In this issue, we feature the work of Karel Sandera who was born January 25, 1903 in Mohelno in Moravia. He graduated with distinction from both the Czech Technical University and Charles University in 1924, earning the Doctor of Natural Sciences (RNDr.) degree from the latter and becoming the youngest RNDr. in the Czechoslovak Republic at the time. The scientific work of Professor Sandera was based on physical chemistry. He contributed to the transformation of empirical sugar manufacturing practices into a scien-tifically based technology, applying physical chemistry and sugar instrumental analysis. He was especially engaged in applications of conductivity. In his later years he also worked on sugar beet agronomy. He died July 8, 1959. and Jiří Jindra.
Another article is by Associate Professor Stanislav Kozubek, the director of the Institute of Biophysics of the ASCR. He explores one of the possibilities of evaluating the quality of basic research and points out some defects of the methodology utilized by the Research and Development Council. and Stanislav Kozubek.
This comment was made by Professor Jiří Drahoš a renowned physical chemist, interviewed for a feature article in this issue. The Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR) has been observing this year the 20th anniversary of its inception, this one being another in the series. Professor Drahoš has been president of the ASCR since 2009. Since then, Professor Drahoš has been facing the government's decisions to cut the Academy's budget every year. He has worked at the Institute of Chemical Process Fundamentals of the ASCR since 1977, holding various positions, including research scientist, senior research scientist, Department Head, Deputy Director (1992-1995) and Director (1996-2003). His principal research interest is multiphase chemical reactors. He has published more than 60 original papers in impacted international journals and is a co-inventor of four international and holds 10 Czech patents. According to Science Citation Index and other sources, his scientific papers have been cited more than 700 times. In 1977 he was awarded the Medal of the Czechoslovak Academy of Sciences (CSAS). and Marina Hužvárová.
The CZELO Office in Brussels organized an IGLO Open Seminar on Key Enabling Technologies (KETs) on March 6, 2012. The KETs represent an important feature of the upcoming Horizon 2020 framework program. Their role is to enhance the competitiveness and innovation potential of European products, processes and technologies The KETs are defined, for example, as micro- and nanoelectronics photonics, biotechnology or advanced manufacturing systems. and Michaela Vlková.