Regional Cooperation Ecosystem: Case of the Zilina Self-Government Region (Slovak Republic)

The paper deals with the topic of the cooperation ecosystem in the Zilina higher self-government region (HSGR). The results are mainly from our research about cooperation in the region. According to the research results, the most developed areas of the cooperation are: the supplier-customer relationships, techniques and technology, education, legal service, marketing, transport, research and development. Research also finds more possible capacity for further cooperating connections. For example, the University of Zilina (UNIZA) and HSGR are natural cooperation centers and are both highly sought for as cooperation partners. Based on our findings we designed a model of the cooperation ecosystem, or cooperation platform in the Zilina self-government region. This platform should be formed by UNIZA and HSGR and other organizations for development of new cooperation projects in the region. Thanks to the dynamic and sustainable character of the platform it can easier react to changes on the market.