Markus Dettenhofer is Executive Director of CEITEC, which aims to make a Central European centre of scientific excellence in Brno, Czech Republic. In an interesting discussion, he highlights some of the significant progress already made towards this goal, as well as the challenges he has experienced in creating a world-class interdisciplinary research facility in Central Europe
To begin, can you provide an overview of the Central European Institute of Technology (CEITEC)? When was it established and what does its remit entail?
CEITEC is a multidisciplinary research centre covering the fields of life sciences and advanced materials and technologies which was established by the EC on 6 June 2011. CEITEC is a consortium whose partners include the most prominent universities and research institutes in Brno, Czech Republic. The research is divided into seven research programmes and 64 groups.
By the nature of our structure as a consortium, we must work within the framework of our six different partners, which can be very challenging. The governance of this consortium is represented by all of the partners and put within a legal framework under a partnership agreement. The underlying premise for the formation of CEITEC was to improve the research potential of our organisation and the region in general, but also to act as a catalyst to spark transformation in how research is being performed in the Czech Republic.
How has Brno evolved to become a recognised hub for European science? What hand has CEITEC had in this?
Brno has great potential – it is a university city with 80,000 students and a great scientific history. Gregor Mendel made his ground-breaking discoveries in the genetics of the pea plant in the Augustinian Abbey in Brno. His discoveries led to the formulation of what is known as Mendel’s Laws of Inheritance, which serve as the foundation for modern genetics.
Although it is still very early, CEITEC has an immense influence in this region – the creation of new research laboratories will generate new jobs for nearly 500 scientists and over 1,300 students. The aim of CEITEC is to help create an environment where both basic and applied research can thrive. Also, CEITEC is actively involved in helping to shape the regional innovation strategy. These efforts demonstrate that the local governments and institutes such as CEITEC can work together to achieve common goals such as excellence in education and research, in addition to supporting entrepreneurship and innovative businesses.
Can you offer details of some of CEITEC’s core facilities? What makes the Institute so unique?
CEITEC is the first scientific centre in the Czech Republic to integrate R&D in the fields of life sciences, advanced materials and technologies under one organisation. The high-end technologies at its disposal will facilitate the study of subjects starting from the atomic level, moving to more complex molecules and seamlessly to the complexities of whole cells and organ systems.
The idea is to have access to a full-range suite of instruments that can be tailored to broad analytic capabilities. 10 core facilities will allow specialised research and high-quality equipment for advanced education and close, multidisciplinary cooperation. We have recently opened the first of CEITEC’s core facilities, the Josef Dadok National NMR Centre, which has the most efficient NMR spectrometer in Central Europe with working frequencies of 950 MHz. The rest of the core facilities will be fully operational in 2014.
By what means is the Institute enlisting Europe’s top research talents? How central is this to your operations?
CEITEC has recently hired several promising Group Leaders from Europe and the US to complement the already existing talent within the Institute. As for most recognised research centres, there must be a continuous renewal of new ideas. One way to accomplish this is by creating new research groups.
Our scientists attend and present at international symposia, but CEITEC also hosts international conferences and workshops. To enhance the development of our students, our newly formed PhD programmes will require that students spend significant time working in collaborating laboratories outside of the Czech Republic. Moreover, our core facilities are designed to allow CEITEC researchers, as well as investigators from other institutes, to have access to our unique instruments. The advancement of science requires the exchange of ideas and technologies, and CEITEC intends to foster an environment to promote these practices.
Further to this, with whom does CEITEC cooperate, and how is this played out in practice?
CEITEC cooperates with other academic institutes, industries and local governmental agencies. Our researchers have been collaborating with various organisations worldwide to further their discoveries. Additionally, CEITEC has signed Memoranda of Understanding to form partnerships with several research institutes including Imperial College London, the Austrian Institute of Technology and ETH Zürich. Our CEITEC researchers have been engaged in cooperative agreements with private companies in the fields of sensors, medical diagnostics, new microscopy designs and even in examining the structural integrity of art work.
What are the advantages of such collaborative exercises?
Having an extensive collaborative base is critical for us to understand the changing trends in science as they are being shaped. Without these networks, we would not be as competitive in today’s rapidly changing world of discoveries. The formalisation of our scientific networks is also manifested in CEITEC’s inclusion in the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI) roadmap projects.
As scientific questions are becoming more complex, a multidisciplinary approach is often required in order to address new scientific understandings and make ground-breaking discoveries. Over the years, teams of scientists have become larger, individually more specialised, multinational, and instrumentation is often no longer found all in one place. Therefore, pushed by the demand to perform higher-end research, science requires more extensive collaborations.
Are steps being taken to improve knowledge transfer and transparency between the Institute and the commercial sector?
CEITEC is currently in the process of putting a Technology Transfer Office in place that would serve the interests of the academic sector. Traditionally, there has been reluctance on the part of some academics to cooperate with the private sector. Although there is a transition period taking place in the country, the cultural gap between industry and academia has been much talked about. Within the initial formation agreement of CEITEC, it was articulated that our scientists would engage with the application sphere in the form of contractual research and intellectual property filing. To further this process, we are putting in clear guidelines as to how these engagements would take place and providing education on the potential advantages of working with industry.
CEITEC is based on the synergy of seven research programmes. Can you explain what these are?
CEITEC operates seven research programmes: advanced nano- and microtechnology; advanced materials; structural biology; genomics and proteomics of plant systems; molecular medicine; brain and mind research; and molecular veterinary medicine. The availability of a great deal of expertise that can reach across disciplines is one of the great advantages that scientists at CEITEC have. Currently, there are several cross-disciplinary projects underway, that include the exploration of microfluidics technologies, new materials for bone grafts, as well as novel medical diagnostics methodologies.
Are you hosting any events in the near future?
We would like to invite readers to the 7th International Conference on Materials Structure & Micromechanics of Fracture (MSMF7), to be held in Brno on 1-3 July 2013. MSMF7 will focus on fundamental relationships between structural and mechanical characteristics of materials. We are also kicking off the first of three CEITEC PhD programmes. This first one will focus on advanced materials and nanosciences. We are currently accepting applications to start in September 2013. Unlike many other programmes where the PhD student must specify their specialisation upon entry, CEITEC allows exposure to many sub-fields of material science before the student must choose a specific thesis topic.
What challenges or limitations is Central Europe experiencing in terms of R&D? How is CEITEC working to unlock untapped potential within the region?
Central and Eastern Europe face many challenges that have been left over from the former Soviet-supported regimes. Although more than two decades have passed, change in the form of bureaucracy, infrastructure and general practices has not been as rapid as within the private sector.
CEITEC is addressing these challenges by bringing in best practices that exist in other parts of the world. The recruitment of international researchers and management, as well as the promotion of student exchange programmes will help to catalyse this change. Our central goal is to support good science, and foster an environment for creativity.
The interview can be found also HERE.
