The Award went to team compounded of representatives of SÚRO and NUVIA Czech Republic led by Mr Lubomír Gryc from SÚRO. The Award Ceremony was 11th handover of the Award of the Minister appreciating Research and Development activities which develop innovative knowledge, methods and technologies that help face security challenges. Committee handing over the Award is composed of representatives of Ministry of Interior in the area of Security Research. The Committee assesses submitted proposals on the basis of importance of results for theoretical and application area, gravity and topicality of the problems and scientific reputation of the team.

A mobile portal radioactivity detector for monitoring persons and vehicles placed was developed within the awarded project VI20172020104 – “New generation of portal monitors for ensuring security of citizens (PoMoZ)“. This system can also be used for controlling or finding out illegal transport of radioactive material. If a part of the detector is taken out of the vehicle, it can also be configured into a gate used for screening people passing by. Such an innovation has a security meaning in both nuclear energy and in wider area of increasing security of citizens and protecting them before malevolent use of radioactive materials, for example at airports, in undergrounds, at mass events or in protected buildings. From long-term view it may lead to ensuring security situation both in the Czech Republic and also abroad. Work on the project comes out from SÚRO experience from attending and securing safety of mass events and foreign visits.

The project was funded under the Security Research Program of the Czech Republic 2015-2022. This wide-ranging program is aimed mostly at funding multidisciplinary research projects providing complex solutions which contribute to internal security. The program priorities also encourage public research institutions to cooperate closely with private companies in order to produce solutions with potential for practical implementation. 

The Ministry of the Interior of the Czech Republic is the agency responsible for the provision of public funding for security research. The fundamental mission of the system of public funding of security research, experimental development, and innovation is to gather and subsequently effectively foster the development of innovative knowledge, methods, and technologies that allow the Czech security system and its relevant partners to face current and future threats stemming from the changing realities of the security realm.