The slovaks.ai project focuses on building and strengthening relationships with the Slovak diaspora and supporting networking and mutual contributions among Slovaks living in Slovakia and around the world, who share an interest in a better Slovakia and in technology, especially artificial intelligence.
The aim is to create a space for connecting Slovaks both abroad and in Slovakia, which will contribute to the improvement of the country’s economy and the innovation ecosystem, and support the growth of technological leaders. The project also addresses the current shortage of AI professionals and provides an opportunity to utilise the expertise and experience of the Slovak diaspora to support the development of Slovakia.
Artificial intelligence is currently developing dynamically and penetrating all areas of life, becoming a key accelerator of innovation and a significant factor influencing economic growth and the creation of high-value-added jobs. However, Slovakia faces a long-term problem of brain drain, especially in the field of information technology, which causes the country to lag behind in innovation and the development of the IT sector.
The slovaks.ai project aims to leverage the strong potential of the Slovak diaspora, namely professionals in the field of artificial intelligence who have gained professional experience abroad. This approach provides an opportunity to alleviate the shortage of experts in Slovakia and, at the same time, increase the country’s innovation capacity.
By building a strong network of Slovaks, specialists in artificial intelligence, we will create space for intensive cooperation across the community in different countries, which will enable not only the transfer of know-how but also the effective exchange of the latest knowledge and innovations. By connecting this community with business and academia, we will ensure that Slovakia gains access to the most modern technologies and scientific knowledge in the field of artificial intelligence, which will be key to improving Slovakia’s innovation potential.
As an independent non-profit research institute, KInIT has built strong connections with the business sector, especially with small and medium-sized enterprises, thereby ensuring the transfer of innovations into practice. Its unique position lies in connecting the academic and business sectors in Slovakia, which will have the opportunity to strengthen internationalisation through slovaks.ai.
The community of Slovak AI professionals abroad is quite large, with many of its members interested in contributing to the development of Slovakia. To support relations with the Slovak diaspora, the project is organising events (in Slovakia and in countries with the largest concentration of Slovak AI professionals) focused on various aspects of the international networking process, know-how transfer, and solving specific problems. This approach will enable real connections between community members and create space for long-term cooperation and exchange of professional experience.
Events abroad will allow for the creation of strong ties between Slovak professionals living in different countries, who will be motivated to regularly contribute their knowledge and experience to innovations in Slovakia and, in the future, possibly return home.
One of the main tools of the slovaks.ai project is the map of Slovak professionals, the first version of which was created by KInIT in cooperation with Wezeo and the Growni.sk portal. This tool provides access to a community of experts operating in Slovakia and abroad and serves to map Slovak professionals in the field of AI.
The map focuses on 17 categories within the field of AI, such as machine learning, machine vision, natural language processing, data analysis, predictions, optimisation, robotics, and more. In total, it covers more than 200 topics that are interconnected across multiple disciplines, making it possible to find experts in various aspects of this dynamic field. As part of the slovaks.ai project, we will further develop this map and gradually add more members of the Slovak diaspora.
Collaborating Organizations:
The slovaks.ai project maximizes the impact through synergy with the initiatives of Slovak organizations and associations supporting professional networks
Mária Bieliková
Lead and Researcher at Kempelen Institute of Intelligent Technologies
