We establish our first spin-off company

The team of the Heyrovsky Centre for Technology Transfer has made progress in the preparation of the establishment of a spin-off company, thanks to which we will put our innovative photocatalytic technologies aimed at cleaning and protection of cultural monuments into practice. On 29 November 2022, the Academic Council of the CAS approved the intention to establish the spin-off company, a limited liability company, which will be established early next year.

"It is said that commercialization through the establishment of spin-off companies is the most difficult form of technology transfer and in the conditions of the Academy of Sciences this is doubly true. On the other hand, our institute sees this form as an opportunity to significantly value our intellectual property," says Jiří Trnka, head of the Heyrovsky Centre for Technology Transfer.

The new company, which will use the know-how created by Dr. Jiří Rathouský, will be the exclusive property of the J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry. It will offer comprehensive consultancy in the field of photocatalytic and photochemical technologies, restoration of historical materials, or small-scale production of means for complex protection of historical materials.

"In recent years, we have developed a number of innovative materials and nanotechnologies that have promising application potential. However, as the main focus of our scientific work is basic research, we have been able to devote only limited attention to their transfer into practice. The spin-off company being established will enable us to intensify our cooperation with the application sphere and to obtain valuable feedback on its needs," adds Dr. Jiří Rathouský.

One of the conditions for the successful start-up of the company is cooperation with the National Heritage Institute - the guarantor of monument care in the Czech Republic and also the administrator of a number of cultural monuments in the Czech Republic. In February 2023, we are planning a joint seminar for experts from the National Monuments Institute, where we will introduce them to the advantages of our technology and the possibilities of its use in the restoration of monuments.