In the latest edition of ECSA’s Interviews with Experts series, Martin Balaban, ECSA Student Ambassador, engineering student and Chairman of SPICE VUT at Brno University of Technology, spoke with Jana Drbohlavová, coordinator and Deputy Director of the Czech Semiconductor Centre.
Jana shared her journey into the field — one that began not in electrical engineering, but in physical chemistry. From sensor research at Brno University of Technology, she moved to the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research & Innovation, where she contributed to the groundwork for the European Chips Act, before returning to help launch and now lead the Czech Semiconductor Centre. She outlined the Centre’s role in helping Czech companies and academia navigate the semiconductor ecosystem — from prototyping and design to funding and training — and highlighted Czechia’s distinctive strengths, such as electron microscopy in the Brno region, while acknowledging the scale of the talent challenge ahead: the Czech strategy alone calls for over 9,000 semiconductor experts by 2030.
Semiconductors are an interdisciplinary field that needs chemists, physicists and material scientists as much as engineers. She urged students to stay curious, travel and seek experience abroad, and not to be afraid to ask for help. Asked what she would tell her younger self, she answered: “Being courageous, being sustainable and patient — and like this you can reach your dreams.” She also underlined the importance of drawing more women into the field, pointing to initiatives like the Centre’s summer schools designed specifically for girls.
🎥 Watch the full interview here:
About Inside the Industry: Episode 5
ECSA’s Inside the Industry series is a platform that empowers our Student Ambassadors to step into the spotlight, ask the big questions, and engage directly with leading professionals shaping the semiconductor landscape. These conversations not only give students the chance to satisfy their curiosity and represent their peers, but also showcase ECSA’s commitment to connecting education with industry in meaningful and impactful ways.
Read the Full Interview 📄
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