Tested in Antarctica Trademark to Be Used Abroad As Well

Technology Transfer Office has been collaborating on the „Testováno v Antarktidě" trademark project with the team of polar researchers since 2016 when the Czech trademark of the same name was registered. Two years later a European trademark of „Tested in Antarctica“ was registered.

The trademark is granted by Masaryk University to products that held up well in the rough Antarctic conditions. In the first two years of testing, the total of nine products, ranging from outdoor equipment to a waterproofing membrane, were given the trademark.

It was the membrane manufacturer – Czech company Fatra – that first showed interest in the European trademark. „Around 70 % of our products we export abroad. Our customers in Finland, Norway and Sweden will notice that the membrane successfully underwent rigorous testing,“ said one of the company´s managers, Mr Jaromir Novak, at the press conference in June. The interest our commercial partners showed in using the trademark abroad gave us an impulse to extend its protection to other countries.

Mark of Quality Inspires

Hiking shoes, hats, socks but also nano waterproofing and the above-mentioned membrane are among the products that have withstood the rough Antarctic conditions and obtained the „Tested in Antarctica“ trademark. Last year, three products won the right to show off this trademark. This year another six products expanded their ranks.

Among Czech universities, this model of collaboration with companies based on a trademark was rather revolutionary. Charles University or, more specifically, the Czech Institute of Egyptology is currently testing a similar collaboration. The university has registered the „Proven in the Desert“ trademark; it will be granted to products and technologies that will have withstood the extreme desert conditions of the Czech Archaeological Concession in Abusir, Egypt and the Sudan expeditions. The university has also launched a website of the same name.

„The only other Czech university offering a similar certificate is Masaryk University. The „Proven in the Desert“ trademark registered by the Faculty of Arts, Charles University thus offers the producers its natural counterpart,“ says the faculty´s spokesman, Petr Kukal.