CENTEM - New Technology and Materials Centre
The main strategic aim of the project is to be an important source of research capacities equipped with modern machine technology for the needs of industrial and research institutions both inside and outside the region in order to take part in developing new technologies.
Registration number of the project CZ.1.05/2.1.00/03.0088
Date of beginning of project implementation 01.01.2011
Date of completion of project implementation 31.12.2014
Total costs 441,505,677 CZK
Total grant 323,976,132 CZK
of which 85% from the European Regional Development Fund 275,379,712 CZK
of which 15% from the state budget of the Czech Republic 48,596,420 CZK
The CENTEM project, which is implemented by the New Technologies - Research Centre (NTC) of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, began its activities at the beginning of 2011 and is planned to finish in December 2014. Then a period of sustainability follows till the end of 2019 at least, though the Centre plans to keep the research activities permanently.
Workers of the Centre have been working on all five research programmes of the CENTEM project (C1 -Research and Modification in Material Morphology and Surface Texture, C2 –Advanced Technology Based on Polymer Materials, C3 -Laser Technology for Material Processing and Analysis, C4 -Research and Development in Polymer Composites, C5 -Materials for Photovoltaics, Photonics and Microsystem Technology).
As this is a centre supporting the creation of infrastructure, whose research subject matter and sustainability have to be ensured by contracted research and finance for excellent results (RIV), another 11 partial projects were submitted for approval within the above-mentioned CENTEM research programmes. 12 projects already in progress were allocated by the New Technologies Centre and two other approved projects are being carried out.
The CENTEM implementation team regularly monitors and coordinates project performance, research activities and selection procedures. The CENTEM Scientific Board has been appointed, which approved a three-member supervising team. There are currently 70 employees of the research programmes participating in research activities: among these there are 5 leading research professors, 13 workers in the position of senior researcher and 44 workers in the position of junior researcher and young PhD graduates. The rest of the employees have technical and administrative positions.
The CENTEM project does not invest in construction work, as it uses existing premises of the scientific technological park, and the majority of funds is therefore aimed at the purchase of necessary mechanical equipment. Five new devices have been supplied and are being used, and on the basis of another 45 selection procedures, 21 contracts for purchasing equipment were concluded by the end of October, whose purchasing price exceeds the amount of 150 million CZK. Unexpected difficulties accompany the contract for the supply of equipment concluded during February 2011 with the Japanese company Jeol. Fulfilment of the order has become unexpectedly complicated because of the natural disaster. The implementation team therefore is trying to decide how to extend the deadlines of deliveries from the Japanese partner. There are no other unexpected issues to be resolved in the meantime within the implementation of the CENTEM project.
Veronika Nováková