Transport infrastructure is Slovakia still lags behind the rest of Europe. Although 130 km of roads and highways should be built by 2014, the question remains whether or not these plans will become a reality. While the world is struggling with the financial crisis and Europe is battling chronic deficits, funding is very hard to find. One of the solutions is PPP projects, which are a suitable way to implement construction. 

The attitude towards PPP in Slovakia is rather negative. Just the countless unflattering meanings given to the acronym indicate the overall unwillingness to implement them. However, PPP projects are common practice in surrounding countries, and examples could be taken from Great Britain, Spain or even Israel. Hence, the fundamental question is why PPP don’t work in Slovakia. 

This year, the Slovak PPP Forum 2011 is taking a closer look at infrastructure construction. We will focus not only on highways and roads, but also on railway transport and airports. We will examine how things are done elsewhere, assess new projects, focus on cities and municipalities for which PPP projects are a great way to solve many problems, and more. Not least, you will find out about current changes in legislation – especially in the Concessions Act and the amendment to the Public Procurement Act that is currently being prepared. The aim of the planned conference is to show that PPP are a suitable instrument for implementing infrastructure projects and to refute the myths that surround them. The main conference topics include: 

This year’s conference will be lively and interactive, focussed on open discussion and significant feedback for all the participants.