EIT Food SUA Ranked Among the Most Active in Slovakia in Securing Grants in 2024

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has published country fact sheets to highlight its impact at the national level. EIT Food SUA in Nitra, led by Prof. Adriana Kolesárová, Director of the AgroBioTech Research Centre, ranked among the most active institutions in Slovakia in distributing grants last year.The project is administered under the auspices of the EIT Food office and coordinated by Dr. Eva Ďurčanská.

The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) established the EIT Food Hub at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra  in January 2019, and it has been operating under this prestigious brand ever since.

Together with leading partners across Europe, EIT offers a wide range of activities in innovation and entrepreneurship. The EIT community supports innovators in transforming their ideas into cutting-edge products, services, and jobs. Between 2023 and 2025, EIT distributed approximately €3.5 million in grants to Slovak entities, placing Slovakia 21st among EU member states. While the majority of funding went to companies, about one-third was secured by universities—particularly SUA in Nitra, the Technical University of Košice, and the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava.

The most active initiatives in distributing grants in Slovakia were EIT Food (represented by SUA), EIT Urban Mobility (represented by CIVITTA), EIT Manufacturing (represented by STU), and EIT Health (represented by CIVITTA). Since its establishment in Slovakia, EIT has supported 78 startups. The report also highlights the success stories of companies such as scase and BatteryCheck.

The mission of EIT is to enhance Europe’s competitiveness, foster sustainable economic growth, and create jobs by promoting synergies and strengthening cooperation between businesses, educational institutions, and research organizations. EIT is an integral part of the EU’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation framework program.