Five innovative projects receive support from SIGMA program

J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences has successfully launched the SIGMA program aimed at supporting the commercialization of scientific discoveries. In the first call of the program, funded by the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TA ČR), five promising projects were selected to receive funding of up to 1 million Czech crowns each.

A total of ten researchers submitted their innovative proposals to the internal competition announced in 2024. All projects underwent thorough evaluation by the Commercialization Board, composed primarily of representatives from the commercial sector, who assessed the uniqueness of the technologies, their practical market impact, and commercialization potential.

During the Commercialization Board meeting held on December 4, 2024, scientists had the opportunity to personally present their projects and answer the evaluators' questions. "This direct dialogue between researchers and industry representatives is crucial for the successful transfer of scientific knowledge into practice," stated Jiří Trnka, head of Heyrovský Technology Transfer Center.

The highest rating was awarded to Vojtěch Hrdlička's project, which focuses on developing an innovative separation and preconcentration flow device. This device utilizes an advanced method of liquid-phase microextraction with subsequent electrochemical detection.

Other supported projects include:
-    Filamentless electron source (Ján Žabka)
-    Device and method for in vitro testing of drug and cosmetic effects on human tear film (Lukasz Cwiklik)
-    Electrostatic ion trap with charge detection (Anatolii Spesyvyi)
-    Manufacturing of axially symmetrical tip probes based on platinum and iridium alloys for scanning tunneling microscopy (Magdalena Hromadová)

The SIGMA program represents a significant step in supporting applied research and technology transfer into practice. The selected projects will be implemented over one year and have the potential to significantly contribute to the development of various industrial sectors.

Heyrovský Technology Transfer Center plans to announce the next call in autumn 2025, with the implementation of supported projects scheduled to begin on January 1, 2026.