Region of the future – The future of the region
The main idea of the project is to create a platform that would bring together experts, academics, public administration representatives, entrepreneurs and other stakeholders to jointly debate and find solutions to the challenges facing the Carpathian region, while contributing to strengthening cross-border social cohesion and partnership.
About the project
The theme of the conference, supported by the Small Projects Fund, is “Home Growth Companies” – promoting entrepreneurship and business sustainability. The project aims to strengthen social cohesion in border areas by fostering local cooperation and building a long-term partnership network between actors from Slovakia and Hungary. The aim is to establish new contacts and create future opportunities for joint regional and local projects. In addition to local participants, we will welcome our cross-border neighbours BORA 94 Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén and Miskolc University.
What does the project want to achieve?
The conference “Region of the Future – The Future of the Region” was first organised in 2022 and has since then gradually established itself as an important platform for expert discussion in the field of regional development, innovation and cross-border cooperation. The current edition (2025) aims at strengthening mutual trust between key actors through presentations and expert discussions on current trends and innovative approaches, especially in the context of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Particular attention is paid to the development of local cooperation and business sustainability in border regions through four set pillars:
- Formal conclusion of a Memorandum of Cooperation between key stakeholders to work together for the long-term development of the Carpathian region. This will create a framework for joint projects and initiatives and strengthen trust between partners
- Two thematically focused panel discussions to share knowledge, experience and challenges of the entrepreneurial environment in the region, entitled “From local startup to global player” and “Carpathian region as a technology hub”. Key success factors for technology SMEs will be identified, examples of good practice will be shared, discussions on the necessary tools to support innovation…
- Presentation of organisations supporting SMEs, investment opportunities and interesting projects, while participants will get an overview of the activities of organisations actively supporting SMEs. Awareness will be raised on the available forms of support, new partnerships, projects, etc. will be encouraged.
- 2X TEDx Talks: Stories that move regions and the world + Networking. These two inspiring talks focus on stories that resonate not only in the regions, but also on a global level. The expected outcome is to motivate and inspire participants through powerful personal stories and to foster informal networking of ideas and people across sectors.
More info
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Funding
The project is funded by the Small Project Fund under the Interreg VI-A Hungary-Slovakia Programme: https://www.skhu.eu/fond-malch-projektov?lang=sk.Znenie calls: http://www.viacarpatia-spf.eu/files/2023-10-16-092420-1._V__zva_na_predkladanie_projektov__ch___iadost___v1.pdf
