The Comenius University in Bratislava, the Slovak Technical University in Bratislava, the Technical University of Košice, the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, the University of Žilina in Žilina, the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra and the University of Veterinary Medicine and Pharmacy in Košice signed an innovated agreement on the Association of Research and Technical Universities of the Slovak Republic the so-called “Association V7“ in Bratislava on Monday 2 December 2019.

The agreement builds on the previous activities of the Association founded on 28 February 2013 with regard to new and current social priorities of the SR in the field of science, research and innovation. The Association is created and will be accessible for those subjects disposing of top level scientific and research infrastructure represented by university science park and centres of excellence and moreover with created conditions for the development of innovations and of scientific research knowledge transfer into the practice which dominantly contribute to publications of Slovak researchers in validated journals registered in prestigious databases; provide qualitative, scientifically oriented PhD study and they represent the Slovak universities in outstanding way in prestigious ranking agencies.

„I am pleased, that research and technical universities have signed this innovated agreement. I believe,that it will also help us continue our successful collaboration in the academic area and we will promptly respond to current societally requirable activities from the most scientifically efficient universities,“ informed the Rector of the Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice prof. RNDr. Pavol Sovák, CSc.

The members of the Association V7 agreed on the coordination and common procedure in promoting support to science, research and innovations in the Slovak and European research area and furthermore they will:

• take into consideration in their activities the requirements of real life, develop collaboration with companies and social institutions;
• provide specific rational support to central government, public administration and other authorities in their decision-making processes concerning the support of science, research and innovations;
• pomote fair, transparent and balanced financing of research and development in the Slovak Republic, as well as in its institutional structure and competitive forms;
• coordinate their activities when submitting applications from the European Structural and Investment Funds;
• make a joint effort and support each other in their networking with important scientific institutions both in our country and in the European research area;
• support the common sharing of achieved scientific infrastructure mainly in university science parks and in the centres of excellence;
• support creation and updating of the Slovak Science Infrastructure Roadmap and many other activities.