IT is thus studied by 9.3% of all university students in Brno. This proportion compares favourably with digital leaders such as Estonia (9%), Ireland (8.4%), and Finland (8.3%). Graduates of these fields are becoming a key force for local technology companies and startups. 

Natural sciences, mathematics, and statistics are also experiencing dynamic growth. These fields are currently studied by 4,912 people, which is 26% more than in 2020.  

A total of 23,602 people study STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) in Brno, representing more than a third (34.6%) of all local university students. Interest in these fields is also steadily increasing, with a 4.8% increase compared to the previous year.  

Adding medicine, agriculture, and veterinary sciences, which are increasingly linked to technology and research, brings the total to 35,890 students. This represents 52.5% of all university students in Brno; every second person studying in Brno is therefore engaged in STEM and related fields.  

A strong base for cutting-edge research  

The fact that Brno is a centre of science is also evidenced by the number of doctoral students. In 2025, 2,649 of them were studying in STEM fields. The strongest representation is in the natural sciences (906 doctoral students), followed by engineering, manufacturing, and construction (664).  

• Science as a clear choice: One in five natural science students in Czechia is studying for a doctorate in Brno.  
• IT hub: In the field of information technology, one in three doctoral students in Czechia is studying in Brno. 

Supporting talent and vision for the future  

The city of Brno, together with the JCMM organization, systematically invests in future scientific leaders through the Brno Ph.D. Talent programme. Since its launch in 2009, more than 300 talented scientists have received scholarships.  

Another key activity is the Future Shapers initiative, which connects the region, the city, universities, and technology companies. Its ambitious goal is to increase the number of STEM graduates by 30% over the next ten years. 

Almost a quarter of students at Brno universities come from abroad. In 2025, 16,006 foreigners from 127 countriesstudied here, representing a year-on-year increase of 5.4%.  

Brno's international character has been strengthening over the long term. While in 2001 foreign students made up only 4% and in 2010 less than 12%, today they represent 23.5% of the entire student population. The foreign community is most strongly represented at the doctoral level, where every third Ph.D. student (30.2%) comes from abroad.  

In addition to the traditionally strong representation of students from Slovakia (10,999), Ukraine (1,139), and Russia (559), the number of students from more distant and varied destinations is growing: Kazakhstan (291), India (273), France (206), Myanmar (152), Bangladesh (122), Germany (119), and Iran (117). 

Brno as a student city in international comparison 

International rankings, which look at the city from two different perspectives, confirm that Brno is an excellent living destination for young people: 

• Students' perspective (Campus Advisor 2023): In a survey gathering direct user evaluations, Brno was ranked as the 4th best student city in the world (just behind Melbourne, Berlin, and Newcastle). Students gave the highest ratings to nightlife, public transport quality, and the city's overall friendliness. 
• Global statistics (QS Best Student Cities 2025): In this comprehensive comparison, which also takes into account the prestige of universities and the economy, Brno ranked 57th overall. Within this ranking, Brno excels in two specific categories:  
• 30th place in the world in the student ranking: That is, in terms of how satisfied students themselves are in the city and whether they want to stay there after graduation (on par with Prague and Kyoto).  
• 30th place in the world in student mix: That is, in the proportion of foreign students in the total population and the degree of inclusiveness (on par with Vienna, Munich, and Boston).  

Czechia ranks highly on many global indexes and rankings; here is a selection of some of the most successful rankings available. 

Economy 

• 2nd in the European Union / 7th globally — Harvard Growth Lab Economic Complexity Index (2024) 

• 2nd in the European Union / 3nd globally — Harvard Growth Lab Greenplexity Index (2026) 

• 2nd in the European Union for percentage of national gross value added of industry — Eurostat (2024) 

• 6th in the European Union / 10th globally — Tax Foundation International Tax Competitiveness Index (2025) 

• 10th in the European Union / 20th globally — Index of Economic Freedom (2025) 

• 10th in the European Union / 25th globally — IMD World Competitiveness Rankings (2025) 

• 12th in the European Union / 29th globally — Fraser Institute Economic Freedom Rankings (2025) 

Education 

• 3rd–5th in the European Union / 15th–16th globally — PISA reading results (2022) 

• 6th in the European Union / 18th globally — PISA science results (2022) 

• 7th–8th in the European Union / 16th–17th globally — PISA math results (2022) 

Global talent and expats 

• 4th in the European Union / 8th globally — InterNations Expat Quality of Life Index (2025) 

• 11th in the European Union / 20th globally — William Russell Worldwide Expat Index 

• 11th in the European Union / 20th globally — Global Talent Competitiveness Index (2025) 

Safety and security 

• 1st  globally — National Cybersecurity Index 

• 7th in the European Union / 11th globally — Global Peace Index (2025) 

Democracy and rule of law 

• 8th in the European Union / 10th globally — Reporters Without Borders Press Freedom Index (2025) 

• 11th–12th in the European Union / 23rd–25th globally (Full democracy) — Economist Intelligence Unit Democracy Index (2024) 

• 13th in the European Union / 24th globally — Property Rights Alliance International Property Rights Index (2025) 

Technology and digitization 

• 12th in the European Union / 25th globally — Microsoft Global AI Adoption Index