The Slovak BioImaging Network (SkBIN) project, coordinated by the Centre for Interdisciplinary Biosciences at the Technology and Innovation Park of Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice (CIB TIP-UPJŠ), has secured funding through the efforts of Prof. Erik Sedlák, DrSc. and Veronika Huntošová, PhD., under the VIESF 2026 direct call of the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic. The funding is dedicated to the operation and further development of the national research infrastructure in 2026-2027.
The Slovak BioImaging Network brings together four partner institutions – Pavol Jozef Šafárik University in Košice, the University of Žilina, Comenius University Bratislava, and the Slovak Centre of Scientific and Technical Information. Their shared objective is to develop and provide access to advanced imaging technologies and expert capabilities supporting biological and biomedical research in Slovakia.
The funding will facilitate access for the scientific community to advanced imaging technologies, while also providing expert support for experimental planning and implementation, image data analysis, and user training. The further development of the infrastructure will contribute to more effective use of available instrumentation, facilitate the exchange of expertise among partner institutions, and create favourable conditions for interdisciplinary collaboration.
The support awarded to the project represents an important step towards the further development of bioimaging in Slovakia and strengthens cooperation among the participating research institutions. At the same time, it creates favourable conditions for Slovakia’s further integration into the European research infrastructure Euro-BioImaging ERIC, which brings together specialised facilities providing access to biological and biomedical imaging technologies and expertise.
For CIB TIP-UPJŠ, in its capacity as coordinator of the SkBIN network, the support received marks an important step towards ensuring long-term access to state-of-the-art microscopy, advanced imaging methods, and related expert services for the scientific community. It also strengthens the Centre’s role in developing a modern, internationally connected research infrastructure for biological and biomedical imaging. The initiative encompasses activities implemented within the APBC project (09I02-03-V01-00021), funded by the European Union through NextGenerationEU under the Recovery and Resilience Plan of the Slovak Republic, as well as the CAMO3E project (NFP401101F618), co-funded by the European Union under the Programme SLOVAKIA. At the same time, it promotes the complementary and efficient use of the institution’s available expertise and research infrastructure.
