
The first Energy Lab workshop facilitated knowledge exchange, sparked inspiration for further research, and much more
What are the objectives of the REFRESH Energy Lab? What strategies are the researchers employing to achieve the goals, and, in particular, what are they currently working on? These questions were also addressed at the Energy Lab workshop held on Tuesday at VSB-TUO. The first meeting aims to establish a tradition of similar regular workshops.
“The region expects significant help from us as it transitions from a coal region to a sustainable and attractive place to live in. This is the primary goal of the REFRESH project. At the Energy Lab, one of the four living laboratories that form part of the project’s research agenda, we are facilitating the region’s energy transformation by developing new low-carbon technologies that promote energy self-sufficiency not only in the Moravian-Silesian region but also in other areas of the Czech Republic and the EU. I am pleased that we have held the first joint Energy Lab meeting with the participation of outstanding international researchers, allowing us to discuss specific research topics across all five research programs. We will continue to convene in this format regularly to track advancements in technologies and methods essential for the region’s transformation,” stated Stanislav Misak, Scientific Director of the Energy Lab and Director of the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies.
The researchers discussed, among other things, the potential for efficient bio-waste conversion via hydrothermal carbonization, technologies for hydrogen production, equipment for renewable energy applications, and the establishment of an emerging international reference center for hydrogen safety research.
In addition to researchers from the Energy Lab, representatives from the Social Lab also participated in the workshop. “Through the REFRESH project, we collaborate closely with other living labs, and events like this enhance our understanding of the nature and focus of technically oriented research, which is essential for creating and implementing a joint research design. This collaboration is fundamentally enriching,” stated Ondrej Slach, Scientific Director of the Social Lab and Vice-Rector of the University of Ostrava. He presented not only the research topics of the Social Lab but also outlined possible common themes of both living labs, such as battery production for the automotive industry and the acceptance and legitimization of new technologies for developing renewable energy sources.
The Energy Lab focuses on critical domains including energy storage, hydrogen technology applications, waste to energy conversion, and the digitalization of energy systems. The experts aim to collaborate with companies to facilitate a successful shift from fossil fuels to low-carbon energy engeneering, while also promoting energy self-sufficiency and independence in the Moravian-Silesian Region. Additionally, they consider the societal impacts of these transformative changes.
- Hanuman Thorat: Proton Exchange Membranes and Electrocatalysts for Environemtn friendly and Cost-effective Electrolyzers
- Witold Kwapinśki: Hydrothermal carbonization in sludge conversion
- Aymen Flah: Special AC machines for renewable energy applications
- Leonor Calvo Galván: CESAR – Centre of Excellence for Safety Research: Shaping the Future of Safety
- Bartosz Zawadski: Photocatalytic activities of NiO/Vermiculitematerials in hydrogen production










