Oldřich Pavlovský is a graduate of Brno University of Technology with a flair for innovative projects, not only in Brno. In his professional life, he has associated himself with engineering companies and his goal is to connect the top know-how of Czech universities with potential customers in the world. He is the director of Thein Innovations.
Innovation is an important tool for economic development. Which projects are you focusing on, and with which partners?
I would like to define the term innovation first because when people hear this word, everyone can imagine something different. For us, innovation includes the research work of universities and academies of science and various improvements in companies, including improvements in the production process, marketing, and business. We see innovation as a key driver of growth, competitiveness, and sustainability in many sectors. We assume that there are many creative people in Czech companies, and we want to apply this creativity to large international projects.
That is why one of the services we offer is the “Innovation Audit”, where we help companies and universities to find and exploit this potential adequately in the market. We choose our partners carefully in the world. We are looking for someone who understands our philosophy and wants to contribute to growth.
Thein is currently a very strong group, thanks to the combination of traditional Czech engineering with modern ICT technologies. We have complemented these two sectors with the Thein Innovations project, which wants to focus on the intellectual property business. It wants to keep track of everything crucial in our country and the world and use it for the benefit of the companies in the group and for the development of society as a whole.
At the end of March, I was honoured to participate in the Business Mission to the USA led by the Minister of Industry and Trade, Jozef Síkela. The busy agenda and the opportunities that are opening up led me to the idea of establishing the position of a work coordinator with companies having innovative potential directly at the Ministry of Industry and Trade, because many companies in the Czech Republic have something to offer the world. And we want to be there for these activities. The same goes for public-private projects with Czech Invest or universities. That is where we see the strength of the Czech industry. Long-term, meaningful projects.
We are very interested in environmental issues and landscape change projects. In these projects, we would like to use a patent license from the Brno University of Technology to build a multifunctional water reservoir, and thus provide better irrigation for the area. The Ministry of the Environment, the State Environmental Fund of the Czech Republic and the regions support similar projects. We are developing a number of projects that have innovation potential and are moving us forward, whether it is 3D metal printing, Industry 4.0, 5G networks, ESG, Apple in healthcare, or the use of AI in cybersecurity.
As part of the commercialisation of your research, you founded Thein Innovations. What are its goals?
I like big visions and creating the conditions for their realisation. And that is the case with our ambition to be active players in the global IP (intellectual property) market. Thein Innovations aims to offer universities, academics, and other patent holders a quality platform for the commercial development
of their ideas. We believe that it is by using our engineering facilities for manufacturing, prototype building, and mass production with targeted marketing, financing, and, above all, years of experience that we can help promising Czech innovations on their way to global markets. We are looking for projects that share our long-term vision of moving digital transformation and the economy forward.
One of the intermediate steps is the establishment of an innovation index. Here we determine the innovation potential of a company or university and work together to increase it in order to get the product (patent, established Start-up) on our business platform with a percentage of an offer from that patent or company. This effort includes a clear description of the product. We believe this is the way to go. Only by effectively introducing innovations will we increase the productivity of Czech companies.
The digitalisation of healthcare means a new dimension of healthcare. Where do you see opportunities for improving the quality of this care?
We are members of the Life Sciences 4.0 platform, where we are trying to be active especially in telemedicine. We are following big players like Apple, as well as the efforts of Czech entities like Advanced Medical Solutions (hereafter AMS) or Dr. Digital. Encrypted patient data to be used by a doctor or nurse and reducing the need for personal visits is a clear direction.
We are currently linking the Neurosmart Foundation’s efforts with Dr. Digital and Apple solutions and are working on a telerehabilitation project with AMS. This is probably where we can best apply our ICT services, 5G, and engineering skills. We have the advantage of being able to leverage synergies and offer comprehensive services thanks to our portfolio.
The huge amount of money that Apple is putting into this area guarantees not only rapid development, but also its introduction into everyday practice. In general, we are thus fulfilling our credo of supporting small companies in large global projects.
The greening of transport and renewables also present an opportunity for hydrogen technology. What are your activities in this area?
Hydrogen technology is a direction in which many countries and companies are investing, knowing that it is a good investment for the future. In Brno, for example, a consortium of companies and universities around Honeywell received USD 200 million in funding for developing a hydrogen aircraft. The Italian company NGV Powertrain is converting trains, buses, and ships to run on hydrogen. Transport companies are launching tenders for the first deliveries of hydrogen buses and refuelling stations. Everything about hydrogen is just beginning. We are debating the construction of an electrolyser to produce pure hydrogen together with Shell, which is also investing heavily in green energy. The industrial part of Thein Group is also arranging HYVIA brand hydrogen vans for Czech logistics and the technology company Zásilkovna, a member of the Packeta Group. Sustainability is a crucial issue for the entire group. That is why the ESG theme resonates very strongly with us.
Thank you for the interview.
