History of CET

CET - Centre of Excellence Telč is a project of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Academy of Science of the Czech Republic, which is being implemented with financial support from the European Union and the Czech Republic through the structural funds and the state budget allocated to the Operational Programme Research and Development for the period 2007 – 2013.

Project parameters

Goals

The project aims was to build and operate the unique ARCCHIP Telč Centre of Excellence (CET) for research on materials and structures, particularly historic materials and structures. CET will be equipped with a unique infrastructure specially designed and manufactured with a view to obtaining fundamental knowledge and verifying the application and innovation potential of newly developed technologies in the domain of diagnostics, life cycle extension, preventive protection and conservation. Work will also be done on long-term sustainable use of the existing building stock. The CET infrastructure consists of a climatic wind tunnel of environmentally and economically optimized size for research on structural materials and technologies, equipped with locally-developed measuring and simulation tools. There will be a unique high-resolution X-ray large-surface micro- and nano-tomography worksite, together with other specific laboratory and database modules and tools for use in studying and monitoring climatic effects and their impact on the behaviour and life cycles of materials and structures, including architectural heritage. The Centre includes a unique mobile system for specific assignments related to conservation of cultural heritage in emergency situations. 

Main objectives of the project consisted in:

• construct and operate an excellent research centre; establish a scientific basis in support of the preservation of cultural and natural heritage; extend the lifetime of historic and modern building materials and structures,
• construct a unique experimental facility to improve the innovation infrastructure in the Czech Republic, where excellent research results can be achieved, and where strong strategic international research partnerships can be established within ERA and JPI,
• educate and train new scientists and professionals,
• strengthen cooperation linking the research and development community with other actors from the public sector and the private business sector through partnerships.

Purpose of the project 

The purpose of the project is to contribute to the development of research on sustainable development (new environment-friendly technologies), materials research (scientific references, as well as industrially protected results for innovative materials for preserving the cultural heritage), competitive mechanical engineering (appliance innovations in diagnostics and testing), information technologies (specialized data and development of databases and monitoring networks), safety research (reducing impacts and damage, and preventing  natural and man-made disasters) in the conditions of climate change and the rapidly growing pressure to exploit natural and cultural heritage objects and structures.

The Telč Centre of Excellence project will enable to undertake a wider range of high-quality research and development, and to educate new generations of users of the research outcomes. The centre will offer ideal working conditions for a new dynamic research team consisting of Czech and foreign scientific experts.

Project outputs  

The main material output of the project is the establishment of the CET infrastructure. This will serve as a technological platform for achieving the scientific aims and purpose of the project. The infrastructure will be used as a centre for the activities of a scientific research team, which will work on three long-term research programmes.

Expected Outputs

a) The CET premises built in Telč according to the construction documentation presented here, containing special laboratories, study rooms for the scientists and the technological infrastructure for the research capacity. Planned year of completion: 2012;

b) An experimental base with unique equipment and fittings of the building well suited to the needs of the researchers and their projects, including the modules and laboratories needed for comprehensive research on the lifetime of historic materials, monuments, new materials and technologies. Planned year of completion: 2012;

The specialized experimental base will be equipped with:

• a climatic tunnel with a unique system for measuring the influence of the climate on monuments and technical materials, year of completion: 2012;
• a stable laboratory for material analyses, year of completion: 2012;
• a radiographic and neutron graphic laboratory for diagnosing defects, studying material composition and creating structural virtual 3D models of analysed objects, year of completion: 2012;
• mobile diagnostic laboratory, year of completion: 2013;
• monitoring network and database of analytical data on historic materials, structures, environment and safety threats, year of completion: 2012.

c) Operation of CET within the so-called start-up grant, supporting the activities of the Implementation and Research Team and operational costs connected with the commencement of CET operation in 2013;

d) Research findings, as specified in the section describing the project indicators (patents, utility designs, procedures, software, publications of all types, maps with specialized content, functional samples);

e) Successful graduates of master and doctoral programmes in which CET and its workers will participate. Year of completion: MSc every year, Ph.D. programmes continuously from 2014; 

f) Joint projects and/or partnerships with prestigious research workplaces on the basis of contracts, year of completion: 2012 and subsequently.  

Funding 

Achieving CET goals was conditional investments in the implementation phase of the project. The total estimated project cost, namely construction, building infrastructure and operation start-up research activities CET 2013 is 238 million CZK.

The main source of funding for the implementation phase of the CET was from the Operational Programme for Development Research and Innovation, area 1.1 European Centre of Excellence in the amount of 238 million CZK. Decision of financial support for the project Centre of Excellence Telč, which is implemented under the Operational Programme Research and Development for Innovation (OP RDI) co-financed by EU funds - European Fund was signed on September 22, 2010. 

Total project budget:                CZK 238,300,885.00
Structural Fund (85%):             CZK 202,555,752.25
State contribution (15%):          CZK   35,745,132.75

Location
The town of Telč was selected based on the fact that an office of the Institute of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics of the Czech Academy of Sciences had already existed there as well as on the town's interest in its own future prosperity thanks to a well-educated workforce.
The town of Telč also strongly supports the development of intelligence, which is also proven by the town’s Strategic Development Plan. The focus on the development of intelligence corresponds to historical traditions - there was an important Jesuit residence in Telč as well as the first high school with Czech instruction in the Moravian countryside. The proposed function is in line with the valid Municipal Plan of the City of Telč as well as the overall urban concept. Telč is easily accessible from the regional city as well as from other important cities (Brno, Prague, České Budějovice).
Other important factors included support from the Vysočina Region, which has transferred - free of charge - the ground plot necessary for the project (based on the Regional Council's decision on 18/07/2007 and the Municipal Council's decisions on 03/10/2007).

Schedule

Pre-project stage: 07/2009 - 09/2010

• In the pre-project stage, all the activities leading to obtaining the decision on granting the necessary subsidy were performed

Implementation stage: 10/2010 - 12/2013

• This stage comprises all the activities leading to achieving the planned objectives, outputs and monitoring indicators of the CET project
• 03/2011 - 02/2012 Construction of the Centre's buildings in Telč
• 09/2011 - 12/2012 Purchase of equipment: instrumentation and furnishings
• 01/2012 - 12/2013 Hiring new employees
• 01/2013 - 12/2013 Initiation of the start-up research programme

Project sustainability stage: 01/2014 - 12/2018
The sustainability stage involves operational and control activities including monitoring and reporting to the Managing Authority of Operational Programme RDI, which is fully ensured by the newly established bodies and managerial units of CET in cooperation with ITAM AS CR bodies.