The REFRESH Management Board fine-tuned the key aspects of the project

Key aspects of the REFRESH project, which is intended to significantly contribute to the transformation of the Moravian-Silesian Region, were discussed by members of the extended project Management Board in December. The last step remaining before the official start of project implementation under the Just Transition Operational Programme is the decision on the grant approval by the Ministry of the Environment of the Czech Republic.

“The meeting aimed to familiarize all participants with the current state of the REFRESH project and at the same time present its key aspects in the areas of organizational structure, indicators, performance parameters, defined milestones, and monitoring and control methods of project implementation. We also talked about communicating the project outputs both internally and externally, financial project management, and risk analysis,” said Igor Ivan, the Vice-Rector for Strategy and Cooperation and the main investigator of the project.

The strategic project REFRESH, submitted by VSB-TUO together with the Moravian-Silesian Innovation Centre and the University of Ostrava, was unanimously approved by the Regional Conference of the Moravian-Silesian Region last October. The project is a key tool for implementing the SMARAGD vision which aims to transform the region into a SMARt And Green District. The goal is to attract top researchers to the region and connect them in so-called living laboratories with students and the commercial sector. The strategic research topics include advanced power engineering, new materials, robotics, and automation, as well as the societal impacts associated with the transformation.