Project STICS at SAPIE Forum 2026

On 21. 4. 2026, the SAPIE Forum 2026 & SME Expo event, which is one of the most important innovation and technology conferences in Slovakia, took place at the National Football Stadium in Bratislava. The event welcomed more than 450 participants and more than 30 exhibitors from the fields of innovation, entrepreneurship, academia and the public sector, including the Faculty of Management of Comenius University with the STICS project.

The STICS project was presented during the event not only on the exhibition area, but also in the professional program of the conference. Project representatives actively participated in the panel discussion Building Tomorrow’s Cities Today, which focused on the future of smart cities and regions, the use of artificial intelligence, data analytics and data-driven policies in building resilient and sustainable communities.

A significant contribution to the expert discussion was the speech of doc. Vladimír Ondrejička, Vice-Dean for Strategic Development, Projects and Innovations of the Faculty of Management of Comenius University in Bratislava and also Deputy Mayor of the municipality of Horné Srnie, who spoke as a panelist in the discussion organized by the STICS project. In his speech, he emphasized the importance of cooperation between academia, local governments and technological partners in the development of smart urban and regional ecosystems.

The expert program also included the workshop In the Beginning, There Was Data, implemented within the STICS project. The workshop was dedicated to the importance of data in the development of modern cities and regions, the need to connect data sources, research, expertise and technologies for effective and evidence-based decision-making by local governments. The discussion also presented the concept of Living Labs as a tool for testing innovative solutions in the areas of mobility, energy and citizen participation. The workshop featured presentations by Igor Wzoš, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Slovak Smart City Cluster, and Tomáš Pavlík, Business Development Director of bAvenir.

The event also included a presentation stand of the STICS project, where the entire project and its main activities were presented to visitors. Special attention was paid to the new tool LERNIUM - a modern e-learning solution for innovative education with the support of artificial intelligence. The participants of the event had the opportunity to familiarize themselves with the practical possibilities of using the platform and discuss the potential of AI in education and the development of digital competencies.

Other partners of the consortium, including SSCC, bAvenir, KOOR and DAITABLE, also participated in the presentation of the STICS project, presenting their professional activities and contributions to the development of project solutions. The joint participation of the partners emphasized the interdisciplinary and international nature of the project, as well as the importance of cooperation between the academic, technological and application sectors.

The participation of the STICS project at the SAPIE Forum 2026 represented an important opportunity to present the project's international cooperation, establish contacts with potential partners and share experiences in the field of smart solutions, artificial intelligence and digital transformation of public administration. With its participation, the STICS project confirmed its ambition to actively contribute to the development of smart, data-driven and sustainable regions and to connect academic research, technological innovations and the needs of society.

Representatives of the STICS project consortium: Daitable, FM UK, SPECTRA Centrum Excelencie, SSCC a SAPIE