SARIO Business Day in Košice Delivered Hundreds of B2B Meetings and Connected Key Regional Stakeholders

The SARIO Business Day — IN THE REGIONS 2026 event took place in Košice, bringing together representatives of businesses, public administration, and academia with the aim of supporting regional development, creating new business opportunities, and strengthening cross-sector cooperation. The event welcomed 103 participants from the private, public, and academic sectors, who engaged in discussions on concrete cooperation opportunities during 239 B2B meetings.

The event was organized by the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO) in cooperation with the Košice Region Innovation Centre and the Support for the Internationalisation of SMEs 2 project, which are co-financed by the European Union under the Slovakia Programme under the auspices of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic.

The programme focused on current topics related to the regional economy, investment potential, new business opportunities, and enhancing the competitiveness of Slovak companies. Discussions addressed the use of new technologies, business internationalisation, investment support, and strengthening the connection between research and practice.

“SARIO Business Day in Košice demonstrated that regional events can have a real impact when they bring together business, academia, and public administration. Today’s 103 participants and 239 B2B meetings confirm that the regions are creating genuine opportunities for new partnerships and cooperation that can translate into long-term business growth and concrete projects with a positive impact on the regional economy,” said the CEO of SARIO.

Expert panel discussions and presentations focused on artificial intelligence, smart industry solutions, automation, as well as export tools and opportunities, financing options, investment support, and the development of regional innovation ecosystems. Discussions also covered cooperation between universities and companies, the space industry, and new opportunities for Slovak companies in the international environment.

“A stable banking sector is the driving force that can transform ambitious business visions into reality. In the digital era we are entering today, banks are not only providers of capital, but also technological partners. Large companies today require smart solutions not only to drive innovation and maintain competitiveness, but also to support the green transformation, which is essential for the future. We have been standing alongside businesses for the long term and will continue to deliver solutions relevant to their smart business ambitions. That is why we are proud to be a partner of this year’s SARIO Business Day,” said Ľuboš Ondrejko, Director of Corporate and Private Banking at ČSOB.

SARIO Business Day — IN THE REGIONS has long served as a platform connecting the business, public, and academic sectors with the aim of supporting the economic development of regions both domestically and internationally. Through cooperation and the support of local and global partners, the initiative continues to create an effective space for expert dialogue, networking, and the development of the business environment across the regions of Slovakia.