Balik: Slovakia Able to Catch Up with Czechs in Science, Research and Innovation

Prague, August 22 (TASR-correspondent) - If Slovakia wants to be successful, it must support innovation much more - the Czechs invest in this area twice as much as the Slovak Republic, Investments, Regional Development and Informatisation Minister Peter Balik emphasised for TASR after negotiations in Prague, adding that, however, Slovakia has what it takes to catch up with the Czech Republic. According to the minister, the Czech Republic is a strong player in supporting research and innovation. Investments in this area accounted for up to 2 percent of GDP in 2021, which placed the country very close to the EU average (2.19 percent of GDP), while in Slovakia it is only 0.9 percent. "The Czechs have come close to the most advanced European countries in innovation. They invest €150 per capita in research and development, while in Slovakia it is not even half of that," pointed out Balik. After visiting the Prague Innovation Institute, Balik added that, however, Slovakia has what it takes to catch up with the activities in the field of science, research and innovation that are carried out in Prague or Brno. "We wanted to see how Prague, as the capital city, addresses innovation, how it uses the potential and human capital that they have here thanks to the migration of Slovaks, and how it interconnects private companies with universities," stated the minister. am/mcs