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How can the local university help the Pilsen Region with issues such as drought, energy, transport, or air quality? This is precisely what Jiří Fiala from the Faculty of Economics focused on in his master's thesis, for which he won the inaugural award for the best final thesis on sustainability. He received the award from Vice-Rector for Academic Affairs Jiří Kohout.

In his work, Jiří Fiala writes that UWB best addresses those regional needs related to expertise, data, modeling, testing, or project support. In the same breath, however, he adds: "The university possesses the capacity, projects, and partners, but these elements are not yet consistently integrated into a more firmly anchored framework that would more clearly unify and highlight its role in the region's environmental transformation." According to him, the Pilsen Region clearly seeks expertise and support regarding data, technology, and project implementation in environmental areas — particularly concerning the energy transition, landscape adaptation, monitoring, infrastructure, mobility, and strategic planning. It thus proposes options for improving cooperation between the two institutions.

In this year's inaugural edition, the 21 works nominated for the Rector's Award addressed efficient energy use and sustainable design. The second awarded project was by Jakub Herman from the Faculty of Applied Sciences, who focused on how hybrid trucks can use energy more intelligently and operate with lower fuel consumption. "The proposed system can better manage energy usage based on the route and driving conditions, and in tests, it achieved fuel savings of up to 22–23% compared to a conventional powertrain," he notes.

The final project to garner attention, and with it, third place, was the bachelor's thesis by Tereza Bartovská, a student at the Faculty of Design and Art. It presented a design for special clay blocks that, thanks to their shape, facilitate better airflow and provide shade, thereby helping to cool down overheated urban environments. Nature-inspired blocks are produced using 3D printing and can serve as decorative walls on terraces, in gardens, or in public spaces.