On 7 March 2019, the ceremony was held at the premises of the Permanent Representation of the Slovak Republic to the EU to celebrate the 5th Anniversary of the establishment of the Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussels (SLORD).

The event was officially opened by Deputy Permanent Representative of the Slovak Republic to the EU, Ambassador Petra Vargová. Head of the Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussels, Andrej Kurucz, welcomed the participants and presented the main objectives and various activities that the representatives of the Slovak Liaison RTD Office daily perform in order to stimulate the participation of the Slovak entities in the EU Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation, while at the same time highlighting the results of the Slovak science, research and innovation on the ground in Brussels.

The programme of the event continued with presentations of successful representatives from the research and innovation community in Slovakia, whose aim was to familiarize the international audience with important personalities and projects in the field of research and innovation in Slovakia.

<a href="/wp-content/uploads/buxus/PODUJATIA/Suvada_Aurel_Stodola__Special_summary_CVTI_Brussels__07.03.2019___EN.pdf>Miro Šuvada, IT consultant, IT strategy developer and expert within the implementation of information systems for global interests in Europe, Asia and the USA, presented a professional life of professor Aurel Stodola. Miro Šuvada actively supports the life and work of prof. Aurel Stodola – Slovak mathematician, physicist, engineer, inventor, university professor and still the world’s celebrated personality in the field of automatic regulation theory and steam turbine „father“.

Director of the Centre for Functional and Surface Functional Glasses (FunGlass), <a href=/PODUJATIA/Galusek__FunGlass_Brusel_2019-02.pdf>Professor Dušan Galusek, presented the activities and the results of the scientific-academic project financed by the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme in Slovakia. The FunGlass project is realized by the Alexander Dubček University in Trenčín in close cooperation with the project consortium members, which are the leading European institutions in the field of glass science and technology from Germany (Friedrich – Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg and Friedrich-Schiller Universität Jena), Spain Superior de Investigaciones Científicas) and Italy (Universita degli Studi di Padova). The unique management structure of the FunGlass Centre is made up of representatives of the project partners, which guarantees the direct participation of top European scientists in defining the strategy and controlling the Centre’s activities.

<a href=/PODUJATIA/Beljak__Ecocapsule_Catalogue_2018_presentation.pdf>Peter Beljak, COO of the Ecocapsule Company, presented a breakthrough product coming from Slovakia. We are talking about Ecocapsule – an intelligent micro-accommodation facility that uses solar and wind energy, so this device is completely self-sufficient. It allows you to stay in remote locations away from the infrastructure with the luxury of the hotel room. Ecocapsule Company has developed a unique product that can be characterized by its self-contained, practical and functional properties. Ecocapsule is the design of independent living practically anywhere.

<a href=/PODUJATIA/Sovak_Safarik_University_introduct_Brusel.pdf>Pavol Sovák, Rector of Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (UPJŠ), presented successful projects of centers of excellence, university science parks and the Science and Research Center of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS), which were built in the city of Košice with the support from the European Structural and Investment Funds. According to the Rector, Košice has developed a unique network of cooperation across all three universities and SAS, which provides the city of Košice with the advantage and unique research and innovation potential for the forthcoming initiatives. One of the priority tasks of UPJŠ is to optimize the implementation of innovation, transfer and IPR objectives through the new UPJŠ Technology and Innovation Park (TIP), which aims to develop activities primarily in the sphere of translation research of the development of new technologies and to contribute to the development of Pavel Jozef Šafárik University in Košice as a modern University, which is based on the synergy of three pillars: education, leadership and technology transfer, with emphasis on the development of innovative teaching, capitalizable science and a creative environment for the emergence of innovative high-tech companies. The university is actively involved in a network of major universities and activities within the European Research Area (ERA).

Last but not least, <a href=/PODUJATIA/Miskovsky__SAFTRA_Photonics_Brusel_March_2019_bez_videa_final.pdf“>Professor Pavol Miškovský, Director of the Technology and Innovation Park UPJŠ and Executive Director and Master of the Saftra Photonics, introduced the unique project called NanoScreen. The Saftra Photonics company has created a unique technology named PickMol that will dramatically increase the availability and speed of detecting harmful pollutants in water. In theory, the device could monitor water quality continuously. The device is capable of associating nanotechnology, photonics, organic chemistry and digital technology. The Slovak invention, supported by the European Commission through the prestigious Phase 2 grant of the SME Instrument, can be broadly deployed in other areas in the future. The company Saftra Photonics, with Professor Miškovský, won the biggest start-up competition in Slovakia – Startup Awards 2017.

The event attracted a high interest from participants, involving 105 participants, including representatives of the EU Member States and Associated Countries; members of the various Directorates-General of the European Commission; European Parliament; Council of the EU; academy; industry, including small and medium-sized enterprises and professional associations and platforms based in Brussels.

The Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussels was established in 2014, during this time it joined the group of 28 other RTD liaison offices that had been already active in Brussels. The main objective of the Office is to monitor the development of policy and various instruments in the area of the European research and innovation, with a specific focus on the Horizon 2020, while at the same time bridging the gap between Slovak and European institutions.

Photos: <a href=/Kurucz__5._vyrocie.JPG>photo no. 1; <a href=/Vargova_5._vyrocie.JPG>photo no. 2; <a href=/Suvada_Aurel_Stodola.JPG>photo no. 3; <a href=/Galusek__FunGlass.JPG>photo no. 4; <a href=/Beljak_Ecocapsule.jpg>photo no. 5; <a href=/Sovak_UPJS.JPG>photo no. 6; <a href=/Miskovsky_Saftra_Photonics.JPG>photo no. 7