Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences

What Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences does

The Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Botanický ústav AV ČR, v. v. i.) is a public research institution founded in 1962 and headquartered in Průhonice, Czechia, operating additional research divisions in Třeboň and Brno. It is self-described as the largest centre of botanical research in the Czech Republic, employing 173 staff including 150+ researchers organized into 14 research groups. Its work spans basic and applied botany covering evolutionary biology, ecology, taxonomy, population genetics, and environmental studies, combining field observations, laboratory experiments, and computational analyses. The institute maintains the Herbarium PRA collection, the PLADIAS database on Czech flora and vegetation, gene pool collections (aquatic plants, wetland plants, mycorrhizal fungi), specialized research laboratories (cell and molecular biology, ecotoxicology, flow cytometry, chromatography, microscopy), and a high-performance computing cluster. It also manages the Průhonice Park and Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and operates the Průhonice Botanic Garden (BGCI-accredited) and Botanical Garden Třeboň. The institute publishes the Folia Geobotanica scientific journal and runs recurring educational programmes including the international Go Belowground! PhD course.

The institute's business model is that of a publicly funded research institution rather than a commercial enterprise. Revenue streams comprise institutional base funding from the Czech Academy of Sciences, competitive grants from the Czech Science Foundation (GA ČR) and European research programmes (including prior EU-funded projects such as ALARM, DAISIE, and EU-PEARLS), publishing royalties from Folia Geobotanica, venue rentals at Průhonice Castle, and fees for expert consultations and external services. Its go-to-market is relationship-driven and academic: research collaborations, joint projects, and consultations with Czech universities, public nature and landscape protection institutions, and the international research community. Distribution of research outputs occurs through peer-reviewed journals, scientific databases, and direct institutional partnerships rather than commercial channels.

Name

Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Legal name

Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Botanický ústav AV ČR, v. v. i.)

Website

https://ibot.cas.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1962

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences is a public research institution conducting basic and applied botanical research across evolutionary biology, ecology, taxonomy, and conservation, serving Czech universities, public nature protection bodies, and the international scientific community.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Botanical Research

NAICS

Scientific Research and Development Services (5417), Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Nanotechnology and Biotechnology) (541715), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEUAHAHAE

Biodiversity Baseline Studies & Long-Term Monitoring Programs

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Ecology, Biodiversity & Natural Resource Assessments

SECONDARYBPAIAAAK

Science, Technology & Innovation Administration (National R&D Policy)

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Central/Federal Government Administration

SECONDARYEDAGAFAC

Life Sciences (Biology, Ecology, Agriculture) Scholarly Publishing

Education/Educational Publishing & Learning Content/Academic & Scholarly Publishing (Journals, Monographs)

Keywords

• Botanical research services
• Plant taxonomy studies
• Biodiversity conservation research
• Ecological monitoring data
• Herbarium collections

Headquarters

HQ city

Průhonice

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: Base funding from the Czech Academy of Sciences as a public research institution (v. v. i. - public research institution)
2. Research Grants: Competitive funding from Czech Science Foundation (GA ČR), European research programs, and international collaborative projects
3. Publishing Revenue: Revenue from Folia Geobotanica scientific journal publication activities
4. Services and Rentals: Rental of premises at Průhonice Castle, external services, and expert consultations

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences conducts basic and applied botanical research spanning evolutionary biology, ecology, taxonomy, population genetics, and environmental studies. It provides research services, expert consultations, herbarium collections, scientific databases (e.g., PLADIAS), laboratory analyses, and scientific publishing through its Folia Geobotanica journal, serving universities, public nature protection institutions, and the international research community.

Product overview

The Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences is a botanical research institution offering scientific services rather than a commercial product company. Its service portfolio includes databases for botanical research, herbarium and botanical collections (aquatic plants, wetland plants, mycorrhizal fungi, wood collection, seed index, autotrophic microorganisms CCALA), a scientific library, a computing cluster for research calculations, the Folia Geobotanica scientific journal, the Botanical Garden in Průhonice with specialized plant collections, various research laboratories (cell/molecular biology, ecotoxicology, flow cytometry, fluorescence, chromatography, microscopy, analytical), the Go Belowground! PhD educational course, and venue rental at Průhonice Castle. The institute focuses on basic and applied botanical research serving universities and public institutions in nature and landscape protection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Botanical Databases Scientific databases containing critically revised data on Czech flora and vegetation, including the PLADIAS database and multiple specialized collections, for use by researchers and conservation professionals.
• Herbarium PRA Collection Extensive herbarium collection containing preserved plant specimens for taxonomic studies and research, managed through the HERBMAN web application for specimen management.
• Scientific Library Scientific library providing access to botanical literature and research publications for the academic and research community.
• Botanical Collections Specialized botanical collections including aquatic plants, wetland plants, mycorrhizal fungi, wood collection, seed index, and autotrophic microorganisms (CCALA) supporting conservation and taxonomic research.
• Computing Cluster High-performance computing infrastructure provided for bioinformatics, genomic analyses, and ecological research calculations.
• Folia Geobotanica Journal Scientific journal published by the Institute covering botanical, vegetation science, and geobotanical research, distributed to the international scientific community.
• Research Laboratories Specialized research laboratories covering cell and molecular biology, ecotoxicology, flow cytometry, fluorescence, chromatography, microscopy, and analytical analyses, available for collaborative research and external services.
• Go Belowground! PhD Course International PhD-level course focused on the study of plant roots and belowground plant organs, targeting graduate students and early-career researchers in plant sciences.
• Venue Rental at Průhonice Castle Venue rental services for conferences and events held at Průhonice Castle, part of the institute's management of the UNESCO World Heritage site.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60+ years of continuous research operation and scientific output
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and major.

• Czech Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution providing institutional framework, base funding, and administrative support. The institute operates as a public research institution (v. v. i.) under the Academy's structure.
• Průhonice Park and CastlecoreOthersThe institute manages the Průhonice Park and Castle, a UNESCO World Heritage site, as part of its public mission and institutional activities.
• Intergovernmental Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerPetr Petřík from the Department of Vegetation Ecology was elected to the Multidisciplinary Expert Panel, representing the institute in this intergovernmental body.
• Botanic Gardens Conservation International (BGCI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Průhonice Botanic Garden is accredited by BGCI, indicating international recognition and collaboration in plant conservation.
• European Universities and Research InstitutionsmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research projects with European partners including ALARM, DAISIE, EU-PEARLS, and other EU-funded initiatives. The institute participates in international research networks.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew: World-leading botanical research and conservation institution combining herbarium collections, living plant collections, and applied science. Directly comparable to IBOT as a public-facing, science-driven botanical institute with UNESCO heritage sites (Kew Gardens) and international policy influence.
• Senckenberg Nature Research Society: German research institution operating natural history museums and conducting biodiversity, ecology, and evolutionary research. Comparable in scale, public-mission governance, and integration of collections with active scientific research.
• Naturalis Biodiversity Center: Dutch national research institute combining natural history museum, herbarium, and biodiversity research. Highly comparable as a publicly funded biodiversity research centre with significant collections and an international taxonomic mandate.
• Botanischer Garten und Botanisches Museum Berlin (BGBM): German botanical research centre operating one of the world's largest herbaria and a botanical garden, with strong taxonomy, biodiversity informatics, and conservation mandates. Comparable in scale, mission, and public-institution governance to IBOT.
• Komarov Botanical Institute (Russian Academy of Sciences): Oldest botanical research institute in Russia, affiliated with the Russian Academy of Sciences, housing a major herbarium and conducting evolutionary and ecological botany. Closely comparable in public-research-institution structure and Central/Eastern European scientific role.
• National Botanic Garden of Belgium (Meise Botanic Garden): Belgian botanical research institution with a major herbarium, living plant collections, and a taxonomic research mandate. Closely comparable in size, mission, and Central-European geographic positioning.
• Max Planck Institute for Plant Breeding Research: German research institute focused on plant molecular biology, genetics, and breeding. Comparable as a publicly funded plant-science research organization with molecular and computational capabilities, though more oriented toward genetics than classical taxonomy.
• Leibniz Institute for the Analysis of Biodiversity Change (LIB): German research institute formed from merger of several natural history institutions to study biodiversity change. Comparable as a publicly funded biodiversity research centre combining collections, taxonomy, and modern molecular methods.

Emerging players

• John Innes Centre: UK-based plant science and microbiology research centre with strong molecular biology focus. Comparable as a publicly funded plant-science institute but with a more applied/microbial orientation than IBOT's ecology-and-taxonomy focus.

Broad incumbents

• INRAE (French National Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment): Largest European public research institute in agriculture, food, and environment with plant science as one of many domains. Comparable as a publicly funded life-science research body, though broader in scope than IBOT's botanical focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/instituteofbotany

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences