Slovak companies know how to innovate, but they must learn to better sell their technologies
Interview with Martin Jančo, founder and CEO of M2M Solutions
Slovakia is home to many talented technology experts capable of creating world-class solutions – from robotics to intelligent logistics systems. However, as Martin Jančo, founder and CEO of M2M Solutions and recipient of the Personality of Science and Technology 2021 and Innovator of the Year 2024 awards, points out, the journey from idea to success is not an easy one. While innovation is being created in Slovakia, its commercial potential is often not fully realized.
In this interview, we look at the beginnings of M2M Solutions, the development of key products, export activities, risks faced by Slovak technology companies, and the factors slowing down the country’s innovation ecosystem.
The beginnings of M2M Solutions: enthusiasm was stronger than obstacles
Martin Jančo’s first major development project dates back to his time at Siemens. A young team was given an extremely challenging task – to develop a new public lighting management system.
Although the project was underestimated by roughly one third of the actual costs, it was successfully completed thanks to strong determination and enthusiasm.
“Despite all the obstacles, we delivered the project successfully, and the greatest reward is that the system is still in use today,” says Jančo.
Innovations shaping the logistics sector
Today, M2M Solutions stands behind solutions such as WMS, AMR, OEE, and M2L. Each of these products introduced technologies that were not previously common in their respective segments.
One example is M2L – our proprietary visual picking system (PTLS / pick to light). It was the first solution on the market to use laser detection for identifying picking locations in a warehouse. At a trade fair in Germany, the system stood out clearly from competing solutions – not only visually, but above all functionally.
“A year later, at the same trade fair, we saw that most competing solutions looked very similar to ours. That was a clear signal to us that we are innovating in the right direction,” Jančo adds.
Export is growing – especially in Germany and the UK
Export represents a significant growth opportunity for M2M Solutions. Currently, the strongest markets are:
Germany
the United Kingdom
the Czech Republic (a rapidly growing market with strong potential)
Abroad, the most successful products are AMR and TLS (D&YMS), which are technologically well differentiated.
The biggest challenge for Slovak companies: online sales alone are not enough
According to Jančo, Slovak technology companies face a common challenge – in the B2B segment, it is almost impossible to rely solely on online sales.
Success abroad requires either:
a local partner, or
a subsidiary company in the target market.
Without a local presence, trust and business relationships are built much more slowly and with greater difficulty.
Slovak technologies are high quality – communication is the problem
“Slovaks are extremely skilled and capable of creating high-quality solutions even with limited budgets,” Jančo explains.
However, the biggest weakness remains marketing and the ability to clearly communicate the value of a product.
Paradoxically, this is one of the reasons why Slovak companies often innovate for the world – but the world does not know about it.
Where are the opportunities?
pressure on European industry to automate and increase efficiency,
growing demand for agile, tailor-made solutions,
the combination of automation, data analytics, robotics, and AI,
segments requiring close integration of hardware and software.
“We are small enough to be agile, yet experienced enough to deliver top-tier technologies,” Jančo adds.
Business, government, and academia: a collaboration that is not yet working
According to Jančo, cross-sector cooperation remains very weak.
He considers it crucial to:
evaluate real outcomes of R&D projects, not just budget spending,
support companies that truly innovate,
create a healthy research and development ecosystem, not just an administrative process.
The current system, he says, tends to support the “right” companies rather than true innovators.
The Council of Slovak Exporters: a space for sharing experience
As a member of the Council of Slovak Exporters, Jančo views its activities very positively.
The greatest benefits include:
bringing together people facing similar challenges,
mutual sharing of know-how,
the opportunity to jointly apply constructive pressure on the state.
“This community has real value,” Jančo concludes.
Slovakia has strong technological talent capable of succeeding both in Europe and on global markets. The key, however, is not only to develop high-quality solutions, but also to know how to sell them, communicate their value, and build trust in international markets.
The story of M2M Solutions shows that even a company from Slovakia can set trends in automation and logistics – if it is willing to innovate, learn, and grow in a global context.
This interview is an edited transcript of the original article published on export.sk.