17 of us attended from a total of 70 member organizations. While this wasn’t the simple majority required for a quorum at the general assembly, that wasn’t the main point of the day. It was a meeting where we openly discussed our current situation, what lies ahead, and most importantly – how we will tackle it together.
INOVATO 2025: Projects, New Partnerships, and a Successful INOFEST
After morning coffee and welcome remarks, Anna Čaplovičová presented the year’s review. And I must say – we’ve made progress. We organized the 6th annual INOFEST 2025 in Trnava at MTF. We were part of Výťah.Conf 2025 and Slovak Industry Vision Day as partners. Workshops on AI, SEO, Baťa Principles. Webinars on innovation funding, supercomputers, product profitability.
Our cooperation with SIEA led us all the way to Korea. We completed the project Space for V4, which mapped the space ecosystem of V4 countries – the output is a joint publication with best practices.
And Anna also introduced BRIDGE & SHIFT (2026-2027), which is already preparing for the transformation of automotive regions, including the Nitra region. Value chain analyses, identification of missing links, regional strategies, preparation of projects for EU funding.
We also received the ESCA Silver Label valid until 2027 – it’s not just a pretty sticker. It’s confirmation that the quality of our management is at a European level. That what we do makes sense and we do it well.
Matej Novotný presented the concept of INOVATO expert groups, and Natália Stašíková showed us how we’re performing in social media communication.
What’s next?
2026 will be about the project BRIDGE & SHIFT, finalizing expert groups, updating the strategy with measurable indicators. Regular webinars, INOFEST 2026, at least two annual meetings, and a weekend under the banner of “Summer with INOVATO”.
Video is King (but only with authenticity)
Martin Moncoľ from Press Play Media Makers presented facts that cannot be ignored. ChatGPT grew from 300 million weekly users to 800 million. Up to 2.5 billion queries are processed there daily.
And what does that mean for us? People no longer click on websites. They get the answer directly from AI, and that’s it. Zero-click phenomenon – fewer visitors, but those who come are of higher quality.
Video statistics are remarkable: from video ads, we remember 95% of information, from static only 10%. Video has a click-through rate (CTR) between 1.5–3%, static ads only 0.5–1.4%. The numbers speak for themselves.
But beware – the audience can now distinguish fake content from genuine. Authentic content builds trust. And a hybrid strategy? “Video Hook, Static Close” – first video for engagement, then a static ad with a specific offer. Meta reports a 17% higher conversion rate.
AI and the Unpleasant Truth
The afternoon belonged to Vladimír Šucha from the European University Institute. And if you were expecting an optimistic motivational speech, you didn’t get one.
Šucha put it bluntly: AI is a historically unique technology. It doesn’t enhance our hands or feet. It changes our very way of thinking. And that’s a fundamental difference.
An MIT study showed that using ChatGPT reduces cognitive abilities, memory, and critical thinking. Gradual atrophy. Like environmental toxins – it acts slowly, often below our conscious awareness.
Statistics on young people are alarming: loneliness increased from 9% in 2016 to 36% in 2020. Depression, self-harm. And the AI boom hasn’t even fully begun yet.
The World Economic Forum predicts that 39% of skills will change. Today’s young people will go through 5–7 career changes. Reskilling every 2–3 years. This isn’t the future – this is already happening.
People, Not Tools
What struck us most about Šucha’s lecture? A quote from Tomáš Baťa from the 1920s: “People build businesses, not tools.”
BCG found that only 5% of companies clearly benefit from AI. 60% are just experimenting. The problem isn’t the tools. The problem is us – people, culture, the way we work.
The success of transformation depends two-thirds on people and culture, and only one-third on technology. Psychological safety, empathy, a moral compass – a leader won’t leave these to AI.
Šucha urged us to act: conduct a mental resilience audit, start a small AI experiment, set new metrics – learning speed, quality of cooperation, team well-being. The window of opportunity is narrow – 3 years.
Final Thought
The conclusion revolved around three questions presented by Martina Jankolová and Ján Košturiak. What is changing that we cannot ignore? What is not changing that we must return to? How to create an ecosystem for survival?
The answers varied, but one theme ran through the entire day: technology is just a tool, people are the essence.
AI will come, changes will come. But if we have strong relationships, authentic communication, psychological safety, and mental resilience – we will survive. And not only that, we will thrive.
Thank you to everyone who participated. We look forward to 2026!
TEXT: Natália Stašíková
PHOTO: INOVATO/Natália Stašíková, Press Play / Patrik Horník
