Japanese Business Mission in Košice: SARIO Presents Slovakia as an Investment Destination

From 21 to 22 September 2026, Košice hosted a business mission organised by the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) in cooperation with the Embassy of Japan in the Slovak Republic. The two-day programme brought together approximately 30 representatives of Japanese companies, primarily from the logistics, industrial manufacturing and other sectors.

The mission focused on gaining a deeper understanding of Eastern Slovakia and its business and investment potential. The Japanese business representatives had the opportunity to learn more about the economic environment of Košice and the surrounding region, existing investments, available infrastructure, the local technology and innovation ecosystem, as well as opportunities for further business development.

The programme began with an official welcoming of the Japanese delegation at the Historic Town Hall of Košice, hosted by representatives of the city. This was followed by a presentation by Business Košice, which highlighted the economic potential of the city and the wider region, as well as opportunities for business development.

The regional presentation was followed by a presentation by the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO), focusing on Slovakia’s business and investment environment, opportunities for foreign investors to establish and expand their operations, and the support provided by SARIO throughout the different stages of the investment process. This was followed by a closing presentation from CTPark, a leading commercial real estate developer, which presented its real estate portfolio, available industrial and logistics premises, and strategic locations for potential investors. The session concluded with an active Q&A session with the Japanese participants.

The mission also aimed to familiarise Japanese companies with the Slovak business environment and create opportunities for new business and investment cooperation. Some of the participating companies are considering establishing a branch in Slovakia from which they could coordinate and manage their activities towards Ukraine. Slovakia’s strategic location and strong logistics links to the region represent an interesting potential for these companies.

The programme also included visits to established Japanese companies and industrial operations in Košice, including Minebea Slovakia and PST CLC Mitsui-Soko. The delegation also visited U. S. Steel Košice, which is set to become part of the Japanese group Nippon Steel as of 1 October 2026. The visits gave the Japanese participants an opportunity to gain first-hand insight into the operations of major industrial companies and existing investments with links to Japan in Slovakia.

An important part of the second day was a networking lunch with local companies, providing an opportunity for individual meetings, exchange of experience and the establishment of new business and cooperation contacts between Slovak and Japanese companies.

Given the interest of the Japanese companies in the ICT sector, the programme also included a visit to the Technical University of Košice (TUKE) and a meeting with a representative of Košice IT Valley. The participants had the opportunity to learn more about the local technology and innovation ecosystem, as well as the potential for cooperation in the fields of IT and human resources.

The business mission demonstrated the interest of Japanese companies in Slovakia as a base for the further development of their activities in Central and Eastern Europe. For SARIO, cooperation with JETRO and support for Japanese business missions provide an opportunity to further strengthen economic relations between Slovakia and Japan and to identify new investment opportunities.