Discussion about opportunities for Slovak space tech companies taking place in Košice on June 25, 2019. It is a pilot event launching a series of activities aimed at supporting diversification of the Slovak economy and supporting development of its high-tech sectors.Dozens of space tech sector representatives, including researchers, are attending the very first Slovak Space Tech Day, co-organized by SARIO. The European cosmic industry is one of the most competitive sectors in the World. According to the European Commission’s data, it employs more than 231 000 people and creates an estimated added value of 53 to 62 billion euro. For example, Europe produces one third of World’s satellites.Introducing the vast potential of this sector was one of the main goals of the Slovak Space Tech Day taking place in Košice today. Around forty participants from companies and research institutions had a chance to learn more about the current possibilities and opportunities of the Slovak space sector, and at the same time to widen their contact network not only in Slovakia, but also abroad. The international partner of this year’s event is Thales Alenia Space, one of the biggest European companies active in the cosmic sector, which has shown interest in finding potential partners in the region.Apart from presentations and panel discussions with experts, the program also consists of B2B meetings and a pitch session with 11 innovative Slovak companies active in the space sector. The most successful among the presenting companies will then have an opportunity to discuss possible cooperation at B2B meetings with Thales Alenia Space representatives.The event is organized by Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency, represented by senior consultants Oto Pisoň and Michal Brichta, in cooperation with the Embassy of the Slovak Republic in Paris. Along with Thales Alenia Space, partners of the event include Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the Slovak Republic, Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic, Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Technical University of Košice and the University of Žilina.
