On 20 October 2025 joint us for a R&I conference to explore current trends in the digital transformation of industry in various context of research and technology and also in the context of importance for the development of science, technology and innovation and for the connection of academia and industry.
Navigating Pathways: Digital Transformation of Industry
Hosted by the Technical University of Košice (Slovakia), the conference will play a vital role in strengthening research networks, supporting innovation-driven territorial transformation, and showcasing Ulysseus as a driver of excellence in European R&I cooperation.
Across three thematic tracks—Digital Transformation of Industry, Universities as a Driving Force of Digital Innovations, and Sustainability of Digitalisation—researchers, innovators, start-ups, students and regional stakeholders will exchange ideas, showcase results and forge new partnerships.
Whether you are advancing cutting-edge science, scaling a breakthrough solution or seeking the next collaborative opportunity, Ulysseus R&I Conference 2025 — Navigating Pathways: Digital Transformation of Industry offers the platform to connect, learn and co-create a sustainable, digitally empowered future.
The conference is a part of the Ulysseus Košice Week.
Ulysseus European University aims to foster joint research and innovation activities across the alliance by creating an integrated and inclusive innovation ecosystem rooted in its eight Ulysseus Innovation Hubs.
One of the key instruments supporting this goal is the organization of regular Ulysseus Research & Innovation (R&I) Conferences. These conferences serve as a dynamic platform for knowledge exchange and community building—bringing together researchers, innovators, start-ups, students, and regional stakeholders to present results, share expertise, and explore collaborative opportunities. With a focus on applied research, young researchers, and talent matchmaking, the conferences play a vital role in strengthening internal networks, supporting innovation-driven territorial transformation, and showcasing Ulysseus as a driver of excellence in European R&I cooperation.
The Ulysseus R&I Conference 2025, hosted by the Technical University of Košice (TUKE), encourages researchers, innovators, startups and young researchers to converge and share insights under three focused tracks:
Digital transformation is the process through which companies and industries leverage digital technologies to enhance, streamline, and modernize their operations, products, and services. It represents a profound shift impacting all areas of an organization — including production, logistics, sales, maintenance, management, and customer service.
Key components of industrial digital transformation include:
Universities play a crucial role in driving digital transformation — not only as education providers but also as hubs of innovation, research, and collaboration with industry and public institutions.
The Track 2 focus areas include:
The sustainability of digitalisation means that digital development and technologies should be not only innovative and efficient but also environmentally friendly, socially responsible, and economically viable in the long term.
While digital technologies can reduce resource consumption, they may also introduce new environmental and social challenges. Key aspects of the conference track 3 include:
09:00 – 10:30
Plenary in multiply rooms: 001 and 010 (streamed from the room 001)
Welcome Speeches
Keynote Presentations
Session Chair: Miroslav Michalko
10:30 – 10:50 Coffee Break
10:50 – 13:00
20 min. presentations including the discussion
Plenary in room: 001
Session Chair: Laura Gaggero (University of Genoa)
Speakers:
Plenary in room: 010
Session Chair: Constantina Rokos (University of Münster)
Speakers
Plenary in room: 006
Session Chair: Tobias Gumbert (University of Münster)
Speakers
13:00 – 14:00 Lunch & Networking
14:00 – 16:00
Plenary in room: 010
Session Chair: Miroslav Janák (Technical University of Košice)
Speakers
Researchers and innovators from Ulysseus partner universities will present EDIH projects:
Plenary in room: 001
Session Chair: Adil Bakayan (University Côte d’Azur)
Speakers
Presentations of Ulysseus Living Labs best-practices and presentation of Ulysseus satellite projects in the context of digital transformation:
Plenary in room: 006
Session Chair: Erwin Franquet (University Côte d’Azur)
Speakers
Presentations of research and innovation for the decarbonization of construction activities (through low-emission construction processes and materials in the circular economy), research and innovation for the decarbonization of industry, presentations of innovation and best-practices in sustainability and ESG:
16:00 – 16:20 Coffee Break
16:20-17:45
Plenary in room: 001
Session Chair: Manuela Raisová (Technical University of Košice)
Speakers
This session highlights the intersection of creativity, cultural industries, and digital transformation. It explores how artistic practices, immersive technologies, and innovative research can reframe industrial and societal challenges:
Plenary in room: 010
Session Chair: Miroslav Michalko (Technical University of Košice)
5 min poster presentation
Poster Presenters
17:45 – 19:00
Moderator: Miroslav Michalko
The event is organised by the Technical University of Košice in Slovakia, as an activity of Ulysseus European University and part of the Ulysseus Košice Week.
The Technical University of Košice (TUKE), established in 1952, is Slovakia’s flagship technical university, offering more than 100 study programmes to nearly 10,000 students across nine faculties. Nestled in the vibrant, student-friendly city of Košice, TUKE blends research-led teaching with an entrepreneurial spirit.
The conference will be held in the University Science Park TECHNICOM.
Its on-campus University Science Park TECHNICOM anchors a dynamic ecosystem for technology transfer, start-ups and European Digital Innovation Hub services, making Košice a hotspot for sustainable, digital innovation.
Running 20 – 24 October 2025 at the Technical University of Košice, Ulysseus Košice Week is set to be the alliance’s flagship multi-event of the year, packaging twenty back-to-back activities into one vibrant programme. Alongside high-level governance meetings such as the Ulysseus Summit and Governing Council, the week weaves in ten internal project sessions, specialised workshops and student assemblies while opening its doors to the wider community through four headline public events: the Ulysseus R&I Conference on Digital Transformation of Industry, the presentation of Ulysseus Innovation Hub at TUKE, an Equality–Diversity–Community Engagement forum and the art-and-science session Creative Playgrounds.
By blending strategic project work with outward-facing forums on digitalisation, entrepreneurship, inclusion and the arts, Ulysseus Košice Week will transform Košice into a living laboratory of Ulysseus research, innovation and civic engagement, showcasing the alliance’s impact across Europe.
