As 2025 draws to a close, it is a good moment to look back at what CIIRC CTU has achieved over the past months. It was a year of strong scientific results, international successes, and major projects in the fields of artificial intelligence, robotics, and cybernetics. We continued to strengthen cooperation with academic and industrial partners while also opening ourselves more to both the professional community and the general public. Below you will find an overview of the most important events, awards, and activities that we reported on throughout 2025.
Key moments of 2025
- In 2025, the Mařík Center for Informatics, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Cybernetics (MICARC), named after CIIRC Scientific Director Vladimír Mařík, was officially opened at NIMS University in India.
- Researchers from CIIRC CTU and the Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (IOCB CAS) advanced a global benchmarking initiative for AI-driven molecular discovery, significantly expanding the use of artificial intelligence in scientific research.
- The new CLARA research center, which connects artificial intelligence, supercomputing, and quantum technologies to improve understanding of neurodegenerative diseases and develop new approaches to their prevention and treatment, organized events for both the general and professional public.
- CIIRC succeeded in the European AI Factories call together with a consortium led by VŠB–TUO. As part of the Czech AI Factory (CZAI), a highly powerful supercomputer for AI computing will be acquired at the National Supercomputing Center IT4Innovations in Ostrava. CIIRC CTU will coordinate the development of new AI services across a wide range of application areas—from industrial manufacturing, energy, and healthcare to public administration, cybersecurity, and future mobility.
- The Vampire theorem prover dominated all eight categories of the world championship in automated theorem proving.
- A CIIRC and FEL CTU team placed second in the international Amazon Nova AI Challenge.
- Professor Olga Štěpánková received the Milada Paulová Award for lifetime contribution to artificial intelligence, ranking her among the most prominent figures in Czech AI research.
- Associate Professor Lenka Lhotská was honored at the IUPESM 2025 World Congress in Adelaide, Australia, for her lifetime contribution to biomedical engineering.
- In 2025, CIIRC CTU once again participated in the International Engineering Fair, where activities of the National Centre for Industry 4.0, RICAIP, EDIH CTU, and other industrial partners were presented under the United by Innovation concept, demonstrating how the connection of research, innovation, and industrial practice delivers concrete technological solutions.
- Josef Šivic received an honour from the French Republic for his outstanding contribution to artificial intelligence and computer vision.
- EDIH CTU, which secured Horizon Europe funding for another three years, received the AI Award in the category of AI in Public Administration for its projects and services.
Excellent Research at CIIRC
Research conducted at CIIRC CTU has long achieved a high standard, as confirmed not only by independent scientific rankings but also by the national research evaluation under the M17+ methodology, in which CIIRC ranks among the top research institutions in the Czech Republic. The fields of computer science and robotics, developed in cooperation with FEL CTU, rank among the European leaders according to international evaluations. Among the highest-ranked Czech computer scientists working at CIIRC are Josef Šivic (2nd place) and Tomáš Pajdla (3rd place) in the national ranking.
The high scientific quality of research is also demonstrated by events organized at CIIRC, such as the international conference Prague Synapse 2025, which opened an interdisciplinary discussion on how neural networks can understand the world in a way similar to the human brain and brought leading global experts in artificial intelligence and cognitive sciences to Prague. Another testament to CIIRC’s research excellence is the prestigious GA ČR JUNIOR STAR 2026 grant awarded to Karla Štěpánová for research on personalized robots.
From research to application
In 2025, CIIRC CTU research was strongly reflected in concrete technologies with real impact in industry, construction, and public administration. The RICAIP Testbed Prague team, in cooperation with the Brandýs nad Labem plant of Continental Automotive—transformed in 2025 into the global technology company AUMOVIO—developed a unique digital twin system for a production line. This system combines artificial intelligence, camera systems, and digital production models to enable more precise monitoring, predictive maintenance, and increased manufacturing efficiency.
In robotics, the “The Brain of the Construction” project was successfully transferred into practice, demonstrating the use of masonry robots and showcasing the potential for automating traditional construction processes using AI and sensor technologies. Practical research impact was also evident in the public sector. Within the European Digital Innovation Hub EDIH CTU, the AI chatbot ADAM was developed to facilitate work with extensive legislative documentation for the Audit Authority of the Ministry of Finance, contributing to more efficient public administration.
An important role in transferring these results into practice was played by the CIIRC Tech Dating 2025 open days event, which created opportunities for direct interaction between researchers and industrial partners and showcased concrete technological solutions. The EDIH CTU and AI-MATTERS TEF projects also continue to provide long-term support to small and medium-sized enterprises in manufacturing digitalization and the adoption of artificial intelligence in industrial practice.
Awards and grants
In addition to the awards mentioned above, several others deserve recognition. Milan Němý received an award for his scientific contribution at the international AD/PD 2025 conference, highlighting his research results in the field of neurodegenerative diseases. Professor Vladimír Kučera was awarded an honorary doctorate from Tomas Bata University in Zlín for his lifetime contribution to control engineering and automation. EDIH CTU received the AI Awards 2025 in the category of AI in Public Administration for its practical use of artificial intelligence.
Events in 2025
Expert workshops and seminars
In 2025, CIIRC CTU hosted a wide range of expert workshops, seminars, and conferences focused on current technological and societal topics. A major event was the conference Legal Aspects of AI and Robotics, which opened a discussion on artificial intelligence from a legal and regulatory perspective. Other key expert events included CLARA Days 2025, an international meeting of leading experts in brain research and artificial intelligence, offering a platform for sharing the latest insights at the intersection of neuroscience, AI, and computational technologies. The expert program was further enriched by practice-oriented events, including the Industry 4.0 in Practice initiative organized by the National Centre for Industry 4.0 and the Construction Literacy program delivered by the National Centre for Construction 4.0.
Events for the general public
This year, we also organized Researchers’ Night 2025, which attracted hundreds of visitors. Another event was the exhibition Metamorphoses of Art 2.0, which opened a dialogue between humans and artificial intelligence through art. The exhibition is still open to visitors in our atrium until January 4, 2026.
We would like to thank all colleagues, partners, and visitors who took part in CIIRC CTU activities in 2025. We look forward to new challenges, opportunities, and projects that 2026 will bring.
