The article originally prepared and published by the National Centre for Industry 4.0 is available here.
The Digitalisation Roadshow for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises visited the South Bohemian Region for the first time this year. The National Centre for Industry 4.0, in cooperation with the CzechInvest agency, organised another edition of the regional conference, this time hosted at the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology of the University of South Bohemia in České Budějovice. The main theme was Digital Tools for Efficient Production, which are fundamentally transforming the way Czech companies increase productivity, efficiency, and quality. This initiative naturally aligns with the RICAIP project, which supports the adoption of advanced digital and AI solutions in manufacturing companies. Both the RICAIP infrastructure and AI-powered use cases were represented by Ondřej Beránek, Head of the Czech office of AI-MATTERS, who showed how small and medium-sized enterprises can try out AI in real operations, risk-free and with expert support, in particular by RICAIP professional teams.
The event was opened by representatives of the organising institutions — Robert Keil (National Centre for Industry 4.0), Lucie Tomandlová (CzechInvest), and Assoc. Prof. Petr Bartoš, RNDr., Ph.D. (FAT USB).
„Digital technologies today bring companies tangible benefits: higher efficiency, fewer errors, and savings in time and energy. The aim of the Roadshow is to show that digitalisation is not a distant ideal, but a solution that can advance even smaller enterprises.“
Robert Keil, Director of the National Center for Industry 4.0
Experts from dataPartner, Siemens, SinuCraft, Arkance Systems, AI-MATTERS, Atos, Pharis, Axiom Tech, MotionTrex, and Aplis took turns on stage throughout the day. Their presentations offered visitors a comprehensive view of the current landscape of modern digital manufacturing. The programme began with Michal Čupera from dataPartner, who introduced the Patriot® system, enabling companies to manage production digitally and gain an accurate overview of its status.
He was followed by Adam Koncer from Siemens and Jiří Samek from SinuCraft, who demonstrated that modern CNC robotics is no longer a technology of the future, but a standard part of digital production today.
„Bringing the Roadshow to the South Bohemian Region for the first time is a major milestone for us. It has confirmed that there is strong demand for innovation in the region, and companies are actively looking for ways to keep pace with technological progress. The high turnout at the conference is the best proof of that.“ says Lucie Tomandlová, Director of the CzechInvest Regional Office .
A strong response was elicited by Jiří Šeda from Arkance Systems, who explained how digital twins and simulations help companies test processes before deploying them.
Jiří Bavor of Atos presented specific AI tools for efficient production, while Tomáš Hradský, CEO of Pharis, emphasised the importance of MES systems and data-driven production management. He was followed by Radek Bašta from Axiom Tech, who showcased the possibilities of digitalising design and simulation, and Štěpán Malý from MotionTrex, who focused on digital solutions that benefit employees and their daily work.
Assoc. Prof. Petr Bartoš, RNDr., Ph.D., Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture and Technology, presented the faculty’s current research directions, which for many years have included digital manufacturing, process automation, and smart agriculture. He highlighted projects emerging in the faculty’s technological laboratories and stressed the importance of cooperation with companies both in and beyond the region.
Support for companies in the area of digitalisation was presented by Jim Husák from CzechInvest, who emphasised the role of the Enterprise Europe Network, and Kateřina Moravanská from API, who introduced the current calls of the OP TAK programme.
The closing presentation was delivered by Petar P. Stanchev from Aplis Solutions, demonstrating how digital ecosystems can turn corporate strategies into real growth.
The programme concluded with a panel discussion featuring Jiří Bavor (Atos), Jiří Šeda (Arkance Systems), Tomáš Hradský (Pharis), and Ivan Tekel (South Bohemian Science and Technology Park).
The discussion addressed real barriers to digitalisation in companies, how to evaluate the return on investment in AI and robotics, and why collaboration across the region and academia is key to technological progress.