The civic association Košice IT Valley has been awarded the prestigious Cluster Management Excellence GOLD Label by the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA) for the fourth time. This is the highest European recognition for cluster management, confirming the quality of leadership, strategic development, and international significance of the cluster. Košice IT Valley remains the only holder of this award in Slovakia.
“Our association has once again managed to obtain the highest recognition for cluster performance, and I am grateful that we can build upon the excellent work of our previous executive directors. This award is not only a confirmation of our work so far, but also an encouragement to look for new activities that our members need and to continue being here for them,” said Miriama Hučková, Executive Director of Košice IT Valley.
The certificate is awarded by the international authority ESCA (European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis) based on a thorough audit evaluating more than 30 criteria, including efficiency, partner engagement, strategic planning, and innovation capacity. Košice IT Valley’s collaboration with universities and its socially impactful activities were particularly praised—for example, the Živé IT projekty (Live IT Projects) initiative, which connects students with real-world practice.
“The achievement of the Cluster Management Excellence Label GOLD by Košice IT Valley is a great success for Slovakia—it proves that our clusters can also meet the highest European standards and keep up with the competition. For fifteen years now, Košice IT Valley has been uniting universities, companies, and public institutions, significantly shaping the development of the IT sector, innovation, and digital transformation not only in Košice but across Slovakia,” commented Martin Svoboda of the Slovak Innovation and Energy Agency (SIEA). According to him, the Gold Label is not only recognition of high-quality management but also confirmation of the cluster’s long-term contribution that transcends regional boundaries. “Given the size of our country, the regional impact carries extraordinary weight—Košice IT Valley has become a pillar of development in Eastern Slovakia, making it a better place for life, study, work, and business. At SIEA, we believe that the ESCA award can further support this positive trend in the future,” Svoboda added.
Košice IT Valley has also received recommendations for further growth, which may help strengthen its position within the Central European region. The award is clear evidence that the association is a stable, trustworthy, and evolving partner that enhances the quality of life, education, job opportunities, and the business environment in Eastern Slovakia—while at the same time acting as a leader of digital transformation nationwide.
Košice IT Valley
The Košice IT Valley cluster plays a key role in the development of the IT sector in the Košice region. The association was founded in 2007 as a joint initiative of educational institutions, public administration, and leading IT companies. In 2012, it transformed into a cluster. In 2015, Košice IT Valley became the first cluster in Central Europe to be certified with the “Cluster Management Excellence Label GOLD,” and it remains one of only three certified clusters in the field of information and communication technologies. The association renewed this certification in 2017 and 2020, and in 2025, Košice IT Valley successfully defended this prestigious certificate for the fourth time. The cluster currently has 85 members.
Media Contact:
Miriama Hučková
Executive Director, Košice IT Valley
miriama.huckova@itvalley.sk
+421 949 004 141
