"We aimed to assess the outcomes so far and explore further opportunities to connect various research programmes. I left with a very positive impression—we managed to define a number of opportunities as well as potential risk areas," stated Petr Simonik, the scientific director of IAL.

One of the discussions focused on the application of advanced signal processing and the integration of artificial intelligence in digitized production systems, including the implementation of digital twins. These methods aim to improve human resource planning, material management, and logistics. "We currently have multiple real-world examples of digital twins being utilized by clients with complex production workflows. Previously, they managed operations using Excel spreadsheets, but now they can plan production three months ahead, and daily planning updates can be automatically generated using the digital twin model," stated Jiri Koziorek, leader of one of the IAL/REFRESH research teams.

The workshop featured participants from all of IAL's research programmes, including the distinguished researcher Munisch Kumar Gupta, who has recently joined the research team.