Speech of the Prime Minister Mirek Topolánek on the Occasion of "Czech Head" Award, on 22nd November 2007

Good evening, dear ladies and gentlemen.
This is a good opportunity how to award those who are the cleverest of us, so that we would popularize science and scientists. I do not want to add anything clever to this evening; nevertheless, borrow me Mr. Všetnička in the conclusion of the evening, after all. We have always had scientists in the entire scale, I mean in the entire cycle, whether have been involved in the basic research, in applications, in technologies or in the innovation process.
We award both, scientists of considerable stature such as Professor Holý and professor Městecký, and of course also young scientists such as Ondřej Mikšík or Mr. Benda. What must we do for Mr. Mikšík, Mr. Benda, and their colleagues who are not present here today, so that they could achieve stature of professor Holý and professor Městecký? I do think that money is enough. We must of course to allocate money in the right direction. We must give it where we can be in the first or in the second place in the world, or where we could cooperate. We must have such system of the science and research support, which would motivate private firms to invest money in the science and research. I want to say that every government promises to follow this direction and I hope you to believe this government to mean it seriously. Furthermore, I would like to thank all those who are involved in the activities of the Czech government and especially those who are often doing science in unenviable conditions.
I would like us to return back to times when it was said that we had "golden Czech hands"; but we had also clever Czech heads. I mean to return back to the First Republic, when we were the sixth most advanced country in the world. I would not like this country to be an assembly shop. I would like this country to be an innovation centre. To achieve all this, I need you who are in this hall, captains of industry, scientists, politicians and all you who are following this programme, to assure us whether we are going in the right direction.
Thank you for your attention.