The University of Pardubice builds on an almost seventy-year long tradition of higher education in the Pardubice Region. The Chemical College (later known as the Institute of Chemical Technology) was founded in 1950 to address the needs of the East Bohemia Region, which had a highly developed chemical industry providing extensive opportunities for research in the field.

The character of the Institute notably changed after 1990: new faculties were founded, offering a wide range of study programmes, not only chemistry-related. The name - University of Pardubice - has been used since 1994, reflecting the new character of the educational institution. Based on longstanding tradition, the university is committed to making educational opportunities accessible to the diverse student population from across the Czech Republic and more than 60 countries.

As of 2021 there is no space industry/research specialized department, but remote sensing and GNSS applications are part of various study programmes and research topics.