Michal Ukropec: The “Good Old Days” Are Just a Trick of Memory – Slovakia Has Made Brutal Progress Since 1989
Michal Ukropec, a seasoned entrepreneur and innovation leader, believes that Slovakia’s economic and industrial future depends on strategic global positioning rather than nostalgia for the past. A firm advocate for education reform, he argues that half of Slovakia’s teachers should be replaced, while the rest should receive double the salary to make teaching a more attractive profession.
Having started his own business in high school and hiring employees during university, Ukropec now runs a global Slovak company, negotiating deals with some of the biggest names in international business. He stresses that Slovakia must invest in research, education, and innovation to prevent further brain drain and secure its place in an increasingly competitive world.
"The so-called ‘golden days’ are just a consequence of our bad memory. The progress since 1989 has been bruta - not thanks to governments, but despite them."
With Central Europe’s economic outlook uncertain, Ukropec warns that without serious investment in education and industrial innovation, Slovakia risks falling behind in the global market. Waiting to hit rock bottom before improving is not a winning strategy.
Read full article here: https://www.aktuality.sk/clanok/72AlUNl/stare-zlate-casy-su-len-dosledok-nasej-zlej-pamati-pokrok-po-novembri-89-bol-brutalny-tvrdi-michal-ukropec/
August 6, 2025 – Athena is proud to announce a new reseller partnership with Twinzo, a global leader in real-time 3D digital twin technology.
This partnership marks a significant step forward in Athena’s mission to bring cutting-edge Industry 4.0 solutions to manufacturing and industrial clients. By integrating Twinzo’s live digital twinplatform into our solution ecosystem, Athena will empower customers with real-time visibility into their operations — from shop floors to warehouses andbeyond.
“We are excited to bring Twinzo’s powerful digital twin technology to our clients,”said Senthil Ranganathan, CEO at Athena. “This partnership aligns perfectly with our vision of accelerating digital transformation through data-driven, real-time decision-making.”
What Twinzo Brings
Twinzo enables enterprises to visualizelive data from machines, systems, and people in a fully interactive 3D environment. From predictive maintenance and performance monitoring to safety and logistics management, Twinzo’s platform helps customers improve efficiency,reduce downtime, and unlock new levels of operational intelligence.
Michal Ukropec, CEO of Twinzo said, “We’re thrilled to welcome Athena as our first Authorized Reseller in both India and the United States. This marks a key milestone in bringing Twinzo’s real-time digital twin technology closer to customers in two of the world’s most dynamic markets.”
What This Means for Athena Customers
- Real-time 3D visualization of factory and warehouse environment
- End-to-end operational insights via seamless integration with existing systems
- Scalable, cloud-based digital twin infrastructure tailored to manufacturing and industrial use case
Athena will offer Twinzo’s solutions aspart of its growing portfolio of smart manufacturing technologies, MES and AI, alongwith implementation, integration, and support services.
