Interreg SK-AT Twin City Future...

As part of the 2C FIMH project, so-called Exploratory trips are continuously held - targeted excursions mapping best practices in the area of developing innovation ecosystems within cross-border cooperation. Each of these excursions focuses on the processes of incubation (innovation spaces, tech labs, accelerators), education (universities, research centers, talent acquisition) and cooperation (cross-border cooperation partners, clusters, IT, research and development)

On 24-25.02.2026, we participated in such an excursion in the Vienna-Bratislava metropolitan region, which must be perceived as one functional and closely cooperating whole. The purpose of the trip was to visit institutions within the Austrian and Viennese innovation ecosystem (AIT Austrian Institute of Technology, Centre for Transport Technologies), innovation-oriented companies (Alstom) and the Open Maker & Startup space Happylab Wien. The aim of the working trip was to get to know and understand the Viennese innovation system and, based on this knowledge, contribute to defining recommendations for a transnational innovation strategy in the manufacturing sector. During the Bratislava part, we visited the Kempelen Institute for Intelligent Technologies, the UK Science Park and the Business Innovation Centre.

During the excursion, participants were presented with information about the institutions visited, their activities and goals, and innovation support processes. This knowledge is valuable for understanding the functioning of the cross-border innovation-oriented ecosystem in the Vienna-Bratislava region and will be transferred to the draft recommendations as the main output of the 2C FIMH project.

The excursions completed within the framework of the 2C FIMH project were a unique opportunity to look into the individual components of the Vienna and Bratislava innovation ecosystems. It was an opportunity to learn from professionals how innovations in the manufacturing sector function and are supported. This knowledge is also an inspiration for the functioning of Slovak institutions and support schemes in the field of innovation and is also relevant for supporting incubation at Comenius University in Bratislava.