SLOVAKIAINVESTING IN THE FUTURE. ec.europa.eu/invest-eu | #investEU OPPORTUNITIES START HERE. #investEU EXPLORE THE To revive investments and growth, the European Union STORIES BEHIND supports people, ideas and visions across Europe The European Union is all about opportunities Europeans have already come up with original can also access hands-on coaching and expertise EU INVESTMENT that deliver real benefits and make a difference at ideas for better education, modernised to ensure their projects provide real added value a local level. The promotion of growth, employment healthcare and greener transport infrastructure, for the people and communities around them. and well-being across Europe is one of its main to cite but a few examples, and the EU has Results are visible thanks to knowledge-sharing priorities. By investing in people’s ideas and provided the means to get tailored projects off and research facilities, energy efficient buildings the ground. Where valuable projects struggle visions, the EU is removing obstacles and creating or smart mobility solutions, which, in turn, to win investment due to the reluctance of favourable conditions for development and lead to a more sustainable future for Europe’s SCHOOL OPEN investors to take risks, the EU steps in by TO ALL cities and regions. modernisation across the continent. In support backing loans or providing funding for projects WAY OUT OF THE CYCLE of the pioneering and entrepreneurial spirit of that have the potential to succeed. Whether it’s helping local entrepreneurs OF UNEMPLOYMENT Europeans, the EU opens doors and empowers to embrace the circular economy; educating In Slovakia, for example, the EU is co-funding CONSTRUCTION OF D1 people to pursue their own innovative projects. children from marginalised communities; helping BioMed Martin MOTORWAY SECTION the new Bratislava bypass to be completed by to break the cycle of long-term unemployment; 2020. This public-private partnership uses innovative supporting world-class research in medicine; financing and is the first transport project to improving access to drinking water in small secure EU guarantees from two different funds. municipalities or modernising public RECYCLING OF SYNTHETIC The capital of Slovakia is home to half a million MATERIALS – STERED DRINKING WATER SUPPLY people with many more commuting there every transportation in cities, EU funding gives a AND DRAINAGE IN THE boost to projects that make a difference BODVA MICRO-REGION day for work or business.This creates problems with congestion and slows down traffic for both at the local level. local inhabitants and international commuters. Only some of these stories feature in this This new infrastructure will save commuters brochure. But look around in your community EFSI SUPPORT some 124 “car-hours” per year. FOR SLOVAK SMES and you will see that behind European VOCATIONAL SCHOOL AROUSES INTEREST IN EU funding not only offers people financial investments there is a wealth of people’s stories D4R7 HIGHWAY TECHNICAL STUDIES support for their projects. Project beneficiaries to discover. NEW TRAMS 2 ec.europa.eu/invest-eu | #investEU OPPORTUNITIES START HERE. #investEU D4R7 HIGHWAY BRATISLAVA REGION hours a day in the car and are considering what Ministry of Finance’s Slovak Investment Bratislava to do – whether to stay in the area or move Holding and the European Fund for Strategic away” says Minister of Transport, Construction Investments, part of the Investment Plan for bypass shortens and Regional Development Árpád Érsek. Europe. Project Finance International magazine named it the best PPP project in Europe in 2016. The initial stretch of the bypass is comprised of journey times the Jarovce-Rača section of the D4 motorway, “Thanks to a new financing model, the state which forms part of the Trans-European will save €144 million over the next 28 years,” and cuts Transport Network. Construction of a further says Viktor Stromček, State Secretary of the section of the D4, between Rača and Záhorská Slovak Ministry of Transport and Construction. congestion Bystrica, including the Karpaty tunnel, The total value of the project is estimated is planned for the next phase. The D4 will be at €1.3 billion, of which €427 million is supplied Ideally situated in Central Europe, Slovakia’s approximately 27 kilometres long and will by the European Investment Bank. capital Bratislava is bolstering its status as include a motorway bridge across the Danube. an international road, rail, river and air transport By 2020, it should be able to handle 35 000 vehicles hub. Built with EU funding, the new Bratislava a day in both directions. bypass will ease traffic congestion in the city. Intensive industrial and commercial activity in and around Bratislava – including the operation Another element of the project is the building of logistics centres – combined with an of the sections of the R7 expressway between inadequate road network is causing major Prievoz and Holice. The Prievoz-Ketelec section of the R7 will connect the D4 with the D1 traffic jams in the area. Problems are particularly motorway, rerouting a large volume of traffic serious on sections of the D1 and D2 motorways away from urban districts. At the same time, leading into the city. the Ketelec-Holice section, which is over 32 kilometres in length, will ease journeys The Slovak government has decided to resolve and improve living conditions for almost the problem by building the D4R7 bypass. This 40 000 inhabitants in the adjacent areas, enabling should divert freight transport from Bratislava’s local daily commuters to save 124 hours of roads, speed up connections to the motorway travel time per year. network and lessen the impact of road traffic on the environment. “This road will not only The bypass is being built by way of a public-private help people in Bratislava, but also those in the partnership (PPP). It combines finance from 5 surrounding areas who often spend up to four EU structural and investment funds, the Slovak LESS DEVELOPED VOCATIONAL SCHOOL AROUSES TLMAČE-LIPNÍK SCHOOL OPEN TO ALL REGIONS OF SK INTEREST IN TECHNICAL STUDIES Informal learning brings education School in Tlmače innovates approach to disadvantaged children to technical courses Children from disadvantaged backgrounds An important aspect of this type of education With the help of EU funds, the vocational “Education is increasingly interesting, fun and are being given the opportunity to enjoy quality is the active involvement of parents, who secondary school at Tlmače in Slovakia is introducing attractive for students. This in turn motivates education thanks to EU funds. The “School open learn appropriate educational approaches innovation into the educational process. them to acquire new knowledge and skills,” says to all” project is helping more than 400 children and pass them on to other members of their As a result, its students are better prepared for deputy head Mária Medzihradská. “Innovation and a similar number of their family members. communities. “ This activity has been accepted entering the regional job market. in the educational process has supported the in almost all localities, and even with great development of vocational skills that respond Interest in technical subjects is generally Unequal access to education is a problem enthusiasm by many parents. Parents have to the needs of the labour market.” low in Slovak schools, but the Tlmače vocational in Slovakia, with many children, especially from adopted a suitable educational approach secondary school is an exception. Its project Teacher training courses are another important Roma communities, placed in special needs to motivate their entire community toward schools without good reason. The “School open “If you explain something to me, I’ll forget it; component of the project. Through these adequate education from an early age,” if you show me, I’ll remember; but if I do it, to all” project was launched in 2016 to address courses, teachers add to their knowledge of Kovářová adds. I’ll understand it” has aroused great enthusiasm this by creating a model for effective cooperation vocational subjects and teaching methods, for its technical courses. between nursery and primary schools. In addition, teaching staff are improving their learning how to use the new software and other ability to identify and eliminate causes of Through the project, the school has purchased technology acquired with the funding. The main focus is on improving the quality students lagging behind. They are also learning equipment including teaching aids, interactive As a consequence, they are able to help the of teaching so as to ensure equal access to good to help children from marginalised, particularly classroom technology, machinery, library school reach its main goal of training students education for all children. The programme is Roma, communities. In the 2016/17 school year, resources, and computer hardware and software. for future jobs. based on an informal educational method 416 children and 426 of their family members This was made possible by a non-refundable Results prove that it is succeeding in this. intended primarily for children from socially got involved in informal education thanks to financial contribution of over €318 000, of which “Many companies from our region prefer Tlmače disadvantaged backgrounds who, for various the project, while 180 teaching and 285 teaching €271 000 was provided by the EU’s European vocational secondary school students when reasons, do not attend nursery schools. assistant jobs were created in the space of just Social Fund. recruiting, since their professional requirements a few months. “Children carry out activities that develop During lessons, students go through the whole are met thanks to this project,” concludes their personality in a playful way in a positive process, from designing a project and preparing Medzihradská. atmosphere. They learn to speak correctly and for production to creation of a finished product. we also teach them basic rules of hygiene” says This allows them to familiarise themselves with 7 informal education specialist Edita Kovářová.