Two years ago the renowned Mayo Clinic opened its first overseas research center in Brno, the second-largest city in the Czech Republic. The city is also home to several universities, including Masaryk University and the Brno University of Technology, and city officials credit the universities for contributing to the area's rich pool of talent. Historically, the country has attracted international business by offering tax breaks, lower wages and a skilled English-speaking workforce. Now, with a $500 million investment, Brno hopes to appeal to the biotech sector and establish a reputation as a major European research hub.
The half-billion dollar plan includes a Medipark life science campus at Masaryk University, where research there will be focused on biotechnology. Brno will also construct an International Clinical Research Center, which promises to be one of Europe's largest biomedical research centers. The campus will be ready by 2010.
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