The general aim of the Laboratory of Service Systems (SeSLab) is to study possibilities of services provision and their IT support (which is similarly provisioned as a service), so that they bring maximal value to their users. The specific research in separate laboratory sections is then based on this general idea.
In all the sections we try to apply a complex approach, based on a 4 diamonds model. It's a specific model which helps to understand the connections between different contexts of the cities and their mutual relationships. It allows us to include non technical aspects into our model examples (human factors, social dimensions, etc.). This approach leads to a definition of new solutions that are better accepted by the cities, their residents and other stakeholders - because it brings more added value that all the involved parties clearly understand.
Laboratory Sections
T-shape
The laboratory is dedicated to cultivating T-shaped skills—deep technical IT expertise combined with a broad understanding across other fields. This skill set is increasingly valued in both research and industry.
Currently, the team is collaborating with several IT companies to study how interdisciplinary knowledge shapes today’s workforce and whether employees embody the T-shaped skill profile. We are examining if employees are developing skills beyond their core IT expertise and how familiar they are with the T-shaped concept.
This research helps us equip students with T-shaped skills to thrive in versatile, interdisciplinary roles. The goal? To build a generation of adaptable, well-rounded professionals ready for tomorrow’s challenges.
Section supervisor: Ing. Leonard Walletzký, Ph.D.
Living Lab
The university's Living Lab team collaborates with the newly established Living Lab at the Brno exhibitions centre, which is dedicated to advancing innovation within the Czech Republic.
Living Labs are open innovation ecosystems that operate in real-world settings, utilizing iterative feedback loops throughout the entire innovation lifecycle to create sustainable impact. They focus on co-creation, rapid prototyping, testing, and scaling innovations, providing shared value to a wide range of stakeholders.
The Living Lab at the Brno exhibitions centre concentrates on four key areas: Smart City, Industry 4.0, Future Mobility, and Life Sciences and Education.
By representing the academia in the quadruple helix—alongside industry, government, and society—the university’s Living Lab team plays a key role in driving innovation across these themes. Through our active involvement, we help foster a dynamic environment that supports technological progress and delivers societal benefits. Additionally, the Living Lab at the Brno exhibitions centre aims to become part of the European Network of Living Labs (ENoLL), contributing to shared knowledge and best practices at the European level.
Section supervisor: Mgr. Zuzana Schwarzová
Service Design
Service Design team focuses on projects addressing current challenges faced by cities and municipalities related to the implementation of Smart City methodologies, particularly from the perspective of IT services utilization. We conduct research on the added value of "smart services," examining the role of IT in this added value and seeking the best ways to develop, maintain, and manage these services.
We also engage in the application of IT within the concept of urban and community resilience. We explore how to properly design IT services to contribute to city development according to the latest requirements, such as carbon neutrality, resilience, and green cities.
Section supervisor: Mgr. Zuzana Schwarzová
Implementation
Our team focuses on the practical implementation of topics addressed by other teams in our laboratory, especially the Service Design and Living Lab teams. We are actively engaged in the field of open data, both in local and national catalogs. We are also embarking on research in the area of artificial intelligence and its integration into services. Among our completed projects are the visualization of urban data and the analysis of open data in the energy sector.
Section supervisor: Ing. Patrik Procházka
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History of the Laboratory
The Laboratory of Service Systems has been established along the new program Service Science, Management and Engineering (SSME), now called Software Systems and Services Management. The program was brought to the Faculty of Informatics by Ing. Jaroslav Zelený, CSc. (now also a laboratory member), an IBM Czech Republic employee of the time responsible for collaboration with academia. The historically first supervisor of the laboratory was RNDr. Zdenko Staníček, Ph.D. He was also a key person in the SSME program, thanks to whom it grew from 18 students in 2008 to over 200 in 2010.
The increase of students led to organizational problems and discussions about the program contents. Big changes happened in the extent and structure of the study courses and also in the organization of external internships. These changes were prepared and made by the current members of the laboratory, Ing. Leonard Walletzký, Ph.D. and Ing. Jaroslav Zelený CSc. The present-day version of Services development management specialization of Software systems and services management program is built on these changes.
The laboratory has always synergically supported research through a multidisciplinary approach to services. Zdenko Staníček has created the 4 Diamond Theory on its premises, which is being taught in the program up until today.
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Vision of the Laboratory
The laboratory has been growing since year 2018, when the Smart City field has entered the main stage of its research. The goal is to build from the Laboratory of Service Systems in 4 years a renowned facility, collaborating with municipalities and companies dealing with service science (on the fields of Smart City and Open Data, in the past also ERP systems), and assure lasting transfer of research results to applications and practice, including adequate grant financing.
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Values and Rules
We cultivate team collaboration of all laboratory members, always seeking synergies, how to improve our work together. Bi-weekly meetings of the whole laboratory, during which we discuss such opportunities, help assure that. We follow the motto "Success of an individual is the success of the laboratory and vice versa." We collaborate with faculty through Masaryk University, namely with Faculty of Economics and Administration and Faculty of Social Studies.
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Strategy
The laboratory recruits new members among students. All students, not only of SSME and RSSS programs, are welcome if they wish to partake in research. All students who write their final thesis under the supervision of a senior laboratory member automatically become laboratory members. It is also possible to earn credits for involvement in the laboratory: members enroll in the PV202 Laboratory of Service Systems course. The course can be registered repeatedly.
All student members of the laboratory, when they communicate interest, can participate in academic activity of the laboratory, such as co-authoring scholarly conference and journal papers.
Videopresentation of the laboratory
The laboratory created their own videopresentation for the Open Doors Day at FI in 2021. For now, the video is only available in Czech language.