Over recent decades, Slovakia has been an exceptional success story. Continuing it requires a competent response to the challenges ahead: the impacts of an ageing population, adaptation to technological and climate change, and growing geopolitical and security challenges. Vision Slovakia 2040 shows how these challenges can be met.
Main document
Appendices
What is Vision Slovakia 2040?
It is an independent, non-partisan and cross-ministerial document prepared in the first half of 2026 by experts from academia and the business sector under the professional auspices of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
The Vision maps how quality of life in Slovakia may develop in the future. It examines the key issues that will shape our future, from geopolitics and technological and climate change to the labour market and security. On this basis, it identifies the country's main opportunities and risks, as well as its strengths and weaknesses.
The Vision will be followed by Strategy Slovakia 2040, which will build on it by setting the order of priorities and concrete, quantified measures. It will also specify who is responsible for implementing these measures and how they will be financed.
Objective
The Vision clearly sets out what should improve in the everyday lives of people in Slovakia by 2040. In doing so, it will help the state act in a predictable and consistent manner over the long term.
Its aim is to improve people's quality of life, support sustainable development and strengthen the country's competitiveness and resilience. At the same time, it will help make better use of opportunities without undermining social and regional cohesion or environmental protection, while ensuring the country's security.
Pillars of the document
- Successful Slovakia
the economy, innovation and the work of the future
- A Dignified Life
cohesion, people and society
- Sustainable Country
the green and energy transition, mobility
- Modern State
institutions, justice, defence, security and the digital state
Preparation
The preparation process was participatory, involving line ministries, local and regional self-government, associations and professional organisations, academia, the business sector, social partners and the public. More than 350 experts and stakeholders from a wide range of fields took part in drafting the Vision. We discussed its content with more than 150 partners in the regions of Slovakia. In total, we addressed more than 2,300 comments on the document from over 450 organisations.
The aim was to gather relevant knowledge, reconcile priorities and identify solutions that command the broadest possible consensus.
To this end, the Slovak Academy of Sciences drew on thematic expert groups, expert panels, foresight workshops and consultations with key stakeholders.
Lead
Marek Radvanský
Marek is Vice-President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences for Economy and Legislation and leads the preparation of Vision Slovakia 2040. His expertise covers macroeconomic forecasting, regional policy and the labour market, and he has worked as an EU expert on skills forecasting and social policy in several countries. He has been a member of the Presidium of the Slovak Academy of Sciences since 2021 and a member of the Board of Governors of the EU Joint Research Centre (JRC) since 2022.
Team
Martin Smatana
Martin is the lead of the A Dignified Life pillar. He has long worked on health policy and health care financing. He cooperates with a number of organisations, including GLOBSEC, the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund and the OECD. He previously headed the Health Policy Institute at the Ministry of Health of the Slovak Republic.
Miroslav Štefánik
Miroslav is responsible for the preparation and content of the Successful Slovakia pillar. He is Director of the Institute of Economic Research of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, and his work focuses on education and labour market policy. He is actively involved in drafting strategic documents on employment and vocational education policy.
Richard Filčák
Richard oversees the Sustainable Country pillar. He heads the Centre of Social and Psychological Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He has extensive experience as a researcher, leader, manager and coordinator of research, development and evaluation projects. His work focuses on the intersection of environmental and social policy, particularly climate change adaptation and mitigation, foresight and systemic change.
Tomáš Černěnko
Tomáš is the content lead of the Modern State pillar. He has long worked on the efficiency of public administration, smart governance and local government finance. He teaches at the Department of Public Administration and Regional Development, Faculty of National Economy, University of Economics in Bratislava. He previously headed the Institute of Administrative and Security Analysis at the Ministry of the Interior of the Slovak Republic.
Petra Dzurovčinová
Petra is the project and process manager of Vision Slovakia 2040. She helps design the participatory expert process and the involvement of experts. She has served as the City of Bratislava's Commissioner for Innovation, worked with UNDP on institutional innovation and helped launch the Slovak Alliance for Innovation Economy.
Iva Kleinová
Iva is the project manager of Vision Slovakia 2040. She also advises the City of Bratislava on the start-up ecosystem and talent. She was part of the founding team of the Research and Innovation Authority (VAIA) during its rapid growth, where she served as Director of the Talent Policy Department and led the preparation, approval and initial implementation of the National Research, Development and Innovation Strategy and the preparation of the Talent Magnet document.
Contact
