A Journey from Manchester to the Czech Republic
In pursuit of stronger ties between China and the EU within the RECONMATIC project, on September 18th and 19th, 2023, following a successful annual meeting in Manchester, Arcas & Callisto Consulting (A&C) arranged a journey for our project partners from China led by Prof. Liu Jingjiang of the Center of Science and Technology and Industrialization Development, Ministry of Housing and Rural Development of China, embarked on an insightful journey to the Czech Republic.
The itinerary began with a visit to the Czech Technical University in Prague (CVUT), the pivotal institution behind the RECONMATIC project coordination. Here, they were also introduced to ENVISAN-GEM, a leading recycling and waste company located in South Bohemia and an integral Czech partner within the project, actively contributing to waste management tasks.
Day one at CVUT's Faculty of Civil Engineering was a hive of activity. The Chinese experts, representing not just the Center of Science and Technology and Industrialization Development, but also the China Academy of Building Research, engaged in meaningful discussions. The highlight was a presentation on the prototype of a cutting-edge multimodal acquisition system. Developed for capturing diverse construction and demolition waste data, this system promises advanced classification and automated recognition. The presentation was helmed by Vaclav Nezerka, the lead of WP4 within the RECONMATIC initiative.
Alongside the project coordinator and other CVUT colleagues, they toured several state-of-the-art laboratories of the university, exploring progressive recycling methodologies for CDW-derived materials. The day concluded with a strategic meeting with the faculty's dean, Prof. Jiří Máca. The current strides in RECONMATIC were emphasized and both parties deliberated on broader future collaborations.
The following morning, A&C took the Chinese experts' group and travelled to South Bohemia. After touring the ENVISAN-GEM's premises, we were treated to engaging presentations that dove deep into the company's initiatives and those of JAIP, represented by director Mrs. Michaela Novotná. The visit rounded up with a productive discussion on South Bohemia's regional innovation ecosystem and the tools driving its success.
The meeting was orchestrated and hosted by Jan Valentin (CVUT-project coordinator), Václav Filištein (ENVISAN-GEM), and Michaela Novotná (JAIP).
