The refurbished building will become the headquarters of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies Explorer II (CEETe II), which will significantly strengthen the research and innovation infrastructure of the university as well as that of the wider region.
The funding has been provided through the Operational Programme Technologies and Applications for Competitiveness, under the call Infrastructure Services – ITI – Call I, Activity b). This call focuses on the development of research and innovation infrastructure and the improvement of its services, with the aim of increasing the intensity of joint research, development, and innovation activities between business entities and the public sector. Particular emphasis is placed on research, development, and the implementation of new technologies and advanced innovative solutions.
The primary objective of the CEETe II project is to enhance the innovation capacity and competitiveness of the Moravian-Silesian Region. The project will deliver the reconstruction of premises and the creation of modern facilities for both existing and new research staff engaged in the development of new products and advanced research activities. The project also includes the establishment of an open research and innovation infrastructure in the field of materials research, as well as the expansion of the portfolio of specialized research infrastructure services in materials science.
The modernized infrastructure will be closely linked to the CEETe I test polygon within the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies, which is focused on testing methods and technologies in the area of modern energy systems. As part of the CEETe II project, Building N at VSB-TUO will undergo comprehensive modernization; the building currently houses, in particular, research laboratories of the Nanotechnology Centre and the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology.
The reconstruction of the building is scheduled to take place from the end of 2025 until April 2027.
The newly modernized laboratories will form an interconnected network of so-called living laboratories, enabling further development of activities in materials science and contributing to an increase in both the quality and intensity of joint research, development, and innovation projects. These activities will be carried out in cooperation with universities in Ostrava, relevant business entities, and the public sector, not only at the regional and national levels, but also within the European Research Area.
