Young People Are Changing the World – and We’re Here for It!

"I feel an overwhelming sense of humility inspired by your stories. A mix of pride and emotion. Seeing this young generation in the spotlight is truly powerful. I keep thinking: why isn’t the whole Czech Republic sitting here and listening?"

Those were the heartfelt words heard at the third edition of Žárovky, an event that gives a voice to young, talented professionals and connects them with partners, institutions, and public leaders. The Žárovky Foundation supports those who are actively working to make the world a better place – whether through technology, science, urbanism, or ecology.

A packed Opero co-working space listened closely as several inspiring individuals took the stage – each one proving that courage and innovation know no boundaries. From building biogas plants in Africa and working on space technologies to digitizing urban planning, these were people not just dreaming, but doing.

Urban Tech: How Data Accelerates City Development

Among the speakers was Kateřina Kovářiková, CEO of urbiq, a company focused on smart city planning. The development of cities and towns is often slowed down by a lack of quality data, making it difficult for architects, urbanists, and local governments to make informed decisions.

That’s where urbiq comes in – a digital platform designed to support strategic planning with real-time, accessible, and meaningful data.
"With the right information, we can develop cities smarter, faster, and with greater respect for people and the environment," Kateřina explained.

More Inspiring Stories from Žárovky

🔹 Hynek Roubík – a tropical agriculture expert who, together with his team, built a biogas plant in Zambia in just one day! Across Africa, Asia, and beyond, he’s helped create nearly a thousand of these systems to provide communities with energy and heat. He’s also working on repurposing war waste in Ukraine.

🔹 Simon Klinga & Anna Krebsová – high school students and winners of the prestigious Conrad Challenge. Their idea? Using a laser beam to restart malfunctioning satellites in orbit. And they’re not stopping at theory – they plan to launch their own satellite by the end of the year to test the concept.

Žárovky: A Community That Connects Talent

Žárovky began as an initiative of the Opero business hub and has since evolved into a foundation led by Pavel Přikryl, Alexandra Kala, and Jan Lukačevič. Its mission is to give young talent a platform to actively shape the future of the Czech Republic – and to bring fresh ideas into public conversation.

"Thanks for the huge dose of inspiration and hope – we truly need it right now!" someone said as the event wrapped up. And we couldn’t agree more. 

📺 Watch the full talk show recording on YouTube – we highly recommend it, so you don’t miss out on any more inspiration!