The Energy Research Centre Has a New Director

Karel Borovec assumes leadership at a time when the energy sector is adapting to technological changes and new regulatory requirements. Current research priorities focus on the efficient use of resources, reducing environmental impacts, and developing sustainable technologies.

In the following interview, you can read about the new director’s key priorities and his vision for the future of the centre.

Good day, Mr. Borovec. Congratulations on your election as a director of Energy Research Centre. Could you introduce yourself in a few sentences? I would be interested to know what you focus on at ERC and what brought you here.

After completing my engineering studies at the Department of Energy Engineering at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at VSB-TUO in 1994, and my military civilian service there, I started my doctoral studies under the supervision of Prof. Noskievič in 1996. Even during my studies, I was fascinated by energy, particularly technologies focused on reducing emissions, which later became one of the main themes of my professional focus.

In 1999, I was part of the founding of the Energy Research Centre (ERC), which from the beginning positioned itself as an applied research centre in the field of energy. Together with my colleagues, Mr. Ochodek and Mr. Horák, we began systematically building a measurement group, which over the years has developed into one of the most significant of its kind. Our goal was not only to obtain accurate data on combustion processes and emissions, but also to develop and validate new methods for reducing them.

Thanks to long-term cooperation with industrial partners and the academic community, we have been able to expand the centre's focus from basic measurements to comprehensive research in optimizing energy processes. Over time, ERC has become a respected research facility, and its results are applied not only in the Czech Republic but also internationally.

I would also like to ask, what are the main activities and focus areas of the Energy Research Centre?

Since its inception, the Energy Research Centre (ERC) has been deliberately focused on the application sphere. It is no secret that one of our main models in terms of organization and focus was the Fraunhofer Institute, a leading German research organization that works closely with industry, focusing on the practical application of scientific knowledge. We adopted the same philosophy – to listen to the needs of industrial partners, respond to legislative changes, and prepare research projects with real impact.

Our work focuses on innovations in energy, technologies for increasing the efficiency of energy systems, reducing emissions, and primarily on the decarbonization of energy. In this area, we work on projects such as the production of hydrogen from renewable sources, the design of photovoltaic parks, and the optimization of energy systems. In recent years, we have also been successful in proposing energy savings for municipalities and state organizations, thereby contributing to reducing their operational costs and carbon footprint.

The wide range of our activities naturally leads to diversification of income, which enables us to grow steadily and become more resilient to fluctuations in individual sectors. However, we are increasingly focusing on research activities that reflect the current challenges in the energy sector. Our goal is to bring innovative solutions that will help not only the industry but also society as a whole in the transition to a more sustainable future.

Let’s now move to the projects. What projects or initiatives would you consider the most successful in recent years?

One of the most significant projects of the Energy Research Centre was the INEF project (Innovations for Efficiency and the Environment). As part of this project, modern research and technological infrastructure was built, significantly enhancing our capabilities and enabling the formation of new research teams. This state-of-the-art infrastructure is now actively used in several projects, not only within ERC but also in key initiatives of CEET and VSB-TUO, such as the National Centre for Energy and the Refresh project.

Currently, ERC has four research teams, each focusing on a specific area of energy and the environment. Together, they form a cohesive unit that connects applied research with the real needs of industry and the public sector.

Applications for Industry and Municipalities – Zdeněk Neufinger’s team, with their highly regarded level of design and technical services, has achieved unique collaboration with the National Development Bank, with ERC being one of five selected companies in the Czech Republic working with this significant institution on the preparation of EPC projects. They are the main suppliers of energy services for Bosch in Jihlava and exclusive suppliers of design services for renewable energy in the Prague branch of Porsche.

Technologies for Environmental Protection – The team under my leadership, in cooperation with the Department of Energy and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at VSB-TUO, as well as the Czech Technical University in Prague, has been the leading researcher and provider of technologies aimed at reducing mercury emissions from the combustion of fossil and alternative fuels over the past decade.

Modern Heating Systems – Jiří Ryšavý’s team, successor to Jiří Horák alias SMOKEMAN, excels in solving issues related to monitoring and reducing major pollutants in emissions from local heating systems.

Innovation and Safety – The team led by Ján Vereš is rewriting standards in the field of fire safety and significantly collaborating on projects focused on hydrogen production and synthetic fuels from renewable sources. Notable partners include Veolia Energie ČR, a.s., the dominant energy producer in the Moravian-Silesian Region, and the Polish company SBB Energy, s.a., which participated in the unique implementation of a hydrogen economy from renewable energy at the Promet Plast s.c. facility near Wrocław.

Let’s return to you now. What do you consider to be the biggest success you’ve achieved in your career?

I consider building a competitive and practically successful emission measurement group, now operating under the name Technologies for Environmental Protection, to be my greatest professional achievement. The core of our work from the very beginning was finding new methodological approaches in recent years in the field of emission monitoring, particularly focusing on mercury, which according to some studies poses a significant ecological and health threat.

Since the start of my involvement in this area, I recognized the shortcomings of the methods available at the time, which often yielded inaccurate results. That’s why I actively focused on developing new and more precise methods that would allow not only more reliable measurements but also more effective emission regulation. A key milestone was validating continuous mercury measurement and subsequently accrediting this methodology, which represented a significant breakthrough in the quantification of pollution sources.

Thanks to these advancements, we created a methodology that greatly improved mercury emission measurement and allowed for more targeted deployment of technologies to reduce them. Our results are now applied not only in the Czech Republic but also internationally, which confirms the importance of connecting cutting-edge research with the real needs of industry and legislation.

What are your visions and plans for the Energy Research Centre in the future?

First and foremost, I hope that the Energy Research Centre will solidify its position within the CEET structure through its activities and results, significantly contributing to the centre’s main strategic goals. Our expertise and long-term experience position us as an indispensable player in applied research in energy.

One of my goals is also to raise awareness of our work and cooperation opportunities. It’s no secret that we make significant contributions to initiatives aimed at reducing the energy consumption of the campus, but we primarily focus on cooperating with industrial partners with whom we have established long-term relationships. I see great potential for further development and expansion of our activities in this area.

At the same time, I consider it important for us to actively contribute to the decarbonization of the energy sector and to play a role in societal relevance and sustainable development. All of this while maintaining high professional standards and ethical principles, which are essential to us.

Simply put - we want to be a key partner for industrial enterprises in the transformation of the energy sector. In everything we do, we don’t just aim to be the best, but, more importantly, to deliver applicable results.

Not only me, but also our readers would like to know what technologies or research areas you consider to be key for future developments in the energy sector?

The current energy sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation, with the most significant impact on coal regions, where fossil fuels have been relied upon for decades. Our main task now is to find effective and sustainable solutions to replace them with alternative fuels, including the energy utilization of waste and emission-neutral hydrogen.

I see hydrogen as one of the biggest challenges in today’s energy sector. Its use offers a wide range of possibilities, from industrial applications to transportation. Thanks to our cooperation with the Moravian-Silesian Region, we have developed a technology proposal, including project documentation, for hydrogen production from renewable energy sources directly located within the campus. This hydrogen could serve, for example, for public transport or infrastructure maintenance, which represents a concrete step towards sustainable and low-emission energy.

In terms of renewable energy sources, I consider energy storage technologies crucial. Whether through new materials or advanced storage technologies, I believe that efficient energy storage will determine the success of the energy transformation.

How does the Energy Research Centre cooperate with industrial partners and what role does it play in the application of scientific results into practice?

Cooperation with industrial partners has been a key area for the Energy Research Centre since its inception. The real needs of industry, which we address through economic cooperation and joint research projects, form the foundation for the successful transfer of scientific knowledge into practice. It is precisely the integration of academic research with industrial applications that gives our work tangible impact and enables us to effectively contribute to technological development.

Our activities focus primarily on technologies for reducing emissions, increasing efficiency, and reducing energy demand, in which we are considered one of the leading technical groups in the Czech Republic.

A significant area of our work is the implementation of EPC projects, which has positioned us among the top five partners of the National Development Bank. We have long-term cooperations with key players in the energy sector, including Veolia Energie ČR, a.s., ČEZ, a.s., Sev.en Engineering, s.r.o., Energetický a průmyslový holding, a.s., Lenzing Biocel Paskov, a.s., and other major industrial companies.

Let’s be more specific. What are the biggest challenges you are currently tackling at the centre, and how are you dealing with them?

At the moment, we are focusing on research and development of hydrogen technologies in the energy sector. We are working on projects related to hydrogen production from renewable sources, improving the efficiency of its production, and measuring purity, which is critical for fuel cells. In addition, we are developing materials for energy storage and reducing emissions through innovative catalysts and sorbents.

One of my priorities is developing a methodology for hydrogen purity analysis, which we are working on with the support of TAČR and the Ministry of Industry and Trade. We managed to obtain accreditation for sampling and analysis of hydrogen purity from high-pressure systems, which is a unique achievement in Europe.

At the same time, we are involved in the international project Core-H2storage, led by the Fraunhofer Institute, where we are contributing to the development of materials for efficient hydrogen storage. The next workshop of this project will take place as part of our conference Energy and the Environment in the Beskydy Mountains, held from September 8–10, 2025, at the Sepetná Hotel.

Sustainability is being highly emphasized right now. How important is it to you, and how do you incorporate it into your projects and research?

Sustainability is a significant aspect of all our activities. Our research on new technologies and the optimization of existing ones is primarily aimed at enhancing their effectiveness while minimizing their environmental impact, all while ensuring the greatest possible benefit for society. This is also done with consideration for energy and economic efficiency. " Ecology with common sense " – that is the motto I follow in both my professional and personal life.

We are at the final question. Let me ask you, what should your legacy be as the director of the Energy Research Centre?

The abbreviation ERC not only stands for the Energy Research Centre, but it can also be interpreted as three words: Effective, Resilient, Creative. This is how I would like to carry out my role as director, and how I would like ERC to operate. After all, these are the expectations I have for my colleagues, without whose efficient ideas, dedicated work, creative approaches, and, not least, trust, I wouldn’t be in the position of director of ERC.