This year's first Science Café featured young scientists

The evening event, co-organized by the CZELO office, showcased young Czech scientists, their projects, and their experiences.

This year’s first Science Café focused on the new generation of Czech scientists and what it means today to embark on a scientific career in a European and international context. The invited young scientists shared their personal insights on their motivation for pursuing a scientific career, their early successes, working in international teams, the challenges of launching a scientific career, and their role in popularising science. During the discussion, they also shared their views on the future of science in Europe. 

The invitation was accepted by Anna Krebsová, a student at the Czech Technical University in Prague and co-founder of the LASAR project, which won an award at NASA's Space Center in Houston in 2024. Tomáš Čermák, a student at Imperial College London, founder of a non-profit organisation supporting the next generation of scientists (STEM_Hub), and winner of The Earth Prize for his PURA project on innovative water purification using cold plasma and photocatalysis, also accepted the invitation. Tomáš Polák, a PR expert from the European Parliament and a specialist in communication training and education, guided us through the evening.

Success at a young age? 

At the start of the discussion, the moderator asked Anna to briefly introduce the Conrad Challenge. She participated with her LASAR team in Houston (USA) in a global competition in which student teams present their innovative projects addressing global issues across various sectors. Anna also introduced the student satellite LASAR Sat, which uses lasers to remove space debris in orbit. She described how she joined the LASAR team and what the project process and the competition itself were like.

Tomáš, on the other hand, had the opportunity to describe his achievements. He spoke about the Earth Prize competition, in which he participated with his Slovak colleague Anna Podmanická on a project to purify water of medications, drugs, antibiotics, and bacteria. He also discussed his achievement of being named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list. Here, he was selected among exceptionally talented and inspiring figures in the Czech Republic who were under 30. He couldn’t decide which of these two accolades made him happier, but in both cases he was very proud of how he represents the Czech Republic and of how he puts theory into practice. In this context, the host also asked him how he felt when he found out that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen had mentioned him in her State of the Union address. Tomáš described how, at that moment, he was immensely proud of what he and Anna Podmanická had achieved.

What are the winning projects?

The second part of the discussion focused on science and technology. Anna and Tomáš provided a comprehensive technical overview of their projects. Anna spoke first; she brought a 3D model of a satellite to demonstrate how the satellite and lasers in their project work. She also described the entire process of creating the project, from the initial steps in the lab and the gradual testing of the lasers to the satellite's launch into space, where it now orbits the planet every 94 minutes. Among other things, she also mentioned another project the team is working on. It is the “Antennas for Schools” project, in which they distribute antenna boxes to schools where children and students can assemble them and, after connecting the device to a laptop, tune in to the radio frequencies of various satellites. Through this, they can, for example, determine the temperature of solar panels, change the colored lights directly on the satellite, or obtain images from space. Last but not least, Anna also mentioned her experience with weightlessness through the Czech Journey to Space and its Zero-G Mission. Anna went through a six-round selection process that included personality questionnaires, public speaking, cognitive and English tests, physical tests, interviews, and even a survival camp. In the end, she made it into the group of 26 most successful candidates, with whom she experienced weightlessness during a plane flight.

Tomáš then took the floor to explain his PURA project to a layperson. His PURA device can purify water in three minutes, removing not only 98% of bacteria but also antibiotics and other pharmaceuticals, thanks to an innovative combination of cold plasma and photocatalysis. Tomáš focused on using cold plasma for disinfection and the breakdown of harmful substances, and then began collaborating with Anna Podmanická, who specialised in photocatalysis. When they combined their two areas of research, they developed an innovative solution for water purification. Together, they entered The Earth Prize, the world’s largest competition for young scientists aged 13–19, focused on improving the environment. Every year, thousands of projects from more than 150 countries around the world enter the competition, and it was these two that won it in 2025. In addition, Tomáš also developed a program for diagnosing heart disorders from ECGs, won the Energy Olympics in 2023, and received the Learned Society Award in 2024. In addition to science itself, he is also dedicated to popularising and promoting it. He is a co-founder of the STEM_Hub community, which connects students and experts in STEM fields, and the founder of the platform Výpisky.com, which provides notes on elementary and high school subjects.  

Both speakers described how the awards they received highlighted their work, but that they aren’t really important to them. What matters most to them is the knowledge that their work truly makes a difference.

What’s next?

Both panellists also agreed that they haven’t felt “young and carefree” in a long time. They encountered burnout at a young age (19 and 20). However, they shared the motivations that drive them forward: the search for solutions to existing and emerging problems with far-reaching impacts. They described how every innovation also brings unwanted aspects, such as high financial costs or environmental burdens. They also agreed on the challenges that significantly complicate their scientific work and lives. As part of their projects, they had to grapple with “adult problems” such as finding accountants and lawyers to draft contracts or handling a large volume of administrative tasks. They agree that support for (not only) young researchers is lacking and that this needs to change. They call for simplifying project administrative processes so that “more time is left for science.”

During the subsequent discussion with the audience, topics such as the regulation of science, the valorization of knowledge, and technology transfer were addressed, and questions regarding the ethical and moral aspects of research were also raised. One concern expressed was the misuse of science, specifically lasers and the risks associated with their misuse. Both speakers agreed that the technologies they used, which could potentially be used as weapons, had long since been developed and could continue to be used for both good and bad purposes: “If we hadn’t come up with them, someone else would have.”

The discussion evening brought together a large number of guests, including researchers, employees of European institutions, the general public, and young students. Throughout the evening, it was clear how this topic resonates in the international community, and the event demonstrated that it is appropriate to address it among young scientists over the long term and perhaps even more deeply. And what can be identified as the main message of the entire evening? The answer to the question of whether a young age is an obstacle to big goals and results. Tomáš and Anna showed us that the debate about age is already outdated in science.

You can find photos from the event on our Facebook and LinkedIn pages.