Process Project Defences

The course “Process Project” has been taught at the Department of Chemical Engineering in its modern form for over twenty years. While records from the early years are limited, we have detailed documentation of the past decade. In this “second half,” ten faculty members have taken turns supervising student teams, 67 projects have been defended, and 291 students have completed the course. These projects have been carried out in collaboration with 15 companies from the Czech chemical industry.

For many students, Process Projects represent their first real encounter with industrial problem-solving—not in idealized textbook form, but as it truly happens in practice. During plant visits, students quickly realize that completing the assignment may require not only solving differential equations, but also a ladder, a bucket, and a stopwatch. They discover that employees at the partner company often remember events differently and interpret them in various ways. And they learn that constant communication, both with the company and within their own team, is absolutely essential.

Despite the initial confusion (this year a student was heard exclaiming, “This isn’t chemical engineering, it’s detective work!”), students always rise to the challenge and bring their projects to a successful conclusion. Industry representatives highly value the students’ work, and in some cases, it has even led to job offers.

We extend our sincere thanks to Casale Project, Kovohutě Příbram, Leancat Electrolyzers, Lovochemie, Spolchemie, and Synthomer for providing this year’s assignments and helping bridge the gap between academic learning and real industrial challenges.

It seems the era of Process Projects is far from over, and we look forward to continuing this valuable collaboration between the department and industry for years to come.

Project Proceedings available only in Czech

Photo: Artem Ankinfeev