VŠB-TUO and Korea Automotive Technology Institute to establish joint centre for the vehicle of the future

Ostrava (9 May, 2025) – A collaborative Advanced Industrial Centre for the Vehicle of the Future will be launched at VŠB-Technical University Ostrava through a partnership with the Korea Automotive Technology Institute (KATECH). Both institutions confirmed the arrangement on Wednesday, 7 May, by signing a memorandum in the presence of Industry and Trade Minister Lukáš Vlček, government officials, and the Rector of ČVUT.

“The centre aims to bring together Czech and Korean researchers and companies within the automotive industry. It will involve expert teams from multiple faculties, some already collaborating with Hyundai Motor Manufacturing Czech and its suppliers. We anticipate an even greater deepening of ties with Korean firms and academic institutions,” stated Václav Snášel, Rector of VŠB-TUO, who signed the memorandum.

“We will focus on applications for intelligent transport systems and innovations in cooperative, connected, and automated mobility. A key topic is software-defined vehicles—future cars primarily managed through services and applications, akin to modern smartphones,” explained Petr Šimoník from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at VŠB-TUO and scientific director of the Industry 4.0 & Automotive Lab of the REFRESH project, which intensively deals with this issue. Petr Šimoník is also an expert guarantor of the centre for VŠB-TUO, with Choi You-jun, head of KATECH, serving as the Korean counterpart.

The centre’s mission encompasses not only experimental development and research activities but also joint efforts to explore international collaboration opportunities in advanced communication systems like C-V2X, AI-driven assistance systems, automated driving, and remote control technologies. The cooperation will involve initiatives under EUREKA, Horizon Europe, and bilateral Czech-Korean research projects.

KATECH—the Korea Automotive Technology Institute—is a South Korean research organisation dedicated to advancing automotive technology, including electric vehicles, autonomous driving, batteries, and related fields.

During the Prague ceremony, a Letter of Agreement formalising the international partnership between VŠB-TUO and KATECH was signed. Minister Vlček and other representatives from the Czech government, universities, and industry also signed multiple strategic documents aimed at strengthening collaborations in nuclear energy, modern automotive technologies, and robotics.