Slovakia has taken a significant step toward greater technological self-sufficiency. At the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of STU in Bratislava, the Slovak Chip Competence Centre has been established. It represents the first comprehensive hub for research, innovation, and education in the field of semiconductors, aiming to position the country among important European players. It is part of the Chips for Europeinitiative, and the Slovak project even received the highest evaluation among all participating countries. This alone signals that Slovakia does not want to remain merely a consumer of technologies, but aims to become an active creator. “The…
Slovakia has taken a significant step toward greater technological self-sufficiency. At the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Information Technology of STU in Bratislava, the Slovak Chip Competence Centre has been established. It represents the first comprehensive hub for research, innovation, and education in the field of semiconductors, aiming to position the country among important European players. It is part of the Chips for Europeinitiative, and the Slovak project even received the highest evaluation among all participating countries. This alone signals that Slovakia does not want to remain merely a consumer of technologies, but aims to become an active creator.
“The establishment of this centre shows that Slovakia does not want to only observe technological trends, but be an active part of them,” said Ján Hrinko, State Secretary of the Ministry of Education. According to him, this is a strategic step that may fundamentally influence the future of the domestic technology industry and economy.
Connecting science, industry, and talent
The centre was created through the joint effort of four key institutions: the SK CHIPS association, the Slovak University of Technology, the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information, and the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Together, they aim to build a platform that connects academia, emerging technology companies, and traditional industry. This synergy is intended to ensure that innovations do not remain only in laboratories, but find real application in products and services.
Semiconductor technologies today form the foundation of virtually all modern systems. From telecommunications and transport to medical devices and defence systems, chips determine performance, safety, and energy efficiency. The pandemic and global supply-chain disruptions have also shown how vulnerable countries are without their own technological infrastructure. Slovakia therefore aims to join the states that do not rely exclusively on imports.
European funding and a clear vision
The project is funded by the Chips for Europe initiative and the Ministry of Education. In the first four years, the centre will focus on supporting domestic companies, startups, and small and medium-sized enterprises. They will gain access to research capacities, specialised laboratories and technical training, which they could hardly afford independently. Such support can help companies grow, accelerate the development of new solutions, and increase Slovakia’s competitiveness in the European market.
The centre’s director, Michal Mičjan, sees long-term potential in the project. “We want Slovakia to become an active player on the map of the European semiconductor industry,” he emphasized. He added that one of the main goals is the preparation of a qualified workforce. The centre plans close cooperation with schools at all levels, aims to motivate young students, and wants to create conditions so that talented engineers do not have to leave the country.
Source: Startitup.sk, https://fontech.startitup.sk/spravy/slovensko-sebestacnost/
