Business Mission Accompanied the President of the Slovak Republic to Canada and the USA

From January 29 to February 4, a business mission accompanied the President of the Slovak Republic during her visit to Canada and the USA. The entrepreneurial delegation comprised a total of 33 entities, primarily from the information technology sector with a focus on artificial intelligence, green technologies, electromobility, and biotechnology.

The intensive work program commenced during the visit to the Canadian capital, Ottawa, where the delegation was received at the Global Affairs Canada by Jordan Reeves, the Director General for Export Industries and High-Intensity Services. Opening remarks were delivered by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic, V. Šimoňák, the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, R. Chovanec, and the Director General of the Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO), R. Šimončič. The visit included presentations on investment and trade conditions in Canada and an introduction to the startup ecosystem.

In the afternoon, the delegation moved to the EU Representation in Canada (EU DEL), where practical implications of the CETA agreement were discussed. Further insights on establishing a business entity in Canada were provided by the Slovak partner from the Allan Snelling LLP office.

On Wednesday, January 31, the entire delegation flew to Toronto, where a business forum at the Ontario Investment and Trade Centre awaited them. The event, opened by President Z. Čaputová and Canadian Minister for Small Business, Nina Tangri, featured presentations on the investment and trade environment in Slovakia by SARIO consultant M. Kopanický.

The following day, Thursday, February 1, saw the delegation flying from Canada to the USA, specifically to the west coast in San Francisco. In this city, Slovak entrepreneurs participated in the 'Slovaks meet Slovaks' cooperative networking event, allowing President Z. Čaputová to acquaint herself with members of the accompanying business delegation. The event concluded with speeches from the Slovak Ambassador to the USA, R. Javorčík, and the State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy of the Slovak Republic, R. Chovanec, followed by informal networking.

The last working day of the challenging trade mission took the delegation to the Stanford Research Institute (SRI), where the SK-US Business Forum was held. President Z. Čaputová inaugurated the event, and presentations from SRI highlighted their rich research history. SARIO also presented Slovakia as an investment destination for American investors. In the afternoon, Slovak entrepreneurs were hosted at the Google headquarters, where they were introduced to the latest developments in artificial intelligence, concluding the business mission to Canada and the USA.