2 prestigious research centres to open in Liberec

Liberec, North Bohemia, Nov 25 (CTK) - Two modern research centres with a focus on nanotechnology and machinery for 1.5 billion crowns will be established in Liberec, Research Institute of Textile Machines Liberec (VUTS) director Miroslav Vaclavik told CTK yesterday.

This year, Technical University of Liberec (TUL) started the construction of the Centre for Nanomaterials, Advanced Technologies and Innovations.

VUTS is preparing the construction of the Centre of Development of Engineering Research Liberec.

Both centers are to be finished next year and opened by 2013.

The VUTS is to start building the centre in the industrial zone Sever (North) by the end of the year.

"Next year, the construction will be finished, in 2012 we want to install the technologies and in January 2013 we will launch trial operation," Vaclavik said.

The centres were financed by 800 million crowns and 750 million, respectively, from the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovations of the Education Ministry.

TUL is already building one part of the project, a seven-storey house with laboratories. The whole project is to be finished roughly in 2013.

The centres will closely cooperate, which is to enhance the prestige of the region and increase its potential in research and development.

New jobs will be generated. The TUL center will employ about 100 people in 2013 and the VUTS centre about 40.

($1=18.510 crowns)