Tomas Bata University in Zlín

Two technologies from Tomas Bata University in Zlín made it to the finals of the Transfera Technology Day

Zlín, November 22, 2023 – On Tuesday, November 21, 2023, the next edition of the Transfera Technology Day competition took place in Rakvice in Hodonínsk. This year, 28 technologies from 13 Czech institutions applied with their projects. The best ones are selected by an expert jury made up of representatives of scientific research institutions and investors.

A total of 12 projects advanced to the final itself, two of which were from the Tomas Bata University in Zlín. Specifically, “Method of preparation of gel-type polymer electrolyte for lithium-sulfur battery”, which was presented by dr. Tomas Saha. “The use of Lithium-Sulfur (Li-S) batteries continues to grow worldwide. However, current batteries show deficiencies in impregnation with a non-aqueous solution that contains an electrolytic salt. For this reason, we focused on a formulation without any solvents in the photo-initiated cross-linking reaction, which makes it possible to prepare gel polymers that are environmentally friendly. In addition, the use of simple equipment

and undemanding operating conditions translates into low production costs,” explains dr. Tomas Saha.

The second finalist from the University of Zlín was the “Contact flexible temperature sensor”, which is dealt with in the Polymer Systems Center by prof. Radek Stoček and his team. “Technical products are mainly loaded cyclically and heat up enormously. Depending on the type of material of the product, the heating intensity also changes. As the heat increases, the product material degrades faster. Therefore, it is necessary to know exactly the course of the heating values of the material from which the product is made,” describes Radek Stoček and adds: “Currently, heating analysis can be performed with non-contact infrared sensors, but this method is demanding on the analysis conditions, and if these are not observed, the measured values they can be completely wrong. The accurate method is contact temperature measurement, but this again cannot be performed on cyclically loaded material, because there is no sensor capable of deforming together with the deformation of the measured material. Therefore, the presented technical solution concerns a contact flexible sensor for continuous temperature measurement on the surfaces of bodies in which the position or geometry of the analyzed object changes over time due to an external force acting on it.”

“We are pleased that we are succeeding in connecting Czech science and technology with the business community, thus creating suitable conditions for mutual cooperation. The UTB technology transfer center in Zlín is involved in the actual transfer into practice. Nowadays, it is a difficult and long-lasting process, finding business partners is not easy. We are all the more pleased that we managed to progress to the final with two projects at once,” says Ing. Ivana Bartoníková, director of the Technology Transfer Center.

The winner of the competition was the Palacký University in Olomouc for “AC-tive ENF – innovative needles for electroacupuncture”. Compared to classic passive acupuncture needles, the stimulation with these electro-needles is significantly more effective, and thanks to their special design, their application is also less painful and more suitable for children. In second place came scientists from Masaryk University with research into luminescent enzymes. The so-called luciferases are enzymes that allow living organisms to produce light. Fireflies are a typical example. Experts from Brno have created an artificial enzyme that glows much longer and more stably than the natural one. This can significantly improve the diagnosis and follow-up of some diseases and facilitate further research. “Innovative fully electromagnetic valve” from the University of West Bohemia from Pilsen finished third. This novelty stands out because it is very simple and innovative – it has an extremely fast response and low consumption compared to conventional valves.

The national association Transfera.cz has been operating in the Czech Republic since 2014. It currently has around three dozen members from universities, scientific

research organizations and other entities. Its mission is primarily to connect the world of science and business, to support innovation and to negotiate with the state administration. At the same time, it also provides investors with a database of promising Czech scientific research projects that can be applied on a global scale.