From the garage to Industry 4.0. Dřevoplast Ludvík scores with CXI TUL

Dřevoplast Ludvík Excels in Digitalization Thanks to Experts from CXI TUL

Dřevoplast Ludvík is a family-owned company from the Liberec Region that started out making rakes in a garage. Today, it is among the technological pioneers in small-scale production. In the Industry 4.0 Award competition organized by the Confederation of Industry of the Czech Republic and SAPIE, the company ranked among the TOP 3 best digitalization implementations of 2025. It earned this recognition for its comprehensive production transformation — process automation, real-time data management, and deployment of its own AI chatbot. The digital transformation was carried out in cooperation with a team of experts from CXI TUL.

In the 2025 edition of the Industry 4.0 Award, the award for the best implementation went to LARS Chemie, spol. s r.o. Other companies in the TOP 3 were Dřevoplast Ludvík s.r.o. (Aleš Bobek, 3rd from the left) and Škoda Auto a.s.

When There Are No Consultants, Science Steps In

Unlike large corporations, Dřevoplast did not have a team of external consultants. Everything was managed internally — with support from experts at the CXI of the Technical University of Liberec. Together, they created a digital system that connects ERP, production lines, and operators using the open OPC UA protocol. Every step of production is monitored and evaluated in real time. The result? Higher efficiency, fewer errors, and full traceability of every component.

“Digitalization wasn’t a nice-to-have. It was a necessity. We had no visibility into production, constant firefighting slowed us down, and we were losing competitiveness. Working with CXI allowed us to turn our ideas into a functional system.”
Aleš Bobek, Quality and Digital Transformation Manager, Dřevoplast Ludvík

No Sci-Fi, Just Data and Common Sense

The transformation also includes a custom-built company chatbot that helps employees with machine setup, locating documentation, or following service procedures. It’s not about replacing people — quite the opposite. Thanks to digitalization, employees have moved into more qualified roles, focusing on data analysis or robot control. Data has become a natural part of everyday work.

“Dřevoplast Ludvík didn’t chase buzzwords. Everything they implemented was tested on data. When something didn’t work, they changed it. No show, just pragmatic innovation.”
Jan Kočí, Technical University of Liberec

Digitalization as a Mindset

The results? +40% machine performance, −30% energy consumption, −20% inventory, and zero paper orders in production. But for Dřevoplast, this is not the finish line — it’s the starting point. By 2026, the company plans to rebrand as LUDVIK s.r.o. and continue automation — from internal logistics to HR processes driven by data.

This success proves that even a small company can make the leap into the digital era — with vision, the right partner, and the courage to change what doesn’t work. And that collaboration between business and research can be the best step toward the future.

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Want to Learn More?

Read the full story about the collaboration between Dřevoplast Ludvík and CXI TUL:
cxi.tul.cz/novinky/496/detail