INOFEST 2026 is coming to Nitra. Seven years of questions Slovakia needs to hear.

The seventh edition of the festival, taking place on 29 September 2026 at the Creative Centre of the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra, will bring a strong focus on the transformation of the automotive industry - from regional solutions to European competitiveness.

Why Nitra. Why Now.

Nitra is no random choice. It is the heart of Slovakia's automotive region - a city that is home to JLR, where thousands of people work in the automotive industry and where decisions made in Brussels, Munich or Beijing manifest themselves as real changes in the lives of real people. At the same time, it is home to a university that cultivates innovative thinking in agriculture - a sector undergoing its own digital revolution alongside the automotive industry.

The automotive industry accounts for almost a quarter of Slovakia's exports. What is happening within it - the arrival of electromobility, the restructuring of supply chains, EU regulation, pressure from Chinese competition - is not an abstract trend. It is a question of jobs, regional development and the future of a country that has relied heavily on the automotive industry.

INOFEST 2026 will therefore not be just another conference on innovation. It will be an open conversation about how to manage the transformation — with people experiencing it directly in manufacturing, research and politics.

Seven Years. Seven Cities. One Grassroots Initiative.

INOFEST began as an initiative of the INOVATO community - not from a grant, not from a ministerial programme, but from the conviction of a group of people that Slovakia has innovative people who need to meet.

Since its first edition in 2020, the festival has changed location every year, travelling through Slovakia's regions and each time settling on the premises of a university or research institution. Over those years, it has visited Vráble, Beladice, Bučany, Prešov, Žilina and Trnava. Each city brings a different theme, different guests and different energy, but the same principle. Practitioners speak without a filter, students sit in the front row, and non-profit organisations attend free of charge.

Last year's edition in Trnava welcomed more than 240 participants from 85 companies and organisations, the programme was supported by 18 partners, and media reach exceeded 150,000 views. Not because large budgets were behind it, but because the topics were right and people had something to say. We are bringing the same  approach and inspiration to Nitra. 

What INOFEST 2026 Will Bring

The festival's theme is Transformation Is an Opportunity, and its programme is designed for those who deal with transformation not on paper, but in real operations.

We will open the day with an insider's view — directly from companies dealing with the transformation of the automotive industry not on paper, but in real day-to-day operations. Speakers from companies such as Schaeffler or Porsche will show what change looks like directly on the production floor. Not trends, but things that work.

The morning will culminate in a hard-hitting panel discussion moderated by Ján Košturiak. Economic analyst Vladimír Vaňo will place the conversation in a geopolitical and economic context, and the panellists will be Jaroslav Holeček, Libor Witassek, Libor Dobeš and Ladislav Glogar, people with first-hand experience of transformation who speak from practice, not from presentations.

Parallel afternoon sessions will offer three different themes. A closed roundtable for the Bridge and Shift project for companies in the supply chain, an Agroshift session dedicated to innovation in agriculture (precision agriculture, robotics, LiDAR, machine learning), and a discussion with regional representatives about how to become a place where people want to live, work and invest.

The evening programme will introduce the Baťa 150 project. Gabriela Končitíková from Nadácia Tomáša Baťu and Ľubomír Švec, founder of ŠVEC GROUP and INOVATO, will reflect on what aspects of Tomáš Baťa's legacy will stand the test of a time when industry is changing faster than ever before. The evening will culminate in the presentation of the INOVATO AWARDS — Innovator of the Year. A moment that reminds us at every edition why we have come together in the first place. Not just to discuss the future, but also to recognise those who are already creating and living it.

For the Media, Partners and the Community

INOFEST is not a commercial project. It is a platform put together every year by people who believe that Slovakia deserves a better public debate on innovation and the future of industry. Students and non-profit organisations attend free of charge. The event thrives on partnerships with companies, universities and organisations for which being a visible part of this community makes sense.

If you are looking for a space where your brand can meet leaders of Slovak industry, researchers, representatives of local authorities and hundreds of professionals — and where you will be seen as more than just a logo on a banner - INOFEST is the place.

Date: 29 September 2026 
Venue: SPU Creative Centre, Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra 
Tickets and information: www.inofest.sk