On February 14, 2025, the Olomouc Regional Office of the National Pedagogical Institute (NPI) hosted a meeting between representatives of secondary schools, companies, and institutions and MTA. The event was organized by Radek Hanuš, head of the regional NPI office, who also served as the meeting’s moderator.
Presenters:
Jan Meca, Chairman of the Board of MTA
Jan Meca introduced the history, establishment, and vision of MTA, with a strong focus on concrete results achieved so far, including:
• EduBoxes ready for use in secondary school education
• Operational school enterprises founded and run within secondary schools
• A training system for vocational teachers of specialized subjects
• Resource-sharing opportunities, such as electric vehicles, industrial robots, scanners, manipulators, and other technologies that are economically unfeasible for each school to purchase individually
Jan Bruk: EduBox for Industrial Automation Training
The audience was introduced to the educational materials included in the EduBox:
• A comprehensive list of industrial manipulator components
• Electrical wiring diagrams
• Programming manuals
• Testing procedures for verifying students’ knowledge and skills
MTA has also developed a modular industrial manipulator, making it an affordable yet highly effective educational tool.
• The manipulator is not a toy—it fully complies with industry standards
• Attendees had the opportunity to try controlling the manipulator firsthand
Martin Kavan: EduBox for Future Mobility Training
(Additional details about this segment were not included but would follow a similar structure.)
This event demonstrated how MTA is expanding its impact across multiple regions, bringing innovative educational tools, practical training, and strong partnerships to the forefront of vocational education in the Czech Republic.
The audience immersed themselves in a virtual world. A solar panel on the roof of a family house generated electricity, which then traveled through a charging station to an electric vehicle (EV) in the garage. The flow of electricity was schematically displayed, and household appliances could be turned on and off, affecting the entire energy system. Once fully charged, the EV set off on its journey. Spectators could see everything happening inside the car—its motor, transmission, battery, and more. The car visited a virtual service station, where viewers could even open drawers with tools in a fully interactive environment.
“I used to spend multiple lessons explaining EV recuperation, yet the success rate of subsequent tests was only about 10%,” said Martin Kavan. “Now, thanks to EduBox and its visual representation of the entire process, students grasp the concept much faster. They see all the connections, and tests prove they truly understand it—now achieving over 80% success rates.”
Interactive Learning Through Augmented Reality
Outside the building, a real electric car was on display. Curious about how its motor, battery, or transmission works? No problem—simply take a tablet, scan the QR code on the car’s rear door, and the entire internal structure appears on the screen in detail. The engine can be broken down into individual components, and with the linked EduBox, users can explore the battery’s operating principles, visualize electric energy flows, and much more. What would normally take hours of theoretical lessons can now be grasped in moments, using an intuitive, even playful, tablet-based interface.
Industry Leaders Endorse MTA’s Approach
Karel Bill, President of Autocluster, and Libor Dobeš, Executive Director, welcomed MTA’s modernization efforts, emphasizing practicality and relevance in education.
“We need high-quality graduates,” agreed representatives from Autocluster. “But that’s not enough—we need to establish a comprehensive lifelong learning system. In today’s world, school-acquired knowledge alone isn’t sufficient for an entire career. It is also crucial to promote technical fields, as modern industry cannot function without them.”
Petr Přikryl, Executive Manager of Czech Optical Cluster, echoed this sentiment:
“Clusters have long been stable partners for both companies and schools. Let’s connect the best innovations from each region. Let’s meet, share, support one another, and work as one team.”
Soft Skills – A Key Pillar of Modern Education
Another major focus was the importance of soft skills in modern education. It is essential that students learn to market themselves, attract attention, present effectively, think critically, and apply their knowledge and skills in practice. MTA has a solution for this as well—soft skills training is an integral part of EduBoxes.
What’s Next?
📍 February 28, 2025 – Bruntál
📍 March 25, 2025 – Uherský Brod
