Courage in the World of Innovation: Velvet Innovation Conference Welcomes Founder of Ethical Smartphone Fairphone
16. May 2025
Innovators who dare to imagine a better future — and work together to build it, will meet in Brno on November 13. The fifth annual international Velvet Innovation Conference will take place at Hotel Passage. Among the main speakers will be Dutch visionary and founder of the pioneering brand Fairphone, Bas van Abel.
Bas van Abel, who created the world's first ethical smartphone with the goal of transforming the entire supply chain of the electronics industry, will be one of the stars of a program focused on courage as a key element of successful innovation.
"Today, courage doesn't just mean being first or loudest. It's the ability to make decisions in uncertainty, not give up when things don't go according to plan, and at the same time not just rest when things are going well," explains Hana Šudáková, conference manager from the innovation agency JIC.
According to her, Van Abel represents exactly the type of visionary entrepreneur who can connect courage, innovation, and sustainability in an inspirational way. "His story shows that from anywhere in Europe, one can build an internationally successful business with a positive impact," she adds.
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This year's conference, with the motto 'Dare Beyond Limits', aims to inspire participants from startups and the broader innovation ecosystem to embrace such bold thinking.
It will therefore look under the hood of the space and defence industry, which is gaining strength in the region, and into the minds of a young generation of founders who are rewriting the rules of success. The topic of AI & Sustainability will also be featured. And special attention will be given to the stories of startups from the Brno Region that have succeeded in the global market over the past year.
The event targets a diverse mix of participants, from (future) founders to representatives of small and medium-sized businesses and corporations, as well as investors, researchers, and public administration officials.
"Today, courage doesn't just mean being first or loudest. It's the ability to make decisions in uncertainty, not give up when things don't go according to plan, and at the same time not just rest when things are going well," explains Hana Šudáková, conference manager from the innovation agency JIC.
According to her, Van Abel represents exactly the type of visionary entrepreneur who can connect courage, innovation, and sustainability in an inspirational way. "His story shows that from anywhere in Europe, one can build an internationally successful business with a positive impact," she adds.
This year's conference, with the motto 'Dare Beyond Limits', aims to inspire participants from startups and the broader innovation ecosystem to embrace such bold thinking.
It will therefore look under the hood of the space and defence industry, which is gaining strength in the region, and into the minds of a young generation of founders who are rewriting the rules of success. The topic of AI & Sustainability will also be featured. And special attention will be given to the stories of startups from the Brno Region that have succeeded in the global market over the past year.
The event targets a diverse mix of participants, from (future) founders to representatives of small and medium-sized businesses and corporations, as well as investors, researchers, and public administration officials.
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27. October 2026
[jic.cz] Brno Region Tech Companies Present Smart City Innovations in Barcelona
The Brno Region will be represented at Smart City Expo World Congress in Barcelona, the world’s leading event for urban innovation. From 3 to 5 November, technology companies supported by the JIC innovation agency will present their solutions for mobility, energy, environmental monitoring and public services to cities, investors and partners from around the world.
31. May 2026
Brno Tech Region Climbs Global Innovation Rankings in 2026
When international rankings measure startup ecosystems, attention usually goes to capital cities. But two major benchmarks published in May 2026 – the Global Startup Ecosystem Index (GSEI) by StartupBlink and the Global Tech Ecosystem Index (GTEI) by Dealroom – tell a more nuanced story about Central Europe. The Czech Republic leads the region, and behind that result sits a second city that has spent two decades building something the rankings are only beginning to fully capture.