The achievements of the Materials & Environment Lab (MEL) to date were presented by its Scientific Director, Radek Zbořil, at the REFRESH project off-site meeting. His presentation, entitled A long journey to sustainable technologies starts with a single atom, highlighted the laboratory’s scientific progress and its potential for real-world applications. The regular meeting of project representatives and partners from public administration and government institutions took place on 22 October in Velké Karlovice.
“Thanks to the REFRESH project, VSB – Technical University of Ostrava and the Moravian-Silesian Region are emerging as a major European hub for materials research, driven by AI-assisted materials design and atomic-scale engineering. A key factor in this development is the outstanding international research team we have assembled, bringing together scientists from 12 countries. Another major milestone has been the establishment of a unique research infrastructure. Our scientists now have access to one of the most advanced electron microscopy facilities in Central Europe, as well as cutting-edge technologies that enable the synthesis of materials with atomic precision,” said Zbořil.
The head of MEL also highlighted the significant contributions of other university departments and research centres to the living lab’s activities, particularly the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology, the Faculty of Mining and Geology, and the IT4Innovations National Supercomputing Center. He also emphasised the broad scope of MEL’s research, spanning solar technologies, water purification, chemical catalysis, waste valorisation, energy storage, and biomedicine.
Alongside successes in securing international research grants and publishing findings in leading scientific journals, Zbořil presented specific technologies with considerable potential for practical applications. Particular attention was given to the development of single-atom engineered antibiotics and novel plasma-based technologies, demonstrating how cutting-edge fundamental research can be translated into innovative real-world solutions.
Collaboration with industry partners and technology transfer were also central themes of the presentation.
“I am particularly pleased that, alongside our excellent scientific achievements, we can showcase concrete examples of successful collaboration with industry. One such example is our long-standing partnership with ERG Recycling, focused on the valorisation of waste generated during ferrochrome production. I also see tremendous potential in our collaboration with a number of companies to develop new decentralised water treatment technologies. These could prove invaluable in the aftermath of natural disasters, in conflict zones, or in other emergency situations,” Zbořil concluded.
