The Innovation Festival INOFEST 2025 in Trnava has its winner: the INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2025 is Pavel Hrica from the organization Cesta von.

INOFEST 2025: Two Days Filled with Technology, Discussions and Practical Demonstrations

The INOFEST 2025 festival brought together academia, industrial companies, startups, public administration and non-profit organisations. As in previous years, it provided a space for exchanging experiences and discussing current topics – from digitalisation and artificial intelligence to Industry 4.0 and social innovation.

Ceremonial opening - from left, Dean of MTF STU Miloš Čambál and moderator Ľubomír Straka

The festival began with a ceremonial opening attended by TTSK Chairman Jozef Viskupič and Dean of MTF STU Miloš Čambál.

The first day featured presentations and discussions on digitalisation, Industry 4.0, artificial intelligence and connecting research with practice. Speakers included experts such as Libor Wittassek, Ján Rapan, Slavomír Spišák, Martin Vlachynský, Peter Baumerth and many others.

On the second day, participants focused on presentations on developing the space industry in Slovakia and the V4 region and on cooperation among V4 countries in the space economy, as well as panel discussions on financing space projects.

INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2025: Humanity Before Technology

Pavel Hrica, director of the organisation Cesta von, took home the INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2025 award from INOFEST. Their OMAMA programme offers a unique approach to addressing generational poverty – instead of sophisticated technologies, it builds on fundamental values: trust, human contact and support from birth.

Announcement of the winner of the INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2025 award: from left, Trnava Region Governor Jozef Viskupič, event organiser Anna Čaplovičová and moderator Ľubomír Straka		Presentation of the INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2025 award by Governor Jozef Viskupič to the winner Pavel Hrica - director of the organisation Cesta von

The programme gives children from Roma communities a chance for a better start in life through trained local female workers – omamas. They visit families directly in their homes, work with children and parents, and demonstrate that change begins in children's rooms, not in government offices.

PlasticPortal as One of the Media Partners

We are proud to have been a media partner of this event. The INOFEST 2025 innovation festival in Trnava showed that innovation does not have to take the form of modern technologies alone. The winner of the INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR 2025 award, the organisation Cesta von, reminded us that even small steps and a human approach can change lives and the future of society as a whole.

We thank the organisers and all participants for allowing us to be part of this successful event. We look forward to the next edition of INOFEST, which we believe will once again bring new ideas, opportunities and inspiration.