Slovakia Doesn't Need to Be Bigger. It Needs to Be Faster.

Peter Gunda, Managing Partner of BDO Slovakia, discusses Slovakia’s competitiveness, demographic change, digitalisation, education, and the responsible use of artificial intelligence in his interview for the AmCham Who is Who Almanac 2026.

Interview prepared for the AmCham Who is Who Almanac 2026.

In the current geopolitical and economic climate, what should Slovakia prioritise to remain competitive within the EU and globally?

Slovakia should start using its size as an advantage. We are not a large economy, and pretending otherwise leads nowhere. Our real opportunity is to act faster, decide faster, and adapt faster than bigger countries. In short, we should behave like a speedboat, not a cruise ship.

Competitiveness today is not built only on cost. It is built on speed, predictability, talent, and trust. Investors and businesses are looking for countries where rules are clear, institutions function, and decisions do not take forever. A smaller country can offer exactly that, if it chooses discipline over excuses.

Slovakia does not need to outscale larger economies. It needs to outmanoeuvre them. If we become known as a country that is agile, reliable, and open to innovation, we can remain competitive both within the EU and globally.

Demographic change is reshaping labour markets across Europe. How should Slovakia respond to ageing, talent shortages, and workforce transformation?

There is no serious answer to labour shortages without technology. Slovakia will not solve this challenge simply by hoping for more people. We need to use automation, digital tools, and AI far more decisively, especially in areas where routine work still consumes too much human capacity.

At the same time, we need a practical approach to attracting and integrating talent from abroad where the domestic market cannot meet demand. That is not ideology. It is a question of economic reality and long-term competitiveness.

The third pillar is support for families. If young people see housing, childcare, and financial stability as permanently out of reach, demographic pressure will only deepen. This is not a one-variable problem. The sensible response is a combination of technology, access to talent, and conditions that make family life easier to build.

If you could define one bold reform or strategic shift that would significantly improve Slovakia’s business environment, what would it be?

If I had to choose one area, it would be education. And if I could add a second, it would be digitalisation.

Education is rarely the most attractive reform in the short term because the real return comes years later. But that is exactly why it matters. Without a stronger education system, Slovakia will keep talking about competitiveness while gradually losing it.

At the same time, Slovakia should aim to become one of the most digitally advanced countries in the region. We do not need to invent the model from scratch. The Baltic states have already shown what is possible when digitalisation becomes a real national priority rather than a talking point.

A modern state, less bureaucracy, better digital public services, and a workforce better prepared for technology would improve the business environment more than another hundred partial measures.

What achievement from 2025 are you most proud of, and why?

At BDO, one of the achievements I am most proud of in 2025 was building our internal AI capability in a serious way.

For some time, like many firms, we were weighing how much to rely on external suppliers and how much expertise to build ourselves. I am glad we chose to create a dedicated in-house AI team.

That matters because AI is already changing how audit, tax, accounting, and advisory services are delivered. But in a profession built on trust, speed alone is not enough. What matters just as much is governance, data protection, judgment, and accountability.

One issue I consider carefully is talent development. If firms allow AI to take over too much of the junior learning curve, we may create a gap between today's senior professionals and the next generation expected to replace them. At BDO, that is why we see AI not as a substitute for developing people, but as a tool that must be introduced responsibly.

Building this capability internally gives BDO more control, stronger long-term know-how, and a safer way to innovate. It also helps our people spend less time on repetitive processes and more time on what clients value most: insight, responsibility, and sound professional judgement.