The National Center for Artificial Intelligence is launching at the Czech Technical University in Prague. It will connect AI research with practice and deliver dozens of concrete solutions for companies and the public sector.

Almost a hundred planned outputs and pilot projects for companies across nine areas. At the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics, the project of the National Center for Artificial Intelligence (NCUI) was officially launched yesterday. The center builds on top-tier academic research and, in collaboration with companies and public institutions, transforms it into concrete artificial intelligence applications with direct real-world use. NCUI succeeded in the SIGMA call of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic and ranked among 4 successful projects out of 19 submitted proposals.

NCUI is a platform for developing AI solutions directly in collaboration with companies that actively participate in individual research topics. It focuses on practical applications across key sectors such as industry, transport, IT, energy, and healthcare. Research will take the form of pilot solutions enabling rapid validation and subsequent deployment in practice.

“What is key for us is that results don’t remain just on paper. We want to create solutions that are truly used in practice and can stand up to international competition,” says the project’s principal investigator, Assoc. Prof. Přemysl Šůcha, Head of the Industrial Informatics Department at CIIRC CTU. “Direct integration of companies into joint research is essential to achieving these goals. It’s not just about cooperation, but about co-developing solutions for specific application scenarios,” adds Assoc. Prof. Tomáš Kroupa from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at CTU, deputy principal investigator of NCUI.

The project plans to deliver dozens of outputs, including digital twins, multimodal computing platforms, agent-based architectures, and specialized AI algorithms. These technologies connect advanced AI methods with specific application needs of partners and have a direct impact on the competitiveness of the Czech economy.

“NCUI represents a crucial step toward translating cutting-edge AI research into concrete innovations with an impact on both the economy and society,” said Prof. Michal Pěchouček, Rector of the Czech Technical University in Prague, emphasizing: “Thanks to this project, CTU can fulfill its mission and meet the responsibility it has toward society.”

The project is funded by the SIGMA program of the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic, which will provide nearly CZK 400 million in support. The total project budget exceeds CZK 500 million, with a significant portion of the costs covered by industrial partners themselves. These partners join primarily for the expected outcomes and long-term collaboration rather than subsidies—large and medium-sized enterprises participate without claiming financial support.

NCUI brings together a total of 36 partners across academia, industry, and the public sector. The consortium includes six leading technical universities, 25 industrial partners (including startups, SMEs, and large corporations), as well as hospitals, municipal organizations, and state institutions. The non-profit sector is represented by prg.ai. The center is coordinated by the Czech Technical University in Prague, specifically CIIRC CTU, in close cooperation with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering. Other CTU faculties involved include Mechanical Engineering, Civil Engineering, Information Technology, and Biomedical Engineering.

“NCUI is an example of how the Czech Republic can systematically build capacity in artificial intelligence while linking it to European initiatives and state needs,” says Lukáš Kačena, the Government Envoy for AI and a member of the project board, who will contribute to the center’s strategic direction. “Supporting projects that connect excellent research with industrial practice is a priority for TA ČR. NCUI shows that this model of collaboration has strong potential in the Czech Republic,” adds Prof. Petr Sklenička.

An important part of NCUI’s activities is also support for public policy development in artificial intelligence. The center will provide expert backing for public administration decision-making and contribute to the development of explainable and trustworthy AI, including work with sensitive data, protection of critical infrastructure, and safe human-machine collaboration.

Research activities are organized into nine work packages that connect key AI areas with specific application domains—from industrial manufacturing and autonomous systems to transport, biomedicine, energy, construction, public services, and security. This interdisciplinary approach allows tackling complex challenges while creating solutions ready for real-world deployment. Each work package is tied to corporate partners actively involved in both research and implementation.

“NCUI is not just a research project, but the foundation of a strong national AI ecosystem. Its added value lies in coordinating and connecting capacities, sharing know-how, and systematically transferring results into practice,” concludes Prof. Vladimír Mařík, Scientific Director of CIIRC CTU and Chairman of the Project Board. Across all research activities, NCUI emphasizes safe, trustworthy, and responsible AI that considers ethical, legal, and societal aspects and enables reliable use in sensitive areas.