Brussels – Richard Maraček, State Secretary of the Ministry of Investments, Regional Development and Informatization (MIRRI) of the Slovak Republic, met with the directors-general of the European Commission (EC) departments for health, science, research, and innovation on Thursday in Brussels. He informed TASR that the European Commission acknowledged Slovakia’s investment efforts in innovation.
During his discussions with the Directorate-General for Health, Maraček addressed the revision of the Slovakia Program, highlighting the proposed project for a military hospital in Prešov. This facility is anticipated to provide high-quality healthcare for the citizens of eastern Slovakia and function as a military hospital for NATO’s eastern flank, expected to be operational by 2029.
Maraček emphasized that MIRRI needs to present this hospital and its investments aligned with the new EU cohesion policy priorities. “We aim to establish dual infrastructure, meaning the military hospital in Prešov will serve both civilian and military purposes. We must clearly delineate between funding sources from the recovery plan and European funds to avoid any investment overlaps,” he explained. He noted that Slovakia is acquiring sufficient investments for the hospital through this strategy.
He pointed out that since May, the EU has been working to bolster the regions of member states along its eastern border. “Europe prioritizes having a strong, defined border. A robust border relies on strong regions that form it. We need to address the investment gaps in these border areas to enhance residents’ quality of life, improve infrastructure, and complete necessary projects,” he described.
Maraček also engaged with representatives of the Directorate-General for Science, Research, and Innovation, discussing the revision of the Slovakia Program, which involved reallocating over 300 million euros towards development, research, and innovation initiatives.
“Slovakia ranks poorly in innovation compared to other countries; we stand at 24th among the 27 EU nations. We must take action to improve this,” he stated. He highlighted Slovakia’s challenge of being largely an “assembly plant,” which places it at risk of an industry predominantly focused on automotive production, mostly involving assembly rather than development, research, and innovation.
“It is crucial for Slovakia to enhance investments in development, research, and innovation. I shared the ministry’s initiatives under Minister Samuela Migaľa (independent) focused on accelerating research, development, and innovation funding. Brussels positively assessed our position and approach,” concluded Maraček. (November 20)
“Slovakia ranks poorly in innovation; we are at 24th among the 27 EU nations, and we need to take action.” Richard Maraček
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