The two-day professional conference Technology Days: Energy & Environment took place at VSB – Technical University of Ostrava. The event was organized by the Faculty of Materials Science and Technology in cooperation with Specion, s.r.o. The conference attracted experts from both academia and industry and provided a platform for sharing current research and technological trends in sustainable energy, hydrogen technologies, and environmental protection.
Among the keynote speakers were researchers from the Centre for Energy and Environmental Technologies (CEET), who shared their research results focused on the development of sustainable and environmentally friendly energy solutions.
“I am very pleased that CEET could participate in Technology Days: Energy & Environment to such a significant extent. Representatives from our research departments, ranging from energy research and nanotechnology to environmental technologies, were among the keynote speakers," said Jiří Ryšavý, one of the conference speakers.
“In my presentation, I introduced the development of low-cost and sustainable catalytic solutions for cleaning emissions from biomass, linking the fields of energy and environmental protection with an emphasis on practical implementation. There was also strong interest in the excursion to the Energy Research Centre, where I had the opportunity to guide nearly two dozen participants and present our experimental facilities and ongoing projects,” added Jiří Ryšavý.
Another noteworthy presentation was delivered by Gražyna Simha Martynková, Director of the Nanotechnology Centre (CNT), CEET, who focused on challenges related to battery safety and recycling. She emphasized that thorough material analysis is essential for the development of renewable energy sources and electromobility.
“The conference is highly beneficial, particularly in terms of sharing new knowledge and trends in materials engineering for energy and environmental applications. CNT has long been a partner of Specion in the field of laboratory instrumentation for materials research. The aim of my lecture was to connect scientific development with advanced material characterization for energy storage research, where battery safety and recycling are currently key topics. Research at CNT is based not only on modern technologies but above all on precise analysis of the obtained materials, in which such collaborations play a significant role,” said Gražyna Simha Martynková.
Maria Zdończyk was also among the speakers, presenting research on responsive hybrid materials designed to operate under energy-relevant conditions while actively responding to their environment. “The key focus of my presentation was the use of electron-beam processing to locally tune material functionality, enabling patterned and multistate optical responses without complex fabrication workflows. This work is closely connected to ongoing research at the E-BEAM laboratory, where electron-beam technologies are explored as versatile tools for advanced material processing and functional design,” specified Maria Zdończyk.
Petr Praus subsequently shared his experience in microplastics research. His lecture focused primarily on analysis and photoreforming for hydrogen production. Further valuable insights were presented by Jan Bednárek, who introduced new methods for the adsorption of pharmaceutical substances and heavy metals on activated carbon derived from black pine. This research focuses on innovative technologies for cleaning contaminated water and air, representing a significant step toward a more environmentally friendly future.
The conference also included a student competition for the best scientific poster. In strong competition, doctoral student Nikola Kostková from the University of Pardubice won with her work titled Nitrogen-Doped Zeolite Templated Carbon Support for Ni Nanocatalysts in CO₂ Methanation. We offer our sincere congratulations to the winner.
The involvement of CEET experts at Technology Days offered not only an opportunity to present current scientific progress but also created a space for professional discussion on the challenges the energy sector faces during the transition to sustainable and environmentally friendly technologies.