Empowering V4 Businesses for Global Growth

According to the Macroeconomic Forecast – August 2025 issued by the Czech Ministry of Finance, global economic growth is being constrained by ongoing uncertainty surrounding U.S. trade policies and related measures, which have weakened both consumer sentiment and business confidence. The current macroeconomic projection factors in the introduction of a 15% general tariff applied by the United States to most goods imported from European Union member states.

The Czech startup ecosystem, ranked 30th globally, now hosts over 700 startups and has grown 17.3% year-on-year, establishing itself as one of Central Europe’s most dynamic innovation hubs (Atanasova, 2025).

The Czech Republic has experienced one of the largest declines in innovation performance in the EU, falling to 19th place in the European Commission’s 2025 European Innovation Scoreboard. According to the annual report released this week, the country now lags significantly behind the EU average and has made minimal progress over the past seven years.

Škoda Auto’s robust sales are mirrored in its financial performance, with revenue increasing to €15.070 bn (+10.4%), operating profit rising to €1.285 bn (+11.8%), and net cash flow reaching €1.453 bn (+3.2%).

On July 17, 2025, the Hungary–Uzbekistan Business Roundtable was held in Budapest, following the plenary session of the Joint Economic Committee. The event was organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade in cooperation with the Hungarian Export Promotion Agency (HEPA).