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Eastern Slovakia’ Business Potential

"Leaders establish the vision for the furture and set the strategy for getting there." John P. Kotter



AmCham Slovakia is celebrating its 20th anniversary in Eastern Slovakia this year, marking two decades since the opening of our Košice office. As we commemorate this milestone, it is essential to reflect on our journey and look towards the future. This is crucial not only to honor our jubilee and shape future AmCham activities in Eastern Slovakia but also in anticipation of significant changes ahead.


Eastern Slovakia has undergone two major transformations in the past two decades. The first was marked by the arrival of U. S. Steel Košice, while the second was characterized by the arrival of technology companies and establishment of very active and innovative IT community. Now, we stand on the threshold of a third transformation.


The current economic and geopolitical landscape presents challenges. The Slovak Republic is experiencing its first bureaucratic government, with early elections on the horizon. Meanwhile, war and an energy crisis beyond our eastern border, coupled with the ongoing pandemic recovery worldwide, have a profound impact on the business environment.
However, Eastern Slovakia also holds immense potential. The region is witnessing the arrival of an unprecedented investor and significant opportunities through the Recovery and Resilience Plan, Operational Program Slovakia, and European funds. Thus, AmCham deems it crucial to define the current state of the business environment and its potential in the region. The objective is to assess our present position and identify the necessary measures, particularly from the future government, to maximize upcoming opportunities.



Roundtable Initiative – Phase 1


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On May 25, 2023, 90 relevant experts, decisionmakers from different sectors – business sector, academia, public sector including state and municipal level and nonprofit sector - were gathered by the American Chamber of Commerce in Košice to discuss the current state of Eastern Slovakia’s potential.

Our policy discussions were aimed at identifying the current state of the region’s potential and identifying challenges and development drivers ahead of the Phase 2 session scheduled for October 5, 2023, focused on solution-seeking in the areas of Attractivity and Visibility, Human Capital, Innovation Ecosystem, Manufacturing, Healthcare, and Hard Infrastructure.


You can find the outcome of the abovementioned discussions here.



Roundtable Initiative – Phase 2


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In the second phase of our roundtable initiative, our focus turns to the essential task of generating recommendations from our stakeholders for the successful transformation of Eastern Slovakia. This phase builds upon the groundwork laid in the previous phase, where participants identified critical issues and challenges within their respective roundtables.


The outcome of this second phase will be a comprehensive AmCham Slovakia position paper, comprising a total of 36 recommendations aimed at fully realizing the potential of Eastern Slovakia. The strength of this document lies in its origins, as it will be crafted by influential stakeholders within the TOP100, all of whom hold significance in the region.


The primary audience for this document is the forthcoming Slovak government, as regional development must be a prominent part of its program declaration and, consequently, a component of the public budget, regardless of the political spectrum. Furthermore, we will disseminate this document to regional stakeholders and policymakers at the local government level. Their policies and project initiatives directly impact the region's growth and development.


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