Innovations in automotive lighting technology and optical devices for defence purposes, research in the field of Raman spectroscopy or quantum optics, but also the possibilities of studying optics. All this was presented to more than forty participants of a workshop organized by the Czech Optical Cluster in cooperation with the Innovation Center of the Olomouc Region (ICOK).
The workshop Optics as a HI-TECH field took place on 9 November 2022 at the Faculty of Science of Palacký University in Olomouc (UPOL) with the participation of scientists and representatives of companies presenting some of the excellent research and innovation results in the field of optics. 
The workshop participants were first welcomed by Petr Přikryl, Vice-Chairman of the Executive Board of the Czech Optical Cluster, followed by Jan Šafařík, Deputy Governor of the Olomouc Region, and Jaromír Fiurášek, Head of the Department of Optics at Palacký University in Olomouc. The lecture part was opened by ICOK representative Martin Ohlídal with an interesting presentation devoted to the results of the analysis proving the importance of the field of optics for the region.
The workshop program was divided into two lecture blocks. In the first block focused on science and education in optics, participants were acquainted with the study programs of the Department of Optics, but also with some scientific achievements, equipment of special laboratories and the main directions of research in optics. Both within Palacký University in Olomouc and in the Joint Laboratory of Optics UPOL and the Institute of Physics of the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic. One of the extraordinary results of UPOL’s research and development cooperation with ZEBR and Meopta-optika, the unique Raman spectrometer, was also mentioned.
In the next block, a total of six companies presented their research and development of innovative products in the field of optics. These are Meopta – optika, PRAMACOM-HT, ZEBR, Hella Autotechnik Nova, ZKW Automotive Engineering CZ and Plastic Omnium Lighting, which Varroc Lighting Systems became part of a few weeks ago.
The workshop program ended with an excursion to the optical laboratories in the building of the Faculty of Science of UPOL and expositions of military optics and three presenting companies operating in the field of automotive lighting technology development.
“Today’s presentation of the top cooperation of companies, the public sector and the education sector across the entire value chain of the optics industry confirmed that optics is a high-tech field with a future and importance for the region. The basis of the development of our field is cooperation, which also works on the human side. This event can be considered a successful completion of the first five years of the existence of the Czech Optical Cluster. At that time, the cluster was established with the support of the Olomouc Region and its innovation center, still under the original name OK4Inovace, today ICOK, which was a partner of the event. At present, our cluster already has 34 members from all over the Czech Republic, applications for other candidates for membership are currently in the process. Therefore, we continue to grow, expanding our activities, which are nationwide and now also international, “said the manager of the Czech Optical Cluster Mgr. Petr Přikryl.
Optics is traditionally a strong domain of specialization in the Olomouc Region. The total turnover of the domain in the region is 19 billion crowns. The Czech Optical Cluster will celebrate 5 years since its foundation in December, and some of the participating major companies from the region and Palacký University in Olomouc stood at the birth of the cluster in 2017.
Video recording of the workshop can be found here:
Workshop of the Czech Optical Cluster: Optics as a HI-TECH field – YouTube
