TEAM
Management Board
Rudolf Fryček, Ph.D. is the CEO of AMIRES and he has more than 15 years’ experience in the European project management and consultancy.
He was a consultant to several SMEs in the field of production, innovation and company development, including preparation of project for governmental incentive and for several business oriented bank loans. In 2006 he was nominated as a Seconded National Expert to the European Commission, DG Research and Innovation’s Directorate for Industrial Technologies. Beside his technological expertise and daily project officer work (more than 13 projects under his responsibility) he has been active in the policy structuring for exploitation and commercialisation of EU framework projects. He helped to analyze the overall nanotechnology unit project portfolio in terms of generated IPR and also co-organized the workshop with European Patent Office and US Patent and Trade Office on IPR in nanotechnology – lessons from experiences worldwide, held in Brussels. He was a Scientific Coordinator of the EuroNanoForum 2009, the bi-annual conference financed by the European Commission. Since 2011 he is an accredited coach of Innovation Platform – PLATINN, which provides hands-on coaching to SMEs. Rudolf is a cooperation coach, which helps companies to increase their innovation capacity.
Rudolf founded AMIRES company in 2009, runs the Swiss branch and was responsible for FP7 projects iONE-FP7 (Implantable Organic Nano-Electronics) and UnivSEM (Universal scanning electron microscope as a multi-nano-analytical tool).
Lenka Bajarová is a Managing Director of AMIRES s. r. o., that she joined in 2011. She graduated from the University of Economics, Faculty of International Relations in 2004. Before joining AMIRES Lenka gained her experience in European Union’s Framework Programme for R&D as a National Contact Point for several FP7 priorities. She was working in this position at Technology Centre CAS for 5 years and was also a Deputy Head of the Department National Information Centre for European Research, co-leading team of Czech FP7 NCPs.
During the Czech Presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2009 she was actively involved in the preparation of two conferences – EUFORDIA 2009 (impact assessment of research and development) and EuroNanoForum 2009.In AMIRES, during the last 10 years, Lenka was personally involved as Project and Dissemination Manager in many FP7 and H2020 projects such as AMBASSADOR (Autonomous Management System Developed for Building and District Levels), PI-SCALE (Bringing flexible organic electronics to pilot innovation scale), SABINA (Smart bi-directional multi energy gateway) or currently Switch2Save (Lightweight switchable smart solutions for energy saving large windows and glass facades) and RoLA-FLEX (addressing Innovative manufacturing processes for flexible photovoltaics and wearable displays).
At the same time, she has been overseeing management activities in other projects with AMIRES involvement. Building on this broad experience, she has contributed to the set-up of internal management procedures for EU projects supported by the company and to the transfer of this knowledge and internal standards to new colleagues. Lenka is also involved in proposal preparation at this moment especially in the Horizon Europe Widening topics.
Václav Smítka, Ph.D. joined AMIRES in 2013 and currently has the position of a Chief Technology Officer and Programme Manager in the domain of Energy and Sustainability. He graduated from the Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering in 2009. At the same faculty he finished his Ph.D. in 2013. During his studies he took part in many research and development programmes and projects as a coordinator as well as a member of a research team. All these projects were mainly focused on the deformation measurement methods in the field of civil engineering. As an assistant professor at the Department of Special Geodesy at FCE, CTU in Prague he was also actively involved in teaching and publication activities. During his studies at the Institute of Property Valuation at the University of Economics in Prague he gained knowledge in the field of Real Estate Appraisal.
Václav is a Project and Dissemination Manager of H2020 project SOLWARIS (Solving WATer Issues for CSP plants), and HE project SuPerTandem (Novel tandem, high efficiency Photovoltaic technologies targeting low cost production with earth abundant materials). In FP7, he was active in projects FLUIDGLASS (Solar Thermal Glass Facades with Adjustable Transparency) and TRIBUTE (Take the energy bill back to the promised building performance). He is also responsible for Horizon Europe project proposals preparation.
Deep Tech Team
Marika Kůrová joined AMIRES team in March 2021 and is now in the position of Programme Manager in the domain of Deep Tech. Marika holds a Master Degree in European Studies from Masaryk University. She gained a deep insight into EU Research & Innovation landscape as European Research Officer in Czech Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussels. At her position at University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, she was responsible for financial implementation and management of Horizon 2020 projects funded by Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Joint Undertaking and EIT Food.
In AMIRES, Marika is in charge of H2020 projects InPulse (Indium-Phosphide Pilot Line for up-scaled, low-barrier, self-sustained, PIC ecosystem) and INSPIRE (InP on SiN Photonic Integrated circuits REalized through wafer-scale micro-transfer Printing) is responsible for Horizon Europe project proposals preparation.
Roman Pašek is a Community Manager for Quantum Technologies. He joined AMIRES in March 2019. He has finished his Master’s degree from International Relations and European Studies at Palacky University in Olomouc in 2013. After graduation he’s worked for the Investment and Business Development Agency CzechInvest, specifically its R&D Support Department. This department helps Czech companies and R&D institutions find international partners, supports high-tech investments and deals in technology scouting. Roman has also worked for Ricardo, a multi-national technical consulting company managing Horizon 2020 research projects in the automotive industry. Since 2015 he is also a Board Member of DELTA Programme at the Technology Agency of the Czech Republic assessing international industrial research project proposals.
In AMIRES, Roman was managing the OASIS project (Open Access Single entry point for scale-up of Innovative Smart lightweight composite materials and components) and now is responsible for PHABULOµS project (Pilot-line providing highly advanced & robust manufacturing technology for optical free-form micro-structures) and is responsible for Horizon Europe project proposals preparation.
Jana Mwangi joined AMIRES team as a Project Manager in December 2016. She finished her International Master degree in Asia Pacific Affairs at the National Sun Yat-Sen University in Taiwan and has gained excellent insights into the world of economics and politics, and strengthened her analytical skills.
Jana has accumulated good management skills from project management in one of the biggest company’s Research, Innovation and Development centre focused on ODE, OEM of small appliances in Asia. Her core duties were based in international trade and the expansion of businesses in Eastern and Central Europe. Specifically, she had identified and analysed data to determine company trends and new opportunities capable of bringing expansion. From an event management perspective, she has an intense passion for international development, in particular programs dedicated to human rights. She is also a founder of the ZENA MATCHA company, creatively building a brand with a great meaning to empower people.
Jana acts as a Project and Community Manager in SmartEEs2, POSEIDON (NanoPhOtonic devices applying SElf-assembled colloIDs for novel ON-chip light sources) and Qu-Pilot projects and is also contributing to INSPIRE (InP on SiN Photonic Integrated circuits REalized through wafer-scale micro-transfer Printing) project.
Marina de Souza Faria joined AMIRES team as a Project Manager in November 2022. She has bachelor and teaching degree in Geography by the University of Sao Paulo, in Brazil. During her studies she got a merit scholarship to study one semester at the Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic. For the master’s degree she joined the Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, the Faculty of Environmental Science for the program landscape planning/landscape engineering which she graduated with honours presenting her master’s thesis “Spatiotemporal Changes at Krkonose Mountains Alpine Tundra”. The thesis was a part of her internship at the Botanic Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences. Due to her research background in environmental science and technology (spatial science) she kept improving her experience at INRAE in Grenoble, France working in biodiversity project concerning the spatial analyses of invasive species.
In AMIRES Marina is supporting the Deep Tech team and is involved in MADE-3D project.
Marco Messina joined AMIRES team as a Project Manager in April 2023. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in International and Diplomatic Affairs at University of Bologna, Italy, Marco obtained his Master’ degree in International Relations at University of Bologna.Before joining AMIRES, Marco has worked in a Public Administration, in the South of Italy, as a support for the programming and planning of public projects, as well as their management, monitor and control.
In AMIRES, Marco is supporting the Deep Tech team and is involved in RoLA-FLEX, Next-2Digits and ECOBALLIFE projects.
Stefania Pavel is a Project Manager since 2024. She graduated from University of Bucharest in 2018 with a Bachelor’s in International Relations and European Studies, followed by the Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degree in European Politics and Society with Charles University and Jagiellonian University in 2020. She gained a vast understanding of EU affairs and policy making while being an intern at the Communication Office of a Member of the European Parliament, Presidential Administration of Romania, and Ministry of Defence of the Czech Republic. Between 2020 and 2023 she worked as Network Manager with the European Development Agency, in Prague. Here she strengthened the international presence of the company by increasing project participation, establishing novel partnerships, and opening new business cases. At the same time, she was the Grant Writer for the Institute for Regional Development. Stefania has been developing proposals for Erasmus+; Visegrad Grants, European Social Fund+; Citizens, Equality, Rights and Values Programme (CERV); EEA-Norway Grants; Interreg; UNICEF; UNHCR; Biodiversa+; COST Action; and Horizon Europe. Stefania was also the lead administrator of ESF+ Employment and Social Innovation National Contact Point for the Czech Republic. As of April 2023, she has been an Expert Evaluator with the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, EIT Culture & Creativity.
In AMIRES, Stefania is involved in Horizon Europe SPINUS (Spin based quantum computer and simulator) and Qu-Test projects
Weronika Słominska works in AMIRES as Investment Analyst for quantum projects. Originally from Warsaw, she graduated from the International Public Management bachelor programme at The Hague University of Applied Sciences in The Netherlands, where she acquired knowledge on public administration, EU affairs and policymaking. Throughout her practice-oriented studies, she had a chance to gain her academic experience in the Plekhanov Russian University of Economics, as well as professional experience in the Embassy of the Republic of Poland in Moscow. In the last year of her studies, she entered the world of European projects and public funding, joining European Development Agency based in Prague, where she assisted in accessing financing and managing projects under Erasmus+ and Visegrad Fund.
After graduation, she worked at EIT Urban Mobility Innovation Hub East, in which she was responsible for partner search, consortia coordination and writing applications for projects such as Horizon Europe, Interreg and Erasmus+ on behalf of the company.
Energy & Sustainability Team
Václav Smítka, Ph.D. joined AMIRES in 2013 and currently has the position of a Chief Technology Officer and Programme Manager in the domain of Energy and Sustainability. He graduated from the Czech Technical University in Prague, Faculty of Civil Engineering in 2009. At the same faculty he finished his Ph.D. in 2013. During his studies he took part in many research and development programmes and projects as a coordinator as well as a member of a research team. All these projects were mainly focused on the deformation measurement methods in the field of civil engineering. As an assistant professor at the Department of Special Geodesy at FCE, CTU in Prague he was also actively involved in teaching and publication activities. During his studies at the Institute of Property Valuation at the University of Economics in Prague he gained knowledge in the field of Real Estate Appraisal.
Václav is a Project and Dissemination Manager of H2020 project SOLWARIS (Solving WATer Issues for CSP plants), and HE project SuPerTandem (Novel tandem, high efficiency Photovoltaic technologies targeting low cost production with earth abundant materials). In FP7, he was active in projects FLUIDGLASS (Solar Thermal Glass Facades with Adjustable Transparency) and TRIBUTE (Take the energy bill back to the promised building performance). He is also responsible for Horizon Europe project proposals preparation.
Anastasia Grozdanova joined AMIRES team as a Project Manager in February 2020. After graduating Master in Business Administration at the University of Sofia, she gained profound knowledge in the EU affairs by completing several trainings/courses organised by reputable institutions, including the prestigious French École Nationale d’Administration. Anastasia worked both in public and private sector in Bulgaria with a focus on finance and environment. During her term in the Ministry of Environment and Water, she was particularly involved in the management of European funds and developed her expertise in programme management and coordination.
In AMIRES, Anastasia is responsible for managing of H2020 projects FlexFunction2Sustain (Open Innovation Ecosystem for Sustainable Nano-functionalized Flexible Plastic and Paper Surfaces and Membranes) and CONDOR (COmbined suN-Driven Oxidation and CO2 Reduction for renewable energy storage).
Martina Chopart joined the AMIRES team as a Project Manager in August 2021. After graduating from the Bachelor’s program in Translation and Interpreting at the Charles University of Prague, she continued her studies at the University of Valencia, following the Master in European Studies program at the Faculty of Law. In 2019, she obtained a Master of Science degree in International Development from the University of Manchester, focusing her research on the impacts of fossil fuels extraction in South America.She gained her first professional experience in Chameleon Events Ltd., where she organized international conferences in the Energy sector. After returning to Prague, she worked for the Investment and Business Development Agency under the Ministry of Trade, supporting strategic investment projects from the EcoTech and HealthTech sectors in establishing themselves in the Czech Republic.
In AMIRES, Martina is involved in H2020 projects NanoQI (Multimodal X-ray and Hyperspectral Thin-Film Nano-material Evaluation and Quality Imaging), TINKER (Fabrication Of Sensor Packages Enabled by Additive Manufacturing) and Convert2Green (Converting Facilities Network for accelerating uptake of climate neutral materials in innovative products) projects.
Eleonora Alamaro joined AMIRES as Project Manager in October 2021. After obtaining her bachelor’s degree in Economics at Federico II University of Naples, she joined the European Master in Business Studies, an International joint degree that is composed of 4 semesters in 4 different European countries: Italy, France, Germany, Spain.Due to her interest in sustainability and circular economy, she took part in a one-year SVE project in a social cooperative in Belgium, where she organized debates and events on organic food consumption. Then, she worked as HR and Reporting Specialist for a sustainable Finnish paper company in Poland. Before joining AMIRES, she was Schuman Trainee at the European Parliament, Directorate for Security and Safety, where she acquired wide knowledge about EU procedures and activities.
In AMIRES, Eleonora is involved in H2020 projects ComBioTES (Compact bio-based thermal energy storage for buildings), FRIENDSHIP (Forthcoming Research and Industry for European and National Development of SHIP) and BOOSTER project (Boost Of Organic Solar Technology for European Radiance).
Anna Korytářová joined AMIRES as a Project Manager in May 2024. She holds a bachelor’s degree in European Studies and Environmental Studies from Masaryk University in Brno, and a master’s degree in Area Studies with a focus on Central Eastern Europe from Charles University in Prague. Throughout her studies, she worked in both the public and private sectors with a focus on EU affairs. After graduation, she joined a consultancy firm where she collaborated with local stakeholders on projects funded by the European Social Fund. She gained further experience at the Investment and Business Development Agency CzechInvest, under the Ministry of Industry and Trade, where she supported strategic investment projects from negotiations to the launch of operations.
Health & Biotech Team
Martina Nešverová is a Programme Manager at AMIRES in the domain of Health and Biotechnology. She gained her bachelor’s degree at the University of Economics in Prague, Faculty of International Relations, major: International Trade in 2009 and her master’s degree at Touro College in New York, Graduate School of Business, major: International Finance in 2011. Martina has been developing her expertise with grant preparation and management since 2010. In the capacity of the Executive Assistant to the Dean at Touro College’s Graduate School of Education she, among other responsibilities, participated in preparation and management of two grants funded by the US Department of Education. As the Manager of International Projects and, subsequently, Member of the Board of Directors at AGEL Research a.s. she coordinated involvement of the AGEL Healthcare Group entities in international research consortia projects submitted for funding into Horizon 2020 competition.
Martina also serves as Director of Program Management and Chief Liaison for EU at IMPACT Leadership 21, a New York based global platform providing leadership solutions that drive change toward inclusive and sustainable economies. She is a representative to the United Nations.
In AMIRES, Martina is active in MedPhab project and is responsible for Horizon Europe project proposals preparation.
Mariana Pacheco Blanco, Ph.D. is a Programme Manager at AMIRES in the domain of Health and Biotechnology. She joined AMIRES in January 2020. She has a bachelor in Biomedicine from the University of Puebla in Mexico and received her Master’s of Science degree in 2012. In 2016 she got her Ph.D. in Biology from the University of Muenster in Germany. In the Czech Republic, she participated in cancer research project as scientist in Biocev research centre. During this time, she participated in the design, development and execution of different research projects in biomedical sciences from medical microbiology to cancer.
Since December 2019, she is in charge of the Scientific, Academic and Innovation sector of the Mexicans group in the Czech Republic, which belongs to the Global Mexican network (Red global Mx) and works closely with the Mexican Embassy in the Czech Republic and other Mexican institutions in the development of projects improving the link and collaboration between the two countries.
Mariana is currently on maternity leave.
Kristin Aldag is a Project Manager at AMIRES since September 2021. She graduated from Jagiellonian University in Krakow in 2016 with a Bachelor’s in International Relations and Area Studies and finished the Joint Master’s Degree in European Politics and Society with Charles University in Prague and Leiden University in 2021. Through her studies and participation in various conferences and Model European Union events, she gained a profound understanding of EU affairs, policies, rules and procedures. She previously worked with Interreg projects supporting the integrated territorial development and cooperation in the Baltic Sea Region, and further developed her expertise in EU funding during a dedicated course on EU Cohesion policy. As an avid supporter of European Integration, she is engaged in multiple civil society initiatives and has actively managed several educational projects funded by the European Commission’s Erasmus+ programme.
In AMIRES, Kristin is involved in the H2020 projects PANCAIM (Pancreatic cancer AI for genomics and personalized Medicine) and TUMOR-ln-oC (Tumor and Lymph Node on Chip for cancer studies).
Kristin Saar joined AMIRES as a Project Manager in February 2022. After graduating from a bachelor’s programme in Politics and Government at University of Tartu, Kristin obtained her master’s degree in European Affairs at Sciences Po Paris where she specialised in Social Policy. She developed a thorough understanding of EU policies while working at the EU Directorate of the Government Office of Estonia, Ministry of the Interior and Permanent Representation of Estonia to the EU.Kristin has wide-ranging experience in the field of health and pharmaceuticals. Working at the Health Division of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), she co-authored a report on patient safety governance. Prior to joining AMIRES, she was advising global pharmaceutical companies in a public affairs consultancy in Brussels and a regulatory affairs consultancy in Prague.
In AMIRES, Kristin is involved in Horizon Europe project eCAP (Ehealth CAPsule for digestive disease diagnostics and therapy) and in proposals in Health & Biotech Programme.
Panagiotis Chatzis joined AMIRES as a Project Manager in November 2023. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree in classics, he served military service at the Public Affairs Office at NATO HQ in Greece. He pursued his passion for service by taking on various administrative roles in the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Education. As he developed a thorough understanding of government policies and structures, he drew inspiration from the EU’s sui generis political project and joined a Joint Master’s Degree programme in European Politics and Society with Charles, Jagiellonian and Leiden universities. Having nurtured avid support for European Integration, he engaged in three EU Framework Programmes: Horizon Europe, Erasmus+ and CERV. Before joining Amires, he acquired extensive expertise in fostering sustainable and smart growth through research and innovation at the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, where he supported the Office of the Director.
In AMIRES, Panagiotis is involved in the European Defence Fund ECOBALLIFE and Horizon Europe NetZeroAICT.
Communication Team
Monika Ježdíková joined AMIRES team as an Office Manager in September 2020. She graduated from the Institute of Hospitality Management with degree Ing. in Hospitality and Spa Management in 2014. Monika started as a receptionist and after she moved to London where she started working for Hilton Hotels. As a Front Office Shift Leader Monika came back to Prague and worked for Hilton Prague as a Duty Manager. The latest Monika’s job was a Front Office Manager for a 5* hotel in central Prague.
In AMIRES, Monika is responsible for the marketing activities of the company, for administrative and organizational support to our team, proposal and projects support as well as events management.
Joan Guardià joined AMIRES team in December 2022 and is now in the position of Marketing Specialist. After graduating from a bachelor’s programme in Business and Management at Universitat de Barcelona, Joan obtained his master’s degree in Marketing and Commercial Management at ESIC Marketing & Business School in Barcelona. While doing his master’s degree, Joan worked in FMCG at Affinity Petcare as a Consumer Insights Assistant.
In AMIRES, Joan is supporting the marketing activities of the company.