Slovak University of Agriculture and COOP Jednota Slovakia Establish Strategic Partnership

The Slovak University of Agriculture (SUA) in Nitra and COOP Jednota Slovakia have signed a Memorandum of Cooperation aimed at fostering innovation, education, research, and the sustainable development of Slovakia’s agri-food sector.

The agreement brings together academia and the country’s largest domestically owned retail network, a company with more than 150 years of cooperative tradition and a long-standing commitment to regional development and Slovak producers.

The partnership will cover a wide range of activities, including education, research and innovation, consumer behaviour studies, retail concept testing, and the development of sustainable solutions for the retail and food industries. The memorandum also creates opportunities for student internships, stronger engagement between students and industry, joint research projects, and initiatives supporting local producers and regional economies.

“Connecting education and research with real-world challenges is one of the university’s key priorities. We highly value this partnership with an organisation that has consistently supported Slovak regions, local producers, and the domestic food sector. We are confident that our cooperation will generate meaningful opportunities for students, researchers, and industry partners while contributing to the future development of the agri-food sector,” said SUA Rector Klaudia Halászová.

The common objective of both partners is to strengthen cooperative entrepreneurship, support local supply chains, accelerate innovation and digital transformation, and promote sustainable approaches across food production, distribution, and retail.

“We are convinced that the future competitiveness of Slovakia’s retail and food sectors depends on closer links between education, research, and business practice. Our partnership with the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra reflects a shared commitment to supporting Slovak producers, encouraging innovation, and advancing the sustainable development of regions throughout the country,” said Ján Bilinský, Chairman of the Board of Directors of COOP Jednota Slovakia.