The aim of the project Innovation Center of Košice Region (ICKK) is to build a modern and developed innovation ecosystem in the Košice region, which will create favorable conditions for the implementation of scientific-research and innovation activities, support the emergence of new partnerships and cooperation between academia, entrepreneurs and the public sector. At the same time, this ecosystem will ensure the emergence of new start-ups, which will significantly contribute to increasing the macro-economic performance of the whole region. The project also aims to address brain drain from the region by creating attractive opportunities for innovation and close cooperation with regional universities and research institutions. The aim is to attract and retain educated and motivated people in the region who are interested in innovating. These individuals will contribute to the creation of new companies that will bring new capital to the region and create new jobs, thereby increasing overall employment and living standards in the Košice region. Thus, the development of the innovation centre will not only promote economic growth, but also contribute to the overall increase in the competitiveness of the Košice region at national and international level through synergistic cooperation between the public, academic and private sectors. Measurable indicators of the ICKK project: PO173 - Number of events held (MIP) - 74 PSKPR114 Number of entities supported (MIP) - 40 PSKPR115 Number of publications published (MIP) - 14 Other objectives of the project: • Increase the number of young people in order to create their start-up and their connection with regional universities, so that they are able to test and validate their idea during their studies at a selected regional university - support the creation of 40 start-ups per year in the Košice region. • Implementation of innovative education to raise awareness of innovations and start-ups in the Košice region, implemented under the "Innovate and Entrepreneurship" course and with other educational programmes implemented by the ICKK. Involvement of +25 secondary schools in the Košice region, within the optional subject Innovation and Entrepreneurship. • Providing expert mentoring for start-ups - 10 mentors supporting at least 10 start-ups per year. • Support for students of secondary schools, universities - support +20 student projects per year. • Programme to support and promote studies at regional universities. • Execution of exchange and educational stays for students, scientists and domain experts - annually + 30 people. • Regular organization of events, meetups, conferences, filming podcasts, video podcasts, documents, marketing promotion of the region and innovation - with the aim according to measurable project indicators. • Launch of the regular program Future Innovation Lab and Prorotyping Lab - creating a place for prototyping, testing new products associated with the educational program in the field of AI, VR and AR and other technologies, which will serve students of secondary schools and universities within the Košice region. • Organisation of acceleration and incubation programmes aimed at the creation and development of start-ups and innovation projects - to organise 2 programmes per year with +6 teams in each programme. • Enabling high-quality and accessible education for the general public - retraining +150 people per year within the general public in innovation. • Raising awareness of the opportunities offered by regional universities, increasing the interest of regional secondary school students in studying, with the possibility of further developing their entrepreneurial and innovation ideas as part of their studies. Reduce brain drain from the Košice region - organizćia business and university tours - annually for 400 pupils within the Košice region. • Data Observatory - Publishing articles and information on the innovation performance of the region, proposing concrete actions to increase the innovation performance of the region and changes in the regional innovation strategy - Publish annually the Annual Innovation Report, creating a central data hub linked to the regional geoportal, analyzing start-ups, SMEs and innovators in the region