On 22 June 2026, a seminar was held during which our colleagues from Serbia – Lena Đorđević Milutinović and Radul Milutinović (University of Belgrade, Faculty of Organizational Sciences, Belgrade), as well as Lazar Raković and Vuk Vuković (University of Novi Sad, Faculty of Economics in Subotica) – presented their current research areas and discussed the topics of their ongoing scientific work.

On 16 June 2026, the research team from the Department of Management Process at the Krakow University of Economics advanced to the next critical milestone of the "Quality 4.0 Benchmarking Platform" project by conducting a site visit at the Hungarian division of AUMOVIO in Budapest. This visit to the technology giant, recently spun off from Continental AG, provided an unparalleled opportunity to gather comparative data on quality management within the high-volume automotive electronics sector (Automotive EMS).

Whilst the earlier phases of the project explored the agility of the SME sector, the visit to AUMOVIO’s Budapest complex offered a macro-scale perspective. The state-of-the-art production facility at Napmátka utca, combined with the onsite AI Development Centre, serves as an exemplary model of the highest level of digital maturity.

On 21 May 2026, representatives from the Department of Management Process at the Krakow University of Economics participated in an international study visit to the LAKUM - GALMA a.s. production facility in Humpolec, Czechia. The study visit was organised and conducted as part of the international research and development project titled "Quality 4.0 Benchmarking Platform".

LAKUM-GALMA specialises in advanced metal forming and surface treatment processes, including electrophoretic coating (KTL) and galvanisation for the automotive industry. The company serves as an outstanding European example of an SME (Small and Medium-sized Enterprise) successfully implementing the Quality 4.0 paradigm on a major operational scale.

Almost two years after the completion of the Visegrad project "Improving quality management teaching in the era of Industry 4.0," we continue our collaboration with partners from the Czech Republic and Hungary. This time, the project leader is the Department of Quality Management at the Technical University of Ostrava.

The project focuses on the Quality 4.0 Maturity Model development and its practical deployment through a Quality 4.0 Benchmarking Platform in SME in the V4 region. The project promotes cross-border collaboration and networking among quality and IT experts from academia, SMEs, and technological start-ups across the V4 region and fosters knowledge sharing.

More info on the project website: https://www.fmt.vsb.cz/639/q40benchp/en/about-project