On September 29, 2026, a roundtable discussion titled Semiconductor Resilience in the CEE Region was held at Campus Hybernská. The event aimed to foster a shared understanding of the resilience and security of the semiconductor industry in Central and Eastern Europe, draw lessons from successful approaches abroad, and identify opportunities for stronger regional cooperation. The meeting brought together representatives of public administration, academia, business, and diplomacy.

The roundtable was held as part of the Supply Chain Resilience Center (SCRC) project, in which the Faculty of Arts at Charles University is also involved. The meeting was organized by Adam Horálek, Sandra Kreisslová, and Marek Veverka from the Institute of Ethnology and Central European and Balkan Studies at the Faculty of Arts, Charles University. The opening remarks were delivered by representatives of Charles University and partner institutions involved in the project. The participants were first welcomed by Karel Kouba, Vice-Rector of Charles University, followed by Eva V. Beránková, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Arts. Wen-Ling Tu from National Chengchi University represented the international project partners. The opening session was concluded by David Emler, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Charles University and Director of the SCRC project.

The expert program opened with a panel in which Vilém Semerák (Faculty of Social Sciences, Charles University), drawing on an analysis of international trade data, presented the position of Central and Eastern European countries in global semiconductor value chains, their dependencies, comparative advantages, and potential for future development. His presentation was followed by a discussion with Aleš Balutn, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to the Czech Republic, and Coleman Mahler (Faculty of Arts, Charles University).

The next panel featured two thematic presentations. Ayman Akil (Clarivate) discussed strategies through which Central and Eastern European countries can gradually build their own semiconductor industry capacities by developing scientific knowledge, innovation, specialization, and cooperation with Western Europe and leading Asian technology companies. Jiří Blažek (Faculty of Science, Charles University) focused on how European companies have responded to geopolitical shocks and disruptions to global supply chains. The subsequent discussion was led by Wen-Ling Tu (National Chengchi University) and Zuzana Košková (European Values Center).

The final session focused on examples of good practice and their transferability to the Central and Eastern European region and featured two further presentations. Max Roessler (University of Greifswald) examined how large-scale industrial investments in the semiconductor industry can contribute to the long-term resilience and transformation of regions. Drawing on case studies from Japan, Germany, and the United States, he demonstrated the conditions under which foreign investment can develop into sustainably embedded regional innovation ecosystems. Michal Lorenc (Czech National Semiconductor Cluster) presented the Czech national strategy for the development of the semiconductor industry as a model that strengthens supply chain resilience through the coordination of research, industry, education, regional innovation centers, and European initiatives, and which could serve as a transferable example for other Central and Eastern European countries. The ensuing discussion was led by Ondřej Svoboda (Faculty of Law, Charles University) and René Samek (CzechInvest), who reflected on both presentations from the perspective of their respective fields of expertise and placed the topics discussed in the context of the situation in the Czech Republic.

The one-day meeting provided not only an opportunity to present current research and practical experience, but above all a space for a joint discussion on ways to strengthen the resilience of the semiconductor sector across Central and Eastern European countries.

All photos are courtesy of Václav Jaroš.