EU invests to upgrade research programmes and facilities at two top Slovak universities

The European Commission has invested €55.6 million from the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) in the Slovak University of Technology and the Comenius University in Bratislava, as part of the “Advancing University Capacity and Competence in Research, Development and Innovation” (ACCORD) project. It aims to increase cooperation between the two institutions and as well as with the industry, with a focus on biotechnology, biomedicine, advanced materials and digital technologies. Carlos Moedas, Commissioner for Research, Science and Innovation said: This investment will help attract and retain talented students and researchers in Slovakia so that the country’s excellence in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics can shine on the global stage. It is a great example of how Cohesion funds can be used to strengthen science communities across the EU.”The EU funding will be used to upgrade research infrastructure and equipment and develop new study programmes, in collaboration with the industry. The project should becompleted by spring of 2022. This investment builds on previous cohesion investments from the 2007-2013 period in centers of competence at the two institutions.