We Are a Partner in an Excellent Research Project, Bridging Machines and Nature

Cooperation Achievements Science

Last week, a press conference officially marked the commencement of the "Mechanical Engineering of Biological and Bio-inspired Systems" project funded by the Excellent Research (OP JAK) program. Among the project partners is the University of West Bohemia.

The project, spearheaded by the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Brno University of Technology, aims to bridge the worlds of nature and machines, with the goal of advancing the development of a new generation of implants and groundbreaking industrial materials. The consortium of partners also includes the University of West Bohemia, represented by its research institute, the New Technologies – Research Center (NTC). Part of the project will also be implemented at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering UWB. 

One of the driving forces behind this project is Professor Martin Hartl from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Brno University of Technology, who emphasizes the critical role of a multidisciplinary approach. "In the field of mechanical engineering itself, there is limited room for groundbreaking discoveries, as those occurred in the 19th and 20th centuries and were pivotal for humanity. This doesn't imply that mechanical engineering is no longer significant, but rather that we must venture to the edges of our discipline, where it intersects with other fields. This is where we can make new, fundamental discoveries," states Hartl.

 The Mechanical Engineering of Biological and Bio-inspired Systems project abbreviated as MEBioSys, has been recommended for funding with a budget of half a billion Czech crowns. It involves over 150 scientists from five Czech research institutions. In addition to engineering experts, the project will engage chemists, materials scientists, and 3D printing specialists.

"Our team will be responsible for research spanning a wide range of areas, from the development of new alloys and additively manufactured metallic materials to bioactive functional materials based on ceramics," explains Ján Minár, outlining NTC's role in the project. "In the segment focusing on transferring mechatronic solutions to nature, Tomáš Kovářík will lead the research plan. This includes laser-induced micro and nanotexturing, thermodiagnostics, as well as bioactive surface functionalization and characterization," adds Professor Minár.


Project Information: 

  • Project Title: Mechanical Engineering of Biological and Bio-inspired Systems (MEBioSys)
  • Project Duration: 09/2023 – 06/2028
  • Participating Institutions: Brno University of Technology, Institute of Physics of Materials of the Czech Academy of Sciences, University of West Bohemia – New Technologies – Research Center, University of Chemistry and Technology Prague, Czech Technical University in Prague
  • Budget: CZK 499.8 million



Gallery


BUT - Laboratory of biotribology - photo L. Koníček

New Technologies - Research Centre (NTC)

Dita Sládková

27. 09. 2023