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On Wednesday, March 25, 2026, RNDr. Martin Trnečka, Ph.D. delivered his public habilitation lecture at FIT. Its title? “Boolean matrix factorization”.

Martin Trnečka specializes in the field of data analysis. The key focus of his work is Boolean matrix factorization, which is a method of data analysis. Trnečka earned his Ph.D. in 2017 at the Faculty of Science of Palacký University in Olomouc and has been working at the local Department of Computer Science for many years. He has worked on dozens of projects and completed research stays abroad at institutions such as the French INRIA (Nancy) and the American University of Texas (El Paso). The habilitation process has now brought him to our Faculty of Information Technology. Why here, specifically? “I think it’s good if the habilitation process takes place at a different institution; it’s a challenge. And the choice of FIT? Throughout my career, I’ve specialized at the intersection of computer science and information technology, so that choice felt natural to me,” Trnečka comments on his decision.

Boolean matrix factorization is a method for uncovering deeper patterns, regularities, or common denominators in binary matrices, which often carry extensive data represented by the values 0/1 (true/false). For example, through the method of matrix factorization (decomposition). The purpose of the method is to replace a complex matrix with a smaller number of more comprehensible factors, which constitute the hidden structure of the data. In his research and in his habilitation thesis itself, Martin Trnečka focuses on the development of algorithms that perform factorization more effectively than existing methods. Another contribution of his work is computational parallelization, i.e., the division of the task among multiple processes, which has accelerated computations. A strength of Trnečka’s research is also his emphasis on interpretability. The author demonstrates that it is not enough to find merely a technically sound decomposition of data; rather, it is important that the resulting factors be as comprehensible as possible to the users themselves.

More detailed information on Martin Trnečka’s research and his perspective on the habilitation process itself can be found here.

Matúš Nosko is a senior in the master’s program at FIT VUT and also a co-founder of the successful companies MaNoSens and Guardexy—he has thus managed to combine these two time-consuming pursuits. In this interview, he speaks openly about his early days in programming, the demands of his studies, his collaboration with his brother Svetozár, and the journey from a student project to working with a major industrial partner.

How did the Nosko brothers’ journey to entrepreneurial success actually begin? “I think it was in our third year. We were brainstorming what we could do in the hardware field. We came up with ideas like so-called smart beehives. But the market was already saturated with those. And then an opportunity arose to try our hand at controlling and monitoring frequency converters. We got a lead from our dad, who had been looking for a similar monitoring system for his home for a long time. There was simply a small gap in the market. We signed up for the Booster Challenge, a summer faculty competition. A friend told us we’d get feedback on our ideas there and, if successful, some funding as well. But we couldn’t wait for the results to be announced to move forward with the project; in the meantime, we formally established the company and began testing the first products. So by the end of the Booster Challenge, we were already presenting real results." Today, both are behind the highly successful Guardexa project. How did studying IT help Matúš? What advice would he give to other student entrepreneurs just starting out?

You can find out all of this in the interview on our Job Seeker Portal. There you’ll also find other published stories from our graduates: interviews with Gabriela Nečasová, David Bažout, Kateřina Fořtová, Jiří Pavel, Petr Pouč, Jaroslav Kadlec, and Kateřina Vrána. And more will be added through the end of March.

Few areas of cybersecurity are poised to become as pivotal a field in the coming years as post-quantum cryptography. Quantum computing and the threat of potential breaches of current cryptographic algorithms are driving intensive research efforts as well as public discourse that is often overly simplified and focused on fantastical scenarios.

This week, we have the opportunity to hear a lecture by a prominent international expert on post-quantum cryptography right here at the faculty. Simon Abelard earned his Ph.D. in computer science from the Université de Lorraine (2018). Today, he serves as an associate professor at EPITA in Paris and as a researcher at the Sorbonne. His main research topics include post-quantum cryptography in the broadest sense, ranging from algebraic cryptanalysis to the design and practical implementation of protocols. Recently, he has begun exploring the field of hybrid protocols that combine post-quantum and quantum cryptography.

• Topic: Post-quantum cryptography, cryptanalysis, and design
• When: Thursday, March 19, 2:00 PM
• Where: Room A218, FIT VUT

The lecture will be divided into two thematic sections. The introductory part will provide insight into research focused on the cryptanalysis of multivariate schemes using geometric approaches. The subsequent part will focus on encryption schemes for group broadcasting designed with an emphasis on efficient bandwidth utilization. These schemes are based on Boolean functions and tools of symmetric cryptography and are primarily intended for specific data transmission scenarios, such as in space or underwater.