RICAIP is based on strategic partnership of leading Czech and German research institutions:
- CIIRC CTU (Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics, and Cybernetics Czech Technical University in Prague)
- CEITEC BUT (Central European Institute of Technology Brno University of Technology)
- DFKI (Deutsches Forschungzentrum für Kunstliche Intelligenz / German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence)
- ZeMA (Zentrum für Mechatronik und Automatisierungstechnik / Center for Mechatronics and Automation Technology)
RICAIP is a newly established international distributed research centre of excellence with maximum degree of autonomy, hosted as a new unit at CIIRC CTU with the direct participation of all the above stated partners.
RICAIP focuses on research areas related to Industry 4.0 and will strengthen research in industrial production with the results of artificial intelligence (AI) research. The centre will connect testbeds in Prague, Brno and Saarbruecken while focusing on two main trend of the future: Modular distributed production and Production as a service.
It will enable remote industrial production control or rapid adaptation according to the customer’s current needs or available means of production.
The framework for cooperation was set up already in 2016 under the auspices of German Chancellor Angela Merkel. The year 2019 became a key year, when the European Commission and, in addition to this, the Czech Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports decided to support the establishing of the centre in the total amount of almost 50 million euros (success of project in H2020 Teaming Phase 2 and ESIF OP RDE).
RICAIP aims to build a unique distributed research and experimental workplace RICAIP Industrial Testbed Core, the first of its kind in Europe to develop and test innovative solutions for advanced and fully integrated industrial production, continually optimizing to the changing environment. In addition, RICAIP EU Testbed Core aims to become a major contributor to the international standardization efforts and cybersecurity of the Industry 4.0 initiative, facilitating technology and knowledge transfer from academia to industry through the deployment and development of technical solutions tested and validated in the relevant industrial environment.
RICAIP mission is:
- to make a significant contribution to fundamental and applied research in artificial intelligence, machine learning, computer science and robotics for advanced industry;
- to create a collaborative ecosystem where academia, strategic industries, SMEs and national and regional authorities produce high-impact results addressing the key challenges of the economy and society;
- to promote interdisciplinary research and collaboration with non-technical scientific disciplines to address current needs and demands of society;
- to contribute to education&training of highly qualified professionals for research, industry, and public;
- to develop EU R&D Infrastructure for advanced industrial production (RICAIP Industrial Testbed Core) and also to support other related European research infrastructures.
RICAIP vision is:
- to be an outstanding international team of scholars with international visibility and impact in scientific research;
- to have an excellent scientific, experimental infrastructure and professional administrative and business development services;
- to provide an attractive and stable working environment for young as well as established talents in artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, computer science and advanced industry;
- to act as a key partner in major European research infrastructures for artificial intelligence, robotics, machine learning, computer science and advanced industry;
- to be the key centre for innovation and technology transfer for industry, business and the public.
RICAIP Project was also supported by the European Structural and Investment Funds (ESIF) of the Operational Program Research, Development and Education (OP RDE) (Reg. No. CZ.02.1.01/0.0/0.0/17_043/0010085).