Nordic – Slovak Innovation Forum INNOVATION BRIDGES

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic
in cooperation with the Embassies of the
Kingdom of Denmark, Republic of Finland, Kingdom of Norway and Kingdom of Sweden
to the Slovak Republic and
Plenipotentiary for Knowledge Economy of the Slovak Government
Proudly presents moderators and panelists of the
Nordic – Slovak Innovation Forum
INNOVATION BRIDGES
October 26, 2011
in the Congress Hall of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 09:00 am.

Panel I
“Innovation policy – important element of society development and challenges for
future”.
Moderator and presenter for Slovakia Martin Bruncko
Martin Bruncko has been serving the Slovak government as the Plenipotentiary for
Knowledge Economy since 2011. His main role is to shape policy for building a knowledge
economy in the Slovak Republic.
He has served as a consultant at the Economic Department of OECD to facilitate Slovakia's
membership in OECD and as a consultant to the World Bank to create a medium-term
economic development strategy for the Slovak republic focusing on utilization of EU
structural funds. Between 2003 and 2006 he was the chief economic advisor to the Deputy
Prime Minister and Minister of Finance of the Slovak Republic. He is the chief author of the
Competitiveness Strategy until 2010 for the Slovak Republic (Minerva). He was directly
involved in preparation and/or implementation of various reforms, including the tax, pension
and R&D reform, and he has served as the Slovak representative to the Economic and
Financial Committee of the European Council.
Martin Bruncko is an alumnus of a number of prestigious universities: Harvard University,
Harvard Kennedy School (USA), Stanford University (USA), Institute ďEtudes Politiques de
Paris (France).

Dr. Thomas Alslev Christensen, Head of Division, The Danish Agency for
Technology and Innovation
Science
Thomas Alslev Christensen graduated from Copenhagen University and he has a PhD in
international economics from Copenhagen Business School. He was a special advisor on
European Integration in the Danish Prime Minister’s Office in 1995-1997. Since 1997 he has
been working as the head of department of the Danish Ministry for Economic Affairs, The
Nordic Council of Ministers and the Danish Ministry for Science, Technology and Innovation
(DMSTI). He is also the head of the secretariat of the Danish Council for Technology and
Innovation (DCTI) and responsible for innovation policy in the Danish Ministry of Science,
Innovation and Higher Education.
Ilkka Turunen, Secretary General, Research and Innovation Policy Council of Finland
Ilkka Turunen has been appointed as Secretary General of the Research and Innovation
Council in 2010. The Council is responsible for the strategic development and coordination of
Finnish science and technology policy, as well as the national innovation system as a whole.
He was Special Government Advisor, Ministry of Education, Division for Higher Education
31.1.2010 and Science (International Affairs, Science and Innovation Policy) •Counsellor
(Education, Employment and Social Policy, Health, Science and Technology), Permanent
Delegation of Finland to the OECD, Paris • Counsellor (Education, vocational education and
training, culture, audiovisual services, youth, sports), Permanent Representation of
Finland to the European Union, Brussels. He is a graduate of, University of Helsinki.

Dr. Tore Lasse By, Director, Coordinator EAA funding, Norway
Dr. Tore Lasse By has been appointed as a Director of Innovation Norway in 2007. Before he
served as a Director of International Business Development at Innovation Norway; Director
of International Research and Technology Cooperation at Norwegian Trade Counci;, Special
Advisor at The Research Council of Norway Marketing Director, Norwegian Construction
Group AS (NOCON); Vice President, Selmer ASA, Oslo; Division Director, Norwegian
Geotechnical Institute (NGI); Ph.D. Geophysics, Norwegian University of Science and
Technology and Project Manager, NGI Lecturer at The University of Trondheim.
He graduated from Naval Academy in 1972 and has a M.Sc. from Mining Technology,
Norwegian University of Science and Technology and a Ph.D. in Geophysics from
Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Ashkan Pouya, Serendipity Innovations AB, Sweden
Ashkan Pouya has an educational background in business administration from Uppsala
university, Queens university and WHU - Otto Besheim school of management in Germany.
He has co-fouded several high-tech companies, where among Diamorph AB, Nanologica AB,
Organoclick AB, Prozeo AB, Xbrane Bioscience AB, and Serendipity Innovations AB. He does
also have a previous professional athletic career in martial-arts where he won the world
championships in the year 2000.In 2009 he published a study of early phase innovation
processes ”The Phantom Innovation”, at ISPIM Innovation Symposium in Singapore. The
paper recieved the best publication award. The weekly swedish business magazine ”Veckans
Affärer” ranked Ashkan Pouya and his business partner Saeid Esmaeilzadeh among top 5
Swedish ”rulers” under age 40. Also the international edition of BON-Magazine haspriorly
listed the duo as “Swedes that will Change the World” At 2007 he received PHD in
Innovations Management (part time) at Mälardalen University and in 2003 he graduated as
Bachelor of Business Administration at Uppsala University Sweden.

Panel II
“Cooperation among companies, universities and research institutions; how to create
the pro-innovative environment in the entrepreneurial sphere and the tools for
motivation increase of entrepreneurs to participate in industrial and experimental
research and development and use of green technologies in exploitation of natural
resources”.
Moderator: František Jakab, Program Manager, Networking Academy, Cisco Systems,
Slovakia
Graduated from St. Petersburg Electrotechnical University (MSc. In System Engineering,
Russia, 1984), PhD degree from Technical university of Kosice (Slovakia, 2005) & associated
professor since 2008. He has been established well known training and research centre -
Computer Networks Laboratory, www.cnl.sk, in 1995. He is recognised expert in areas of
projecting of computer networks, new form of multimedia based communication
(videoconferences, IP streaming, IPTV), communication services, intelligent tutoring systems
and virtual universities.
He is a head of the Application Section of the Communication Technology Forum Association
in Slovakia, head of Committee on business – academic cooperation in American Chambers
of Comers in Slovakia and member of board of directors of Kosice IT Walley association. He
was awarded as a “IT person of the year 2006” in Slovakia.
Dr. Thomas Alslev Christensen, Head of Division, The Danish Agency for Science
Technology and Innovation, Denmark
See above.

Peter Olesen, President of the Danish Council for Strategic Research, Denmark
Founder & President, ActiFoods ApS. and Chairman of the Board, Danish Council for
Strategic Research. He also serves as Danish national delegate to the EU High Level Group
(GPC-ERAC) preparing the upcoming Joint Programme Initiative on joint member state
research collaborations in strategic areas.
Professor Peter Olesen obtained his PhD in plant cell biology in 1978 (University of
Copenhagen). In 2008 he founded ActiFoods ApS offering consultancy, knowledge sharing
and communication in the food and health interface, especially on functional foods and
documentation of health effects. Professor Olesen’s main expertise and research interests are
within functional ingredients and other additives targeted to the global food and health
industries. He is presently active in a range of projects and strategic counceling dealing with
major challenges to the global food industry with health, sustainability, taste and cost as
megatrends.
Petri Kalliokoski, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business Development, VTT
Technical Research Centre of Finland
Mr. Petri Kalliokoski holds the position of Executive Vice President, Strategy and Business
Development at VTT. He is responsible for VTT’s strategy and business development
activities including the commercialization of technology. He also acts as a CEO of VTT
International Ltd., a company that manages VTT’s international research organizations and
offices abroad. At the moment, VTT has research units in Brazil, USA and Korea and
marketing and sales offices in several countries. Mr. Kalliokoski is also a chairman or a
board member in several high-tech and manufacturing companies.

Daniel Forslund, Chief Strategy Officer, VINNOVA, Sweden
Daniel Forslund is responsible for overall policies and strategies on how to stimulate
innovation, modernization and reforms in the health and social sector. As Chief Strategy
Officer he also plays a key role in setting the overall development of the Agency’s strategic
plans and concrete initiatives to enhance the broad implementation and use of new
innovations.
Mr. Forslund holds a Masters Degree in Political Science, and previously worked at the
Swedish Ministry of Health and Social Affairs where he was leading the Swedish
Government’s initiatives on eHealth Policy. He was responsible for the process of negotiating
and establishing Sweden’s first National Strategy for eHealth, as well as other related
reforms and innovation processes in the healthcare domain.
Dr.h.c. Prof. Ing Anton Čižmár, CSc, Rector, Technical University of Košice, Slovakia
He graduated at the Slovak Technical University of Bratislava as MSc. in 1980 and has
a PhD. from Technicá univerzita Košice. Since 2007 he is a Rector of the Technical
University of Košice, Slovakia. Vice-Rector for ICT and an executive director of Košice IT
Valley association. His specialisation is in following areas:Telecommunication
Management, Project Management, Broadband Information and Telecommunication
Technologies, Multimedia Systems, Telecommunications Networks and Services, Energetic
networks and data transmission, Man – machine communications. He was a chief (co-chief)
and project manager of several EU projects such as Intelligent Information System
Supporting Observation; Cross-Modal Analysis of Verbal and Non-verbal Communication;
Nonlinear Speech Processing; Biometric Based People Recognition over the Internet;
Spoken Language Interaction in Telecommunication; Smart Speech Interfaces. Government
R&D programme and many others.

RNDr. Marta Cimbáková, Director General, Science and Technology Division, Ministry of
Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic
In 2011 she was appointed as a Director General of S&T Division at the Ministry of
Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic. Her main responsibilities
are coordination of the legislative tasks in the field of R&D in Slovakia and setting up of the
new models for R&D support; participation in setting up of laws, S&T political materials as
Long Term Plan of the National Science and Technology Policy by 2015; design of conditions
for the improvement of the Slovak participation in 7th Framework for Research,
Technological Development and Demonstration, Participation in setting up of analysis and
studies focused on R&D in higher education sector; participation in R&D projects of Physics
of upper layer of atmosphere. Before she serves as Deputy Director General of S&T Division;
Director, Department for National and European S&T Policy of S&T Division; Civil servant,
Department of Strategy and Analysis and Higher research assistant, Department od S&T
concepts of S&T Strategy Division; researcher, Institute of Information and Forecast for
Education (including for R&D) in Bratislava, the Slovak Republic; researcher, Faculty of
Mathematics and Physics of Comenius University in Bratislava. In 1980 she graduated from
Comenius University in Bratislava, Faculty od Natural Sciences in Mathematics and Physics
as a Mgr and has a RNDr from the same University.

Panel III
“Investments of companies and the entrepreneurs into industrial research –
motivational strategies and their implementation. Use of innovative financial
mechanisms (PPP, Jeremie, etc.) in the development of the innovation ecosystems“.
Moderator: Iva Kleinová M.P.A., Office of the Plenipotentiary for Knowledge Economy of
the Slovak Government
Iva Kleinová is currently working at the Office of the Plenipotentiary for knowledge economy
in Slovakia. She is responsible for implementing the new knowledge economy strategy,
Minerva 2.0: Slovakia to the first league. Ms. Kleinová had previously worked for the
management consulting firm, McKinsey & Company, consulted the United Nations
Development Programme both in Bratislava and in New York, and led the international
consulting team at Neulogy, a Slovak consultancy specializing in innovation.
She is a graduate of Princeton and Columbia Universities.
Dr. Thomas Alslev Christensen, Head of Division, The Danish Agency for Science
Technology and Innovation, Denmark
See above.

Peter Olesen, President of the Danish Council for Strategic Research, Denmark
See above
Jyri Huopaniemi, D.Sc.(Tech.), Director and Head of Media Technologies Laboratory, Nokia
Research Center, Finland
Jyri Huopaniemi is Director and Head of Media Technologies Laboratory at Nokia Research
Center. He joined Nokia in 1998 and has held multiple research leadership positions in the
fields of multimedia technology, mobile applications, interaction and media. In his current
role, he is responsible for Nokia’s multimedia technology research globally. The mission of
the research laboratory is to innovate differentiating multimedia and interaction technologies
and to create impact for future products through novel multimedia solutions.
Dr. Huopaniemi received his doctoral degree from Helsinki University of Technology in
1999.
Ola Kristen Rusaanes, Deputy Director, Coordinator EAA funding, Norway
Mr. Ola Kristen Rusaanes serves as Deputy Director Region Oslo, Akershus and Østfold at
the INNOVATION NORWAY. Innovation Norway is the Norwegian Government's most
important instrument for innovation and development of Norwegian enterprises and industry.
Before he was a Senior adviser (Financing and support to start-us enterprises and to
industry based R&D-projects) for the agency Innovation Norway.
He graduated in 1973 at the NORWEGIAN UNIVERSITY OF LIFE SCIENCE with a degree
equal to M.Sc. in Agricultural Economy.

Saeid Esmaeilzadeh, CEO Serendipity Innovations AB, Sweden
Saeid Esmaeilzadeh is a profesor of Materials Chemistry at Stockholm University and
Chairman of the Board of Directors of Diamorph AB. Mr. Esmaeilzadeh holds a PhD degree
in Materials Chemistry from the Stockholm University. He has received numerous awards
and honors for his research and his work as enterpreneur. In 2003, 2004, 2006, 2007 and
2008 he was awarded by Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems and the Swedish Energy
Agency, as well as by the Karolinska Institute, Royal Institute of Technology in Stockholm and
Stockholm University Innovation Award in 2004. Saeid Esmaeilzadeh has been involved in
building a number of research-based companies and he holds 7 patents.
Robert Šimončič, Chief Executive Officer of SARIO agency, Slovakia
Mr. Obert Šimončič started his cerreer at the Institute of Computer Technology of the Slovak
Technical University in Bratislava as a research scientist focusing on computer networks and
communication protocols. Since 1988 he lived in the United States, where he initially worked
as an Associate Director in Computer Networks Lab at the Computer Science Department of
the University of Virginia in Charlottesville. At the University he organized and managed
research and development projects in the area of computer communication protocols for
large commercial customers and public sector. Than he was the co-founder and Senior VP
and CTO of a small hi-tech company Network Xpress, Inc. in Charlottesville, Virginia and
later a consultant first at PricewaterhouseCoopers and later in IBM. In 2001 he was
appointed as a General Manager of Microsoft Slovakia. In July 2008 he was promoted in
Microsoft into a position of Regional Director for 30 Central & Easter European countries,

leading Microsoft applications business in this region. His base for this international role
stays in Bratislava, Slovakia.In April 2010 he assumed a role of CEO in the Slovak Investment
and Trade Agency (SARIO). During his Microsoft career in Slovakia he has served as an
advisor to Minister of Economy and Minister of Education.
Robert Simoncic holds an M.A. degree in Computer Science and PhD in Computer
Communications from the Slovak Technical University Bratislava. He also is a graduate of
the Management Development Program for Central and Eastern European Executives,
Advanced Management Institute in Washington, D.C
Ing. Otto Verbich, Vice-president of the Association of the Electro - Technical Industry of the
Slovak Republic
In 1974 he graduated from the Electrical Engineering in Technical University VUT Brno
(Degree Dipl.-Ing. from Telecommunication) and than in 1983 received PhD at Material
Science in Electro-technology in Slovak Technical University SVŠT Bratislava. In 1993 he
was elected as an active member to the New York Academy of Sciences and is a member of
the Academic Council of the Electrical Faculty STU Bratislava. He is author and co-author of
20 patents, more then 60 publications in technical journals and congress or symposium
presentations in proceedings and Vice-president of the Association of Electro-technical
Industry of the Slovak Republic.
Since 1974 he worked in VUKI a.s. - Cables and Electro-insulating Materials Research
Institute as a centre of the material science for cable industry in Czechoslovakia; since 1990
he was a Research Director with responsibility on Quality Management and since 2001 he
was a Production and Research Director and Board of Directors in joint stock company.
Now he works in the capacity of Production and Sale Director and the member of the board.

Panel IV
“Introduction of entrepreneurial education, innovative approach and support of green
technologies in the education process; how to support students´ interest in science and a
technology; recruitment of talented scientists in the field of R&D from developing
countries, reducing cultural differences; how to achieve a sustainable growth of talented
specialists“.
Moderator: Stanislav Sipko, President of the Slovak Organization for Research and
Development Activities
Since 2007 Stanislav Sipko has served as the Chairman of SOVVA, where he has been
responsible for strategic planning and management of research and project activities.
He is an expert on state science and technology policy. He has also been advising the Slovak
Academy of Sciences (SAV) on R&D funding. In 2007-2008 he advised the Comenius
University in Bratislava in the area of science and technology and innovation policies. He is
currently cooperating with several major universities in Slovakia as well as with foreign
institutions such as the European Commission.
In 2005-2006 he worked as Director-General of the Department of Science and Technology at
the Ministry of Education of the Slovak Republic, where he was responsible, among other
things, for planning and implementation of science and technology policy of Slovakia,
international research cooperation and technology auditing of Slovak R&D. Before his
position at the Ministry, Mr Sipko worked at the Government Office, where he coordinated
Lisbon Strategy with focus on science, technology and innovation.
Stanislav Sipko studied at the Faculty of Trade of the University of Economics in Bratislava
(1994-1999). In 2005 he attended the Executive Education on Science, Technology and
Innovation Policy program at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University,
United States.

Ms. Anita Damsgaard Jensen, Special Adviser, The Danish Ministry for Science Technology
and Innovation, Denmark
Anita Damsgaard Jensen holds a M.Sc. in Political Science from the University of
Copenhagen where she specialized in International Relations and European Politics.
Since her graduation, Ms. Damsgaard Jensen has worked with university policy. From 2003
to 2006, she worked at the University of Copenhagen. Here, she was involved in the
University of Copenhagen’s implementation of the 2003 reform of governance structures in
Danish universities, including the establishment of a board of directors and appointed
leaders. In addition, she was a driving force in developing and implementing performance
contracts between the Minister of Science and the University of Copenhagen. And she played
a key role in formulating the university’s contribution and participation in the Globalization
Council prior to the government’s 2006 Globalization Strategy.
Since August 2006, Ms. Damsgaard Jensen has worked at the Danish Ministry of Science,
Technology and Innovation. Here, she was involved in the merger process of Danish
Universities and research institutions which took place in 2007, and later in the restructuring
of Danish doctoral programmes. She has been involved in Denmark’s engagement in China
within the research and innovation area, and has played a key role in the process of
establishing the Sino-Danish Centre in Beijing. Since 2008, Damsgaard Jensen has been
active in the European Research Area Committee’s OMC working group on universities, and
from October 2009 till June 2011, she led a series of Peer Learning Activities (PLAs)
supported by the European Commission, which focus on specific policy instruments and
reform initiatives to strengthen universities’ role in developing the European Research Area.
Since May 2011, Ms. Damsgaard Jensen has been working in the central policy unit of the
Danish Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation where her main focus is to prepare
for the upcoming Danish EU Presidency in the first half of 2012.

Mr Hannu Seristö, Vice-Rector for International Cooperation, Aalto University, Finland
The Vice President of Knowledge Networks, Hannu Seristö (b. 1962), is responsible for the
corporate and international relations and of societal interaction of Aalto University. He has a
doctorate from the Helsinki School of Economics, where he is Professor of International
Business. He has held positions of international business in Finnair, Polar Electro, Suunto,
and McKinsey & Co.
Viktoria Mattsson, Head of Section, Division for Research Policy, Ministry of Education and
Research, Sweden
Head of Section, Research Division ,Ministry of Education and Research, Sweden
Viktoria has extensive professional experience from industry and especially IT-related
industry, including being a founder of a start-up. Viktoria has held various positions in
Microsoft, Nordea (bank sector), Vattenfall (energy sector) and Iconmedialab (IT).
Her experience within academia includes heading the innovation support function at one of
the Swedish universities, which she did, before moving to the Swedish ministry of education
and research, where she specialises in research based innovation.
Viktoria holds and MBA from Trinity College, Ireland and a BA from University of Uppsala.

Marcela Havrilová, Director General, Junior Achievement Slovensko, n.o., Slovakia
Marcela Havrilova holds a degree from the Philosophical faculty, Adult education and has a
professional certificate of management from The Open University Business School. She
worked as a teacher at a secondary school and has pedagogical experiences, training and
skills. She has been active in international youth work and in NGOs. She started to work for
JA in 2003 as a director of regional office in Kosice. In 2004 she started as a CEO of JA
Slovakia and is also a trainer of communication and presentation skills. She works as a
adviser to State Secretary for vocational education and training , Ministry of Education.
RNDr. Marta Cimbáková, Director General, Science and Technology Division, Ministry of
Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic
See above

Panel V
“How should state participate and benefit from industrial research projects and
experimental development results funded with public resources; possibilities of
utilizing an integrated scientific program system in the EU countries“.
Moderator: František Simančík, Director of Institute of Materials and Machine Mechanics,
Slovak Academy of Sciences
He graduated in 1986 at the Slovak Technical University Bratislava, Faculty of Mechanical
Engineering and completed his doctoral study at the Institute for Technical Chemistry of
Inorganic Materials, Technical University of Vienna, Austria, finished with PhD. degree,
dissertation thesis: „Short carbon fibre - aluminium matrix composites prepared by powder
metallurgical methods“. His resarch results
- developing of original technology for foaming of aluminium from powder mixtures (10
patent applications, 4 austrian patents, 2 US-patens and 1 JPN patent, Prize: Slovak
Technologist of year 1998)
- developing of the technology for continuous copper coating of carbon fibres (CS patent
1991) and manufacturing of composite material Copper-carbon fibres with controlled
thermal expansion (Prize SAS 1996 for research team)
- developing of the technology for manufacturing of short carbon fibres Al-matrix composite
Coordinator of projects:
- Micro and Nanocrystalline Silicide - Refractory Metals FGM for Materials Innovation
- Micro and Nanocrystalline Functionally Graded Materials for Transport Applications
- Bulk nanostructured metallic materials for structural applications (APVT 51021102)
- Development of structural profiles from extruded powders of aluminium alloys
- New materials in submicrometre technology (ŠO 51/03R0600/03R0603)
- Centre of nanostructured materials (CE SAS NANOSMART)

Dr. Thomas Alslev Christensen, Head of Division, The Danish Agency for Science
Technology and Innovation, Denmark
See above.
Mr. Kåre Nordahl Larsen, Special Adviser, The Danish Agency for Science Technology and
Innovation, Denmark
Kåre Nordahl Larsen works as special adviser in the Danish Ministry of Science, Innovation
and Higher Education. Kåre Nordahl Larsen works with improving public instruments that
enhances innovation in private companies through cooperation between public funded
research and private companies, with special focus on the nine national Research and
Technology Organisations known as the GTS-net.
Kåre Nordahl Larsen has worked for 15 years in the Danish central administration with
different aspects of integrating technology and knowledge into the education system, the
innovation system and the general society. Kåre Nordahl holds a master degree in geography
and communication.
Since 2011 he is a special adviser, Ministry of Science, Innovation and Higher Education
Innovation policy, Evaluation of innovation instruments, Regulation of Danish RTO's.
2001 - Special adviser, Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation
Drafting innovation policypapers, Implementing innovation schemes, evaluation of innovation
instruments.
1999 - Special adviser, Ministry of Research and information technology
Drafting and implementing national ict-policy. Representing Denmark at EU-committees
within the area of ICT-research and innovation as well as general social aspects of ICT.
1996 - Head of Section, Ministry of Research
Implementing national schemes for increased take-up of ict-use

Mr Raine Hermans, Director, Strategic Intelligence, Tekes – the Finnish Funding Agency for
Technology and Innovation
Current: Director, Strategic Intelligence at Tekes •Adjunct Professor at Helsinki School of
Economics
Past: Technology Director, Bio- and health technologies, at Tekes •Director, Regional
Operations, at Tekes - Finnish Funding Agency for Technology and Innovation •Partner,
CEO at Regiofacta Ltd •Visiting professor at Kellogg School of Management •Project
Manager at ETLA •Researcher at Helsinki University of Technology
Education: IMD (International Institute for Management Development) - Business Programs
•Teknillinen korkeakoulu-Tekniska högskolan •Helsingin kauppakorkeakoulu •Teknillinen
korkeakoulu-Tekniska högskolan •Helia •Helsingin yliopisto
Raine Hermans's Summary
Director of regional networks. Focus on synchronizing national and regional innovation
strategies to create aligned interests for all stakeholders. Empowering and motivating people
to find a tailored way to deliver high quality results with given resources in networks and
matrix organization. Corporate analyst with a broad view and experience of distinctive
disciplines (economics, finance, accounting, management). Focus on utilizing
multidisciplinary tools and teams to manage innovation activity and to valuate intellectualcapital-abundant
ventures.
Viktoria Mattsson, Head of Section, Division for Research Policy, Ministry of Education and
Research, Sweden
See above.
RNDr. Marta Cimbáková, Director General, Science and Technology Division, Ministry of
Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic
See above

Mgr. Ján Jankela, CSc., Higher Education Division, Ministry of Education, Science,
Research and Sports of the Slovak Republic
Jan Jankela works at the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sports of the Slovak
Republic, department of Higher Education Division. He received the Mgr. Degree in the
Comenius University. Jan Jankela has worked for 25 years in the Institute of Animal
Biochemistry and Genetics where he received the CSc. degree.
Mr. Jankela was active in Wenner-Gerns Institute, Stockholm, Akademija rolniczna, Varšava,
Instituto di Chimica Biologica, Ferrara and Institut mediko-biologičeskich problemov,
Moskva.
Ing. Ján Šesták, CSc, Chairman of Council for Promotion of Research and Development in
small and medium sized enterprises, Slovak Research and Development Agency
He graduated in 1976 from Faculty of Chemical Technology Slovak University of Technology
in Bratislava Department: Technology of Macromolecular Substances. In 1993 he received
CSc. Degree at the Faculty of Chemical Technology Slovak University of Technology in
Bratislava, Department: Technology of Macromolecular Substances.
He started his career at CHEMLON, state enterprise, Humenné as technologist. Than he
worked at Research Institute for Textile Chemistry, Žilina as research worker, later head of
department for conceptions and planning of science and technology development. He is
author and co-author of 3 patents and 2 patent applications and 3 rationalization proposals.
Now he is a Chief Executive Officer of the company VÚTCH-CHEMITEX, spol. s r.o. He was
a principal investigator of more than 10 state research projects, research projects on the
national and international level He published about 85 technical articles and papers in
scientific journals, at conferences and technical seminars on national as well as international
level in the period of 1980-2010. He was a co-establisher of the scientific journal Vlákna a
textil (Fibres and Textiles) in 1995, he was its editor-in-chief in the period of 2001-2003. He
is a representative of the Textile and Clothing Association of the Slovak Republic (ATOP) in
the working groups of the Association EURATEX, Brussels (environment, research and
development).

Katarína Kelenbergerová, Director of Section for Operational Program Research and
Development, The Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and Sport of the
Slovak Republic for the Structural Funds of EU
In 1983 she gratuated from the University of Economics Bratislava and in 1994 from
Language Centre of the Comenius University Bratislava.
Since 2007 she works at the Agency of the Ministry of Education, Science, Research and
Sport for Implementation of the EU Structural Funds as the Director of the Section for
Implementation of the Operational Programme Research and Development; She is
responsible for the overall implementation of the Operational Programme Research and
Development at the level of intermediary body including preparation and publication of calls
for proposals, management of the project selection process, coordination and monitoring of
approved projects and financial management.
Before she worked at the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Slovakia as the
manager of Migration Information Centre managed projects financed by the European
Refugee Fund and European Social Fund; National Agency for Development of SMEs as the
Director of the Department of Regions and Training and the Deputy General Director ( since
April 2004) was responsible for activities concerning SMEs counselling, training and
business support infrastructure including projects of business and technology incubators
financed by PHARE programe; University of Economics – Slovak Economic Library as the
research officer.

Radovan Geist, PhD, editor EurActiv.sk portálu, lektor politických vied
Radovan Geist, PhD (13.8.1978) je jedným zo spoluzakladateľov portálu EurActiv.sk, v
súčasnosti je jeho vydavateľom. Je pravidelným komentátorom diania v EÚ pre slovenské i
zahraničné médiá. Prednáša na Katedre politológie na Filozofickej fakulte UK v Bratislave.
Radovan Geist, PhD (13.8.1978) is one of the founder of the EurActiv.sk portal, at present he
is its editor. He is regular commentator of the EU affairs for Slovak and foreign news
agencies and media. He is lecturing at the Faculty of political science at the Commenius
University in Bratislava.