Slovak companies have another opportunity to gain a foothold in foreign markets and conclude new business contracts – Slovak Matchmaking Fair 2021 Online (SMF), held on 21st October 2021 and organized by the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy of the SR will provide the space for negotiations and new contacts. The general partner of the event is Československá obchodná banka (ČSOB)."The Slovak Matchmaking Fair has become a traditional event for finding new business partners, gaining inspiration and useful information, and I believe that this year will be no exception," said Deputy Prime Minister for Economy and Minister of Economy of the SR Richard Sulík. The Slovak Matchmaking Fair always opens up current issues, this time the main discussion focuses on modern industry." Automation, robotics, digitization, but also the introduction of artificial intelligence and ecology into production processes are fortunately no longer just concepts for the future of our companies, but on the contrary, many companies keep pace with foreign entities in this direction," added Richard Sulík, pleased that Slovak industry, despite the difficult pandemic period, has proved the importance and irreplaceability of its position in the Slovak economy.The main topic of the Slovak Matchmaking Fair is Modern industry and digital support for innovations that support automation, robotization, and ecology to production processes of companies. And not only private companies but also scientific institutions and universities, which, for example, have set up innovation centers for the design and production of devices to combat coronavirus, will present the latest successes in innovation, such as the VR medical application for the human body tracking for example."As for SARIO, our long-term proactive and systematic approach to educating about the need to implement innovations in production and processes has proven its worth. It also brings real results thanks to the constant improvement of SARIO services provided to our clients. Slovak companies, as well as research and development centers and research institutes, are globally competitive and are moving Slovakia towards a knowledge-based economy, "said Robert Šimončič, CEO of SARIO, about the current trend and topic of the event.How and where have developments in technology, artificial intelligence, and robotics moved? Which technologies have the potential to move companies to innovative and competitive quality? Industry experts, scientists, and government officials will be looking for answers with representatives of commercial companies during the professional panel discussions."This year's topic of the Slovak Matchmaking Fair is extremely close to us, as digitization and innovation are also necessary for the financial sector. At ČSOB, we are also currently undergoing a significant digital transformation, so if companies talk about the fact that these are not always the simplest challenges, we understand them to the maximum. Nevertheless, they are essential for us to be able to meet the ever-growing needs of our customers and, of course, succeed in a highly competitive market. We keep our fingers crossed for all our entrepreneurs who have committed to this change. Whether it is a digital transformation or a transformation towards green innovation, and as a strong financial institution and general partner of SMF, we are proud to be able to support such plans and events.", said Branislav Straka, a member of the ČSOB Board of Directors.181 companies from 34 countries, including Slovakia, will participate in the Slovak Matchmaking Fair. Companies from Turkey, Sri Lanka, India, the Czech Republic, Greece, Switzerland, and Austria, for example, have shown interest in new business opportunities and have 303 bilateral negotiations scheduled.The Slovak Matchmaking Fair takes place in the year of the 20th anniversary of the founding of the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency, which acts as an accelerator of the Slovak economy. Over the years thanks to SARIO, there were brought almost 600 investment projects to Slovakia in the total value of almost 13 billion euros. SARIO has helped create more than 13,000 new jobs. As part of the support of Slovak companies, SARIO organized and co-organized almost 2,000 business and trade missions, fairs, and exhibitions, which provided Slovak companies opportunities to find new business contacts and gain a foothold in the global market.
