REGION OSTRAVA

Unikátním nápadem v celosvětovém

měřítku je plánovaný projekt

Underground Lab, kterým chcete využít

prostory bývalého dolu Staříč. Můžete

nám přiblížit, jaké s ním máte plány?

Tento projekt cílí na vytvoření podzemní laboratoře v bývalém dole Staříč. Vybudovat

takový důl je otázka miliard; proč ho tedy

zasypávat, když ho můžeme smysluplně využít? Jednalo by se o jediný důl, který by v kraji

po čtvrt tisíciletí zůstal, byť by nesloužil svému původnímu účelu k těžbě uhlí, ale sloužil

by zejména pro vědu a výzkum.

V oblasti čisté energetiky komunikujeme

se skotskou firmou Gravitricity, která má

patent na gravitační elektrárnu, což si

můžeme představit jako mnohatunové

závaží, které je v době nedostatku elektřiny spuštěno do jámy a v době nadbytku

elektřiny naopak vytahováno na povrch.

Ideální pro kombinaci s jinými obnovitelnými zdroji energie.

Dále tady máme mnoho firem, např.

Huisman, které mají enormní zájem podzemní prostory využít. Podobně jako celá

řada výzkumných organizací a univerzit.

Devízou tohoto projektu je i to, že zde

budeme moct nadále vzdělávat studenty

v programech, které jsou vázány na podzemí. Například se teď hodně mluví o těžbě

lithia či zlata. A jediná univerzita, která stále

produkuje odborníky na těžbu a zpracování surovin, je VŠB-TUO s Hornicko-geologickou fakultou. Těžba surovin není o uhlí,

ale o rudách, stavebních surovinách a ve finále i o vodě.

Pane docente, děkujeme Vám za rozhovor

Cutting Edge Energetics,

IT Technologies and a New Beginning

for an Unused Mine at VŠB-Ostrava

Technical University

VŠB-Ostrava Technical University is entering a roaring twenties for the twenty-first century with

a line-up of grand innovative projects for the future. From university applicants to graduates and

cooperative companies, VŠB is offering a wide variety of opportunities to take part in something

extraordinary.

The VŠB-Ostrava Technical University

has developed a new 2021+ strategy for

its future endeavors. Could you specify,

for our readers, what this new strategy is

based on?

This strategy will cover all of the university’s

activities and is built upon three key pillars:

education for practical application, accredited research, and effective functionality.

The ‘education for practical application’

pillar has the goal of stabilising our student

numbers by offering interesting study programmes. We aim to become a university

that is attractive not only to Czech students

but also to students from abroad and educate graduates who can be used in practice as desirable employees or courageous

entrepreneurs.

I daresay that for the first time in history

we have clearly defined fields in which our

university aims to propagate and reach the

number one spot within the ‘accredited research’ pillar. These fields include energetics

incl. environmental technologies and new

materials and information technology and

informational technologies led by our supercomputer center and laboratories focused

on Industry 4.0.

We also often work with PhD students and

this September we are launching a new

programme called PhD Academy. This is

essentially a large offer of courses across

94 ǀ POSITIV 3/2021

the university which may be used by PhD

students to further their studies.

All of these pillars are imbued with the premise of internationalisation, meaning that

everything we do has a global impact. This

has the purpose of changing the perception of our university. The stereotype of VŠB

being solely connected with the coal mining

industry has not been accurate for quite

a while.

The changes you have set in motion also

include a new logo along with a new

visual style of the university, is that

correct?

Yes, the update to the entire visual style

of the university is what started it all. We

would like to present ourselves as a modern

university; a large financial investment

has been put into this project and we are

preparing new study programmes. We try to

get as close to students as possible, we have

a completely digitized admission procedure,

mobile application, we have built a number

of relaxation zones on campus, etc. We are

a modern technical university.

Your university also spawned the

REFRESH project in conjunction with your

partners. It is one of thirteen strategic

projects chosen by the Moravian-Silesian

Region for possible support from OP

Spravedlivá transformace. Could you give

us a closer look at its content and vision?

What impact will REFRESH have on

education? Is there going to be a larger

student involvement?

REFRESH is part of our SMARAGD strategy,

which includes several projects aimed at

aiding the revitalization and restructuring

of the Moravian-Silesian Region. The

name is an acronym for ‘Smart And

Green District.’ As part of the SMARAGD

strategy, our university carries several key

projects: REFRESH, Underground Lab,

European Digital Innovation Hub and the

development of the supercomputer center.

Overall, SMARAGD should offer the region

a new knowledge base and technologies

that help bridge developments in energetics

and the heating industry, support the

founding of new innovative companies as

well as attract scientists and students from

foreign countries.

You mentioned REFRESH as a key

project. What exactly is the focus of this

project, and who are you collaborating

with on it?

The REFRESH project is composed of three

so-called ‘Living Labs.’ - ‘living laboratories’

with a strong connection to industrial

partners and effective transfer of results

into practice.