Since its foundation in 1992, Esprit has been systematically engaged in research and consulting activities in the field of landscape ecology, geography and hydrology. The company is also a technological leader in the design and development of comprehensive GIS solutions, specialized software applications in the field of natural process modelling and geostatistical spatial modelling.

Focus:

GEOSCIENCE DISCIPLINES

Research, survey and consultancy activities in the fields of landscape ecology, geology, hydrology, climatology and spatial modelling.

GEOGRAPHICAL INFORMATION SYSTEMS

Consultancy and advisory activities, design and populating of spatial databases, data interpretation, analysis and modelling, programming.

DIGITAL CARTOGRAPHY

Processing of geo-referenced data into thematic digital maps, which can be finalised as single sheets or as ensemble works – atlases. They are used as a basis for publishing information systems, electronic books or multimedia mapping systems.

Banská Štiavnica is located in the southern part of Central Slovakia in the Protected Landscape Area Štiavnické vrchy (Slovak Central Highlands).

Banská Štiavnica is one of the most beautiful and historically interesting towns in Slovakia. In December 1993, Banská Štiavnica received the highest international recognition when the town, together with the technical monuments in the surrounding area, was inscribed on the UNESCO World Cultural and Natural Heritage List.

There are 360 objects of artistic and historical monuments in the historical core of the town – the town conservation area. Archaeological findings on the Glanzenberg hill prove that primary mining developed on the territory of today’s Banská Štiavnica already in the period of Celtic settlement.

The most famous people from Štiavnica include Andrej Kmet, Andrej Sládkovič and Samuel Mikovíni.

The Institute of Landscape Ecology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences is an interdisciplinary scientific institution for basic and applied landscape-ecological research as well as for the development of ecological projects, plans and expertise.

The activities of the Institute are divided into several areas:

Science: development of methods for basic landscape-ecological research

Application of results to practice: development of methods for the transfer of scientific knowledge into decision-making and planning processes

Expertise: development of expertise, expert studies, assessments and evaluation reports in the field of the environment

Editorial activity: publishing of the journals Ecology (Bratislava), Environment, Ecological Studies as well as scientific and professional monographs

Education and training: external training centre for doctoral studies in the Environmental Science programme, field of study: protection and use of the landscape. cooperation with universities in the field of education and training as well as cooperation with secondary and primary schools in the field of environmental education

ICE SAS v.v.i. is a Centre of Excellence for Landscape Conservation and Use and for Biodiversity and is also a member of the international research network of excellence (ALTER-Net) for long-term research on biodiversity, ecosystems and ecological consciousness

ICE SAV is a European Commission and European Environment Agency expert site in the framework of projects:

Phare Topic Link on Nature Conservation European Topic Centre on Nature Protection and Biodiversity

Europea Topic Centre on Biological Diversity

ICE SAV v.v.i. is an accredited site of the Central Consultancy Register of the European Commission

A number of ICE SAV staff members serve as members of advisory bodies of the Slovak Government and the National Council of the Slovak Republic and as national delegates of Slovakia.

Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica is a public university and in 2010 it defended its status as a university. It is a member of the European University Association. It provides quality higher education and further education according to the development of science and the needs of practice and develops new knowledge through creative scientific and artistic research.

It offers a classical university spectrum of educational opportunities in all three levels and forms of study in the fields of pedagogical, social, economic, legal, political, humanities and natural sciences, in international relations, in economics and in mathematics, it also implements Anglophone and partly Francophone studies. UMB develops joint study programmes and contacts with major foreign universities where students have the opportunity to complete part of their studies. This is one of the reasons why UMB graduates find good employment not only at home but also abroad.

In addition to pedagogical, scientific and artistic activities, a significant part of the creative activity of UMB is basic and applied research in cooperation with domestic and foreign institutions. The University has centres of excellent research, solves scientific and development projects from European structural funds. It implements lifelong learning in various courses and forms from the Children’s University of UMB to the University of the Third Age of UMB.

The Maximilian Hell Primary School with kindergarten is located in the heart of the Štiavnické Hills in the village of Štiavnické Bane. It is named after a prominent native, Maximilian Hell. The village itself was founded in the second half of the 20th century. In 1995, Štiavnické Bane was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The school contributes to the important history of the village by being the first primary school in the world to teach falconry as a compulsory subject.

The school focuses on the importance and protection of the environment, particularly rainwater harvesting, the conservation of birds of prey and owls, and the protection of tropical forests.
The school is one of the leaders in rainwater management education in the country and abroad. Cooperation with various institutions and the public is at national and international level. Partner schools are located in Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Hungary, Croatia, Poland and Norway (Vardø).

There is an AVES nature trail on the school campus, which includes an Italian garden, a French garden, a Japanese and herb garden, a mountain garden and an unusual first vertical – outdoor garden in Slovakia and an exclusive tropical garden.
The gardens, two ponds and a wetland are part of a rainwater management project and are used to inform the public about climate change and its impacts – in particular desertification, biodiversity loss and mitigation measures.
The trail also includes a Falconry, which houses birds of prey and owls, as well as the aquariums of Lakes Malawi and Tanganyika in Africa, a green iguana terrarium, a caiman octopus, and an exotic bird area. Pupils at the school are in daily contact with nature, allowing them to have a keen awareness of conservation issues and climate change. There is also a strong emphasis on cultural heritage, including falconry.

Pupils volunteer their time during summer holidays and weekends to give guided tours of the grounds. They accompany around 18,000 visitors to raise public awareness of environmental issues.

SEA is a cross-cutting professional organisation of the Ministry of Environment of the Slovak Republic with a national scope.

SEA was established by the Slovak Minister of Environment´s Decision dated May 17th, 1993.

Since 2005, the SEA has guaranteed the quality of offered services while using an installed system of integrated management that includes a quality management system in accordance with EN ISO 9001 and an environmental management system in accordance with EN ISO 14001.

SEA’s Mission and Activities:

• analysis and assessment of the environment
• provision of environmental services
• specialised care for the environment
• landscape protection
• environmental education
• voluntary environmental policy tools
• international cooperation and reporting
• environmental informatics and environmental data management
• implementation of the operational programmes “Environment” and “Quality of the Environment” as an intermediary body
• programming and implementation of environmental projects

Environment Leading Company

We are international company that deals with investing in companies in the fields of naturaI science, enviroviarmation technologies, artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing innovative solutions to help businesses and organizations better understand their environment and make better decisions. Our solutions are designed to help organizations make better use of data, automate processes, and improve customer experiences. We are committed to helping our customers succeed in their digital transformation journey.

The main function of our companies portfolio is to develop and implement strategies to reduce environmental impacts, promote sustainability, and protect natural resources. This includes developing and implementing policies, programs, and initiatives to reduce pollution, conserve energy, and promote renewable energy sources. We also work to educate the public on environmental issues and advocate for environmental protection.

As a companies that specialize in artificial intelligence and research in the environment are focused on developing technologies that can help us better understand and manage our natural resources. Our companies are working to develop artificial intelligence-driven solutions that can help us monitor and manage our environment, such as air and water quality, climate change, and biodiversity. They are also researching ways to use artificial intelligence to improve energy efficiency and reduce emissions.

Additionally, these companies are exploring ways to use artificial intelligence to improve agricultural production and reduce food waste.

At the end of 2019, we managed to establish the Štiavnický tajch civic association. Our association aims to promote and improve the condition of the significant technical monument – Banská Štiavnica water management system, so that it will be a living legacy of unique water engineering not only for the present, but also for future generations. Prior to the establishment of the civic association itself, we carried out research work over a period of seven years, where we identified in the field as many as 72 intake and embankment ditches of the former main part of the water management system. This extensive information became the cornerstone of our OZ Štiavnicky tajch. In the following years, we continued to develop our knowledge of the Banská Štiavnica water management system. In 2020, we developed the first project for the restoration of selected parts of the collection ditches of the Piarga water management system.

We help change our society in a more sustainable and responsible direction.

Green Foundation was established in 2015.
However, our story began much earlier thanks to the philanthropic activities of the founder, Boris Zelený, whose motivation was and still is to give something back to our society and contribute to its sustainable development.

The foundation’s vision is a society in which we can live, prosper and progress in line with the modern world whilst simultaneously being inseparable from nature.

Green Foundation acts based on its core values: integrity, respect, honour, cooperation, courage, resilience and perseverance. Moreover, we support curiosity and the constant desire to learn, improve and embrace bold thinking.