Tatra Summit 2018 puts Slovakia center stage of new “innovation economy”

GLOBSEC’s Tatra Summit 2018hosted the launch of several new initiatives, such as the Slovak Battery Alliance(SBA), an idea championedby European Commissioner for Energy Union, Maroš Šefčovič.  SBA will be a collaborative strategic platform to acquire, adapt, and improve energy storage solutions for electric vehicles (EVs) and other energy users.

Almost all automakers are now making urgent plans to produce low- or no-emissions vehicles given requirements under the new United Nations “Paris Agreement” to reduce dangerous greenhouse gases rapidly warming our planet.  Šefčovičstressedthat Slovakia must make such batteries to maintain its leading position in auto manufactuing.  Slovakia currently produces more cars per person than any other country in the world.

"We are fully aware that, in this trend of clean mobility, Slovakia must also play a leading role," said Šefčovič.

China and the United States now lead in new battery technologies while the European Union launched a collective effort for the entire continentin 2017, similar to previous strategic collaborations like Airbus.  Now, Slovakia is stepping out to optimally position itself as a globally competitive place for the emerging EV industry to invest.  Auto manufacturing and associated parts are key components of Slovakia’s economy, currently employing 300,000 people in Slovakia and comprising percent of exports and the overall economy.

At a press conferencewith Slovak Finance Minister Peter Kažimir and Vice-President of the European Investment Bank, Vazil Hudak, journalists were told how the Alliance will help Slovakia to become a future automotive power.  Commissioner Šefčovič told finweb,

“We expect the European battery market to be worth € 250 billion by 2025. If we do not want to send all of this money to Asia, Europe needs to take action quickly.”

Germany, France, Sweden and Poland are also forming their own national efforts, so continental collaboration must to balance with national competition.  The list of interested collaborators in the Slovak Battery Alliance contains the countries leading public, private, and academic actors in the automotive industry, including:

• The European Commission

• The European Investment Bank

• Ministry of Finance of the Slovak Republic

• Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic

• The Office of the National Council of the Slovak Republic

• PSA Slovak Republic

• KIA Motors Slovakia

• Volkswagen Slovakia

• Jaguar Land Rover Slovakia

• Nissan Slovakia

• Daimler

• Greenway Infrastructure

• Slovak University of Technology

• Josef Safarik University in Prešov

• University of Žilina

• Technical University of Košice

• Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency

• Automotive Industry Association of Slovak Republic

• Slovak Investment Holding

• InfraPartners Management LLP

• Siemens Slovakia

• ZSE

• innogy

• Terragenic

• Advisory Board of the Prime Minister