The presentation of the Slovak Presidency in Brussels centred around four elements of innovation
Brussels (7 July 2016) - The Minister of Foreign and European Affairs, Mr Miroslav Lajčák, presented today in Brussels the unique and innovative Slovak ideas exhibited in the building of the Council of the i EU i on the occasion of the Slovak Presidency. The decoration of the Council's atrium is a tradition allowing each country holding the Presidency to show Council employees, diplomats, delegates, journalists and visitors what it sees as its typical features.
“Slovakia is a small country, but it has many facets and we have decided to present ourselves in Brussels as a modern, dynamic and innovative country of good ideas and as an active member of the EU,” said Mr Lajčák. The visual presentation is based on 'Four Elements of Innovation', a concept showcasing unique Slovak technologies and inventions representing elements of nature.
The four exhibits aim to show Slovakia's European partners that the country enriches the four elements of nature by creative human activity. Earth is represented by an Ecocapsule - a mobile housing project created for survival in harsh conditions with no water or electricity. It is self-sufficient in water capturing and filtering and generating electricity with the help of a solar panel. It can be used as sustainable housing in developing countries or as an emergency shelter after a catastrophe.
Water is represented by special kayaks and canoes which have already enabled Slovak sportsmen to win more than 20 medals. Fire is embodied by a ground-breaking plasma drilling technology. And the flying car Aeromobil expresses the last element of nature, air. It was this exhibit that attracted the most attention among dozens of participants at the gala opening of the Slovak visual presentation.
The Council building, also known as the Justus Lipsius building, serves for the next six months as a second home to the Slovak Presidency. It is home to the majority of expert and ministerial meetings of the EU Member States, which are chaired by the Slovak Republic from 1 July to 31 December.
The visual presentation is the work of the Slovak Association of Interior Designers (SAID). The Ecocapsule was created by Nice Architects, the kayaks and canoes by Vajda brothers from the Vajda Group, and the plasma drilling system called Plasmabit is the work of GA Drilling. The Aeromobil was created by a team led by Štefan Klein and Juraj Vaculík.
The presentation of the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU will culminate in a gala concert of the Slovak Philharmonic.