Healthcare employs 230,000 people in Slovakia; in eastern Slovakia, every tenth person works in the healthcare sector. In cooperation with Pavol Jozef Šafárik University (UPJŠ) in Košice, the Košice IT Valley cluster prepared an analysis of healthcare in eastern Slovakia. The association sees the future of this sector in supporting a MedTech ecosystem in the region and in connecting medicine with technological innovation.
At the end of January, the expert conference MedTech Day 2026 took place at UVP Technicom in Košice, bringing together healthcare, technological innovation, research, startups, and the public sector. The aim of the event was to support the creation of a functional ecosystem, deliver practical solutions for the future of healthcare in eastern Slovakia, and initiate real collaboration and projects linking clinical practice with innovation.
Concrete Data, Practice, and Collaboration
“Healthcare is facing a fundamental transformation, and the connection between medicine and technology holds great potential. We created MedTech Day as a platform with the ambition to move Slovakia from discussions to real solutions, from ideas to innovations that are implemented in practice. We believe that eastern Slovakia has the potential to build a strong MedTech platform, and Košice IT Valley wants to be an active leader in this process,” said Miriama Hučková, Executive Director of Košice IT Valley.
There are 27 hospitals in 19 cities across eastern Slovakia. The healthcare sector employs 36,709 people in the region, 78% of whom are women. Secondary healthcare education is provided by 12 secondary schools, with more than 1,300 graduates each year. The most popular study programs include practical nursing, massage therapy, pharmaceutical laboratory technician, and orderly.
“Higher education in healthcare is provided by five faculties located in Košice and Prešov. As for graduates in general medicine, there are more than 200 each year,” adds Jakub Zagora, Data Analyst at Košice IT Valley.
According to the conference’s keynote speaker, analyst Martin Smatana, robotics, automation, and digitalization will continue to advance in medicine:
“I expect trends from recent years to continue—development of personalized diagnostics and treatment, and the use of advanced artificial intelligence algorithms not only for generating ideas but also for creating predictive models. This means we will have a percentage probability that something will happen and will adapt treatment in advance accordingly. This already works in some countries, and I believe it will soon reach Slovakia as well.”
Successes of Small Biotechnology Companies
Despite the fact that standard pharmaceutical biotech research often requires billions of euros, thousands of employees, and years of legal and administrative work, world-class results can be achieved even under our conditions.
“What we are successful at in Slovakia today are small biotechnology companies focused on applied research. We have potential here and already have our first major results. There is room to grow further, provided that regional or national clusters are created where solutions to the biggest problems are standardized,” said Smatana.
An example is CorTech, a company focused on the robotization of operating rooms.
“We are currently developing robotic navigation for a TEE (transesophageal echocardiography) ultrasound probe during cardiac surgery. The main reason is to reduce the burden on sonographers, who are often exposed to X-ray radiation during operations, and also to increase accuracy and eliminate errors,” explained Miloš Čopan, CEO of the company. They are also focusing on improving the efficiency of renal denervation, a procedure used to treat resistant hypertension by interrupting nerve signals between the kidneys and the brain.
Among the most successful companies is Biomedical Engineering, which manufactures personalized implants using 3D printing. They specialize in the development, design, and production of patient-specific implants, exclusively using additive manufacturing from titanium alloys. Their portfolio mainly includes cranial, spinal, maxillofacial, thoracic, orthopedic implants, anatomical models, and surgical guides.
Digitalization and the creation of a high-quality patient communication system are also crucial. The local company Bartpresented the Crossuite application, a medical software accredited by the Belgian Ministry of Health and used by more than 12,000 healthcare professionals in Belgium, the Netherlands, and England.
“It is a web application that connects doctors, laboratories, state platforms, and insurance companies and contains all patient documentation,” described Marek Barta. Developers working directly in Košice continuously add new features each week based on communication with doctors from around the world.
A significant advantage may also lie in the opportunity to use a supercomputer for data processing. Slovakia’s first functional supercomputer, called Perun, was launched in November 2025 at the Technical University of Košice.
“The supercomputer can significantly accelerate medical research, especially in cases where a very large number of simulations and calculations are required—something that cannot be done on a regular computer. The advantage is that you can run several simulations simultaneously and get results much faster. This allows you to determine the direction of research more quickly,” explained Róbert Kanász, Software Developer at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Informatics, Technical University of Košice.
Launching Bioinformatics Studies Is Also Key
Branches of international IT companies that connect medicine and technology also have a strong presence in eastern Slovakia. Siemens Healthineers Slovakia, a long-term partner of Slovak healthcare, operates three branches in Slovakia. In Košice, there is a modern manufacturing plant producing ultrasound devices, covering more than 70% of Siemens Healthineers’ global ultrasound production. The site also hosts extensive research and development teams, a global IT delivery center, competence centers, and cybersecurity experts.
GlobalLogic Slovakia also operates in Košice, focusing on the development of digital products, platforms, and services for healthcare and working on several MedTech projects. They are involved in developing a wearable, life-saving device capable of continuously monitoring a patient’s vital signs, a mask assisting in the treatment of breathing disorders, a device for restoring proper heart function, a telemedicine platform, and a digital companion program for wound treatment.
Experts agree that eastern Slovakia has hospitals, universities, university centers, successful companies, and a sufficient number of talented young people capable of collaborating and advancing the MedTech ecosystem.
“I also consider the launch of bioinformatics studies to be crucial—these are professionals needed by all parts of this ecosystem. It is also important to establish an association that connects all stakeholders in this field—universities, hospitals, and companies,” added Pavol Jarčuška, Head of the Clinic of Infectious Diseases and Travel Medicine and Vice-Rector of UPJŠ.
Kontakt pre médiá
Denisa KUŠNÍROVÁ
Košice IT Valley
Communications manager and Partnership lead
e-mail: denisa.kusnirova@itvalley.sk
tel. číslo: +421 905 671 912
