On 6 February 2026, our Slovak Pilot Leader, PEDAL Consulting, held the Košice Co-creation Workshop in a hybrid format, bringing together 19 in-person and 9 online participants at the Technical University of Košice. The workshop marked a key milestone in the establishment of the emerging Smart Village Lab in the Košice region.

The main objective of the workshop was to co-define the structure, mission, priorities, and governance framework of the local Smart Village Lab. Rather than finalising every detail, the session focused on setting a clear strategic direction and realistic foundations that can be further developed in the coming months

The discussion, facilitated by INSPIRE expert Radoslav Delina, was highly interactive and strongly participatory. A significant part of the debate was shaped directly by young people with disabilities and other disadvantaged youth from the Košice region, whose lived experiences provided essential insight into the real barriers they face. Participants openly addressed the gap between strategies and real change, highlighting challenges related to employment, mobility, bureaucracy, healthcare access, socialisation, and meaningful leisure opportunities.

The workshop confirmed several priority areas for the Lab’s initial focus, including:

• Employment and skills development

• Socialisation and quality of life

• Mobility

• Social innovation and development of inclusive technologies

Three immediate next steps were identified for the upcoming period:

1. Engaging employers and promoting more inclusive and flexible job opportunities.

2. Developing initiatives focused on leisure time and social participation.

3. Identifying new projects and funding opportunities to ensure long-term sustainability.

The workshop confirmed strong regional motivation and a shared ambition to move from discussion to concrete action. The Smart Village Lab (provisionally referred to as the “Social Impact Hub”) will build on this momentum and continue developing as an open, participatory platform for social inclusion and innovation in Eastern Slovakia.

Stay tuned to see how things unfold in Košice.