Virtual therapy helps psychiatric patients (source: Courtesy of Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia)
The use of virtual reality in the treatment of psychiatric patients; the development of future skills as well as digital workplaces for schools; or the use of augmented and virtual reality in presenting and restoring cultural heritage were the themes behind the projects that companies submitted for the Via Bona award in the 2021 category of Socially Innovative Company.
Social innovation is still a relatively new topic for the business sector in Slovakia. As it is not easy to find companies that have incorporated social innovation into the subject of their business. The existing cases are all the more valuable, noted Zuzana Polačková, a researcher at the Center for Social and Psychological Sciences of the Slovak Academy of Sciences and ambassador of this category.
“Lately, such examples are beginning to especially appear in the IT sector, where artificial intelligence is starting to be used in the addressing of various societal challenges,” Polačková told The Slovak Spectator. She added that excellent cases also appear among companies dedicated to environmental issues, such as the transition to a low-carbon economy or adaptation to climate change. The service sector is also worth mentioning.
The award, granted at the ceremony in Bratislava on June 29, went to the company Deutsche Telekom IT Solutions Slovakia (DT ITS SK).
