The new facility will accommodate around fifty researchers engaged in research and experimental development of automated vehicle control, e-mobility systems, and information and communication technologies for industry, leveraging artificial intelligence and machine learning. The construction, which was inaugurated today, will involve an investment exceeding 100 million crowns.

"In these new premises, we will have state-of-the-art facilities for research and development activities, collaborating with our partners-  various companies and institutions, as well as serving our clients. This will enable us to support the region's digital transformation and industrial evolution by creating new technologies for production digitization and autonomous mobility. These include applications utilizing artificial intelligence, machine learning, digital twins technology, advanced signal processing, and image and lidar data analysis, among others," explained Petr Šimoník, Scientific Director of the Industry 4.0 & Automotive Lab for the REFRESH project, highlighting some of many activities.

A testing polygon will also be constructed adjacent to the new building, filling a gap that has previously required researchers to rely on commercial partners' facilities. "To our knowledge, there is no other test polygon for cooperative, connected, and automated mobility located on a university campus in the Czech Republic. This facility will allow us to test technologies for cars, trucks, and mobile robots. Having our own polygon equipped with a 5G network will significantly accelerate and streamline development," Šimoník added.

The building's construction represents the most significant construction initiative within the REFRESH project."This new infrastructure will greatly expand our capabilities, especially in digitization technologies, but will also strengthen our capabilities in materials research and energy engineering. I am very pleased that we have decided to replace an unused technical building instead of developing green areas," said REFRESH Director and Vice-Rector of VŠB-TUO Igor Ivan.

The laboratories and polygon will further strengthen collaboration between academia and industry. "We welcome the construction of this new research and development center at VŠB-TUO. It will allow us to deepen our long-standing partnership with university researchers, focused on the automated or remote control of our vehicles," remarked Radomír Smolka, a member of the Tatra Trucks Board of Directors responsible for development.

The aim of REFRESH (Research Excellence For REgion Sustainability and High-tech Industries), the largest project to date at VŠB-TUO supported by a CZK 2.5 billion grant, is to address the challenges facing the Moravian-Silesian region and contribute to its successful economic, energy, and environmental transformation. The project includes four interconnected living laboratories that conduct cutting-edge research in close collaboration with businesses, aiming to develop materials and technologies for green energy and carbon footprint reduction, as well as implement new methods of digitalization, robotization of industrial processes, and automation in transport. A key component of the project is assessing the social and economic implications of this transformation, along with establishing conditions for the prompt integration of research results into everyday life, a responsibility entrusted to a team from the partner University of Ostrava. More information about the project can be found on the website.