More than 150 representatives of companies, academia, public administration, and innovation organizations gathered on Thursday, May 14, at the CPIT TL3 facilities in Ostrava for the conference United by Innovation – Open Day for Industry 4.0. The event was jointly organized by the National Centre for Industry 4.0 and VSB – Technical University of Ostrava. Following previous editions held in Prague and Brno, this year marked the first time the event took place in Ostrava, a city that is increasingly establishing itself as a hub for technological innovation and advanced industry.
The presented outcomes and discussions clearly demonstrated that collaboration between research and industry no longer emerges in isolation within individual regions, but rather within an interconnected ecosystem spanning the Czech Republic — an ecosystem significantly shaped by the National Centre for Industry 4.0. A key role in this ecosystem is played by the network of testbeds linking the RICAIP Testbed Prague, RICAIP Testbed Brno, and the CPIT TL3 testbed in Ostrava. This network of research infrastructures is now creating conditions for faster deployment of innovations into Czech companies and providing businesses with opportunities to test new technologies in real operational environments.
Conference participants were also welcomed and supported by Igor Ivan, Rector of VSB-TUO, who emphasized the importance of long-term cooperation between the university and industrial partners, as well as the role of Ostrava as a region successfully transforming itself from a traditional industrial area into a center of advanced technologies. Alongside cutting-edge infrastructure, the region is now developing projects focused on artificial intelligence, supercomputing, autonomous mobility, and industrial digitalization.
The central part of the morning program featured a strategic panel discussion offering an exceptionally broad perspective on the future of Czech industry. Speakers included Radek Martinek, Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at VSB-TUO; Eduard Palíšek, CEO of Siemens Czech Republic; Adéla Hradilová, Chairwoman of the Board of Directors at MSIC; Šárka Šimoňáková, Deputy Governor of the Moravian-Silesian Region; and David Navrátil, Chief Economist at Česká spořitelna. The discussion connected perspectives from economics, industry, public administration, the regional innovation environment, and academia-industry collaboration.
One of the panel’s main conclusions was that uncertainty is becoming the new normal that companies must learn to work with over the long term. Geopolitical shifts, disruptions in supply chains, energy instability, and the rapid rise of artificial intelligence are reshaping the rules of business. Speakers emphasized that competitiveness today no longer depends solely on technologies themselves, but primarily on companies’ ability to transform their way of thinking — from passive adaptation toward actively shaping change. Equally important are workforce readiness, education, and a human-centric approach capable of aligning technological transformation with people’s needs.
The practical dimension of the event was highlighted by the second block of the program, dedicated to testbeds and concrete results of cooperation with companies. Participants had the opportunity to explore the Prague and Brno testbeds through guided video presentations while also learning about specific applications of technologies such as digital twins, large language models, and AI for the physical world. The presented solutions were developed in cooperation with companies and supported by projects such as AI-MATTERS.
The program also included guided tours of laboratories. Guests visited the Smart Factory, HealthLab, Mobility Lab, and Protolab facilities, where they could observe modern technologies in real operation — from robotic manufacturing and autonomous mobility to the development of healthcare and assistive systems.
The afternoon program was dedicated to partners of the National Centre for Industry 4.0 and presentations of concrete industrial case studies. Companies including Siemens, SICK, DEL, PHARIS, Adeon, Conteg, DEPRAG, Prima Bilavčík, MURRELEKTRONIK, and QPAG presented their experience and solutions. The innovation fair, featuring partner exhibition booths, was complemented by networking opportunities, expert consultations, and the possibility to undergo a DigiAudit, which helps small and medium-sized enterprises identify digitalization opportunities with the greatest impact on their business.
The venue reached full capacity, with 150 participants attending the event, confirming the growing interest of companies in the practical application of Industry 4.0 technologies and cooperation with research infrastructures. The Ostrava edition clearly demonstrated that collaboration among companies, universities, and public administration can generate tangible results, and that regions with a strong industrial tradition have the potential to become drivers of the Czech industry’s next technological transformation.
Foto: Petr Havlíček, VŠB – TUO
