On April 17, 2026, the IEEE Young Professionals (YP) served as technical and media sponsors for the SVOČ 2026 student professional activity. The event was held at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering (FEL), University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, under the auspices of Dean doc. Ing. František Steiner, Ph.D..
Technical Cooperation and Jury Participation
The competition featured research papers across Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctoral programs. IEEE YP was represented on the expert jury by Ing. Jaroslav Hornak, Ph.D., MBA (YP Chair), who participated in the evaluation of technical presentations and formal papers.
The presented projects addressed several current engineering challenges:
- Power Engineering: Mathematical modeling of three-phase parallel active filters and power flow control in traction supply stations using Phase Shift Transformers.
- Electronics & DAQ: Development of modular data acquisition systems for flow batteries and high-speed pixel detector software.
- Materials Research: Design of multi-layer heated composites on FR4 substrates and 3D-printed polymeric bushings for distribution transformers.
- Industrial IoT: Implementation of environmental units using Matter over Thread and LoRaWAN protocols.
Connection Between Students and Industry
The participation of IEEE Young Professionals provides students with a direct link to a global technical network. The competition included specific categories for Scientific Work (Ph.D.), Professional Work (Master’s), and Student Work (Bachelor’s). The event allows students to present professional work that extends beyond the standard curriculum, providing experience necessary for their future career development.
This year, students presented solutions for specific industrial applications, such as:
- An inspection system for the Elios 3 drone developed for the Research and Testing Institute (VZÚ) in Pilsen to inspect nuclear power plant components.
- Diagnostic methods for solar plants dating from the “solar boom” era.
These projects demonstrate how university research directly addresses technical requirements in power engineering and automation.
Industry Support and Sponsorship
The continuity of this tradition is maintained through the support of several technical and commercial partners. In his opening address, the competition guarantor, prof. Ing. Pavel Trnka, Ph.D., MBA, explicitly thanked the sponsors, as their contributions enable the official recognition and evaluation of the students’ professional efforts.
This year’s sponsors included prominent industry partners such as ZF Engineering, Daikin, Leuze, Pinflow, Škoda, ABB, Lear, and Konplan, highlighting the strong commitment of the industry to supporting student innovation. 🏆
More information at: https://svoc.fel.zcu.cz
