On Thursday January 30, 2025, the first general assembly of the Eastern Slovak Space Cluster took place, which was established at the beginning of this year, and its founding members, besides UPJŠ in Košice, include the Technical University of Košice, the Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions, and the Slovak Space Office (SARIO Agency). The cluster represents an important step in building a dynamic innovation ecosystem in the field of space technologies in eastern Slovakia.

Strategic objectives of the cluster include:

• Development of the space ecosystem in eastern Slovakia by actively connecting academic institutions and industry with the goal of developing innovative and competitive products and services,
• Involvement of eastern Slovakia in international space projects, including cooperation with the European Space Agency,
• Retention and attraction of talent and development of professional education, thereby strengthening the region’s attractiveness for young professionals,
• Support for innovative startups and companies that can find new opportunities in this dynamically growing sector.

At the first general assembly of the Eastern Slovak Space Cluster, RNDr. Ivana Šišoláková, PhD., university associate professor from the Institute of Chemical Sciences of the Faculty of Science at UPJŠ, was elected to the Board of Directors of the Eastern Slovak Space Cluster.