Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences

What Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences does

The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Ústav anorganické chemie AV ČR, v.v.i., or ÚACH) is a public research institution founded in 1965 and headquartered at Husinec-Řež near Prague, Czechia, operating under the Czech Academy of Sciences with approximately 88 staff members. It conducts fundamental and applied research in inorganic chemistry across five thematic areas: photofunctional inorganic molecules and materials, boron compounds chemistry, materials for environmental sustainability, conservation and cultural heritage science, and environmental geochemistry. The institute operates three specialized units — the Centre of Instrumental Techniques (CIT), the Academic Materials Research Laboratory of Painted Artworks (ALMA), and the Laboratory of Environmental Geochemical Analysis (LEGA) — that together provide advanced analytical infrastructure including NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, mass spectrometry, and LA-ICP-MS pigment analysis. Notable proprietary developments include phenylpyridine-based borenium salt Lewis acid catalysts for carbon-carbon bond formation, 3D ortho-carborane peptidomimetic inhibitors with anti-schistosomal activity, and metal/halogen-free activated borane cluster polymers (ActB) serving as heterogeneous catalysts for hydrodehalogenation.

The institute's revenue model is dominated by government research grants from Czech Science Foundation (GAČR), Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TAČR), Academy of Sciences AV ČR strategy programs, and European funding sources (Horizon Europe), supplemented by fee-based instrument measurement services from CIT and technology transfer/licensing arrangements with industrial partners including 3D printing technology licensing. Its customers span academic peers (joint doctoral programs, collaborative research under Strategy AV 21), cultural heritage institutions (museums, archives, libraries), environmental services clients, and a small set of industrial partners such as Bary a laky Teluria. Distribution occurs through direct engagement, competitive grant proposals, and academic channels — peer-reviewed publications in high-impact chemistry journals, NARECOM conferences, public science outreach (Veletrh vědy, Open Door Days, IIC Science Café), and bilingual digital presence. The institute maintains active international collaborations with the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Czech Technical University, the Institute of Plasma Physics, and the NanoEnviCz research community, with recent recognition including the 2026 Otto Wichterle Premium awarded to researcher Ondřej Mrózek.

Name

Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences

Legal name

Ústav anorganické chemie AV ČR, v.v.i.

Website

https://iic.cas.cz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences is a public research institution conducting inorganic chemistry research across boron compounds, photoactive materials, environmental sustainability, cultural heritage science, and environmental geochemistry, serving academic peers, cultural institutions, and industrial partners with grant-funded research and instrument measurement services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Husinec-Řež

HQ country

Czechia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Research Grants: Primary funding through competitive grants from Czech Science Foundation (GAČR), Technology Agency of the Czech Republic (TAČR), Academy of Sciences AV ČR strategy programs, and European funding sources
2. Instrument Measurement Services: The Centre of Instrumental Techniques (CIT) provides analytical and measurement services to external academic and commercial customers
3. Technology Transfer: Transfer of developed technologies and methodologies to industry partners, including 3D printing technology licensing

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences is a public research institution that conducts fundamental and applied research in inorganic chemistry, with key areas including boron chemistry, photoactive inorganic molecules and materials, environmental materials, cultural heritage science, and environmental geochemistry. It delivers this research through specialized service units—the Centre of Instrumental Techniques (CIT) for analytical measurements, the ALMA laboratory for cultural heritage science, and LEGA for environmental geochemistry—offering instrument measurement services, technology transfer, and joint doctoral programs to academic and industrial clients.

Product overview

The Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences (ÚACH) is a public research institution that does not offer commercial products in the traditional sense. Instead, it provides research services, instrumental measurements, and technology transfer capabilities. The institute operates several specialized units including the Centre of Instrumental Techniques (CIT) for analytical measurements, the Academic Materials Research Laboratory of Painted Artworks (ALMA) for cultural heritage research, and the Laboratory of Environmental Geochemical Analysis (LEGA) for environmental studies. Research activities span photoactive inorganic molecules and materials, boron chemistry, materials for environmental sustainability, and conservation science. The institute also offers joint doctoral programs with universities and technology transfer services for commercializing research innovations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALMA: Academic Materials Research Laboratory of Painted Artworks - research laboratory for conservation and cultural heritage science
• CIT
• LEGA

Products and services

• Instrument Measurement Services (Přístrojová měření) Quote-based analytical measurement services for external academic and commercial clients using the institute's advanced instrumentation, including NMR spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, electron microscopy, and mass spectrometry, delivered through the Centre of Instrumental Techniques (CIT).
• Technology Transfer (Transfer technologií) Commercialization and licensing of research outputs developed at the institute, including transfer of new 3D printing technologies and other innovations to industrial partners.
• ALMA Cultural Heritage Analysis Services Non-invasive research and analysis of cultural heritage artworks, including medieval illuminated manuscripts, ancient paintings, and historical pigments, using advanced multispectral scanning and spectroscopic techniques, delivered through the Academic Materials Research Laboratory of Painted Artworks (ALMA).
• Environmental Geochemistry Services (LEGA) Analysis of sediments, geochemical mapping, and environmental geochemistry research delivered through the Laboratory of Environmental Geochemical Analysis (LEGA) for government agencies, water treatment facilities, and industrial clients.
• Joint Doctoral and Diploma Programs Jointly accredited educational programs with Czech universities that allow students to complete diploma and doctoral thesis research at the institute, with institute researchers serving as supervisors.

Quantifiable outcome

• New class of borenium catalysts enabling C-C bond formation under mild conditions with low catalyst loadings
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered major, core and minor.

• ÚSD AV ČR (Institute of History)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-participant in VP36 project 'The Power of Objects: Materiality between Past and Future' 2025-2029
• ČVUT (Czech Technical University)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Co-participant in GAČR project on eco-friendly blended cements with innovative additives and nanomaterials (25-15200S), 2025-2027
• TKA SR (FI) - Slovak Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Collaboration on VORTEX-4-FUSION project (101096317) developing laser vortex beams with extreme orbital angular momentum for aneutronic fusion, running 2023-2026
• ÚFP AV ČR (Institute of Plasma Physics)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Joint project on boranes for inertial proton-boron fusion (23-07563S), 2023-2025
• ÚSD AV ČR (Institute of History)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Co-participant in Strategy AV 21 - City as Laboratory of Change project (VP23), studying buildings, cultural heritage, and environment for safe living
• UFCHJHminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020European collaboration on innovative floating photocatalyst project (SEAEUROPEJFS19ST-076)
• Bary a laky TeluriaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Industry partner for TAČR project on photoactive nanocomposite systems for environmental improvement (TH04030090)
• NanoEnviCz Research CommunitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership within NanoEnviCz community organizing NARECOM meetings for nanostructured catalysts and environmental nanotechnology research

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IOCB Prague — Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry (Czech Academy of Sciences): Sister institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences specializing in organic chemistry and biochemistry. Comparable in scale, funding model, and integration of basic research with commercial translation; directly comparable chemistry research institute profile.
• Institute of Macromolecular Chemistry (Czech Academy of Sciences): Fellow Czech Academy institute focused on polymer and macromolecular chemistry with similar grant funding model and applied research orientation. Overlapping research interests in materials chemistry and catalysis.
• J. Heyrovský Institute of Physical Chemistry (Czech Academy of Sciences): Direct peer under the same Czech Academy of Sciences umbrella. Conducts physical chemistry, catalysis, and materials research with comparable funding structure (GAČR, TAČR, Horizon Europe) and similar instrumentation-centric service model.
• Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC): Spanish CSIC institute conducting research on functional materials including nanomaterials, photonic materials, and catalysts. Comparable mission in applied materials chemistry and similar scale of operation.
• Catalan Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (ICN2): Catalan research institute with overlapping focus on nanostructured catalysts, photocatalysts for environmental applications, and materials characterization — directly comparable in NanoEnviCz-style research community activities.

Broad incumbents

• Fritz Haber Institute of the Max Planck Society: Major German research institute conducting fundamental research in surface chemistry, catalysis, and molecular physics. Comparable in inorganic chemistry and catalysis focus, but operates at significantly larger scale with broader portfolio.
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) — Institute of Inorganic Chemistry: Large German research university with a dedicated institute for inorganic chemistry; comparable research themes (boron chemistry, catalysis, materials), but operates at much greater scale with both educational and research functions.
• Max Planck Institute for Chemical Energy Conversion: German Max Planck institute focused on chemical energy conversion, catalysis, and inorganic chemistry. Closely aligned research themes (catalysis, boron chemistry, sustainable materials), substantially larger scale and funding base.
• Institut Charles Gerhardt Montpellier (ICGM): French CNRS-affiliated institute conducting broad chemistry research including inorganic, materials, and catalysis. Comparable funding mix (national + EU grants) and instrument service model.

Regional players

• Institute of Chemical Technology Prague (UCT Prague): Czech technical university with strong chemistry research programs in inorganic and materials chemistry. Comparable in geographic context (Czechia) and overlapping research themes, but operates as a degree-granting university rather than a pure research institute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/iic_cas
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCSilRhgVHIMlGd2oSW1rRKg
• Instagraminstagram.com/iic_rez
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iic-cas-cz

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Institute of Inorganic Chemistry of the Czech Academy of Sciences