​VÚAnCh, a member of the Unipetrol group, started the operation of the main building of the UniCRE research and education center in Chempark Záluží. Aside from researchers, its modern premises and top equipment will also be used by students of the ICT Prague Study and Teaching center in Most-Velebudice. The contract on their joint cooperation, which among others also adjusts R&D activities in the areas of applied and basic research, was signed today by representatives of Unipetrol, VÚAnCh and ICT Prague.

The UniCRE research and education center will become the most modern research institute in the Ústí region, and after entering into full operation will combine its research capacities with excellent teaching programs and industrial practice.

“The opening of the main building of the UniCRE research and education center is an important milestone of the whole project, which should be finished during the next year. UniCRE will employ dozens of highly qualified professionals, and the center should thus contribute to the development of the Ústí region,” said Martin Durčák, member of the board of Unipetrol. “A significant part of the activities of the research center will constitute cooperation with ICT Prague. The students of the Study and Teaching center in Most-Velebudice will work directly in the modern laboratories and classrooms of the UniCRE center. We believe that UniCRE will increase interest in chemistry of young people in the region,” added Martin Durčák.

“Signature of the contract on mutual cooperation between Unipetrol, the Research Institute of Inorganic Chemistry (VÚAnCh) and the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague (VŠCHT) is a positive signal with regards to continuation in and improvement of our traditional and long-term mutual cooperation”, says Karel Melzoch, President of the  Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague. “Setting the UniCRE research and education centre into operation started up even more intense discussion at our university about possibilities for use of the scientific and research facilities in the centre and linking this to the research and educational activities of our academic workers and students, this being both in the field of research and development and also education. We are interested in the maximum possible interconnection of the UniCRE centrum and the Institute of Chemical Technology in Prague, which should increase our chances of involvement in international projects, in particular in terms of Horizon 2020 in the new programme period.”

The contract signed today significantly strengthens the 13-year long cooperation of Unipetrol and ICT Prague. It newly defines joint activities in the areas of applied and basic research as well as cooperation on grant programs (both domestic and international ones). Students will be able to use the educational areas in Chempark Záluží, including modern UniCRE laboratories. Unipetrol and VÚAnCh will also financially support research activities of students by providing professional excursions/field trips or practical teaching with the participation of specialists from practice. ICT Prague should on the other hand help increase the qualification of Unipetrol employees and help popularizing chemistry among high school students. Joint projects will thus include e.g. the Chemical Olympiad, educational programs for high school chemistry teachers or the Open Day in Chempark.

The successful opening of the main building of UniCRE does not represent the end of the research and education center project. The next phase of the UniCRE project consists of the completion of the second building of the center, specifically the experiment building. The experiment building will be used to test refinery, petrochemical and other processes, catalysts, materials etc. under real-life conditions and with the use of real as well as model materials.

The new research and education center is being built by VÚAnCh, a member of the Unipetrol group, with financial support from the European Fund for Regional Development and from the state budget of the Czech Republic. It will employ 85 specialists. The project was supported by the European Fund for regional development (85%) and the state budget of the Czech Republic (15%) with a total support of 592,437,123 Czech Crowns. Provided resources are used predominantly for the refurbishment of research laboratories, conference and teaching areas as well as for the purchase of modern specialized and laboratory equipment. Part of the resources will also be used to fund research. The total budget of the project is almost 780 million Czech Crowns.