Czech researchers visit Mexico accompanied by CzechInvest

26 Jun. 2015 | CzechInvest | Strengthening of relations is motivated by the Horizon 2020 framework programme and support from the Mexican government

Čeští výzkumníci navštívili v doprovodu CzechInvestu Mexiko

Czech specialists from CEITEC in Brno, the Czech Technical University (CTU) in Prague and VÚTS, a.s. in Liberec took part in a technology mission to Mexico from 22 to 26 June 2015. They visited several Mexican research institutes, with which they agreed on cooperation in several areas. The group travelled to Mexico as part of a business delegation led by Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mládek, which was accompanied by representatives of CzechInvest.

“The Czech and Mexican economies are similar in many respects, such as their emphasis on industry and highly developed automobile and aircraft manufacturing. It is apparent that the most promising areas of possible cooperation are mechanical engineering, informatics and robotics, materials engineering and energy,” said Minister of Industry and Trade Jan Mládek.

Trade between the Czech Republic and Mexico has doubled since 2010. For example, the Mexican automotive components manufacturer Nemak has been operating in the Czech Republic for fifteen years, investing approximately CZK 11 billion and creating 430 jobs here.

“The European Union’s Horizon 2020 framework programme for research and innovation could now bring a completely new phase of intensive relations between Czech and Mexican specialists. In order for Mexican researchers to also take part in projects financed from this fund, the Mexican government is offering supplemental funding for their participation,” said Karel Kučera, CEO of CzechInvest.

The current cooperation between Czech and Mexican researchers indicates strong potential. Czech specialists are taking part in exchange stays and joint projects with industrial uses. For example, Ladislave Čelko of the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC) has published papers in several prestigious publications in cooperation with Mexican colleagues and played a role in the development of a newly patented technology in the area of sintering composite materials. “This is a technology for joining materials in powder form using pressure and heat at temperatures lower than the melting point of at least one of the joined components,” explains Ladislav Čelko, who during the technology mission acted on behalf of CEITEC in concluding a memorandum on cooperation in the areas of nano- and microtechnologies and advanced materials.

Through Professor Vladimír Kučera, the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics at CTU also has well-established contacts in Mexico. Professor Kučera has guided a number of Mexican post-graduate students and, in cooperation with Mexican partners, has authored a number of papers on the topic of research in the area of automatic control systems. As a member of the delegation, he signed on his institute’s behalf a memorandum on cooperation with the CINVESTAV agency of the Mexican National Polytechnic Institute.