The project aims to create a platform and facilitate an open dialogue between the municipality and the business sector to jointly find solutions to urban challenges and thus contribute to a more resilient local economy.
Urban Talks
About
Background
Cities across the EU face lack of participation of locals, a lack of trust in public institutions, and a rise in populism. Investments into creative infrastructure have often fallen short of reaching the projected transformation impact on the local economy and its potential to increase engagement of the local stakeholders, not excluding local companies and SMEs. The change we want to bring to the current situation is threefold:
- closing the gap between the municipality and the business communities,
- by providing a platform where both parties can lead discussions focused directly on the challenges of the city,
- and support the capacity building of the local business sector by teaching them co-creation processes and outside-of-the-box thinking.
This project goes towards the common goal of both parties (municipality and business community) – to build a more resilient economy and engage the businesses in solving the local challenges.
Events
The project is composed of 8 Urban Talks that will take place from June until August 2021 at Kasárne/Kulturpark complex in Košice. Each event will have its theme, and it will be hosted by an experienced moderator or facilitator in the field. Urban Talks are intended mainly for people from the business sector, local government, and other target groups based on the current topic. Main topics include:
- city development,
- participative approach,
- co-creation,
- social innovation and CSR,
- knowledge sharing,
- SMEs and startups and the local environment,
- circular economy,
- corporate citizenship and corporate environmental responsibility.
Urban Talks
Urban Talk: Košice – An Emerging Tech Hub? | 15th June 2021, 2:45 pm
The first event will be held online, focusing on the challenges that our region is facing. Building the active ecosystem in the city and closing the gap between the municipality and business sector can be done thanks to the improvement of the open dialogue between the stakeholders. Creating a platform where parties can meet and discuss their differences and common goals is the first main step towards a brighter future.
This first event of the project will present the cross-sectoral cooperation that will lead towards the development of the city and the region. The guests will discuss the potential of the city and the region and provide the private sector with opportunities to become an active part of the regional innovation ecosystem.
Guests:
- Marcel Gibóda, Vice Mayor of the City of Košice
- Matej Ovčiarka, Director of the Department of Regional Development and Planning at Košice Self-governing Region
- Anton Marcinčin, Co-founder of Regional Development Now!
- Eduard Donauer, Plenipotentiary for Strategic Planning for the City of Bratislava
Host: Martin Mudrák
More information about the event and registration here.
Urban Talk: Bravo Hub – potential for business development? | 14th July 2021, 5:00 pm
The second Urban Talk will focus on the importance of developing the business community, which is also emerging, for example, in the premises of the Bravo Hub in Kasárne/Kulturpark. The importance of networking, local business potential, and mutual cooperation will be discussed by:
- Marek Lavčák, moderator of the discussion, Startup Centrum Košice
- Michal Hladký, director of the non-profit organization Creative Industry Košice
- Tomáš Petraško, director of Košice K13 – Košice Cultural Centers
More information about the event can be found at this link.
Urban Talk: Towards a Sustainable Future – It Takes Two to Tango | 26th July 2021, 5:00 pm
The third discussion of the Urban Talk series aims to address the questions of sustainable urban development of the city of Košice, the green economy, the race to zero-carbon and the challenges of responsible manufacturing.
- Mišo Hudák, founder of OZ Východné pobrežie / Strategic Planning Expert, City of Košice
- Juraj Sabol, General Manager for strategy, U.S. Steel Košice
- Martin Mudrák, Moderator, AmCham Slovakia
More information about the event can be found at this link.
Urban Talk: How can cross-sectoral collaboration help move Košice forward? | 5th August 2021, 5:00 pm
How can cross-sectoral collaboration help move Košice forward? The fourth discussion of the Urban Talk series addresses the importance of cross-sector partnerships.
- Richard Dlhý, City Hall Deputy Director, City of Košice
- Monika Kočiová, Director – Košice Regional Chamber – SOPK
- Stanislav Mucha, Director – PR & Marketing, Ness Košice
- Martin Mudrák, Moderator, AmCham Slovakia
More information about the event can be found at this link.
Urban Talk: Leadership and Urban Development | 3rd September 2021, 6:00 pm
We will invite mayors of the three biggest cities in Slovakia in the following discussion. Together we will look at the role of Leadership in the city’s development. The guests will discuss how do they understand Leadership, if they are successful in being role models and fulfilling the vision of the city they represent. We will also talk about how do they build and lead their team and what does it mean to have this position in it.
- Andrea Turčanová, Mayor of the City Prešov
- Matúš Vallo, Mayor of the City of Bratislava
- Jaroslav Polaček, Mayor of the City of Košice
- Michal Hladký, moderator of the discussion, Creative Industry Košice
You need to register in advance.
More information about the event can be found at this link.
Urban Talk: Women Leaders | 27th September 2021, 6:30 pm
The next discussion from the series of Urban Talks will follow up the topic of Leadership again. This time we will look at Leadership from the point of view of Women Leaders – three women leaders operating in different sectors. We will welcome:
- Jana Knežová, Head of the Department of Culture at Košice Self-Governing Region
- Laura Dittel, Director from Karpatská nadácia
- Barbora Ruščin, Chief Experience Officer, Tatra Banka
- Moderator of the discussion: Michal Hladký, Director of Creative Industry Košice
You need to register in advance for this online event.
More information about the event can be found at this link.
Urban Talk with Peter Kropp – the chief architect of the city of Košice | September 28, 2021, 6:30 p.m.
The penultimate discussion from the series Urban Talks will be an interview with the newly appointed chief architect of the city of Košice, Peter Kropp. Michal Hladký – Director of Creative Industry Košice – will moderate the discussion about his expectations, vision for Košice, and spatial planning.
You need to register in advance for this online event.
Urban Talk: Collaboration in Innovation – Innovation in Collaboration | September 30, 2021, 7:00 p.m.
The final discussion of Urban Talks will be devoted to the topic of cross-sectoral cooperation in the field of modernization of business and society.
We will welcome:
- Peter Šoltés, CEO, PROMISEO
- Peter Blaas, Business Development Director, ANTIK Technology
The discussion is moderated by Martin Mudrák, AmCham Slovakia. Is the city of Košice ready for digital society? Where are our “unicorns”? What does local sector cooperation look like in the field of innovation efforts?
You need to register in advance for this online event.
This project is supported by a grant from the Center for International Private Enterprise in Washington, D.C.