Charles University Innovations Prague will bring the best of Czech university innovations to Japan. These cutting-edge technologies will be showcased at a special event dedicated to Czech higher education
Charles University Innovations Prague (CUIP) will showcase the most exciting university spin-offs at the World Expo 2025. Among them will be a test for early pancreatic cancer detection, a device for counterfeit drug detection, and a clean fire suppression technology. The event, co-organized by the Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS), will bring together representatives from around twenty Czech universities. EDU Day will take place on July 25, 2025, at the Czech National Pavilion.
In line with the theme of EXPO 2025, "Designing Future Society for Our Lives," CUIP will showcase key technologies and innovations from interdisciplinary teams at Czech universities in Osaka. During one of the 26 weeks of this global event, EDU Day will take place, featuring panel discussions, TED-style presentations, and B2B meetings. Scheduled for July 25, 2025, the event aims to present Czech higher education as a hub for modern learning with strong innovation potential to Japanese partners. It will also highlight companies born from collaborations between university research teams and the business sector.
"In Osaka, we want to showcase some of the most exciting academic innovations from recent years. We have selected technologies and spin-off companies from across Czech universities. Japanese partners will see innovations from the University of Pardubice, Brno University of Technology, Masaryk University, as well as technologies from Mendel University and the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen," says Pavel Švec, senior analyst at CUIP. "Of course, Prague will also be represented. A research team from UCT Prague will present its spin-off alongside the University of West Bohemia, and one of the showcased companies originates from Charles University," he adds. As a subsidiary of Charles University and a key partner of Czechia's EXPO participation, CUIP plays a crucial role in presenting academic spin-offs. The Czech National Agency for International Education and Research (DZS) is also involved in organizing EDU Day.
"World Expos have historically been a stage for groundbreaking innovations—from the telephone and X-ray to television, computers, ATMs, IMAX, and touchscreen technology. While companies no longer wait five years to launch their products, EXPO remains a unique space to discover innovations and forge global partnerships. CUIP has curated a highly representative selection from Czech academia, and we are proud to showcase these technologies during EDU Week in Japan," says Ondřej Soška, Commissioner General of Czechia’s participation at EXPO 2025. He adds that the featured technologies and products align with both Czechia’s theme, "Talent and Creativity for Life," and the overarching vision of EXPO 2025, which aims to shape the future society for our lives.
More about the selected technologies
The University of Pardubice will introduce its spin-off company, Lipidica, to its Japanese partners. Lipidica is developing a non-invasive test that allows for early detection of hard-to-detect pancreatic tumors from a common blood sample. This offers hope for improving the diagnosis and treatment of this serious disease. A study is currently underway in the Czech Republic for this purpose, and individuals at increased risk of developing this disease can still register to participate. The goal of the ongoing study is to implement this non-invasive blood-based test into clinical practice. In 2023, Lipidica a.s. received the prestigious Neuron Award for connecting science and business.
The CaviPlasma technology, developed through the collaboration of the Brno University of Technology, Masaryk University, and the Institute of Botany of the Czech Academy of Sciences, brings an important innovation in water purification. It can remove chemical contaminants, such as pharmaceutical residues, pesticides, and hormones, as well as biological contaminants, including bacteria and cyanobacteria, from large volumes of water. CaviPlasma is thus suitable not only for wastewater treatment but also for preparing plasma-activated water, which can be used for surface decontamination or in agriculture for plant protection. This technology is groundbreaking in that, unlike other similar devices, it can treat not just liters but up to 15,000 liters of water per hour through the synergistic effect of cavitation and low-temperature plasma.
The spin-off company Lightly from Mendel University in Brno will present its Catcher technology to the Japanese audience. This portable device enables the detection of counterfeit medicines or quality control of food and water with rapid on-site sample analysis within minutes. In certain cases, it can even create a digital map of the substance's movement, tracking it back to its manufacturer. One of the project's goals was to help in the fight against drug abuse, including the rapidly spreading fentanyl.
The Pinflow technology, developed through the collaboration of the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen and the University of Chemical Technology in Prague, won the Neuron Award 2022 for the connection between science and business. Pinflow energy storage can produce not only batteries and their components but also entire energy systems for large installations. These are flow batteries that allow for independent scaling of capacity (kWh) and power (kW). The batteries have a lifespan of up to 30 years and operate without the risk of fire or explosion.
At the Czech National Pavilion, there will also be a display of well-known brands from the transfer sector of Charles University. The company Walk on Water will present its fire suppression technology in the form of the FOGA fire blanket, which does not burn. The fire blanket is unique, among other things, for its thermal shield technology, which, thanks to stabilized metal nanoparticles, ensures the effect of a safe, thermally impermeable layer.
About Charles University Innovations Prague
Charles University Innovations Prague (CUIP) is a subsidiary of Charles University. CUIP is an organization for technology transfer, with the primary goal of transferring and commercializing technologies. As part of its technology transfer efforts, CUIP provides services such as intellectual property protection and analyzes the use of technology for business, industrial, and other similar purposes. Since its founding, CUIP has granted a total of 132 licenses, sold 23 patents, and established 10 spin-off companies, including Charles Games, Genespector, and Futurebooks.
For more information, visit www.cuip.cz.
About the Czech Pavilion at EXPO 2025
In December 2022, after more than twenty years, the Office of the Commissioner General announced an open, anonymous architectural competition for the design of the national pavilion for EXPO 2025. Thirty-eight competition teams applied, and in March 2023, the expert jury, led by the internationally renowned architect Eva Jiřičná, selected the winning design, a glass spiral by Apropos Architects studio. The building’s core structure consists of modern wooden panels, and its façade is made of artistic glass, a material with a centuries-old tradition in Czechia. The national pavilion will provide dignified facilities for Czechia's participation in EXPO 2025, which will be held from April to October 2025 on the artificial island of Yumeshima in Osaka Bay. The pavilion will feature a permanent exhibition, a multifunctional auditorium, facilities for business meetings, a restaurant, a CTP lounge, and an outdoor relaxation area with a sea view.
Upon completion, the pavilion will be the largest wooden construction of its kind without a metal frame in Japan.