The second spin-off company of the Heyrovsky Institute was established

On Wednesday, 6 March 2024, the Director of the J. Heyrovsky Institute of Physical Chemistry of the CAS signed an agreement with the European joint stock company METTOC, SE on an equity entry into the company. The aim of the company is to commercialise the invention of Jiří Dědeček's team - a catalyst for the production of methanol from methane.

For the discovery of a new catalyst, Jiří Dědeček together with Edyta Tabor and Štěpán Sklenák received the Česká hlava Award in 2020. This catalyst allows methane to be converted directly into methanol using oxygen. This eliminates the disadvantages of the current production process, making it simpler and cheaper. Currently, Jiří Dědeček's team is investigating whether it will be possible to use the innovative technology in industrial conditions.

METTOC, SE is the second spin-off company of the Heyrovsky Institute. The first is SciCare - Innovations. s.r.o., which focuses on the use of photocatalytic coatings in the restoration and protection of cultural monuments.