Press Release: Eaton, a leading global power distribution company, has celebrated its 10th anniversary establishment of the Eaton European Innovation Center (EEIC) in Roztoky near Prague. Eaton marked the occasion with an event attended by top company officials, employees, as well as key partners from academia, industry and government. The guests included Hélène Chraye, Head of the Department for Energy Transformation to Clean Energy, General Directorate for Research and Innovation, European Commission, and Eva Jungmannová, Head of the Investments and Foreign Operations Division of the CzechInvest agency. "Today's world is changing at an unprecedented pace and it has never been more important for public and private sector organizations to work together to accelerate the process of innovation."said Eva Jungmann.
EEIC opened in January 2012 with a team of 16 employees and has since built a global reputation for solving the most demanding challenges in energy management and distribution. As part of Eaton's global Corporate Research and Technology group, the center plays an absolutely essential role in the company's multibillion-dollar research and development effort. In order to develop more efficient, safer and more sustainable solutions, EEIC expanded its staff and currently employs more than 150 specialists from 20 countries worldwide with expertise in the automotive, residential, hydraulic, electrical and IT sectors. The center continues to grow rapidly, and Eaton expects that by 2025 it will the number of its employees will almost double for a total of 275.
EEIC regularly participates in important innovation projects of the European Union and the Czech government and has formed partnerships with a number of leading academic institutions, including the Czech Technical University, the University of West Bohemia in Pilsen, the Technical University in Brno, the University of Chemistry in Prague and the University of Mining and Technology University of Ostrava. EEIC has also applied for granting 60 patents of which 14 received. It was a solution for Industry 4.0, SF6-free circuit breakers, including new generation circuit breakers, DC microgrids, advanced valve train systems for internal combustion engines, decompression engine brakes and vehicle electrification.
Anne Lillywhite, Eaton's Vice President of Engineering and Electrical, EMEA and Eaton European Innovation Center said: “I am extremely proud of the efforts of our team at EEIC to come up with innovative solutions and look forward to presenting some of our most exciting projects to our guests today. The center in Roztoky has become a place where great ideas are created not only within Eaton, but also in cooperation with governments, commercial partners and academic institutions from all over Europe. In the near future, we plan to further expand our team, which will participate in the development of new and progressive solutions to ensure a more sustainable future."
Eaton also plans to continue in equipment investments, which will ensure that the EEIC can continue to push the boundaries of what is possible in energy management. In recent years, the company has invested, for example, in the installation of a best-in-class dynamometer for testing vehicle differentials and powertrain components (year 2018) and a state-of-the-art High Performance Computing cluster (year 2020) has also been established to support the development of key electrical components such as arc-resistant switchboard. In order to speed up the innovation process, specialized departments were also established in EEIC: Power electronics; Software, Electronics & digital control and Simulation and modeling of electric arcs including plasma physics.
Tim Darkes, Eaton's President Corporate and Electrical, EMEA added: “The Innovation Center's efforts are key to our company as we continually adapt our product portfolio to support the energy transformation that is so important to ensuring a sustainable future for our planet. Therefore, a specialized department for energy transformation and digitization is also being created, the aim of which is to provide solutions for a low-carbon future to building owners. The potential for flexible, smart energy is limitless, and thanks to innovation centers like the EEIC, we can help the world take advantage of these new opportunities.”
About the Eaton European Innovation Center
Established in 2012, the Eaton European Innovation Center (EEIC) aims to make Eaton products and services more efficient, safer and more sustainable. As part of the global Corporate Research and Technology group, the center plays a vital role in the company's research and development. The teams specialize in electrical and mechanical engineering and support customers across Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Specific areas of focus include vehicle powertrains, industrial automation, power distribution, energy conversion, electronics and IT. EEIC accelerates innovation across Eaton's portfolio by collaborating with a wide range of government, industry and academic partners.
About Eaton
Eaton is an intelligent energy management company dedicated to improving the quality of life and protecting the environment for people around the world. We are guided by our commitment to doing business right, working sustainably and helping our customers manage energy ─ today and in the future. By capitalizing on the global growth trends of electrification and digitalization, we are accelerating our planet's transition to renewable energy, helping to address the world's most pressing energy management challenges, and doing what is best for all stakeholders and society as a whole.
Eaton was founded in 1911 and has been listed on the New York Stock Exchange for nearly a century. In 2021, we reported $19,6 billion in revenue and serve our customers in more than 170 countries. For more information, visit the website www.eaton.com. Follow us on Twitter a LinkedIn.
