

08:00 – 08:30
Registration & Morning Refreshments
Refreshments provided by Headline Sponsor: Grant Thornton
Keynote Speaker on Slovakia
Official Opening & Welcome
Chair and Panel Moderation
Automotive Overview Slovakia
Macro economics and banking sector in Slovakia
Opening & Welcome
Chair & Panel Moderation: Introduction
Mr Christopher Plant, Founder, The Voice of Slovak Business
Official Opening & Welcome
Ambassador Ľubomír Rehak, H.E. Ambassador of the Slovak Republic to the United Kingdom
Our Host: Mr David Hillan, Partner, Grant Thornton UK
Opening Plenary Session: Keynote Speech
Slovakia and its position in Central and Eastern Europe. A key force in Business.
Speaker: Mr Wilfried Serles, Managing Partner, Grant Thornton, Slovakia
The key facts of the Automotive sector Slovakia
An introduction of car production in the Slovak Republic and an overview of the OEMs
Speaker: Mr Milan Gavlak, Head of Strategic Projects,
Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO)
Macro economics and banking sector in Slovakia
Speaker: Mr Juraj Valachy, Senior Economic Analyst, Tatra Banka
Networking Coffee Break
Coffee Break provided by Headline Sponsor: Grant Thornton
JLR & the role of CSR in Automotive and the community
The Automotive Recruitment Vision
Automotive Case Study: Why did we choose Slovakia
The Logistics revolution from Slovakia
Key drivers in the future of manufacturing & automotive supply chains
The Automotive Recruitment Vision
Speaker: Mr Graham Thompsett, Head of Talent Acquisition, Jaguar Land Rover
JLR & the role of CSR in Automotive and the community
Speaker: Mr Les Ratcliffe, MBE, Head of Community Relations, Jaguar Land Rover
Key drivers in the future of manufacturing & automotive supply chains
Speaker: Mr Charles JD Toosey, Associate Director, Grant Thornton UK
The Logistics revolution from Slovakia
CEIT presents its own unique concept of intelligent logistics system for Smart Factory as a connection to real, digital and virtual factory.
Speaker: Mr Boris Duľa, CEO and Chairman of the Board, CEIT
Automotive Case Study by Ness KDC: Why Ness chose Košice, Slovakia for its specialist engineering software R&D centre
Ness Digital Engineering is a leading custom software development company which helps its clients design and deliver innovative software products and platforms. Why Slovakia for over 10 years with clients at the leading edge in areas such as mapping, telematics, remote monitoring and data visualisation.
Speaker: Mr Peter Rogers, General Manager of Europe for Ness Digital Engineering
Networking Buffet Lunch
Buffet Lunch provided by Headline Sponsor: Grant Thornton
PANEL DISCUSSION 1: Automotive Experts SLOVAKIA
Automotive Experts SLOVAKIA: An expert on tax issues and Central and Eastern Europe and great advocate of Slovakia
Automotive Experts SLOVAKIA: Appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) for outstanding service to the community in the Queen’s New Year’s Honours List
Automotive Experts SLOVAKIA: An expert on foreign investments, public procurement and state aid law
Automotive Experts SLOVAKIA: An expert on the banking sector / Syndication, Project Finance and International Corporate Finance
Automotive Experts SLOVAKIA: An expert on Innovation, Agile software development and SLA-based service delivery
Automotive Experts SLOVAKIA: An expert on implementation of technical and process innovations
Panellists:
Networking Coffee Break
Coffee Break provided by Headline Sponsor: Grant Thornton
What Aktrion Group do and why Slovakia is important to their operations
Waste Management and the impact on the environment in Slovakia and Automotive
Waste Management and the impact on the environment in Slovakia and Automotive
Global and International Logistics for manufactures
British Experience and Development in Slovakia
The Aktrion Group opened their Slovak operations over 10 years ago. Understand what Aktrion are and why Slovakia is important to operations.
Speaker: Mr Chris Baumann, Group Managing Director, Aktrion Group
Global and International Logistics for manufactures
Speaker: Mr Damian Williams, Key Account Manager, UK Finished Vehicle Logistics, GEFCO UK
Waste Management & the impact on the environment in Slovakia and Automotive in general
Speakers:
Mr Marian Christenko, CEO, KOSIT
Ms Katarína Mandalová, Executive Manager, KOSIT WEST
Meet in a b2b environment to introduce your company to our Automotive professionals
All partners have a table for you to visit, you will join a group and have an allotted time to speak, be brief as you will have more time at the other networking sessions and the after event drinks reception.
Join your fellow delegates for more informal discussions over drinks and canapés, provided by Headline Sponsor: Grant Thornton
08:30 – 09:00
Registration & Morning Refreshments
Refreshments provided by Headline Sponsor: Grant Thornton
An Overview of the OEMS: KIA, VW, PSA
An Overview of the OEMS: KIA, VW, PSA
State Aid and Investment opportunity in Slovakia
JLR – CSR & engaging with the future automotive workforce
IT in Automotive: Autonomous Driving, HD Maps, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
Fleet management at a glance
An Overview of the OEMS: KIA, VW, PSA
Chair & Panel Moderation
Mr Christopher Plant, Founder, The Voice of Slovak Business
State Aid and Investment opportunity in Slovakia
Speaker: Mr Wilfried Serles, Managing Partner, Grant Thornton, Slovakia
JLR – CSR & engaging with the future automotive workforce
Explaining in more detail about JLR’s successful China and Brazil CSR program that is coming to Slovakia. Why it is so important to have a first class CSR strategy in automotive. How can you as a British Business join in?
Speaker: Mr Les Ratcliffe, MBE, Head of Community Relations, Jaguar Land Rover
IT in Automotive / Autonomous Driving, HD Maps, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems
3D model of the road system: This model is further used for helping systems in the car / Visuals Portfolio.
Speaker: Mr Tomas Futáš, Program Director, NESS KDC
Fleet management at a glance
The bigger your fleet is, the more important is to manage it effectively and benefit from it on return. There are ways to keep your drivers safe and save costs in addition to that.
Speaker: Mr Rudolf Slávka, Senior Development Manager, NESS KDC
Networking Coffee Break
Coffee Break provided by Headline Sponsor: Grant Thornton
An Overview of the OEMS: KIA, VW, PSA
Speakers: Mr Milan Gavlak, Head of Strategic Projects, Slovak Investment and Trade Development Agency (SARIO)
Mr Christopher John Plant, Founder, The Voice of Slovak Business
PANEL DISCUSSION 2: Case Studies / British Business experience in the Slovak Market
British Business experience in the Slovak Market: design, assembly, pressings, coatings
British Business experience in the Slovak Market: Engineered plastic injection mouldings
British Business experience in the Slovak Market: tube manipulation / tube bending and jointing
British Business experience in the Slovak Market: Six Sigma engineered problem resolution with value added process efficiency and product quality optimisation
Panellists:
Networking Buffet Lunch
Buffet Lunch provided by Headline Sponsor: Grant Thornton