Digitalization has become an essential pillar of successful business and effective public administration. In an era of rapid technological progress, it is essential for companies and institutions to adapt to new digital challenges. European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH) and Testing and Experimentation Facilities (TEF) play a key role in this process. These are two important tools used by the European Commission to support the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in particular.
The EDIH network acts as a single point of contact where companies and public institutions can obtain advice, training, access to state-of-the-art technologies, and assistance with the implementation of verification phases for specific digital projects. There are six such centers in the Czech Republic. The TEF technology network, called “AI-MATTERS,” focuses on the use of artificial intelligence for industrial applications and offers technology companies and end users access to infrastructure for testing and verifying new digital products or services at the European level. It connects experimental workplaces—testbeds—in a total of eight EU countries, including the Czech Republic. Both network initiatives work together to ensure access to digital products, digital services, and testing opportunities, which is key to the success of the European digital strategy. In the Czech Republic, they are funded by the Digital Europe and National Recovery Plan programs.
At CTU, these opportunities come together thanks to CTU’s involvement in the EDIH CTU consortium and the coordination of the Czech TEF/AI-MATTERS node by the Czech Institute of Informatics, Robotics and Cybernetics (CIIRC CTU). Key areas of research and innovation are thus interconnected in one place, enabling CTU to make a significant contribution to the digital transformation of Czech industry and the public sector in a dynamically changing global environment.
RICAIP Testbed Prague: State-of-the-art infrastructure in the heart of Europe
The unique CIIRC CTU – RICAIP Testbed Prague plays a key role in both EDIH CTU and AI-MATTERS. It offers modern infrastructure for the development and testing of new solutions, whose equipment and expertise can be used by Czech industry on favorable terms. This experimental facility is equipped with cutting-edge technologies within the RICAIP center for advanced industrial production. RICAIP connects the Prague testbed with the testbed at CEITEC VUT in Brno and German testbeds at the DFKI and ZeMA research institutes, focusing on research and development in the field of robotics and artificial intelligence. The testbed provides a comprehensive environment for testing and integrating innovative solutions, ensuring support from idea to final product.
The RICAIP Testbed Prague, together with testbeds in Brno and Ostrava at VŠB-TUO, forms the basis of the Czech AI-MATTERS node and uniquely combines research with the real needs of industry. Scientists, small and medium-sized enterprises, and industry leaders have access to cutting-edge technologies, dozens of the latest robots, 3D printers, machine tools, a 5G SA campus network environment, and additive manufacturing equipment. The machines are connected via software and data using server and cloud applications that utilize artificial intelligence algorithms. RICAIP Testbed Prague is not only a research laboratory, but also a partner that, in cooperation with EDIH CTU and AI-MATTERS, offers comprehensive support to companies in their digital transformation.
What is EDIH CTU?
EDIH CTU includes most of the faculties of the Czech Technical University in Prague (CTU) and its partners include the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic, the Association of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, the Research Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation of the Chamber of Commerce, the prg.ai association, the Prague Innovation Institute, the Innovation Center of the Ústí Region, and the Czech-Moravian Center for Breakthrough Technologies. It focuses on helping businesses and public administration integrate modern technologies into their processes and production. EDIH CTU services include:
Testing and prototyping: The opportunity to test new technologies and systems in real industrial conditions before investing.
Consulting and advisory services: Assistance in navigating new technologies and their application in specific business environments.
Professional training: Education in the areas of digital skills development with a focus on artificial intelligence and machine learning.
Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and public administration can obtain EDIH CTU services free of charge or at significantly reduced prices. This gives even businesses with limited financial resources access to state-of-the-art technologies, equipment, data, and expertise that would otherwise be unavailable to small businesses.
From the lab to the market with TEF
TEF networks focus on technical testing and experimentation with new technologies, while EDIH centers provide the necessary support and advice for integrating digital technologies into practice. TEF/AI-MATTERS offers a wide range of services and direct support to AI technology providers, technology integrators, and end users. It provides a platform for testing and experimenting with advanced technologies, including AI, in real-world conditions. Within the AI-MATTERS consortium, which consists of 25 partners, seven national nodes and one satellite have been established, representing physical and virtual testing environments at the pan-European level. With a total budget of €60 million over five years, the project aims to increase the resilience and flexibility of the European manufacturing sector through AI, robotics, and intelligent autonomous systems. The Czech node of the AI-MATTERS network is led by CIIRC CTU in Prague and, together with other Czech partners, CEITEC VUT in Brno and VŠB-TUO in Ostrava, they provide companies with an extensive catalog of services focused on key topics such as smart factories and flexible manufacturing systems, manufacturing process optimization, human-machine-robot collaboration, data processing, IoT systems, industrial 5G communications, and much more.
How does cooperation with companies work?
At the beginning, experts from CTU meet with the company to familiarize themselves with its situation and identify its needs and requirements. This may involve a specific problem, an area for digitization, or an interest in technologies such as artificial intelligence or automation. This also reveals the options available for solving the problem. This is followed by further consultations, which result in the formulation of a technology or service offer and recommendations for further action. The client receives this input for further decision-making free of charge. This is followed by an assessment of existing technologies and processes. The subsidy consists of obtaining a highly specialized service for which the company would otherwise have to pay. If it is necessary to test new technologies, the company is given the opportunity to test and prototype them in real conditions, either at the RICAIP Testbed in Prague or directly in the company’s operating conditions. Successful testing is followed by advice on implementing the solution into operation and fine-tuning the parameters according to actual conditions.
The entire process takes place in the spirit of iterative cooperation, where CTU also strives to simplify the administration associated with providing the subsidized EDIH CTU and TEF services as much as possible, thereby reducing the burden on businesses. The main criteria are compliance with the company’s administrative conditions (including company size, compliance with the “de minimis” support rate for SMEs, exclusion of conflicts of interest, and other aspects) and program parameters, which mainly concern technological readiness (e.g., data readiness for the intended technology) and thus the realistic deployability of the technology. These important points will be clarified during the initial consultations, and the company will also learn whether the EDIH or TEF programs are suitable for addressing its specific needs.
Financial support
Selected entities, including start-ups, have the opportunity to use EDIH and TEF services at significantly discounted prices. Specifically for EDIH CTU, discounted prices for the purchase of offered products and services are intended primarily for small and medium-sized enterprises with up to 499 employees and public administration entities, while in the case of TEF, small and medium-sized enterprises and research organizations are eligible for support. From the client’s perspective, services from EDIH CTU and TEF are priced according to internal procedures, and then a discount of up to 100% is applied to this price, so that the client pays no or only a portion of the costs of the services provided by the EDIH and TEF expert teams. On the client’s side, it is necessary to take into account the necessary allocation of resources to ensure integration with internal processes and to ensure the subsequent operation of the innovation that will result from the project.
Duration and form of cooperation
Depending on the scope of the project, the implementation period ranges from several months to a year. Projects lasting longer than a year are relatively rare. The key factor is the complexity of the concept – it depends on whether EDIH CTU and TEF/AI-MATTERS experts need to create and deliver a new solution or whether they provide existing equipment (e.g., in the form of a lease), data, etc. Experts work closely with clients to understand their needs and tailor project plans to meet the set goals and parameters.
Successful projects speak for themselves
Examples of the wide range of services available to companies can be presented using specific EDIH CTU projects. For example, a specialized machine learning component was successfully delivered for the design and manufacture of large-volume plastic containers for liquids. As a result, the manufacturer significantly reduced the time from design to production of the final product and, in addition, increased its competitiveness in the production of highly customized products. A solution has been prepared for the City of Prague that allows for the scaling of the optimization process for the collection of large-volume waste containers and a significant increase in its capacity. As part of another current project, a system is being developed for wineries that will enable growers to reduce the amount of chemicals needed for pest control by tens of percent, which will have a positive impact on the Green Deal’s goals of improving the quality of surface and groundwater. The Czech Police will save millions of crowns a year thanks to smart monitoring of electricity consumption in large-scale components. Further examples of successful projects and case studies can be found directly on the EDIH CTU website under Service Implementation.
Synergy with OP TAK challenges
Many companies face challenges when they feel the need to digitize, for example due to pressure to increase efficiency and quality, or new opportunities made available by digitization, or concerns that they may be left behind in technological progress. However, they often lack the internal resources—both professional and technical—to properly evaluate and target investments in new equipment. For this reason, they are unable to correctly formulate a grant application, e.g., under OPTAK. In this context, EDIH and TEF help companies through consulting services to define what is truly meaningful within their digitization strategy. Both programs bring technological and commercial independence. Thanks to the experts involved, they concentrate knowledge in the field of new and emerging technologies, with which many companies do not yet have sufficient experience and whose deployment cannot be fully verified on the basis of analogous situations.
Unlike commercial suppliers, who naturally promote their own approaches and seek to maximize profits, with EDIH CTU and TEF/AI-MATTERS, clients can be sure that they will receive highly objective and neutral expert advice, which can serve as a suitable basis for further negotiations with specific suppliers. With the information obtained in this way, companies can then participate more effectively in other OPTAK programs (such as Digital Enterprise, Innovation, Technology for MAS, etc.). As a first step, those interested in digital projects should consider using the services of EDIH CTU and TEF/AI-MATTERS, which will help companies identify and verify technological solutions that ultimately bring maximum benefits. The second step may then be to participate in OPTAK programs, within which companies will purchase and implement specific digital products.
If you are interested in cooperation, you can contact the EDIH CTU and AI-MATTERS teams via the websites https://www.edihctu.eu/o-nas/, and https://ai-matters.eu/contact/. Our teams of experts are ready to provide the necessary information, advise on specific questions, and assist with the preparation and implementation of digitization projects.
