SHORT PROJECT, BIG IMPACT
What is STICS?
STICS is a Slovak consortium of 24 partners that tests and deploys innovative solutions directly in Slovak cities and regions. Together, we are building an open ecosystem that brings real technological solutions to the places where people live and work. Not on paper, but in practice.
At the heart of the project are the Living Labs — testing environments in real cities where algorithms, artificial intelligence, IoT and modern energy systems get the space to show what they can do. Data that no one has used until now becomes the basis for better transport, more efficient services and greater involvement of residents in the development of their city.
PROJECT BACKGROUND
Why the project was created
Slovak cities and regions face the same challenges as the rest of Europe: ageing infrastructure, a digital divide, low citizen participation and limited capacity in local authorities to introduce innovation. Meanwhile, traditional research delivers answers too slowly and without contact with the everyday reality of running a city.
STICS is built on the Living Lab principle. Innovative solutions are not tested in a laboratory, but directly in the streets, offices and communities of Slovak cities. The consortium connects those who define the challenges (local authorities), those who create the solutions (companies and startups) and those who verify their sustainability (academics).
What comes out of it are not studies and reports, but solutions that work: tested in the real world, validated by the people who use them and ready to roll out.
TIME FOR CHANGE
Key project activities
Build a functional innovation ecosystem
Local governments, research institutions, companies and civic initiatives each have different needs and capacities. STICS brings them together within a single framework where they jointly plan, test and scale solutions. The result is not another project on paper, but an environment where ideas genuinely grow into tangible outcomes across Slovakia.
Create an open data ecosystem
Data from sensors, maps and public portals already exists, but it is not interconnected. The STICS Data Broker brings it together in a single system, while each municipality retains control over its own data. It decides what to share, with whom and under what conditions.
Build 6 Living Labs
Six real-world environments across Slovakia, from rural areas and regional cities to campuses and social innovation settings. Each Living Lab is a place where new solutions are co-created, tested with real people and prepared for wider deployment.
Launch the Marketplace and Accelerator
Ready-to-use tools in one place, complemented by hackathons and investment pitches. A programme that turns data and ideas into products that can actually be sold and deployed.
Train key people
At least 250 local government employees, 120 business experts and 100 students will complete practical training. They will learn to make data-driven decisions, work with the data economy and manage modern procurement processes.
Drive policy change
Experience from the Living Labs will not remain confined to project reports. Based on these insights, we will propose specific legislative and systemic changes and actively advocate for them at the national level.
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED
Key challenges STICS addresses
LIVING LABS
Real-world testing environments
The Living Lab is a key pillar of the STICS project. It is not just a place to test — it is a comprehensive approach that brings together all the relevant actors and puts the end user in the leading role. It is a carefully designed co-creation methodology and a complete innovation management system in one.
STICS is the first to bring all three forms of the Living Lab together in a single framework. The result is an environment where ideas are validated in real operation, their impact is measured, and results are transferred quickly across departments and sectors. In practice, this works as a clear cycle. First, we co-create the solution with all stakeholders. Then we pilot it, with the focus on the real user experience.
We measure results against concrete indicators and use them to refine the solution. When it works, we scale it and pass it on. The whole process is transparent and data-driven, and the user has a seat at the table from day one.
STEP BY STEP
Timeline
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Organisational structure
STICS is run by a team of experts from academia, public administration and the private sector. What brings us together is the belief that Slovak cities can be smarter, given the right partners and the right tools.
Clearly defined roles, responsibilities and control mechanisms allow us to manage the project transparently, in line with EU requirements and ethical standards.
The names of working groups, positions, work packages and tasks below follow the official project documentation.
General Assembly – representatives of all partners
Project Management Board – Work Package Leaders, Scientific Coordinator, Project Coordinator, Deputy Project Coordinator, Project Manager, Project Financial Manager
Project management Office - Project Manager, Project Financial Manager, Innovation Manager, Quality Assurance Officer, Project Risk manager, Ethics Officer, Data Protection Manager, Project Communication Officer
Work Package Leaders – WP1 Management, WP2 Innovation Ecosystem, WP3 Interoperable Data Ecosystem, WP4 Smart tools, WP5 Market Creation, WP6 Living Lab sites, WP7 Capacity Building, WP8 Communication and Dissemination
WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM
Funding
Funded by the EU NextGenerationEU through the Recovery and Resilience Plan for Slovakia under the project within the Smart Transformational and Innovation Consortium Slovakia (STICS), No. 09I02-03-V01-00011. This funding allows the consortium to test innovative solutions without commercial pressure, with the emphasis on real impact for Slovak cities and regions.
