German automotive supplier ZF Friedrichshafen plans to close its manufacturing plant in central Slovakia until mid-2026, a move that will gradually affect approximately 250 workers. The decision is part of a wider cost-cutting and restructuring initiative, as the company responds to declining European car production and broader financial pressures. The Detva facility, which produces components…
Like many businesses that sell returnable goods, Zirafa, a children’s shoe retailer based in Zilina, has found itself on the losing end of Slovakia’s transaction tax, which came into effect in April. The company’s online shop is now generating unexpected costs. In short, they must pay the transaction tax even on items that are returned.…
The Slovak Association of Securities Dealers (AOCP) has reintroduced its corporate bond scoring initiative Zeleny Delfin (Green Dolphin), but with a key change: it now evaluates only those bond issues for which issuers explicitly request a rating. The scoring is free of charge, yet major financial groups such as J&T, Penta and Proxenta have declined…
Slovakia’s pension spending is rising sharply, with payouts far above the EU average when measured against household incomes, and the country faces one of the fastest-ageing populations in Europe, according to UniCredit Bank analyst Lubomir Korsnak. Data from the country’s Socialna poistovna (Social Insurance Agency) showed that total payments for old-age pensions – including early…
Slovakia’s property market is showing diverging trends, with significant increases in the sale prices of older two-room flats, while rental costs declined in several major cities during the second quarter of 2025. According to the latest Real Estate Barometer from the Real Estate Union of the Slovak Republic, older two-room flats in regional capitals recorded…
A new five-kilometre bypass around the Slovak town of Tvrdosin opened on July 21, aiming to reduce traffic and improve safety in the region of Orava. The bypass forms part of the R3 expressway, a key route linking Slovakia with southern Poland. The first vehicles were allowed already on July 21. For years, Tvrdosin has…
In eastern Slovakia, engineers are working on what could become one of Europe’s most innovative green transport solutions – a hydrogen-powered aircraft capable of vertical take-off and landing (VTOL). Supported by the European Union as one of its flagship clean mobility projects, the H2 VTOL is being developed by Tomark Proton, a Slovak company specialising…