60 years with the masters of testing: Miroslav Prokop

Learn more about the story of a colleague who has dedicated 34 years to the testing industry. On the occasion of our sixtieth anniversary, we bring you the stories of the masters who have stood or still stand behind our tradition of honest Czech testing.    

When did you join SZÚ?
After finishing school, I initially worked as a process engineer. Following my military service, I joined the Engineering Test Institute (SZÚ) in Brno in 1969, where I remained until 2003. That means I spent a full 34 years in the field of testing.

What were your beginnings like?
My first assignment at SZÚ was in the thermal technology testing department, under the leadership of Ing. Kavín. I even remember my very first project – testing a handheld gas burner.
At that time, test reports were written by hand and later typed up on typewriters in the documentation office.

How would you evaluate your career at SZÚ?
What I appreciated most was the incredible variety of the work – I never did the same thing twice.
I also had the opportunity to work with some truly remarkable clients, including ČKD Praha, Tatra Kolín, and the First Brno Engineering Works in both Brno and Třebíč.
Among international projects, I was especially proud to test burners for ELCO and Weishaupt, as well as boilers for Buderus.
Together with the First Brno Engineering Works in Třebíč, we successfully launched a project for the production of gas burners.

During the Comecon era, our institute participated in collaborative development of gas burner technologies, and I was a member of the relevant expert commission.
After the dissolution of Comecon, SZÚ became involved in the adoption of EU standards and directives into Czech legislation. I contributed to this process as a member of the committees for Simple Pressure Vessels and Mechanical Engineering.

What is something people might not know about you?
While working, I took the initiative to improve my German and Russian language skills.

Any memorable stories from your career?
There were many – each era brought its own unique experiences. Some of them would be hard to imagine today:
For example, when traveling abroad on business, we had to obtain prior approval from the Office for Technical Standardization, Metrology and State Testing (ÚNMZ).
After returning from countries outside the Comecon bloc, we were required to submit a detailed report to the State Security (StB).
And for trips to Western countries, I even needed a character reference from the local committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia.

Interview recorded by Tomáš Hruška during the SZÚ Alumni Gathering on June 4, 2025, in Brno.
Our sincere thanks to both colleagues.
The SZÚ Team