Spa Research Centre

The project Centre for Spa Research (registration number CZ.10.01.01/00/22_001/0000261) responds to the current situation where the Karlovy Vary Region spends the lowest amount of money on R&D activities in the Czech Republic.Apart from the Institute of Spa and Balneology, there is no other public R&D workplace and the smallest number of researchers in comparison with other regions, even taking into account the size of the region. In the years 2020-2021, the Karlovy Vary Region was the only region in the Czech Republic that had a negative year-on-year growth in R&D expenditure. When converted to regional GDP, the share of R&D expenditure is only around 0.2%, which is the lowest share among all regions of the CR in the long term. The vast majority of R&D funding in the Karviná and Vratsa region was provided by business sources. The closure of the Research Institute of Balneology in 1993 put a halt to research activities in the field of spa and balneology, which led to the stagnation of the Czech spa industry within the health sector. However, the lack of balneological research has resulted in a lack of scientifically based evidence of the effects of spa treatment on the human body and a deepening loss of knowledge and generational exchange of experts. The 30-year gap is reflected in the decline in the competitiveness of the spa industry in an environment significantly influenced by the pharmaceutical industry and the emergence of a significant number of wellness centres that do not use natural healing resources.

The main objective of the project is to build an environment and infrastructure for the implementation of scientific research activities in the field of spa and balneology with high application potential and the prospect of a significant contribution to the economic growth of the Karlovy Vary Region.
The implementation of the project also pursues secondary objectives, which logically follow the overall aim of the project, including in particular:
- Creation of new jobs in research for the inhabitants of the region.
- Increasing the attractiveness of the Karlovy Vary Region as a destination for health tourism through effective marketing and promotion of new research results and innovations in the field of spa and balneology.
- Increasing the knowledge and competences of the region's inhabitants through targeted educational programmes, especially in the field of spa and balneology.

The project structure itself was divided into vertical thematic priorities and horizontal cross-cutting activities.
The vertical (thematic) priorities will combine medical, environmental, and socio-economic sciences. By directing support to these vertical priority areas - domains of research and innovation specialisation - the desired transformation of the spa sector will be achieved.
Horizontal activities include activities that are not only related to a specific priority but are relevant and important for all parts of the project. Specifically, these are training activities and knowledge and technology transfer.
The research activities are also designed to respond adequately to the needs of different stakeholders:
Medical research is primarily oriented towards spa facilities.
Environmental research is key for spa towns.
Socio-economic research responds to the needs of public administrations.

The CLV project will contribute to the transformation of the spa industry based on science, innovation and sustainability, which will lead to a significant improvement in the quality and efficiency of spa care in the Karlovy Vary Region and strengthen its position as a centre of excellence for science and research in the field of spa and balneology throughout Europe. The multidisciplinary scope of the CLV project guarantees long-term sustainability or ensuring long-term transformational impacts of the project activities.

The implementation of the project started on 1 July 2024. The following results have been achieved in the past six months:

- 18 new professional staff were recruited and another 4 staff were transferred from ILaB to the CLV project, thus meeting the main project indicator - creation of new research jobs. The professional positions cover a variety of areas including medicine, balneology, socio-economic studies and the study of natural medicinal resources.
- Since October, a branch of the Institute has been operating in Mariánské Lázně, specifically in the Chopin Cultural House. This branch serves as an important centre for research on spa care in and around Mariánské Lázně. At the same time, in November we opened a branch in Františkovy Lázně in the municipal office building. Expanding to these important spa towns will allow us to broaden the scope of our research and establish closer cooperation with local spas.
- We have issued tenders for key services and equipment - an external procurement administrator has already been selected. In addition, further procurements are in process to ensure the smooth running of the project.
- In terms of professional achievements, we have won the prestigious ESPA (European Spas Association) Innovation Award in the Spa Scientific Research category. This achievement confirms our leading position in the field of scientific research in spa and balneology at European level.
- We organized educational seminars for doctors and medical staff, which were held under the accreditation of the Czech Medical Chamber.
- As part of the popularisation of science, we organised 4 events in the format of ScienceCafés for the general public. The events were very successful and we are planning another one in cooperation with Císařské Lázně. This format has proven to be an effective way to bring the results of our research to the general public and raise awareness of the importance of spa care. In addition, the first workshop for spa management was organised with a focus on knowledge and technology transfer.
- Our experts have successfully presented their research results at several major international conferences. Among the most important ones are the MASH conference in Paris, the European Spas Association Congress, the Winter School of Health Tourism in Bad Birnbach, the conference on the legacy of Vincenzo Priessnitz, the Mikulov Days of Rehabilitation and Spa, the Balneotechnic Days in Mariánské Lázně and others.
- On 22 November 2024 we organised the Balneofórum 2024 conference, which took place in Mariánské Lázně. This event focused on sharing the latest research and innovation in the spa industry. The event was attended by leading experts from the Czech Republic and abroad.
- We continue to expand international cooperation. MUDr. Ladislav Špišák, CSc. now represents the Czech Republic in the medical committee under ESPA, while Ing. Alina Huseynli, MBA coordinates the research group under ESPA. Furthermore, we established cooperation with IKOM in Bad Kissingen and during October we welcomed a Korean delegation led by the President of the Korean Spa Association. At the end of October, Ing. Huseynli presented the results of the project at a conference on health tourism in Azerbaijan at the invitation of the state organization for tourism development. Furthermore, we will present the results of ILaB at the General Assembly of GSTE (Great Spa Towns of Europe) of UNESCO. During November, a meeting with the Vice Mayor of Vichy was held and a new cooperation with French spas was established.

Overall, the project is progressing according to plan in the technical part and we are achieving significant successes in research, education and international cooperation. We see the challenges ahead as an opportunity to further develop and improve our internal processes. We will continue to work to strengthen our position within the region and internationally and take advantage of all available opportunities to make the Spa Research Centre project the flagship not only of our institute, but also of the Czech spa industry as a whole.