I'd like to clarify, it seems Czechs were the only nationality (out of the non-Western Europeans including Germans) to develop a modern industrialized economy. For example, they were one of the few non-Western Europeans to have their own native automobile industry (Skoda Auto), native armament industry (producing the famous Bren gun). Even their tanks prior to WWII were on par with the Panzer I and II's, and were sophisticated enough that they were used in the Wehrmacht, and whose designs were copied by the Soviets. Can this be attributed to Czech proximity to Germany and the fact there were many Germans who lived in Czech lands?
Your question suggests a little bit that abilities to develop industry are "nationally" dependent but it is nonsense. The Industrial Revolution started in England not because English people are superior to other nations (as they think) but because of combination of geopolitical, historical and geological conditions. The Czechoslovakia was not an entity but a sovereign republic (de iure).
But back to the Czech (not only) industrial history:
In the beginning of the Industrial Revolution The Czech Kingdom, a predecessor of the current Czech Republic, was a part of the Habsburg Empire (in 1527 the Habsburgs became Czech kings). The area of the Czech Kingdom was inhabited by Czech and German speaking people. Slavic ancestors of Czech speaking people came in 6th century. Ancestors of German speaking came in two main waves in 13th century and in 17th century, after the country was plundered by 30 years war. After the 1618- 1620 nobility uprising and following disaster majority of Czech nobility was striped of estates and non catholic people were forced to emigrate. The remaining catholic or re-catholized part of Czech nobility was gradually Germanized. Foreign German or Germanized nobility loyal to Habsburgs obtained confiscated estates. The nobility had mixed identities – country identity and Austrian (Habsburg) empire identity. For example field marshal Radetzky (famous now only for Strauss's Radetzky March) was a Czech nobleman by origin but identified with Habsburg Austria so much that the Emperor wanted him to be buried in the Imperial Crypt in Vienna. Italians hate him not for being Czech but for being Austrian beating them at Custozza. Rich urban inhabitants were German or Germanized too and Czech speaking people were peasants and not rich or poor urban inhabitants. All higher education was provided in German language, only trivial schools (first two years of education) taught in Czech too. The situation started to change quickly after serfdom was abolished in 1848.
Around 1800 economic resources of the country were almost entirely in hands of German speaking people. Industry development was initiated particularly by domestic and foreign nobility, Jewish financiers (Austrian Rothschilds), foreign industrialist (including English) and rich craftsmen (millers, blacksmiths, brewers, boilermakers,…). Important industrial production started with textile (end of 18th century) and sugar (about 1805) industry. During 19th century the Czech part of the Austrian (Austro-Hungarian) Empire produced 60% of all its industrial production. It was given by geographic position and natural resources (coal, iron ore, wood). The production included almost all types of 19th century industry including very important arms industry (Škoda, Sellier-Bellot), chemical industry, production of matches, fezzes for Turks and Bosnians. But guns production has a very long history here, pistol and howitzer are Czech words originally (píšťala, houfnice) spread in Europe by our Taliban-like militant ancestors Hussites. The famous Thonet chair Nr. 14 was produced in eastern part of the current Czech Republic close to town Zlín, where Tomáš Baťa founded a shoe factory in 1894, now world wide spread Bata Shoes. During 19th century significantly increased portion of production in plants owned by people identified with the Czech nation.
But this is not easy question. For example Škoda plants founder Emil Škoda originated from a Czech peasant family, but his son Karl identified himself fully with Austrian-Germans, to return to Czech identity only in the end of WWI. Car production started in 1897 in a factory producing carriages, that later became Tatra Company producing best and most beautiful cars in Czechoslovakia. The Tatra T97 "inspired" Ferdinand Porche to design a car that after WWII became the famous Volkswagen Beatle. In 1965 Volkswagen company was forced by court to pay 1,000,000 DM to the Tatra for that "inspiration". The Tatra was Austrian-German property. The Laurin & Klement company, now Škoda (Das) Auto, started 1899 motorcycles production and in 1905 it stated car production. The Laurin & Klement was a Czech company. It was acquired by Škoda Company in 1925, that was one of biggest industrial concerns in Czechoslovakia.
Remark to Jewish role: Jewish people were relatively small but very important part of people living in the area of the current Czech Republic not only for their cultural role but for industrial development
Some names: Emil Kolben (electrotechnics), Moritz Gröbe (building), Petschek family (financiers, coal industry), Jindřich Waldes (famous dress fasteners, pins, safety pins, needles and buttons), Ludwig Moser (glass), family of the famous philosopher Husserl owned a textile factory, The Austrian Rothschilds initiated and invested a first steam railway from Vienna to Silesia crossing the eastern part of the current Czech Republic called Moravia.
A question: What Soviet tanks you think are copies of Czechoslovak tanks? Never heard about it.