The Daily Dozen: 12 things to know about Czechia today

Stronger crown|This morning, the Czech crown reached a level of 23.60 for EUR 1, which is its strongest value in 14 years, Seznam Zprávy reports. One of the reasons is the Czech National Bank's commitment not to allow the domestic currency to weaken significantly, according to economists from the ČSOB group. One of the main perks of a stronger crown is that it makes imported goods, including energy and raw materials, cheaper.

Toyota car plant|After a shutdown since Feb. 1 due to a lack of components, the Toyota Motor Manufacturing Czech Republic resumed operations today, according to ČTK. The Kolín-based car plant said employees returned to work today. Tomáš Paroubek, a spokesman for the automaker, said that the evolution of the supply chain issues, which were the cause of the current shutdown, was difficult to predict.

Human rights|A breakthrough is needed to ensure the equality and dignity of Roma people and people with disabilities, Council of Europe’s Commissioner for Human Rights Dunja Mijatović said yesterday following a five-day visit. “The Czech Republic should spare no effort to address the long-standing problem of the exclusion of Roma people and people with disabilities," according to Mijatović. Read more in our story.

Medicine for children|The availability of medicine for children is improving, although there are still shortages of syrup with Penicillin for children, according to Seznam Zprávy. Ilona Hülleová, chairwoman of the Association of General Practitioners for Children and Adolescents said that, in general, the situation hasn't stabilized following a shortage at the end of last year.

Speech therapy app|A Czech-made app is bringing speech therapy exercises within reach of children who need them. Its brainchild Richard Erben told CzechCrunch that the inspiration for Vyslovuj.cz came from his own children, who needed speech therapy, but didn't enjoy the environment in a doctor's office. Additionally, Erben says, this makes the time that children spend on a tablet more interactive, thanks to the game format.

Malá Strana work|The Prague Public Transit Company (DPP) will start today the third stage of its reconstruction project of a tram line in Malá Strana. Work is currently ahead of schedule. All alternative transport lines remain, including the replacement bus service X20 on the route that runs through Malostranské náměstí and Malostranská. Trams presently do not run between Újezd and Malá Strana.

Tallest skyscrapers|Plans to create Czechia’s tallest building in the former industrial city of Ostrava have been sent back to the drawing board, literally. The already-designed Ostrava Tower won’t be built, and an architectural competition has been called to create a replacement. Instead of opening in 2027, the new complex won’t welcome residents until 2032 at the earliest. Read more in our story.

Bright lights|On Feb. 28, 1883, Prague's Old Town Square was illuminated with electricity for the first time. The innovation was made possible thanks to engineer and inventor František Křižík, who created the self-regulating arc lamps that were used to light up the Old Town Square.

Soft skills|While IT skills needs are evolving faster than ever, and specialized technology talent is at a premium, critical soft skills, also known as “power skills” are being neglected in the recruitment and resourcing process. Despite continued talk of the crucial nature of upskilling and reskilling, latent potential remains untapped among workers in the middle of the tech talent pyramid. Read more in our article.