We support Czech-British technological cooperation in the field of sustainable energy

Last week, a group of ten representatives of British companies from the fields of hydrogen, photovoltaics and energy storage visited Prague, accompanied by two employees of the UK Research and Innovation agency, with whom we have been preparing this event for several months. The catalyst for the preparations and the Prague meeting itself was Otakar Fojt, Scientific Secretary of the British Embassy in the Czech Republic, who has a long-standing relationship with the TC Prague.

The two days of the British partners' stay were filled with visits to two research institutes, social events, but above all discussions on the possibilities of international cooperation and various forms of its support.  Although a moderated discussion on cooperation was on the agenda of the second day of the meeting, informal communication between the Czech and British participants started right after a short introduction of both parties at the very beginning of the event, which was opened by TC Praha Director Karel Klusáček, and continued during every free moment in the programme, including transfers to excursions to ÚJV Řež and VŠCHT during the first day. The two institutions are connected by, among other things, membership in the Czech Hydrogen Technology Platform (HYTEP), so it was natural that the presentation of research activities of both departments and technology demonstrations focused on the hydrogen economy. In the seminar block of the afternoon part of the event at VŠCHT, space was also reserved for presentations of other research institutes and their activities in the field of photovoltaics (Institute of Physics of the CAS) and battery research (CTU).

The meeting also had a pleasant social dimension. On the eve of the event, we planned together with OF to consume typical Czech food and drinks near TC Praha, which allowed a smooth transition into the program at the very beginning of the meeting. The icing on the cake of the social aspect of the event was the reception of the participants by His Excellency Mr. Matthew Field, UK Ambassador to the Czech Republic, at the Embassy, which was also attended by invited representatives of the Ministries (Transport and Industry and Trade) and CEZ.

At the beginning of the second day's programme, both UKRI representatives Kamran Choudhury and Conall McGinley, Horizon Europe NCPs (National Contacts) from TC Prague Kateřina Dostálová and Petr Pracna together with the representative of TA ČR from the International Cooperation Department Kamila Kinštová presented the possibilities of funding international cooperation.

The main focus of the second day were moderated discussions on specific cooperation topics, which opened with short two-minute introductions of the Czech and British participants, followed by a plenary discussion on the necessary directions for the development of innovative research in all three areas (hydrogen, photovoltaics and batteries), the problems of scaling up and the various barriers that business development may encounter. The participants then divided into three discussion groups according to these areas of interest to narrow down and concretise the topics mentioned, including towards the possibilities of seeking collaborative support in Horizon Europe calls and related initiatives. The results of this brainstorming session were presented at the end of the session by informal speakers from each group.  

The final informal networking hour included an evaluation of the event by all three organisers and preliminary planning of possible follow-up events, namely the promotion of the 2024 Hydrogen Days organised by HYTEP and the future extension of the current bilateral format to include another 'widening' EU Member State. It is of course too early to monitor the impact of this meeting, but all organizing parties agreed to follow the activities of the participants in the upcoming Horizon Europe FP calls and to support their efforts in every way.

For more information about this meeting, please do not hesitate to contact Kateřina Dostálová (dostalova@tc.cz) or Petr Pracna (pracna@tc.cz)