National Centres of Competence

CTU FME is the main solver in this National Centre of Competence in the period 2023-2028:

TN02000054 Božek Vehicle Engineering National Center of Competence (BOVENAC)

Ing. Bohumil Mareš, Ph.D.; bohumil.mares@cvut.cz

The project was handled and managed at a high professional level. Some of the achieved results have good commercial potential. At the same time, the results ensure an increase in the competitiveness of the national potential in the given area and are comparable to the results of leading workplaces at the international level. The project is excellent in its focus and results in the area of increasing the efficiency of internal combustion engines and the use of hydrogen as an alternative fuel incl. of safety for autonomous vehicle testing. The resulting consortium is viable and sustainable in subsequent project cooperation, which will use both synergies between related fields and from cooperation between academic, research and industrial workplaces, enabling activities to be focused on problems applicable to the market of future means of transport and ensuring mobility. The activity of the center is used in the innovation of study programs in technical fields at universities.

This project is co-financed with state support from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic under the National Competence Centre Programme. This project is funded under the National Recovery Plan from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility.

 

CTU FME is the solver in this National Centre of Competence in the period 2023-2028:

TN02000009 National Competence Centre for Aeronautics and Space

Ing. Robert Theiner, Ph.D.; robert.theiner@cvut.cz

The project is aimed at strengthening collaboration between the research, academic, and private sectors, and at creating suitable conditions for the commercialisation of research results and their use for the needs of society in the aviation and aerospace sector in the period 2022-2028. The aim is to continuing develop long-term collaboration based on linking established research centres in a promising sector of the economy in line with the national RIS3 strategy, involving other partners in the collaboration, and supporting the growth of new innovation leaders. Research results will strengthen the capacity for innovation through technology transfer. Research activities will result in direct knowledge transfer, real application of results and increased income from commercialisation.

 

TN02000010 National Competence Centre of Mechatronics and Smart Technologies for Mechanical Engineering

prof. Ing. Michael Valášek, DrSc.; michael.valasek@fs.cvut.cz

NCC MESTEC2 is a development project of the established NCC, which integrated the capacities of the existing research centres. The objective of the project is to build on the successful pilot operation of the NCC in 2019-2022, to expand the consortium, especially to include innovative SMEs and to redefine the research agenda with a focus on the development of new all-purpose mechanical engineering technologies. These will make mechatronic, but also other engineering products, processes, and services more environmentally friendly, more sustainable, smarter, and more competitive. The project includes 5 research institutes and 25 companies, with an expected annual research output of CZK 231.25 mil.The companies will participate through their own contributions without requiring direct support.

The project "Functional materials" presents the conjunction of three various approaches to new and simultaneously practically applicable materials and method of their processing. Individual themes aim for usage of renewable resources, increase of effectivity, utilization of material and prolongation of its functionality. The individual goals of these themes are following:
Goal 1: electrically conductive plastics
Goal 2: Biomaterials
Goal 3: Semi-intelligent composite containers

Presentation of Results

 

TN02000018 National Centre of Competence ENGINEERING

Ing. Jan Smolík, Ph.D.; jan.smolik@fs.cvut.cz

The NCCE will focus on R&D&I activities necessary for enhancing the competitiveness of the CR engineering industry in the medium and light industry segments. The NCCE will address issues and topics important for future machinery innovations. The strategic research agenda will reflect customer and user needs together with economic, environmental, social and – primarily – technological requirements. Particular emphasis will place on increasing the performance and precision of machines and equipment, reducing of energy consumption, material consumption savings, automating production processes, reducing environmental impact, digitalization of processes and considering trends which fall within the scope of Industry 4.0.

 

TN02000020 Centre of Advanced Electron and Photonic Optics

Main Researcher for the FME CTU in Prague: Ing. Petr Tichý, Ph.D.; petr.tichy@cvut.cz
Cooperating organisations:

• Ústav fyziky plazmatu AV ČR, v.v.i. – TOPTEC
• Vysoké učení technické v Brně
• České vysoké učení technické v Praze – Fakulta stavební
• Meopta – optika, s.r.o.
• Compo Tech PLUS, spol. s r.o.
• TechSoft Engineering, spol. s.r.o.

Duration of the project: 1. 1. 2023 – 31. 12. 2028

Centre builds on the previous CEPO, unites key academic and industrial players in CR who are engaged in research in electron, photon and quantum technologies. CAEPO activities will enhance research excellence, application relevance of academic partners and knowledge transfer towards industrial partners focused on electron & light microscopy and spectroscopy, advanced lasers and their applications, opto-fiber sensors & probes, micro&nanostructured surfaces and optical elements, ultrasensitive detection at the edge of physical principles, ultra-precise production metrology and development of sophisticated elements and systems. This synergistic cooperation shifts the level of added value of CAEPO industrial partners outputs, brings 2/3 of them closer to and keeps 1/3 at level of world leaders.

Presentation of Results
 

This project is co-financed with state support from the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic under the National Competence Centre Programme. This project is funded under the National Recovery Plan from the European Recovery and Resilience Facility.

 

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CTU FME was a main solver in the following National Centres of Competence in the period 2019-2022:

TN01000024 National Competence Center - Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence

prof. Ing. Vladimír Mařík, DrSc., dr. h. c.; Vladimir.Marik@cvut.cz
For Faculty of Mechanical Engineering: Ing. Petr Kolář, Ph.D.; Petr.Kolar@fs.cvut.cz

The project National Competence Centre – Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence (NCK KUI) aims  to create a new platform of Cybernetics and Artificial Intelligence  that synergistically combines excellent research and application-oriented centers in the areas of robotics and cybernetics for Industry 4.0, „Smart Cities“, intelligent transport systems and cyber security. Linking existing innovation leaders (research centres, industry partners) the potential and efficiency of apllied research for key national sectors such as advanced technologies for a globally competitive industry (Industry 4.0), communication and information technology development and 21st century transport systems will increase. Due to NCK KUI close link to the application sector there will be an interdisciplinary collaboration, innovation and technology transfer.

CTU , The Faculty of Mechanical Engineering  is involved in the NCK KUI in three so – called subprojects. The team of Department of Mechanics, Biomechanics and Mechatronics, Department of Production Machines and Equipment (Research Center of Manufacturing Technology) and ŠKODA AUTO a.s. is working on an automatic assembly of threaded joints by industrial robots. The technology Plug – and – work  integration  of laser units into multifunctional OS is under RCMT and LaserTherm spol. s r.o. work. SW integration at the level of machine control and laser unit and CAM preparation of production process is also related to the topic. The team of the Department of Instrumentation and Control Engineering  together with PT SOLUTIONS WORLDWIDE spol. s r.o. and ZAT a.s. solves the modeling and management of complex industrial applications in engineering and power engineering. All these tasks will result in practical implementation in the above mentioned companies.

TN01000026 Josef Bozek National Center of Competence for Surface Vehicles (JOBNAC)

prof. Ing. Jan Macek, DrSc., FEng.; Jan.Macek@fs.cvut.cz

The main project goal addresses R&D for the future mobility tools as road and rail vehicles connected and networked by the transport systems, taking into account both the strategic research results for the decisive economy spheres of the CR and immediate goals of industry. Competitiveness at global market need to be increased. The means for the achievement is the establishment of inter-sectoral consortium for a long-term synergic collaboration among academia, industry, private research, SMEs and testing companies, focused on the decisive issues of the future vehicle and mobility markets.

CTU FME was a solver in the following National Centres of Competence in the period 2019-2022:

TN01000007 National Centre for Energy

prof. Ing. Michal Kolovratník, CSc.; Michal.Kolovratnik@fs.cvut.cz
doc. Ing. Jan Hrdlička, Ph.D.; Jan.Hrdlicka@fs.cvut.cz  

The objective of the National Centre for Energy (NCE) is to stimulate long-term cooperation among the leading research organizations and major application entities in the power industry. This way, unique infrastructures and know-how of expert teams of the existing research centres will be shared through the implementation of applied research sub-projects. The research agenda of NCE is in line with the National RIS3 Strategy and focuses on Efficiency, reliability and safety of energy units, Alternative sources of energy and waste, Power grids.

TN01000008 Center of electron and photonic optics

doc. Ing. Jan Hošek, Ph.D.; Jan.Hosek@fs.cvut.cz

The Center for Electron and Photon Optics associates research institutions and manufacturing enterprises in the Czech Republic with a focus on field of electron and photon optics. A Consortium consists of 9 academic institutions and 4 commercial companies and the CTU in Prague plays there an important role as a member of three sub-projects in field of development of structural, material and technological basis in advanced opto-mechanical applications, advanced alignment methods of the opto-mechanical systems and optics and optical layers for power laser technologies.

TN01000015 National Centre of Competence ENGINEERING

Ing. Jan Smolík, Ph.D.; Jan.Smolik@fs.cvut.cz

The National Centre of Competence ENGINEERING (NCCE) is focused on research and development activities necessary for enhancing the competitiveness of the Czech (mechanical) engineering companies within the segment of manufacturing industry and and light industry. The NCCE addresses strategic topics for innovations of the future machinery. Emphasis is placed on increasing the performance and precision of machines and equipment, energy consumption reduction, material consumption decreasing, production processes automation, environmental impact reduction and, digitalization of processes within Industry 4.0 principles. 
The main benefit of the project is long-term duration (6 year in total), wider scope of planned results (applied results and journal publications) and opportunity of a flexible definition of the specific research topic with respect to the project Strategic research agenda (SRA) and the best current knowledge in the field. The SRA has three main areas (Advanced and sustainable manufacturing technologies; Digital transformation and flexible automation; New materials and nanotechnologies) and provides a clear frame for definition of multiple research topics and results solved together by research institutions and industrial companies. This project setting enables very quick technology transfer (the applied research results are implemented by companies in the market “immediately”) and concurrently knowledge gaining in the complex research topics. This knowledge is a basis for further future applied research and also for initialisation of other side research and development activities of university and companies. 

The NCCE consortium (in total 33 subjects, where is 9 RTOs and 24 companies) is lead by VÚTS Liberec (a non-university research center). CTU FME (U12135-Department of production machines and equipment specifically) participates significantly on the consortium leading. U12135 also led a subgroup of machine tool partners. This subgroup consists of 2 RTOs (Czech Technical University in Prague, Brno University of Technology) and 5 important Czech machine tool producers (TOS Varnsdorf, SMT Pilsen, TOSHULIN, TOS Kurim, TAJMAC-ZPS). Based on that, the U12135 department is involved in solution of 39 results in the field of machine tool design, control and operation planned to be reached by December 2025 and 13 results in the field of green and digital transformation in machine tools planned to be reached by June 2026. The major volume of applied results (prototypes, functional sample, verified technology) and their subsequent market implementation means a kind of technology transfer with related financial benefit for CTU FME. The minor volume of results is planned journal publications publishing selected principles and novel findings. This highlights the high level of the research finalized with the applied results. The gained knowledge is transferred continuously to the engineering and doctoral education at U12135. This creates a motivation for the master students to join the machine tool industry and use the cutting-edge solutions. Concurrently, it is a motivation for following Ph.D. study. Since many of the Ph.D. thesis topics are aligned with the NCCE SRA, the involvement of the young researchers (Ph.D. Students) in the project solution supports high-quality level of the final thesis. Intensive close collaboration with five leading companies makes also additional inputs and experience for enhancing of the collaboration with other companies within production engineering in the Czech Republic and also in foreign countries. 

Presentation of Results

 

TN01000029 National Competence Centre for Aeronautics and Space

prof. Dr. Ing. Tomáš Vampola; Tomas.Vampola@fs.cvut.cz

The National Competence Centre for Aeronautics and Space (NaCCAS) was established with the aim of concentrating and efficiently using R&D capacities of three top participating research organisations and seven progressive and innovative high-tech aviation and space enterprises. The structure of the consortium will ensure a high degree of intersectoral collaboration and interdisciplinarity. The research activities will lead to higher revenues from commercialisation thanks to direct transfer of knowledge and application of the results and technologies developed in relevant industries.

TN01000071 National Competence Centre of Mechatronics and Smart Technologies for Mechanical Engineering

Ing. Pavel Steinbauer, Ph.D., Pavel.Steinbauer@fs.cvut.cz

Web: www.nccmestec.com

Main aim for establishing NCC is to enhance complex model of efficient cooperation of RO departments and development capacities of businesses for growth of technological competence in the area of smart components and technologies. Results of R&D will bring new and innovated production of smart components and systems which can be utilized in several technical areas. These are especially industrial plants in machinery and processing industries, logistics and power industry. NCC will be a partner for new concepts of machinery and system design. At the same time, NCC will cover several potential applications for non-industrial fields (medicine diagnostics, implants, etc.).

 

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CTU FME was a solver in the following Centres of Competence in the period 2012-2017:

TE01020020 Josef Bozek Competence Center for Automotive Industry

Solver

prof. Ing. Jan Macek DrSc.; Jan.Macek@fs.cvut.cz
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague
Department of Automotive, Combustion Engine and Railway Engineering

Josef Božek Centre of Vehicles for Sustainable Mobility is a part of Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. It provides research and development of vehicle powertrains and complete vehicles, namely:

• spark ignition engines (gasoline, gas, alternative fuels) and diesel engines (including heavy fuels): thermodynamics, aerodynamics, turbo/supercharging and chargers, emissions, cooling, engine/powertrain control (mechatronics, modelbased predictive and adaptive control),
• alternative thermal engines,
• vehicle transmissions design and optimization (mechanical, hydraulic, electrical powertrains, hybrids),
• vehicle body/chassis design (including NVH and active mechatronic elements and their control).

The project has achieved extraordinary results, even from a transnational perspective. Moreover, the submitted documents and outputs are fully in content and form fully in accordance with the declared vision of the Competence Center program. The automotive industry with related fields has long occupied an exceptional strategic position in the Czech economy. The opponent committee has no doubt that the results and outputs of the Josef Božek Automotive Industry Competence Center now achieved will further strengthen this long-term position and that the public funds invested in the Center will benefit in the short term. The review committee congratulates all members of the project consortium on the results achieved.

Presentation of Centre

Results

 

TE01020075 Competence Center – Manufacturing Technology

Solver

Ing. Jan Smolík Ph.D.; Jan.Smolik@fs.cvut.cz
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague
Department of Production Machines and Equipment

The field of manufacturing technology (MT) supplies machine tools, forming machines and new technologies to all other engineering sectors. The project’s main objective is R & D of technical means, solutions and technologies in order to increase the main functional characteristics of machine tools. The main functional characteristics include accuracy, quality, production performance, reliability, cost-efficiency and environmental performance. The project’s objective is to support the technical excellence of the field in the Czech Republic so that by 2020 the Czech Republic will become one of the TOP10 MT producers in the world. 

The project’s main objectives

To enhance technical excellence of the most significant Czech MT producers and to increase their competitiveness and production so that by 2020 the Czech Republic will become one of the TOP10 MT producers in the world (currently placed 13th).

To improve the competitiveness of the Czech manufacturing technology sector by securing its ability to offer machines and technologies with the following significantly enhanced main functional characteristics:

• Accuracy – particularly geometrical machining accuracy, geometrical and dimensional accuracy of the end product and its machined surfaces;
• Quality – particularly of produced surfaces, positive impact on waviness, roughness, appearance, etc.;
• Production performance – particularly short- and long-term production performance of machines;
• Reliability – particularly increasing reliability of machines and all their functions, and to secure reliability of the manufacturing process and long-term production quality;
• Cost-efficiency – particularly minimizing unit costs, idle time, service cost and machine production and operation costs;
• Environmental performance – particularly minimizing energy consumption and negative environmental impacts of machine production and operation.

From 2015 the results of the project will contribute to the year-on-year revenue growth of consortium enterprises by a minimum of 1 % and from 2017 by a minimum of 2–3 %. Thanks to the application of the project’s results, revenues of the consortium enterprises should reach a cumulative growth of approx. CZK 2.9bn during the reference period 2012-2019 (a minimum of CZK 1.5bn in case of adverse global economic situation).

By 2019 to implement the results of the project on 49 new or significantly innovated machines from the production of consortium enterprises. By 2020 to implement the results of the project on a minimum of 50 % of produced machines and technologies.

The TE01020075 project has received funding from the Technology Agency | Competence Centres Call.

Results

 

TE01020036 Advanced technologies for heat and electricity production

Solver

prof. Ing. Jiří Nožička CSc.; Jiri.Nozicka@fs.cvut.cz
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague
Department of Fluid Dynamics and Thermodynamics

The project is focused on applying the latest knowledge in the field of heating, especially the expansion of knowledge about the characteristics of fuels, efficiency of equipment, reducing self-consumption and optimization of distribution networks.The research team includes research, design and production organisations, which ensures the implementation of research results into practice. This will strengthen the position of participating manufacturing organizations in the market.

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