Czechs Show UK the Latest Technologies & Materials

Some of the world’s most advanced and innovative technologies and materials were showcased at a seminar at the Czech Embassy in London on November 5th.

The seminar featured the work of the top brains from the Czech Republic’s research institutes, universities and businesses. It was organised by CzechInvest, the investment and business development agency of the Czech government, in co-operation with UKTI and was part of the Czech-British Technology and Innovation Days 2009 programme. This included the UK NanoForum & Emerging Technologies 2009 event
at London’s Hilton on Park Lane Hotel and a visit to Surrey Research Park and Surrey University.

Among the speakers was Petr Sedo, of Elmarco Ltd, the first and still the only company in the world which makes machines – so-called Nanospiders – for the industrial production of nanofibres. Three types of polymers are produced – organic, inorganic and melts, using flexible, easily adaptable technology.

The work of another world leader in nanotechnology, Optaglio Ltd, was described by Libor Kotacka, its Director of R&D. The company specialises in ultra-precise electron lithography which is primarily used to produce holographic stamps and labels, mostly for governments worldwide.

The seminar also featured the work of Crytur, a leader producer and supplier of detectors and detection units for scanning electron microscopes and monocrystalic materials for laser applications and dielectric surfaces for high-quality optics.

Other presentations were from the Research Institute of Textile Machinery, Liberec, on air-jet and water-jet weaving machines, among other developments; 5M Ltd on bonded high precision panels for optics; the University of West Bohemia on speech technology; Czech Technical University on machine perception; the Technical University, Liberec, on nanomaterials in hazard removal; and Brno University of Technology on surface science
and nanotechnology research.

The audience included representatives of UK businesses, academia and others interested in exploring potential joint ventures with their Czech counterparts.

“We are developing some of the most advanced technologies and materials in the world,” said Hana Chlebna, UK & Ireland Director, CzechInvest.

“The Czech Republic has always had a reputation for high quality engineering and innovation, underpinned by a tradition of scientific research. For a small country of just 10 million, we punch well above our weight and lead Europe in some of the most advanced fields.”