Technology Cup 2011 – showcasing innovative ideas

This summer saw the launch of a major new national prize for the best innovative ideas submitted by students – the Technology Cup 2011. The awards ceremony was held at the Brno Exhibition Centre in June 2011 as part of the prestigious Autosalon trade fair. The idea of the Technology Cup is to encourage young people with bright ideas to present them to a wider audience. The organizers specified two key criteria for success: originality and practical applicability. Many of the students had already piloted their ideas in practice, so they were able to present some firm results as a springboard to develop and perfect their plans in the future. There were two award categories: one for university undergraduates or secondary school students, and the other for doctoral students. An attractive range of prizes was on offer for the winners – mobile phones, TVs and LCD monitors made by LG Electronics CZ, plus generous development grants provided by three of the event’s sponsors: the energy cluster Energoklastr, Mstětice Science and Technology Park, and the Ogilvy marketing group. A special prize was awarded by the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at ČVUT (the Czech Technical University in Prague) for the best entries submitted by the Faculty’s students. The total value of the prizes at the Technology Cup 2011 was over CZK 4 million.

Winning entries – undergraduates/secondary school students category

The winners in this category were:

• 1st prize: Tomáš Svoboda, Brno University of Technology: SCIOX 2.0 – X-ray and CT scanner for defectoscopy
• 2nd prize: Jiří Johančík, Charles University, Prague: Application of microwave radiators for repairing asphalt road surfaces
• 3rd prize: Michal Lošťák, Mendel University, Brno: Information portal for the Plumlov reservoir

The overall winner in this category – Tomáš Svoboda from the Brno University of Technology – submitted a project to construct and produce a mobile X-ray scanner known as the SCIOX 2.0. Svoboda, who works part-time in a Brno café to help fund his project, explains the genesis of the idea: “I’m absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award. The scanner is like a child for me. The biggest problem was finding all the necessary parts and deciding on the best construction solutions. My parents didn’t actually want the scanner in the house – they were afraid they might get irradiated.” Svoboda’s scanner was subjected to stringent tests by the Czech Office for Nuclear Safety.

Third prize in this category went to an innovative project supporting tourism development at the Plumlov reservoir, devised by Michal Lošťák, a student of the Faculty of Business and Economics at Brno’s Mendel University. He gives more details about his project: “I was pleasantly surprised to finish in the top three. The project is an information portal with its own built-in editing system and other multimedia features. The ultimate aim is to attract more tourists and investors to the Plumlov and Prostějov areas.” Lošťák explains his plans for the future: “The project has now moved into its second phase, and I’ve created a fully functional development version of the portal. Now I need to test it and add some new new content inspired by discussions I had with potential investors in the Plumlov area.” The project launch is scheduled for July 2011.

Winning entries – doctoral students category

This category was dominated by students from the Czech Technical University in Prague. Prizes went to two projects:

• 1st prize: Zdeněk Váňa, Jiří Cigler, Samuel Prívara, Czech Technical University, Prague: Project Eleven – Predictive indoor heating management
• 2nd prize: Ondřej Nývlt, Czech Technical University, Prague: Analysis of dependecies in Event Trees using Petri Nets

The winning project is a heating system which will be installed at the Vysočina Science and Technology Park and Technology Transfer Centre in Jihlava, where the students will also be able to use the specially equipped labs to continue developing their project. One of the key partners in the new technology park – and a leading sponsor of the Technology Cup 2011 – is the the Centre for Research, Development and Innovation (CVVI). Director Jan Rakušan explains the importance of the event: “The Technology Cup offers support and encouragement to talented students – the innovators of the future. We have seen huge potential at this year’s event, and we are determined that it should not go to waste. The quality of the projects was excellent, making it particularly hard to choose the winners. There was also a very diverse mix of projects from a wide range of different fields – and that is a really positive sign for the future.”

Special prize awarded by the Dean of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering at the Czech Technical University in Prague

This prize went to three students of the Faculty:

• 1st prize: Tomáš Kohout: ‘Juggler’ model for distance learning
• 2nd prize: Matěj Pčolka: Predictive management of penicillin production
• 3rd prize: Eva Žáčeková: Creation of models for predictive management of buildings

The Technology Cup 2011 attracted intense interest, with over 500 students from 19 universities and secondary schools entering the competition.

There was also a series of eight on-line quizzes, with the winners receiving mobile phones made by LG Electronics CZ.

The commercial partners of the event were LG Electronics CZ, Ogilvy, Energoklastr, CVVI, VTP Mstětice and PREMIO. Media partners were Radio KISS Hády, Brno TV, Eurocampus magazine and Študák magazine. We would like to thank all of the partners for their generous support. For more information on the event see the website www.technologycup.cz.

The organizers are already planning next year’s Technology Cup; the opening date for entries will be in October 2011. All fans of the competition can look forward to a range of new supporting partners, great new prizes and other challenges.