Palacký University won the prestigious Entrepreneurial Project of the Year competition. It succeeded in the nationwide competition with the project Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer, which it opened under the name Envelopa HUB this September. The award is given by the Ministry of Industry and Trade (MPO) in cooperation with the Agency for Business and Innovation (API), and was jointly accepted by representatives of the University of Olomouc and the statutory city of Olomouc in the Martinicky Palace in Prague.
“I am happy that we managed to build a unique center, the contribution of which was also confirmed by the experts during the selection of the best business projects of this year. We received the highest award in the Infrastructure Services program, thanks to the entire team that participated in the implementation, including our partners,” said UP Bursar Petra Jungová, who received the award during the gala evening directly on stage together with the Mayor of the Statutory City of Olomouc, Miroslav Žbánek. “The whole project is proof that the connection and cooperation between the municipality and the university is a really strong brand in the case of Olomouc,” added Mayor Žbánek.
Even Petr Kubečka, director of the UP Science and Technology Park, which includes the Center for Innovation and Technology Transfer, did not hide his joy at the award. “For us, this award is a confirmation that our effort to create a meeting place for science, research and the commercial sphere makes sense. We thank everyone who supported us in the preparation of the UP Innovation and Technology Transfer Center – Envelopa Hub project, the award is a motivation for us to further develop an innovative environment in the Olomouc agglomeration,” added director Kubečka.
The HUB envelope supports the creation and growth of innovative companies, which are expected to establish scientific research cooperation with the university and its students. “Thanks to the new premises, we can offer the professional background and equipment needed for cooperation between research institutions and industrial production entities. In this way, we contribute not only to the creation of new companies, but also help attract other companies to our region and, above all, increase the interest of our students in fields such as telemedicine, optics, nanotechnology, biotechnology and environmental technology, among others,” added Petra Jungová.
The Entrepreneurial Project of the Year awards have been awarded for successful projects supported by European structural funds since 2006. The 2023 projects were implemented from the Entrepreneurship and Innovation for Competitiveness Operational Program. Across priorities, for example, the quality of project preparation, implementation progress or final evaluation, contribution to the region or social and environmental contribution were evaluated. A total of 12 projects were awarded this year. The announcement of the results of the Entrepreneurial Project of 2023 took place in the presence of representatives of the state administration, social and economic partners, and above all important personalities of the business environment. Details of the festive evening are provided in an article on the website of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic.
Envelopa Hub serves as UP’s Innovation and Technology Transfer Center and offers facilities to companies focusing on optics, healthcare, new materials or IT. The building expanded VTP UP’s facilities and became a place where the academic world meets practice and connects the university, region, city, state administration and the business world. The modern five-story new building is decorated with a vertical garden on the facade made up of almost 18,000 plants, offers 35 offices and laboratories, 2 outdoor atriums, 2 charging stations for electric cars and 50 parking spaces. The building is also home to the digital innovation hub DIGI2Health and Element Coworking with 28 workplaces for rent and regularly held talks and workshops for the public, as well as the technological laboratory Fortress of Knowledge UP_LAB. The building was ceremoniously opened this September, we published information and photos on the pages of the UP Journal.
Tags: Envelopa HUB University Center won prestigious Entrepreneurial Project Year award
-
