How do you encourage young people to take up sports, engage with culture, or adopt healthier habits? In Liberec, students had 24 hours to come up with answers. A total of 63 high school and university students took part in the sixth edition of the Liberec Ideathon competition, presenting concrete and inventive solutions for the region. The jury was most impressed by the TULgether and Linserka HUB applications. The competition took place at the 101010 Cultural Centre in Vratislavice and was organised by the Regional Development Agency, CzechInvest and the Liberec Region.

What if it really works out? What if the ideas and visions that may sound almost improbable today become reality within just a few years? This is the central premise of the conference MoonshotX Liberec – What if we get it right?, which will take place on Wednesday, May 6, from 4 p.m. at Linserka in Liberec. The event will offer inspiration and remind audiences that behind every great achievement, there is ultimately a courageous person willing to do something for others.

How good is the weld or surface finish on my product or a component supplied to me? Was a defect caused by improper handling, or was there a hidden material flaw from the start? These are examples of questions that the team at the CXI TUL university research institute can answer very quickly. Thanks to the SUPPORT4SME project, companies can now access help with specific production issues, consultations, analyses and other services provided by a top-tier scientific workplace at minimal cost. The offer is intended for small and medium-sized enterprises with up to 250 employees from the Liberec, Ústí nad Labem and Karlovy Vary regions, as well as from Saxony.

Three companies and seven technical challenges for 25 students. That was the second edition of TechStarter, a six-month intensive program connecting schools with industrial companies in the region. At the ceremonial closing event, secondary school students presented their projects. There was no shortage of healthy confidence or lessons learned from mistakes. The event concluded with financial awards being presented to the successful participants.

The frame of an e-bike is tensioned on a pneumatic device, handlebars are bent in a testing rig to the verge of breaking, and brakes are made to withstand a simulated downpour. This is what an ordinary day looks like at the Engineering Test Institute in Jablonec nad Nisou. It is here, too, that decisions are made on whether new products will pass the safety filter and meet the demanding requirements of the market.

Until now, water analysis results often took several days. With a new method developed at the Institute for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovation at TUL (CXI), they are available within five hours. That speed can be absolutely crucial when it comes to taking effective measures to protect public health.