An Insight into the Economy & Industry
2013
Reinvigorating the Economy to Internationalise
>>CONTENT INTRODUCTION 6 More SPIRIT, More Efficiency, More Boldness, More Investments! 8 Pragmatic and Development-Oriented Economic Policy 10 Slovenia: Facts & Figures 14 INDEX
OF COMPANIES
ECONOMY OVERVIEW 16 Overview | Small Steps Toward a New Growth Recipe 18 SPIRIT Slovenia – One Stop Shop for the Slovenian Economy and Foreign Investors
20 A Vibrant Investor Community FINANCE OVERVIEW 22 Overview | Restoring Credibility 24 NLB: Leading South Eastern European Financial Group 26 Insurance is not an Expense, it is an Investment 28 Partnership with Benefits LIFESTYLE AND TOURISM 30 Overview | Slow Discovery of the Pearl of the South-East 32 Meetings and events organised in Slovenia will never be forgotten 34 The Most Beautiful River Banks of Ljubljana 36 A Successful 2012 for Postojna Cave Despite the Crisis 38 Revitalised life in Terme Olimia 40 Terme Maribor expanding to medical tourism RETAIL 42 BTC: Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable 44 Building on Success HEALTHCARE 46 The intertwining of tradition, knowledge and the gifts of nature INNOVATION & SCIENCE 48 Overview | Never Give Up 50 Location for Future Argonauts 2
Business & Investment 2013
52 Connecting Science and Industry 54 Developing leaders for a better world AUTOMOTIVE OVERVIEW 56 Overview | Preserving the Competitive Edge 58 On a Good Road for 15 years 60 It’s All About Prestige 62 The Kolektor brand is an assurance of innovative products for global enterprises
64 Preparing for the Smart Future ENERGY OVERVIEW 66 Overview | Old Industry, New Business Model 68 20 Years of Pure Success 70 Innovation is the Key 72 Lafarge Cement Invests in Sustainable Future of Trbovlje and Zasavje Region
WOOD PROCESSING 74 Overview | Forests: Major Untapped Resource 76 In a League of Their Own TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS 78 Overview | Change of Fortune 80 No. 1 in containers, but a lot still needs to be done IT OVERVIEW 84 Overview | Steering when Braking is always a Challenge 86 Being First is a Privilege You Have to Earn 88 SAP Building the Ecosystem of Success 90 Expertise will Always Stand Out BUSINESS SERVICES 92 Annual Reports – The Primary Source of Business Information 94 10 Years of Translation Excellence 96 USEFUL
INFORMATION
Photo: Vladimir Toš
Published by The Slovenia Times Domus, d.o.o. Trg MDB 12 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 520 50 84 F: +386 (0)1 520 50 82 info@sloveniatimes.com www.sloveniatimes.com CEO: Brane Krajnik Overviews contributed by: Tilen Majnardi (Economy, Finance), Maja Dragovič (Automotive,Transport & Logistics, Wood processing) Tomaž Orešič (Energy) Miran Varga (IT) Mark Koghee ( Lifestyle) Design & Layout: Marko Pentek, Medija grafično oblikovanje d.o.o. Translation: Alkemist, prevajalske storitve d.o.o., Maja Dragović Proofreading: Louise Chatwood Marketing: Goran Mladenović Printed by: SINET d.o.o. For any other information please write an e-mail to marketing@sloveniatimes.com
Business & Investment 2013
3
INTRODUCTION<<
Dear readers,
Brane Krajnik CEO The Slovenia Times
For the fifth consecutive year, The Slovenia Times presents the annual Business & Investment Slovenia publication which aims to show potential business partners and investors that, as an EU Member State, Slovenia with its exceptional geostrategic position has numerous business opportunities. We wish to objectively present the business environment and the current economic situation in Slovenia. In this publication are interviews with the most prominent leaders and key influencers who are responsible for developing and implementing the necessary structural reforms. Company leaders managing successful enterprises in Slovenia that are part of the global business environment share their insights, experiences and the opportunities they see for their companies both in Slovenia and globally. We present the latest changes in the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology which has been restructured with the aim of creating a more competitive environment for Slovenian export companies and foreign investors. The outcome of the restructure is the SPIRIT Slovenia agency, a “one-stop-shop” for foreign direct investors and for the internationalisation of Slovenia. We wish to show you who we are, where we come from and the advantages of doing business in and from Slovenia. This and more is shared by the CEOs of foreign enterprises with companies in Slovenia who are the right source of business information for potential investors. As Slovenes we became an independent state in 1991 and after many years of successful development, we now stand in the environment of a broad European crisis facing development dilemmas as though we need to search for a new identity. What is Slovenia and what do we want? What are our strategic resources? What will we bet on? Regardless of where you enter Slovenia, you will immediately notice the green of our forests and our waters which together represent our strategic resources. The fact remains that our greatest wealth is our well-educated people. The majority speak at least one foreign language. We also have excellent knowledge and understanding of our neighbours and in particular the former Yugoslavia as we share 45 years of history with the people of the now six independent states that are also on their way into the EU. There is exceptional potential for international business connections and opportunities resulting from our shared history. Our advantage is our excellent education as our students and graduates can be compared with the best in the world. We present some of the most successful educational institutions that seek their future in innovation and new technologies. A task ahead for Slovenia in this field is to attract intelligent and motivated people from environments that may not offer the same working and living conditions as in Slovenia where they will be able to find a stimulating environment for their professional, research and personal growth and the highest possible quality of life. We present an example from the scientific community which has developed connections in the global scientific and research networks where, as a country, we are seeking improved recognition in fields where we excel. For a successful future, people are the key factor. According to a survey by Dun & Bradstreet, Slovenia is ranked 19th in Bloomberg’s Global Innovation Index. In the determining factors, Slovenia ranks well on a global scale but we can improve.: R&D intensity:17; Productivity: 23; High-Tech Density: 34; Researcher Concentration: 19; Manufacturing Capability: 19; Patent Activity: 12. There are of course global lists where Slovenians rank the highest undoubtedly including Slovenian athletes and their outstanding results: skiers, hockey players, athletes, rowers etc. The exceptional talent of Slovenian skier, Tina Maze, is the story of the country. Years of hard work putting together a great team (Team to aMaze) of both local and Italian experts brought the team the ultimate success in the winter season of 2012/2013 that will be difficult for anyone to repeat. In a single season, Tina managed to win almost everything that can be won in skiing: the World Cup (the Big Crystal Globe for first place overall) and the two small crystal globes for giant slalom and super G, winning a total of 2414 points (more than 1,300 points ahead of the next competitor) – a first in the history of alpine skiing. What we are trying to say is that every success needs a story – in skiing, the Slovenes have one and we are building one in terms of business. Welcome to the co-creation of the smart-country of Slovenia. << Business & Investment 2013
5
>>INTRODUCTION New SPIRIT of Slovenia
More SPIRIT, More Efficiency, More Boldness, More Investments!
Marjan Hribar is a constant at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. Until this year he primarily worked in tourism promotion and the development of the sector which, despite the crisis, proved to be one of the most solid parts of the Slovenian economy. From the beginning of 2013 he has been in charge of the Directorate of Internationalisation and responsible for the overall promotion of Slovenia, foreign investment and entrepreneurship. He established a new concept for promoting Slovenia in the framework of the new “SPIRIT” agency that combines tourism, corporate promotion, promotion of entrepreneurship and technology development. Q This year Slovenia has reorganised so that the country will be promoted centrally instead of by numerous different agencies. We now have one agency – SPIRIT – for promoting tourism, internationalisation of the economy, foreign investment, entrepreneurship, innovation. What is the main goal of the new organisation? A Efficiency! Merging the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI), the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) and the Slovenian Technology Agency (TIA) into a new institution, namely the Slovenian Public Agency for Entrepreneurship, Innovation, Development, Investment and Tourism or SPIRIT Slovenia, means providing support to the economy in a coordinated, transparent and comprehensive manner. SPIRIT Slovenia is an important step toward increasing the effectiveness and competitiveness of the Slovenian economy as it merges the most important fields of the economy: entrepreneurship, innovation, technological development, investment and tourism.
Q Foreigners often talk about the painful bureaucratic procedures which create an important obstacle for investing in Slovenia. Will the new agency bring a new, friendly and problem solving approach? A Of course! The agency will carry out all 6
Business & Investment 2013
of its activities in accordance with the “onestop-shop” principle meaning that SPIRIT Slovenia will act as the national access point for overall support to investors in all stages of development. A technically competent team will offer concrete support to enterprises in finding partners, spatial planning, solving problems with line ministries or local communities; providing information for investors regarding financing sources, taxes, etc. The agency will also provide information, research, etc.
Q What will be the main changes in the promotion of tourism? Tourism is, in fact, the sector of the economy which “survived” the economic crisis and is statistically in good shape. However, companies in the tourism sector have serious problems primarily because of low added value. How will promotion activities through SPIRIT help to improve this? A Indeed, the last few years have proven that tourism is a strong point of the Slovenian economy. I believe that with the experience of the effective promotion of Slovenia as a tourist destination, we will be able to contribute to the successful promotion of other sectors of the economy. The synergies of joint appearances and activities in foreign markets of the institutions which were, until now, separate will increase the
effectiveness of the invested resources for promotion and will increase the recognition of Slovenia as an attractive tourist destination and as an attractive destination for investment.
Q How will the new agency upgrade promotion of the economy? We know that one of last remaining financing sources for the Slovenian economy and companies is foreign direct investment. How can we attract more foreign capital considering Slovenia was, despite general positive strategies, relatively closed to foreign investment? A In 2005-2011 Slovenia recorded a 109% increase in inward foreign direct investment (FDI). The share of inward FDI in GDP has grown from 20.3% in 2005 to 30.6% in 2011. That’s not bad, but there is a lot more potential in this field that can be taken advantage of. Attracting FDI is one of the priorities of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology although one of the main obstacles we face is the discouraging business environment in Slovenia. However, important steps have recently been made with the introduction of various incentives and benefits including: tax relief; grants for initial foreign investments; financial incentives for employment and (re) qualification of employees; financial incentives for innovation projects; incentives at
the local level (development aid for Pomurje and Pokolpje). The Ministry, together with SPIRIT Slovenia, pursues an active policy of FDI promotion which is comparable to other countries and includes awarding financial incentives for FDI and free information, advice or other services to foreign investors. In addition to the financial incentives, a wide variety of other instruments and calls for proposals in the field of entrepreneurship are available. In the future we will continue with all the incentives which prove to be successful and upgrade them with comprehensive services for investors.
Q What steps will you take for the so called “new internationalisation” of the Slovenian economy? What are the short and long term priorities? A The short-term priorities are to increase activities in the priority international markets – Turkey, India, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, the Russian Federation, the People’s Republic of China, which together with partner institutions, were defined in the document, MI 2013. Given the fact that the global environment is changing very fast bringing with it new ways of doing business and thus new needs of Slovenian enterprises, changes which we will incorporate in the development of new strategies and programmes in the field of promoting internationalisation, will be necessary in the long run. In doing so, we will take into account both the needs of the Slovenian economy as well as the global trends and EU guidelines.
Q Are Slovenian companies innovative and bold enough in finding new opportunities. It seems that one part of the economy is just waiting for the government to do something and do not “open” their doors to the global market? A A number of Slovenian enterprises are sufficiently innovative, daring and inventive. This is proven by their success in niche areas of the global markets. It is true that merely waiting for the state or the government to make its move cannot bring success to enterprises as their existence depends on their performance in the market. It is important that enterprises find and take advantage of business opportunities in the global economy. Indeed, the state cannot act instead of the enterprises; it can merely provide a certain level of support which can help reduce risk in the process. Enterprises have a responsibility to examine the selected foreign market well, review their options and goals, and on the basis of the well-researched foreign market decide whether it is sensible to enter the market. It is only then reasonable for the state to provide assistance and help “open” doors – and this is what we enjoy doing.
Marjan Hribar
Q In which sectors do you expect some bigger Q This year Slovenia is hosting Eurobasket inflows of foreign capital this year and next? What would you suggest to potential foreign investors, where are the best opportunities in Slovenia? A Slovenia has a lot of attributes which are of interest to foreign investors and has good potential which could attract more FDI. According to the UNCTAD Index of the potential for attracting FDI, Slovenia is attractive for foreign investors as it usually ranks near 30th place among the 141 countries. We have more problems with the investment climate. The aim of the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology is to attract more FDI which would contribute to the creation of good jobs in industries with greater added value; to the transfer of new technologies; and the integration of Slovenian enterprises into the supply network of international enterprises. The publication Investment and Business Opportunities, which is published on www.investslovenia.org, provides a list of potential investment projects and in 2013 we intend to expand the list. Major investment projects, which are important for development are infrastructure, energy, environmental and information projects. The target sectors interesting for FDI are: manufacture of food products and beverages; chemicals, chemical products, basic pharmaceutical products and pharmaceutical preparations; manufacture of rubber and plastic products; fabricated metal products, except machinery and equipment; manufacture of electrical equipment, machinery and equipment n.e.c.; manufacture of motor vehicles, trailers and semi-trailers; and tourism. In the near future, when the government adopts the process of privatisation, a bigger inflow of FDI can be expected.
2013, the European Basketball Championship. Will SPIRIT use this event for general and corporate promotion of Slovenia? A Eurobasket 2013 is an opportunity to increase the number of arrivals and overnight stays of tourists as well as an opportunity to strengthen the reputation and promotion of Slovenia. Sport is undoubtedly one of the important factors in our national integrity. The Slovenian national brand is proof of the latter; namely, through the story in the field of sport, it announces the fact that Slovenia accomplishes extraordinary achievements because movement is something we enjoy. And of course, when we exercise we are part of Slovenian green. We recognise the importance of major sporting events and the opportunities of such events for both Slovenian tourism and the economy; that is why we have in the past cooperated with successful athletes and organisers of sporting events. Promotion of the European championship is one of this year’s key tourism projects and Eurobasket 2013 is the main presentation topic of our activities in the chosen foreign markets this year. Selected marketing and communication activities are concentrated primarily in the first half of 2013 and range from PR, presentation at fairs and in social media, publications, etc. <<
SPIRIT Slovenia, Public Agency Dimičeva ulica 13, SI-1000 Ljubljana T: 01 58 98 550 F: 01 58 98 560 www.slovenia.info www.japti.si www.tia.si
Business & Investment 2013
7
>>INTRODUCTION
Pragmatic and Development-O Economic Policy Slovenia is at a political and economic crossroads. The economic development models of the past no longer apply and the new models being created will need to be much more pragmatic and much less ideological. Conditions are less than ideal. It will take billions of euros to put the banking system back on its feet. The many undercapitalised companies drowning in debt are just as desperate, although many of them have healthy programmes. Their debts are rooted in the past, but they affect the present condition and the future development and competitiveness of these companies.
The whole country has been battling a recession for some time now. The governments, in recent years, were not sufficiently capable or determined enough to turn the negative trend around. What is more, the many scandals that were never resolved in court and the widespread lack of financial discipline meant that Slovenia, as a state governed by the rule of law, does not now stand for justice and honesty. However, the situation is not as bleak as it seems, in the past year the budget deficit has been reduced although there is no doubt that the cuts made were essential and unavoidable and pension and labour market reform found majority support in parliament. Unfortunately the changes came far too late. We are satisfied with some aspects of the labour market reform and dissatisfied with others. As employers, we support changes that will make employment relationships more flexible. There is no question that a step has been taken toward a more competitive labour market. However, the changes are too small to lead to a new wave of employment in Slovenia. It will take more than that. What will it take? A stable political government that shows no mercy when dealing with the accumulated administrative and bureaucratic obstacles. For years, these have impeded daily operations and development (strategic investments). It is essential that we continue to implement reform, ensure fast and effective bank recovery, 8
Business & Investment 2013
strengthen economic diplomacy, show more support for the development of innovative and technological export projects and adopt a programme of measures to attract foreign investors â&#x20AC;&#x201C; not just buyers of state-owned enterprises but also parties looking to invest into other companies, new products and other programmes. This will lead to new, quality employment positions. The economy required the government to keep its eyes on the goal and take on the problems of the modern world following the example of successful countries, starting with neighbouring Austria. Unless the government reduces the burden on the economy and provides stable and predictable conditions of operation, there will be no new jobs. The deregulation and simplification of business is essential â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from construction permits to the many administrative conditions for business. A number of proposals have already been drawn up, but a part of the state administration has been resisting them for years. It is not impossible to turn a negative trend around. On the contrary, we have a dynamic and successful export economy, exporting twice as much per capita as the UK or Italy. We have a number of small and medium-sized enterprises, important niche players, boasting technological innovation and successful development. Politicians must be more ambitious in starting up economic development. At the moment, they continue to focus on ideological conflicts rather than devoting
their attention to finding pragmatic solutions to development challenges. The money saved through cuts would be easiest to convert into economic growth by creating new orders within the domestic industry. A number of investment projects have already been drawn up. At CCIS, we estimate that in 2013 a range of infrastructure investments worth over EUR 1.5bn could be made, mainly in the fields of energy, energy efficiency, line infrastructure and environmental protection. According to our estimates, over 30,000 people could be employed on these projects. We also expect the government to provide more ambitious and targeted support for the internationalisation of the Slovenian economy. There are plenty of things to be done for small and medium-sized companies, in particular to facilitate their penetration of the EU markets. There are many markets, predominantly in Asia and Africa, where Slovenian companies could make a considerable number of sales, if we are smart enough to make purchases and investments there. It is true that Slovenia is an export champion, but this does not eliminate the need for an export strategy. Our survival depends on export, integration in international business and foreign investments. Slovenian politicians and officials need to realise that the country could benefit considerably from direct foreign investments. They will have to show more ambition in
Oriented competing for such investments in the competitive global market. In Slovenia, we have the experience, ambition and ability to change and improve. The measures have been drawn up. The CCIS published a number of them in Agenda 46+, a bundle of short-term measures for overcoming the crisis. Based on this bundle, we have been working with various ministries to prepare concrete legislative and practical proposals for measures. Recently we sent the main proposals to the developing coalition, making our own contribution to the new coalition agreement. In the coming months and years, it is essential that we follow the principle of spending only as much as we earn. On top of that, debts will have to repaid within the deadlines. There are also new reforms to be addressed: health, taxes, probably another labour market reform, possibly another pension scheme reform. Meanwhile, we should eliminate politics from state-owned enterprises, manage them wisely and invest the money from the sale of some of these enterprises into further development. This is the only way to maintain the trust of Slovenian and foreign private investors. There are many challenges, but there are even more opportunities. << Samo Hribar MiliÄ? President and General Manager of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia Business & Investment 2013
9
>>INTRODUCTION
Slovenia: Facts & Figures 400 km Radius • More than 45 million consumers • 11 countries, jointly representing more than 40% of the total GDP of the EU
Name: Republic of Slovenia Political system: Parliamentary democracy since 1991 International membership: Member of the EU; NATO; OECD Capital: Ljubljana Official language: Slovene with some border areas speaking Italian and Hungarian Currency: Euro International dialing code: +386 Internet address: .si
POLITICS President of the Republic: H.E. Dr Borut Pahor (since December 2012) Prime Minister: H.E. Alenka Bratušek (PS since March 2013) Government: Prime Minister, 12 ministers, 1 minister without portfolio
POPULATION
Main cities: Ljubljana (261,700), Maribor (108,600), Kranj (39,400), Celje (38,400)
GEOGRAPHY Area: 20,273 km2 Time zone: GMT/UTC +1 Length of borders: 1,370km Length of coastline: 46.6km Landscape: Alpine in the north, mediterranean in the south west, dinaric in the south and pannonian in the east Climate: Continental in central Slovenia, alpine in the north west and sub-mediterrenian along the coast and its hinterland Average temperature: January -2º°C; July +21°C Highest mountain: Triglav, 2,864 meters Longest river: Sava, 221km Largest lake: Cerknica, 26km2 Highest waterfall: Čedca, 130m
Number of inhabitants: 2.046.976 (Januar 2010)
Longest and deepest tourist krast cave: Postojnska jama, 19.5 km
Population density: 99.1 inhabitants per km2
Protected natural park: Triglav National Park, 83,808 ha
Nationalities (2002 census): Slovene 1,631,363; Hungarian 6,243; Italian 2,258; other 324,172
10
Religion: Roman Catholic 57.8%, Muslim 2.4%, Orthodox 2.3%, other Christian 0.9%, unaffiliated 3.5%, other or unspecified 23%, none 10.1%
Business & Investment 2013
Clear Vision for the Future 17 September 2013 Faculty of Economics, Ljubljana
International platform for doing business in South East and Central Europe The FDI (Foreign Direct Investment) Summit Slovenia 2013 is an executive-level business conference devoted to the investment environment and opportunities in Slovenia. Being a business networking event, it is an outstanding opportunity to make new contacts with the leading business people in the region, top government officials, existing international investors in Slovenia and those interested in entering the Slovenian market and develop business in the wider region.
Photo: Dunja Wedam Photo: Andrija Majsen
Sloveniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s competitive advantage in tourism is the green unspoilt nature. SPIRIT Slovenia will continue to build and promote sustainable and green tourism. www.slovenia.info
www.slovenia.info
SPIRT Slovenia is focused on attracting foreign direct investors and internationalisation. The agency will undertake several complementary activities for companies in all phases of international business to enable local companies to effectively broaden their international operations and promote Slovenia as an attractive investment opportunity, particularly in areas with high added value. www.japti.si www.seaway.si
Entrepreneurship, innovation and technological development are key areas for the economy. SPIRIT Slovenia will carry out activities to increase the competitiveness of Slovenia as a development partner or service provider. www.tia.si
www.elan.si
All key areas for the Slovenian economy in one place. SPIRIT Slovenia is responsible for realising the development programme and strategic goals to internationalise Slovenia as an innovative, technologically advanced, export oriented economy attractive to both foreign investors and tourists.
REPUBLIC OF SLOVENIA MINISTRY OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND TECHNOLOGY
Photo: Shutterstock
Dear readers
In March 2013, The Slovenia Times celebrated its 10th anniversary and it’s time to refresh and upgrade our media mix. We reorganised and reshaped our web page www.sloveniatimes.com which is your best source for credible daily information about Slovenia and the region. The „new“ The Slovenia Times Magazine with a New design, New format, This quarterly magazine will bring you More In-depth analyses, More interviews,
Subscribe online at www.sloveniatimes.com
More behind-the-scene stories, More information about Slovenia and the region.
>>INDEX OF COMPANIES 82
Adria kombi d.o.o. National Combined Transport Company Tivolska c. 5D, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 1 2345 280 F: +386 1 2345 290 infor@adriakombi.si www.adriakombi.si
92 Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services (AJPES) Tržaška cesta 16, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 477 41 00 E: info@ajpes.si www.ajpes.si 94 Alkemist, prevajalske storitve, d. o. o. Obirska ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: 059-07-32-72 E: info@alkemist.si www.translation-alkemist.com 68 BSH Hišni aparati d.o.o. Nazarje Savinjska cesta 30, 3331 Nazarje, Slovenia T: +386 (3) 83 98 222 F: +386 (3) 83 98 200 www.bsh-group.si 42 BTC, d.d. Šmartinska 152, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.btc.si www.btc-city.com 52 CE PoliMaT Tehnološki park 24, 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia T: +386 (0) 59081274 F: +386 (0) 59081279 E: info@polimat.si www.polimat.si 58 Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires d.o.o. Škofjeloška cesta 6, 4000 Kranj, Slovenia T: +386 (0)4 207 7000 F: +386 (0)4 207 7500 www.sava-tires.si 64 HELLA Saturnus Slovenija d.o.o. Letališka cesta 17, 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 520 33 33 E: info@saturnus.hella.com www.hella-saturnus.si 86 IBM Slovenija d.o.o. Ameriška ulica 8, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 3208 600 E: info@si.ibm.com www.ibm.com/si/sl/ 54 IEDC-Bled School of Management Prešernova 33, 4260 Bled, Slovenia T:+386 4 57 92 500 F: +386 4 57 92 501 E: info@iedc.si www.iedc.si 76 Jelovica d.d. Delavska cesta 24, 4208 Šenčur, Slovenia T: +386 (0)4 51 13 000 F: +386 (0)4 51 34 734 E: info@jelovica.si www.jelovica.si 14
Business & Investment 2013
91
Kempinski Palace Portorož Obala 45, 6320 Portorož T: +386 (0) 5 692 70 00 http://www.kempinski.com/en/portoroz/ palace-portoroz/welcome/
70 Knauf Insulation d.o.o., Škofja Loka Trata 32, 4220 Škofja Loka, Slovenia T: +386 (0)4 5114 000 F +386 (0)4 5114 179 E: oem@knaufinsulation.com www.oem.knaufinsulation.com 62 Kolektor group d.o.o. Vojkova 10, 5280 Idrija, Slovenia T: +386 (0)5 375 01 00 E: kolektor@kolektor.com www.kolektor.com 72 Lafarge Cement d.o.o. Kolodvorska cesta 5, 1420 Trbovlje T: +386 (0)3 56 52 300 F: +386 (0)3 56 52 440 E: info@lafarge.si www.lafarge.si 28 Ljubljanska borza, d. d., Ljubljana Slovenska 56, 1000 Ljubljana T: +386 (1) 471 0211
F:+386 (1) 471 0213
E: info@ljse.si http://www.ljse.si 80 Luka Koper, d.d. Vojkovo nabrežje 38
6501 Koper, Slovenia
T: +386 (0)5 665 61 00 E: portkoper@luka-kp.si www.luka-kp.si 46 Medex d.o.o. Linhartova 49A, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: + 386 1 475 75 00 F: + 386 1 475 75 22 E: medex@medex.si www.medex.si 24 NLB Group in Slovenia Headquarters Nova Ljubljanska banka d.d. Trg republike 2, 1520 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 476 39 00 E: info@nlb.si www.nlb.si www.nlbgroup.si 60 odelo Slovenija d.o.o. Tovarniška c. 12, 3312 Prebold, Slovenia T: +386 (0) 3 703 45 00 F: +386 (0) 3 703 46 00 E: info@odelo.si http://www.odelo.si 36 Postojnska Jama Jamska cesta 30, 6230 Postojna, Slovenia T: +386 (0)5 700 01 00 E: info@postojnska-jama.si www.postojnska-jama.si
20 RRA Mura Lendavska 5a, 9000 Murska Sobota Slovenia
T: + 386 (02) 536 14 61 F: + 386 (02) 536 14 65 E: info@rra-mura.si www.rra-mura.si; www.investpomurje.eu 90 S&T Slovenija d.d. Leskoškova cesta 6, 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia T: +386 1 5855 200 E: info@snt.si www.snt.si
88 SAP d.o.o. Dunajska 156, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 588 12 55 F: +386 (0)1 588 13 85 www.sap.com/slovenia/ 6 SPIRIT Slovenia, Public Agency Dimičeva ulica 13, SI-1000 Ljubljana T: 01 58 98 550 F: 01 58 98 560 www.slovenia.info www.japti.si www.tia.si 44 Studio Moderna d.o.o. Podvine 36, 1410 Zagorje, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 589 97 00 E: info.si@studio-moderna.com www.studio-moderna.com 40 Terme Maribor d.o.o. Ulica Heroja Šlandra 10, 2000 Maribor T: +386 (0)2 234 43 00 E: info@termemb.si http://www.termemb.si 38 Terme Olimia, d.d., Podčetrtek, Zdraviliška cesta 24, SI-3254 Podčetrtek T: 03 829 70 00 E: info@terme-olimia.com W: www.terme-olimia.si 29 Thermana d.d. Zdraviliška cesta 6, 3270 Laško T: +386 (0) 3 423 20 00 E: info@thermana.si www.thermana.si 26 Triglav, d.d. Miklošičeva cesta 19 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
T: +386 (1) 474 72 00 F: +386 (1) 432 63 02 E: info-triglav@triglav.si www.triglav.si 50 University of Ljubljana Faculty of Economics Kardeljeva ploščad 17 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 5892 400 F: +386 (0)1 5892 698 E: info@ef.uni-lj.si www.ef.uni-lj.si 32 Zavod - Kongresnoturistični urad Dunajska cesta 156, 1000 Ljubljana T: +386 1 569 12 60 E: info@slovenia-convention.com http://sl.slovenia-convention.com/domov
>>economy OVERVIEW
Small Steps Toward a New Growth Recipe Slovenia was one of the EU countries that was hardest hit by the economic and financial crisis of recent years. After a short and weak recovery in 2010, the country slipped into a new recession in 2012 in a textbook example of a double dip recession. Nevertheless, after a few idle years, Slovenia has identified the crucial problems and is slowly putting together the foundations for starting new growth in 2014.
Difficult Way Out of the Double Dip Recession Slovenia experienced “extreme” and definitely non-sustainable growth from 2005 to 2008 and then crashed into a recessionary “hole” with a GDP drop of 8%. The cause was initially external, but more important were the internal reasons causing prolonged stagnation. Slovenia was more or less condemned to recession in 2009 due to its close connection to other European economies. As a small and open economy and a producer of semi-finished products, Slovenia was affected moreso because the largest partners of Slovenian companies logically started with “savings” in the middle and the lower parts of their production chains. This was just the start of bigger problems. Due to the excessive expansive economic policies of 2005-2008, excessive and unrealistic optimism boosted by the government and general public, govern-
ment spending, non-sustainable investments in the construction sector and some unhealthy banking practices, Slovenia faced the biggest economic crisis since the separation from Yugoslavia in 1991. The construction sector literally disappeared, banks stopped providing finance to the economy due to the abnormally high ratio of bad and problematic loans, domestic spending significantly dropped, the budget deficit jumped over 5% and consequently there was no room for development oriented public spending. Furthermore, Slovenia didn´t adopt crucial structural reforms and the country was generally in free fall on competitiveness and credibility ratings. After a reality check in 2012, Slovenia started to slowly understand that it was not just a crisis but the new reality. In the early months of 2013, Slovenia stabilised public finances with austerity measures and adopted overdue pension and labour market reform.
%
forecast
5 3 1 -1 -3 -5 10
11
Private consumption GFCF – Construction Changes in inventories Gross domestic product Contribution to GDP Growth
16
Business & Investment 2013
12
13
14
Public consumption GFCF – Equipment Net exports
Source: European Commission
Tackling the Main Problem: Credit and Capital Crunch By the end of 2013 the country must solve two main issues in addition to ensuring the ongoing stabilisation of public finances. One issue is the inactive banking sector burdened by bad loans and the other issue is the critical undercapitalisation of the majority of Slovenian companies. The first issue will be tackled through the so called “Bad Bank” which will take on the bad loans from the banks and enable normal financing of the economy. The second issue is more complex - companies don´t need new loans to implement new projects but to refinance old debt meaning that, even with a healthy banking sector, those companies will probably not get fresh capital. The solution could be foreign capital or some kind of state-owned development fund. The base could be the already formed State Sovereign Holding which centralises the management of state-owned assets and should be transformed into a semi-independent “development” agency which will follow state development strategies in specific sectors. Foreign investment has been more or less a constant in the Slovenian development strategies since independence but in reality the Slovenian economy, general public and politicians are very reticent when it comes to selling state-owned companies. This is partially due to history, partially due to short term political reasons and sometimes because of an inexplicable desire to control certain parts of the economy. Times have changed and the state has run out of assets to recapitalise the companies. By the end of 2013 we can expect a much clearer strategy regarding foreign investment and privatisation of some state-owned companies, especially in the financial, telecommunication and logistics sectors.
Export still the main generator of growth With past investments reaching the production phase, the manufacturing of transport equipment, predominately cars for export, accounted for the full 10% increase in industrial production in 2012. This, together with import growth dampened by sluggish domestic demand, led to the widening of the trade surplus to above 3% of GDP in 2012, thus bringing the current account into balance. With no further productive expansion of the car industry planned for 2013 and high frequency indicators pointing to reduced orders and a drop in industrial production, export growth is expected to decelerate sharply in the first half of 2013. Given that profitability in the trade sector remains high, a moderate pick up is expected to take place from the second half of 2013.1
Growth potential of strategic infrastructure projects Despite the fact that public finances don´t allow substantial public spending through investment in infrastructure, there are a European Commission Winter Report 2013
1
Photo by Shutterstock
few realistic possibilities for boosting growth with big strategic projects through public private partnerships. The first is the South Stream Pipeline which can be upgraded by parallel infrastructure projects. There is also potential with the project for 2011 bn EUR Curr. Prices
GDP Private consumption Public consumption Gross fixed capital formation of which: equipment Exports (goods and services) Imports (goods and services) GNI (GDP deflator) Contribution to GDP growth: Domestic demand Inventories Net exports Employment Unemployment rate (a) Compensation of employees/head Unit labour costs whole economy Real unit labour costs Saving rate of households (b) GDP deflator Harmonised index of customer prices Terms of trade of goods Merchandise trade balance (c) Current-account balance (c) Net lending (+) or borrowing (-) vis-Ă -vis ROW (c) General government balance (c) Cyclically-adjusted budget balance (c) Structural badget balance (c) General governmentgross debt (c)
the third pier at the Port of Koper. The only precondition is that Slovenia finally defines its national interest and creates new jobs, opportunities and additional tax revenue and ceases to manage state-owned companies through political control. << Annual percentage change
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
36.2
% GDP 100.0
92-8 3.7
-7.8
1.2
0.6
-2.0
-2.0
2014 0.7
20.9
57.8
3.7
0.1
1.4
0.9
-1.8
-3.1
0.3 -0.7
7.5
20.8
3.1
2.5
1.5
-1.2
-2.1
-2.7
6.7
18.5
7.1
-23.2
-13.8
-8.1
-9.0
-6.5
1.2
2.8
7.9
9.5
-28.9
-7.9
9.5
-5.9
-5.7
2.6
26.2
72.4
5.3
-16.7
10.1
7.0
1.0
1.2
3.2
25.8
71.2
6.9
-19.5
7.9
5.2
-2.8
-1.4
2.7
35.7
98.6
3.5
-7.2
1.6
0.8
-2.0
-2.2
0.6
4.3
-6.1
-2.1
-1.3
-3.2
-3.5
0.2
0.4
-4.1
1.9
0.7
-1.5
-0.3
0.0
2.4
1.5
1.3
2.7
1.9
0.5
-
-1.8
-2.2
-1.6
-1.3
-1.6
-0.9
-
5.9
7.3
8.2
9.0
9.8
10.0
-
1.8
3.9
1.6
-0.4
0.1
1.0
-
8.5
0.4
-0.6
0.3
0.4
-0.6 -1.6
-
4.7
1.5
-1.6
-0.6
-0.9
-
14.9
13.5
11.9
9.5
9.5
9.1
16.4
3.6
-1.1
1.0
0.9
1.3
1.0
-
0.9
2.1
2.1
2.8
2.2
1.5
0.6
4.1
-4.8
-1.8
-1.2
0.1
-0.5
-3.1
-1.5
-2.9
-3.0
-1.4
0.3
0.2
-0.8
-0.4
-0.4
0.1
1.9
3.8
3.3
-0.4
-0.3
-0.2
2.0
4.6
3.8
-
-6.0
-5.7
-5.4
-4.4
-5.1
-4.7
-
-4.1
-4.4
-5.5
-3.1
-3.2
-3.1
-
-4.1
-4.4
-4.5
-3.1
-2.3
-3.1
-
35.0
38.6
46.9
53.7
59.5
63.4
(a) Eurostat definition. (b) gross saving divided by gross disposable incom. (c) as a percentage of GDP. Table: Key statistics, Slovenia
Source: European Commission
Business & Investment 2013
17
>>economy
SPIRIT Slovenia –
01
One Stop Shop for the Slovenian Economy and Foreign Investors
SPIRIT Slovenia represents a new key organisation for the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy. The agency, which began operation in early 2013, merges the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI), the Slovenian Tourist Board (STO) and the Slovenian Technology Agency (TIA) into one umbrella agency. The aim of the merger is to provide support for the Slovenian economy in a harmonised, transparent and comprehensive manner and to promote foreign direct investment efficiently and in an investorfriendly manner. SPIRIT Slovenia is responsible for the realisation of the strategic objectives and direction of Slovenia’s development strategy as an innovative, technologically developed, export-oriented economy and a tourist destination that is attractive to foreign investors. The agency’s mission is to be an active part of the business environment for development, ensure competitiveness and the promotion of the Slovenian economy and tourism. The agency will strive to become an institution which will work together with the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology and other stakeholders in order to offer efficient and comprehensive support to Slovenian companies engaging in the global competitive market and to foreign investors in Slovenia. The agency will achieve its mission by unit18
Business & Investment 2013
ing knowledge and competence in all key related fields that determine the competitiveness of an economy with the aim of increasing the value added, generating new high quality jobs and long-term competitiveness. All of the agency’s activities will be implemented at the national level and follow the principle of a “one-stop-shop”, which means: • support for companies and investors (national and foreign) in the search for partners, in spatial planning for solving
problems with line ministries and/or local communities (permits), providing information about financing sources and other government grants (e.g. taxes, etc.); • support in the search for international partners and establishing international development connections; • providing information, studies/analyses and surveys to enable the right business decisions to enter international markets and for foreign investors to enter the Slovenian market;
01 Terme Olimia, Orhidelia 02 Greenline 33 hybrid yacht. Global excellence in innovation and the application of hybrid powered propulsion systems. (Source: www.seaway.si)
02
• the national point of entry for comprehensive support for companies in all development phases; • links to regional infrastructure (local implementers) for solving concrete problems related to regional specifics; • training, coordinating and maintaining a comprehensive support structure following the “one-stop-shop” principle; • support environmental entities; • a professionally trained team to provide concrete support for companies.
The Operation of SPIRIT Slovenia is divided into three pillars Entrepreneurship, Innovation and Technology Development Division The activities covering entrepreneurship, innovation and technology development are directed toward continuation but above all, the upgrade of content that was previously implemented through the TIA and JAPTI agencies. The planning and implementation of measures for the promotion of entrepreneurship, innovation and technology development will now be more unified than in the past and positive synergies are anticipated, particularly the improved harmonisation of operations in the area of technology development, innovation and entrepreneurship, greater efficiency, the elimination of duplicate work and improving the recognition of the institution. By establishing SPIRIT Slovenia, a key step towards realising the objective of the Research and Innovation Strategy of Slovenia and the recently adopted Slovenian Industrial Policy has been taken, i.e. the reorganisation of implementing institutions with the aim of establishing a comprehen-
sive, connected, efficient and transparent environment for technological and business development and for entrepreneurship and innovation. Promoting entrepreneurship, innovation and technology development is one of the priority areas of SPIRIT Slovenia, which also receives the majority of the funds, particularly for strengthening the research and development and innovation potential of the economy and for creating an encouraging environment for the commercialisation of knowledge in public research organisations and setting up an efficient support environment for entrepreneurship and competitiveness.
Internationalisation and Foreign Direct Investment Division Activities aimed at encouraging Slovenian companies to engage in international operations (internationalisation) are important for the Slovenian economy, as the country’s economy is explicitly export oriented. The main objective of this division is the promotion of export, increasing the number of Slovenian exporters and enhancing international trade with target markets. All this can have a favourable effect on total GDP and the proportion of international trade in GDP. Regarding internationalisation, SPIRIT Slovenia will engage in a number of complementary programmes in 2013 aimed at companies during all the phases of international operations that will enable companies more efficient expansion of their operations abroad. One of the main objectives of the agency is to encourage foreign investors to invest in Slovenia. We wish to attract a number of high-tech investments that would contribute to the creation of new high quality jobs in higher value added industries, the transfer of new technologies and the inclusion of
Slovenian enterprises in the supply chains of international companies. To promote FDI, we will provide high quality information, advisory and other services to foreign investors and establish and propose measures aimed at improving Slovenia’s competitive position. Public tenders will be organised to award grants to foreign investors and we will provide assistance to companies applying for grants from the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. SPIRIT Slovenia will also implement a number of marketing and communication activities to promote the Slovenian business and investment environment. All the necessary information is available at www.InvestSlovenia.org.
The Slovenian Tourist Board SPIRIT Slovenia – the Slovenian Tourist Board is still performing the tasks of the national tourist board and remains the umbrella organisation of Slovenian tourism. The synergies of a joint presence and activities of these previously separate institutions in foreign markets will increase the efficiency of the funds allocated for promotion and improve the recognition of Slovenia as an attractive tourist destination and destination for investments.
Synergies The overlapping benefits of the activities by the individual divisions, the parallel optimisation of the operations of individual fields and the established cooperation with different target groups such as entrepreneurs, research institutions, investors, exporters, the network of external representations, tourists, etc. are already evident in several areas. Immediately after the merger of the agencies, SPIRIT Slovenia noted positive synergies in both content and finance. With its activities in key and promising international markets, the agency presents Slovenia and the Slovenian economy to potential partners, investors and tourists, introducing them to both an attractive economic and investment environment and an attractive tourist destination. The connecting element of the agency’s three pillars is economically successful sustainable development. After all, sustainable development lies at the core of the national I FEEL SLOVENIA brand, which is also the golden thread of the presentation of the SPIRIT Slovenia agency in the national and especially international markets. << Business & Investment 2013
19
>>economy
A Vibrant Investor Community The Pomurje region was once an area where economic activity revolved around traditional industries. However, the region has undergone a major overhaul, focusing on modern industries that now attract an increasing number of foreign investors. The Regional Development Agency Mura (RDA Mura) makes sure that interested prospects get the right information and ensures that the region remains high on the investor radar. The region, in the north east corner of Slovenia, is well serviced by road and rail. Located along the fifth European transport corridor connecting Barcelona and Kiev and the Lendava – Ljubljana – Koper highway, Pomurje is intersected by the railroad connecting Slovenia and Hungary. Over the last ten years, the economy has experienced many changes on its path to transforming itself to using state-ofthe-art technology, developing and leveraging energy obtained from renewable sources and producing premium quality products that generate high added value on a global scale.
Pomurje: Advantages and Opportunities • Favourable geostrategic location • Transport connections across the country • Geothermal energy and other renewable energy sources • Production based on high technology and high-tech design • Qualified and competitive labour force with extensive • Energy-supply base (development of the petrochemical industry) • Vertical integration between agriculture and food industry • Distinctive wellness offering and thermal and medical tourism services • Natural resources, sports and recreational activities • Well-preserved natural and cultural heritage, suited for a number of service activities • Traditional cuisine and high quality wines • The water and energy potential of River Mura 20
Business & Investment 2013
“The wide spectrum of the Pomurje economy is reflected in the region’s own innovation and development and technological progress, all integrated toward development on a European and global scale,” says Franc Gönc, Adviser at RDA Mura which works on attracting foreign investors to the region. “Over many decades, companies have managed to survive, grow and reorganise themselves for future challenges. “Sustainable production and processing as well as the utilisation of energy and geothermal sources are the potential for the future. Companies use these in harmony with nature, while their services and products bring a relatively high added value both for local and global markets.
Excellent results In 2011, the companies located in Pomurje managed to significantly improve their business results generating profit and recording positive revenue numbers, lower expenditure and achieving improved business operations. Revenue growth was recorded as was improved net added value, exceeding the Slovenian average by 3.6% and by 4.3% respectively. The improved performance was mostly by large companies in the processing industry however, it is small companies which generally operate with the most stable results. In terms of efficiency, service companies are the region’s leaders. Although the most revenue was generated through sales in Slovenia, exports were important. The best results were from manufacturing: in the automotive sector, of machines and devices; metal products, electronic components and clothing and footwear. In 2011 the region’s economy generated EUR 475m in exports and imported EUR 579m of goods and services with overall trade by companies in Pomurje exceeding EUR 1bn. “The development of an area and region is shaped by companies which can identify, understand and realise their hidden poten-
Franc Gönc, Adviser, RDA Mura
tial,” says Gönc. “They are highly focused and committed to social responsibility and environmental issues. These companies are able to use raw materials in harmony with nature. They innovatively develop their ideas, know-how, solutions and products through technology”.
Attracting Foreign Investment The success of the region’s economy has not gone unnoticed. Numerous foreign investors have flocked to the region, making the most of the financial incentives and other advantages. To assist them, RDA Mura offers advice and guidance. Since 2004, the agency has been active in attracting foreign investors through participation at specialised fairs, delegations and events in target countries; identification and connecting foreign investors and the region, settlement support; preparing projects for the cost-sharing grant scheme; supporting investors from initiation to implementation; and after care activities. From 2006 until 2011, there were 11 foreign investments in the region that were supported by RDA Mura. Combined, the total value of investment was EUR 25.46m, creating 866 jobs. The RDA Mura’s broad range of activities ensures the region remains at the top of the investors’ list. In 2012, there were three new investments, with the total investment value of EUR 8.5m which will create an estimated 130 jobs in three years. <<
Lendavska 5a, 9000 Murska Sobota, Slovenia T: + 386 (02) 536 14 61 F: + 386 (02) 536 14 65 E: info@rra-mura.si www.rra-mura.si; www.investpomurje.eu
>>FINANCE OVERVIEW
Photo by Shutterstock
Restoring Credibility The core theme of the Slovenian crisis is definitely the banking sector which literally came to a halt in 2011 and 2012. The biggest and at the same time state owned banks, are burdened by extreme levels of bad loans and are consequently waiting for fresh capital to clean up their balance sheets. The key issue for 2013 is where the will capital come from. In the meantime, the whole financial sector is in “neutral” and more or less waiting for the government to finally act.
Finding a cure for the biggest banks At the centre of all discussions and government strategies in 2013 will be the biggest Slovenian bank, the state owned Nova Ljubljanska banka with a market share of around 30%. Up to EUR 2bn of recapitalisation over the last ten years went into a “black” hole and the bank again urgently needs up to EUR 400m recapitalisation. NLB made a loss of EUR 304.9m in 2012, up 30% from the year before due to EUR 373.9m worth of impairments in the final quarter. The after-tax loss for the group was EUR 273.5m, up 14% from 2011. The situation is more or less the same in the other big and also state owned bank, NKBM. Slovenia’s second largest bank ended 2012 with a EUR 203.3m operating loss according to unaudited results. Impairments and provisions excluded, the bank would have returned EUR 90.6m in operating profit. Slovenia’s third largest bank, 22
Business & Investment 2013
Abanka Vipa, finished 2012 with a loss of EUR 76m and total assets of EUR 3.6bn, a 14.6% decrease in assets from December 2011, according to an estimate of 2012’s operations. The loss is however a 36% improvement on 2011, operating profit was up 15% to EUR 47m.
Boosting lending activity As a consequence of huge impairments and provisions, the banks have significantly lowered lending activity over recent years, also in situations of potentially good projects and reasonable quality companies. Loans to businesses by Slovenian banks decreased 10.2% to EUR 16.4bn in 2012. The combined after-tax loss of Slovenian banks was EUR 642m, mostly a result of a 23% increase in impairments and provisions of EUR 1.48bn. Lending to the non-bank sector shrank 6.5% to EUR 30.75bn. Household loans were down 2.7% to EUR 8.6bn,
while loans to the state increased 43.9% to EUR 1.75bn as a result of Treasury bond purchases. The Central Bank attributes the drop in lending to businesses to the deteriorating creditworthiness of the real sector which is accompanied by a more cautious attitude of the banks to lending. With the successful implementation of the “Bad Bank” project by the end of 2013, the trend of falling lending activity is expected to stop and some growth is planned for the beginning of 2014
From “Bad Bank” to Good Banks Already adopted, the solution for this problem is the so called “Bad Bank” which will take on the majority of bad loans and enable higher solvency of the banking sector. The only problem is that because of the political crisis at the beginning of 2013, the “Bad Bank” project is not running as smoothly as it should. There is also the pos-
sibility that the government will adopt a new solution in the form of â&#x20AC;&#x153;internal bad banksâ&#x20AC;? inside the existing troubled banks. Although the principle is the same and both solutions are connected to injecting fresh capital into the banks, the form may differ direct recapitalisations or different financial instruments, bonds, guarantees.
Solid performance of the insurance industry to continue Despite unfavourable economic conditions in 2011 and 2012, the Slovenian insurance industry performed relatively well. The suc-
30
cess can be primarily attributed to discipline in operations, a strong awareness of the importance of risk management, stringent regulations and strict supervision. At the end of 2011, all of the companies engaged in the business of insurance, pension and reinsurance possessed adequate capital. The biggest Slovenian insurer and largest insurance group in the Adriatic region, Triglav, posted a net profit of EUR 73.2m in 2012, up 54% from the year before and 20% above planned. Gross premium revenue was down 5% to EUR 963.3m, while the combined ratio, a measure of profitability in the insurance industry, was down 0.5 percentage points to 89.6%. The group had to write down investments by EUR 43.7m,
% yoy credits to nonbanks
25
securities total assets
20 15 10 5 0 -5 -10 -15
2009
2010
2011
2012
Growth in bank assets
100
partially due to exposure to Greek bonds and the write off of Greek debt. In 2013 we could see further expansion of the Slovenian insurer which is looking to buy the Croatian insurance company, Croatia Osiguranje.
Positive vibrations in capital markets The Slovenian capital market is small but increasingly interesting for foreign investors. Trends show that the Ljubljana Stock Exchange (LJSE) is becoming an international market as more and more turnover is realised by international investors. Over the last three years, foreign investors represented the largest share of equity turnover in the most prominent listed companies with almost 50% of total prime market equity turnover. The share of Slovene institutional investors remained stable at 37%, whereas the most substantial decrease was by Slovene individuals, halving over the last three years, to only 16% in 2012. According to the number of transactions however, individuals led with a 55% share of all transactions, although relatively low in value. In 2013 turnover is already 38% higher than for the same period of 2011, however, significant fluctuations in the price of equities included in the SBI TOP Index can be observed. Particularly encouraging is the interest of international investors in equities of Slovene companies as their share in the LJSE equity market capitalisation is steadily increasing with a 14.2% share as at the end of January 2013. <<
Source: Bank of Slovenia
%
90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0%
2006
Slovenian individuals
2007
2008
Slovenian legals persons
Structure of LJSE turnover by investor type (Prime Market)
2009
Foreign individuals
2010
2011
2012
Foreign legal persons
Source: LJSE, Slovene Central Securities Clearing Corporation.
Business & Investment 2013
23
>>FINANCE
NLB: Leading South Eastern European Financial Group NLB Group has successfully maintained its position as the leading Slovenian financial group offering universal banking and financial services in both local and foreign markets. With its 47 members in 15 markets, NLB Group is a stable partner offering numerous combinations of financial services for all types of businesses. The Group prides itself on our ability to support our clients and create relationships based on trust, high quality service, strong business development, intelligent cost efficient solutions and risk management. What used to be just a vision is now the reality and even more can be expected in the future.
Active and strategic role in financial markets By expanding our offer of indirect banking services and adapting to the needs of local markets, NLB Group embarked upon a demanding task but perceived it as a stimulat24
Business & Investment 2013
ing business challenge. With our extensive regional network, NLB Group is a stable partner offering numerous combinations of financial services for all types of businesses. At NLB we are proud to be able to support our clients in a variety of circumstances; making individualised financial packages and with support across many markets. Our greatest wish is to build a partnership with our clients, a relationship based on trust, high quality service, strong business development, intelligent cost efficient solutions whilst managing risk. With more than 120 years of operation, NLB is a financial institution with a tradition of ensuring our customers always come first. We therefore direct our work and aim for customer satisfaction. We are convinced that NLB Group with 10 banks, 7 leasing companies, 9 companies for international trade financing (factoring, forfeit-
ing, export financing), 3 insurance companies, an asset management company and 17 other companies is a comprehensive, traditional and trustworthy partner to help clients realise their business vision, both at home and abroad. With 1,700 correspondent relationships in 130 countries, NLB Group is the largest Slovenian international financial group. << NLB â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I know why
NLB Group in Slovenia Headquarters Nova Ljubljanska banka d.d. Trg republike 2, 1520 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 476 39 00 E: info@nlb.si www.nlb.si www.nlbgroup.si
>>FINANCE
Insurance is not an Expense, it is an Investment
Zavarovalnica Triglav needs almost no introduction, the insurer has almost 40% market share in Slovenia and is considered to be a Slovenian treasure. The company ensures it remains ahead of the competition by introducing innovative products and focusing on its core business, says the groupâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s President of the Board, MatjaĹž Rakovec. Q Are you satisfied with the financial results
01
We have adapted to the crisis so that for the first time we have prepared a rating system: we offer additional discounts to our policyholders who hold more than two types of their insurance with us. 26
Business & Investment 2013
for 2012? How did Zavarovalnica Triglav perform? A We can be very satisfied with our core business which is highly profitable. For the last year, the results were very good as we achieved almost EUR 90m net profit. In terms of the premium segment, we achieved around EUR 936m, which is a decrease compared to the year before. We therefore decided to reorganise the sales chain starting with the board, one member is now solely responsible for the sales segment. This is a logical consequence because we have included in our strategy that the essence of our business success is profitability. We are not seeking to increase our market share as Triglav already has a high market share, in Slovenia alone it stands at 37%. I can say that we have indeed achieved good results in the insurance segment. Our combined threshold is around 90% which is extremely good. We are, however, still dealing with the impact of bad investments made in 2008/2009, mainly investments in banks â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Abanka and NLB. In 2012 we registered around EUR 44m losses from these investments. However, these portfolios will clear at some point and we will no longer have to deal with negative returns on our investments.
Q How is Zavarovalnica Triglav adapting to the new market and client demands?
A The crisis continues and in Slovenia it even deepens which, of course, means less purchasing power. People are more cautious, they keep their money for what will probably be worse times to come and this is reflected in the demand for life insurance and for insurance for wealth possessions, especially cars. People are looking for the cheapest offers that are not always the best.
We have adapted to the crisis so that for the first time we have prepared a rating system: we offer additional discounts to our policyholders who hold more than two types of their insurance with us. For new members we also have very good benefits in order to attract them. We give the choice of completing the insurance application over the internet where there are some significant price differences. We also continue to try and improve the already good brand name of the Triglav Group with various activities in socially responsible fields.
Q Companies are increasingly using new communication mediums (internet, mobile applications) to place their products. How is Zavarovalnica Triglav taking advantage of new technology? A Internet sales in Slovenia are not very developed; people still need the personal contact. It is, however, important to communicate via social media such as Twitter and Facebook. In 2012, we recorded more than 1.3 million clicks on our website and 45,000 likes on our Facebook page. We have a variety of mobile applications which have over 6,000 users. There is also iTriglav where our policyholders get all the up-todate information regarding their life insurance (personal insurance) and also wealth insurance. In short, the entire communication with the customers, who so wish, now goes through various applications. It should also be noted that our annual report, which is published in Slovenian and English, is adapted to both the android and the Apple systems. Our good work was recognised with several awards we received in 2012 including the Websi for the best B2B and B2C communication: triglav.si. The most recent award we received was the Netko prize - this is the Slovenian web Oscars for best website: triglav.eu
01 Matjaž Rakovec, Group President of the Board 02 Triglav presents a donation to the Paediatrics Clinic of Ljubljana
02
Q Have you introduced any new products since the crisis that are now bearing fruit?
A Yes. One such product is risk life insurance, a product where there is no savings component, just a lump sum in the event of death or disability to care for the family. This is mostly taken by people who have loans and in the event of their death or disability, Triglav would pay off the remaining amount of the loan. We have had significant demand for this product, in times of crisis people do not think about the future but about survival. We are very proud to introduce an innovative customer loyalty programme – the insurance package “Triglav komplet”. The programme was launched in November 2012 and so far we are the only insurer in Slovenia to offer this type of incentive for customers. This new loyalty programme includes a full range of coverage for our existing and our new clients: automobile, property, health, life, pension, travel, accident and other insurance. The program offers up to 25% discount when renewing insurance policies and up to 50% discount for new insurance policies. This provides us with a major competitive advantage over the other market players.
Q Zavarovalnica Triglav is currently present in South East Europe. Any plans to expand to other markets? How do you plan to strengthen your position in existing markets? A Triglav needs a strategic partner, one who will see opportunities not only in Slovenia but more particularly in the southern markets. In April 2012 we signed an agreement with the IFC which is a member of the World Bank Group. The signing of this agreement is a key milestone in the implementation of Zavarovalnica Triglav’s strategy for 2011–2015 addressing expansion and consolidation of Triglav Group’s operations in the existing markets of the Western Balkans and potential new ones. In De-
cember 2012, the Supervisory Board of Zavarovalnica Triglav was informed of the Management Board’s intention to making an annex to the Subscription Agreement with the IFC, to extend the deadline for the subscription of shares by the IFC in Triglav INT. Now we are coordinating operations with the documents and ensuring compliance with the commitments made in the agreements. The fact is that Triglav has a strong presence in the South Eastern European markets with 22% total market share in an area where almost 30 million people live. In Slovenia, Macedonia and Montenegro we are the market leaders. We have around 10% market share in Bosnia and Herzegovina but in the two biggest countries in the region – Croatia and Serbia - our market share is around 4%. As the largest insurer in the region, Triglav endeavours to consolidate its presence in these markets and develop into an insurance hub for this part of Europe. According to the medium-term strategy, Zavarovalnica Triglav aims to increase its market shares in Croatia and Serbia. When we complete our agreement with the IFC this will be one of the strategic directions: how to increase market share in the two countries which have 12 million people, six times more than Slovenia.
Q The economic crisis is expected to deepen further in 2013. How is Zavarovalnica Triglav going to cope with it? A The strategy we adopted in 2009 proved to be very successful over these three years. Triglav is achieving the best results, our indicators are really at a level comparable with good insurance companies in Europe. The problem is that we plan growth for 2013 and it still remains in our strategy, but unfortunately the forecasts for Slovenia are bad – GDP will decline by 0.8% to 0.2% which will be reflected in the demand for insurance products. We have cut costs, al-
though this is very difficult as nearly 60% of the cost is in the labour force and in addition, we have invested over the last seven years in modernising our IT which will be finalised this year and so, in fact, we cannot therefore do much to reduce costs. We also expect the premium segment to fall due to weak economic conditions. Additionally, after two years of relatively good times, this year we can expect hail or floods or other natural disasters common in Slovenia. We have adapted and reorganised the group, we have put more emphasis on IT support and a growing presence on social media. We want to show Triglav to customers as a solid and strong capital foundation, trustworthy, and that they can entrust their lives and property to this institution. Also, we will focus even more on the core business: these are the plans for 2013.
Q What would you outline as the outstanding achievements of Zavarovalnica Triglav in 2012? A We have done a lot on communicating corporate social responsibility. We are one of the first companies to have established a transparent way of sponsorship and fund donations: applicants apply through a web page. Last year we awarded more than 800 projects. We have our own project of social responsibility: our sign is a flower. We have donated to hospitals and we have two cleaning actions a year. We also take care of our employees - not only to motivate them financially but we have a special project triglav.smo – to make people feel more comfortable at work, surprise them with an apple etc.. In terms of communications, the Ljubljana Stock Exchange has recognised us as a company that has made the greatest progress. Triglav is sometimes a relatively closed company when it comes to communicating with the public and the media. We have now disclosed a lot of information, we have nothing to hide. Partially due to being more open, our shares rose by nearly 70% last year. This, however, also shows that our shares were undervalued. <<
Triglav, d.d. Miklošičeva cesta 19, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (1) 474 72 00 F: +386 (1) 432 63 02 E: info-triglav@triglav.si www.triglav.si
Business & Investment 2013
27
>>FINANCE the majority ownership in Slovenian companies.
Q What are the current trends on the LJSE
Andrej Ĺ keta, President of the Board of the LJSE
Partnership with Benefits The Ljubljana Stock Exchange (LJSE) was founded in December 1989, the first stock exchange in Eastern and Central Europe prior to the liberalisation of the economies in the region. Since 2009, the LJSE has been part of the Central European stock markets, the CEE Stock Exchange Group (CEESEG), with the stock exchanges in Vienna, Prague and Budapest. The President of the Board of the LJSE, Andrej Ĺ keta, says this partnership has helped drive the exchange forward and there is much more planned for the future.
and what are the trends expected in the future and the reasons for them? A The LJSE blue chip index, the SBI TOP, was up 7.8% in 2012. The share of remote members in the turnover is noticeably increasing, jumping from 0% to 16% in the last two years. In 2012, the Ljubljana Stock Exchange offered a new security when commercial paper was listed on the LJSE for the first time. This positive development is undoubtedly the result of LJSE activities in the last three years such as the introduction of the Xetra trading platform and thus direct access for international banks to trading, and the continuous promotion of the most prominent prime market companies, which regularly hold presentations at investment conferences, thereby ensuring contact with investors. In all of the European markets similar trends can be observed. The financial industry is consolidating, companies are in the process of deleveraging and also public spending is lower and so investors are more risk sensitive and cautious about their investments. All Exchanges experienced decreased liquidity and lower turnover and the LJSE is no exception.
Q What are the most important companies/ products on the LJSE?
A The shares of all major Slovene companies are listed on the LJSE. In all, there are 72 companies listed. The most prominent products are included in the prime market currently consisting of 10 companies: Krka, Gorenje, Petrol, Intereuropa, NKBM, Luka Koper, Zavarovalnica Triglav, Pozavarovalnica Sava, Telekom Slovenija and Mercator. They come from a variety of interesting industries: pharmaceuticals, trade, telecommunications, financial services, energy, appliance manufacturers and others. Prime market companies operate internationally and some of them earn more than 90% of their revenue outside Slovenia.
Q What is the LJSE doing to promote the Q Would you say that the Ljubljana Stock prime market companies and increase the inExchange is an exchange for the local or international market? A Trends show that the LJSE is becoming an international market as increasingly higher turnover is realised by international investors and their share in the ownership of Slovenian companies is steadily growing. According to the most current data, in 2012 international investors achieved the highest level of total prime market equity turnover so far - almost 50%. Domestic investors were the most important in the past due to the method of privatisation and together with the state, they still account for 28
Business & Investment 2013
terest of foreign investors to invest in Slovenian companies? A The LJSE and listed companies from the prime market, in cooperation with partners, organise promotional activities such as meetings with investors and analysts, investor conferences and online presentations/webcasts, to enable access for local and international investors. Prime market companies held as many as 228 one-on-one meetings with interested local and international investors at two investment events in Ljubljana alone. They also participated in meetings with investors abroad. Slovenian
companies are comparable with other foreign companies in their respective industries and also outperforming them on many indicators.
Q From 2009, the LJSE has been part of the CEESEG, comprising the stock exchanges from Budapest, Ljubljana, Prague and Vienna. What positive impact has this had and will it have on the LJSE? A The CEE Stock Exchange Group is the regional leader in Central and Eastern Europe with market capitalisation of EUR 129.9bn and average monthly share turnover of EUR 6bn. It has a total of 239 listed companies and around 174 banks and brokers are trading on the four CEESEG exchanges. We believe that in the context of regional cooperation, we can all achieve much more by working together rather than working individually. These partnerships have helped drive the LJSE forward and already shown positive development through cooperation and integration in such areas as data vending, index licensing, promotion and also through the international trading platform, Xetra. The future of the LJSE is in further integration within the CEESEG, which will offer more opportunities to Slovenian companies and to investors.
Q What are the plans of the LJSE for further development of the Slovenian capital market? A Company financing and thus development and growth through the capital market has been the least utilised option of Slovenian companies which are too dependent on borrowing. In view of this, we expect a greater number of capital increases through the capital market in the next few years, in which a larger number of international investors will also take part. In terms of state-owned companies this can be a particularly interesting approach for further privatisation. An additional element for future development of the Slovene capital market is also the possibility of pension funds to invest part of their capital in stockmarkets. We also expect the development of individual pension savings and investments. <<
Ljubljanska borza, d. d., Ljubljana Slovenska 56, 1000 Ljubljana T: +386 (1) 471 0211, F:+386 (1) 471 0213 E: info@ljse.si http://www.ljse.si
Ayurvedic Centre Laško
>>LIFESTYLE AND TOURISM
01
Visitor numbers setting new records
Slow Discovery of the Pearl of the South East
There are beaches and there are mountains, there are forests and there are vineyards, there are luxury resorts and there are back-to-basics lodges. When it comes to tourism, Slovenia has it all. But strangely, the one thing you would expect is missing and that is mass tourism. Slovenia is the hidden gem south of the Alps that is only slowly being discovered. On a beautiful and warm Saturday afternoon during the summer holidays of last year the banks of the Kolpa river in the south of Slovenia were remarkably quiet. Some people sat in the shade of the trees, some were in the water, a small group of youngsters were canoeing a few hundred metres upstream, the water carried their 30
Business & Investment 2013
soft laughter to the shore. And in a village a man sighed that he hoped foreign tourists would never discover this place, worried the quietness might then be gone A few hours before, another Slovenian shook his head in astonishment in the deserted wooded hills high above the river. He shares his thoughts, “Over here you could
meet bears and wolves. People travel to Alaska from Europe to see them, but it is all here in Slovenia.’’ There you have it; a country with potential awaiting discovery. Only half the size of Switzerland, Slovenia is a small country tucked between the Adriatic Sea, Italy, Austria, Hungary and Croatia. The Slovenian Tourism Board lacks
04
02
01 Bled 02 Piran 03 Postojna Cave 04 Soča river
03
the means bigger countries have to, for example, launch large-scale campaigns with television commercials in multiple countries. And there aren’t many shocking things happening that would make the country score headlines in the international news media. And so Slovenia remains a relatively unknown place in which almost any tourist can find something to their liking. Despite being the hidden gem of the travel world, the tourism sector is one of considerable importance for Slovenia which has only 2 million inhabitants. In a period where almost every sector of the Slovenian economy is troubled by the economic crisis, the tourism industry continues its upward trend. After a record year in 2011, the number of visitors in Slovenia rose again in 2012 by 2.3% to create a new record of 3.2 million arrivals. In 2012, most foreign tourists were from Germany. Italians and Austrians are also traditionally well represented among visiting tourists. The statistics from 2012 show that Slovenia is getting more noticed in other countries also. The number of overnight stays by Russians rose by 36%, the number of Dutch overnight stays grew by 26%, the number of overnight stays by Japanese grew by 19% and a 38% rise was seen in Chinese arrivals.
Tourism currently contributes around 5% to Slovenia’s GDP and when taking into account the indirect effect of tourist consumption in the country, the total contribution of tourism to GDP is 8.5%. The World Tourism and Travel Council estimates that tourism in Slovenia contributes 12% to GDP. In 2012 the Slovenian parliament adopted a new strategy for further development of tourism in the country. According to the plan, the number of visitors in Slovenia should grow by 4% annually. The focus will be on green (read sustainable) tourism to ensure the country’s pristine nature remains unspoilt. Nature is Slovenia’s biggest tourism asset. There are mountains to ski, hike, cycle and climb, in the forests you can go on bear safaris. You can enjoy good wine at the vineyards that can be found in all regions of the country. And then there is a great diversity of water. The crystal clear river Kolpa meanders through the south of Slovenia. In the west, emerald green water flows through the Soca river. In the north are the lakes of Bled and Bohinj and in the east there is the water of the spas. Slovenia has fifteen certified natural spas, two of them on the coast. One third of all overnight stays in Slovenia are in municipalities with spas. With more than half a million visitors per year, Postojna Cave is Slovenia’s most popular tourist destination. The cave, which has a 20 kilometre network of passages and galleries, is also the most visited tourist cave in Europe. It might just be the only attraction in the country that is not unknown. How long will the rest of Slovenia remain the quiet unknown pearl of South East Europe? It may not be long. With visitor numbers already reaching record levels, the ‘secret’ is coming out. Several renowned travel guides have put Slovenia in a top spot for 2013. Lonely Planet put the country in its top 10 best values destinations for 2013. The
world’s biggest publisher of English language travel guides, Fodor’s, put Slovenia in its selection of 25 places to go in 2013 describing Slovenia as ‘an undiscovered sliver of Europe with modern style and classic charm’. Online travel advisor, VirtualTourist.com, puts Slovenia’s Kranjska Gora in the top 10 destinations for skiers and nonskiers. And Switchback Travel, a guide for thrill seekers and outdoor people, put Slovenia in its top 10 adventure destinations for 2013. Four completely different travel guides, aimed at four different audiences present Slovenia in four different ways. It shows again that the country seems to have it all. Maybe those masses of tourists will soon come. <<
Tourism in numbers Most visited attractions: Postonja Cave Bled Castle Museum Ljubljana Zoo Ljubljana Castle Predjama Castle List of activities on offer: hiking, cycling, skiing, cross-country skiing, snowboarding, sledging, skating, cave trekking, climbing, golf, fishing, horseback riding, parachuting, hot air balloon flights, sightseeing flights, canoeing, rafting, kayaking, diving, boating, sailing, swimming, canyoning, water skiing. Hotels: .................................................. 289 Campsites: .............................................57 Youth hostels: ...................................... 68 Holiday apartments: ....................... 692 Mountain lodges: .............................. 155 Vineyard cottages: .............................35 Natural health resorts: ...................... 15 Thermal spas: ....................................... 17 Museums: .............................................. 64 Venues with congress facilities: .....59 Large congress centres: Brdo Conference Centre in Brdo pri Kranju, Festival Hall in Bled, Cankarjev dom in Ljubljana and the Ljubljana Exhibition & Convention Centre
Business & Investment 2013
31
>>LIFESTYLE AND TOURISM
Grand Hotel Union, Union Hall, Photo: B. CvetkoviÄ?
Meetings and events organised in Slovenia will never be forgotten.
Slovenia is a very attractive destination for organising meetings and events of all kinds. The countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s diversity allows for meetings in the city, the Alpine region, Karst and the Mediterranean coast or at one of Sloveniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s numerous wellness and spa resorts. Slovenia can meet and exceed the expectations of organisers of corporate events, incentives, association congresses and government meetings. Slovenian providers of the aforementioned meetings services are known for their professional service and great hospitality. The services offered are of excellent quality and good value for money. The supply side consists of convention centres, convention hotels, special venues, professional congress organisers, destination management agencies, incentive and 32
Business & Investment 2013
teambuilding agencies, catering companies, providers of technical equipment as well as other services, which are essential for a successful event. The Slovenian Convention Bureau, which unites the supply side, is a non-profit organisation and a useful source of expert and objective information as well as advice on destinations, meeting venues and service providers. The Slovenian Convention Bureau acts as a professional intermediary between meeting planners and suppliers. The Bureau
is the central contact point for both meeting and event organisers seeking objective information and advice on all aspects of arranging an event in Slovenia. The Bureau acts as an independent guide, providing complimentary services to meeting organisers. << For more information, you are welcome to contact Miha Kovacic, Director of the Slovenian Convention Bureau, at miha.kovacic@slovenia-convention.com. <<
Photo by: Dunja Wedam
Photo by: Dunja Wedam
>>LIFESTYLE AND TOURISM
01
02
The Most Beautiful River Banks of Ljubljana The City Municipality of Ljubljana received the 2012 European Prize for Urban Public Space for its Renovation of the Banks and Bridges of the Ljubljanica River Project. In recent years, renovations and refurbishments of urban public space have given the centre of Ljubljana a number of new, neatly arranged, pedestrian surfaces, green spaces as well as bridges and squares that allow for more pleasant living and quality leisure time. Life in Ljubljana has been especially enriched by outdoor activities that facilitate socialising and provide a space for all types of social interactions. By opening up this public space, the city centre came to life again, thus creating opportunities for the development of commercial and investment interests. Many have already utilised them, as the area is now offering new shops, catering establishments and other business facilities. These novelties have also been recognised as exceptional by international expert juries. The City Municipality of Ljubljana recently received the 2012 European Prize for Urban Public Space for its Renovation of the Banks and Bridges of the Ljubljanica River Project. This is an exceptional achievement for the city, which has experienced a magnificent revival in a relatively short span of time. The prize will be awarded by the Centre of Contemporary Culture of Barcelona (Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona-CCCB) in co-organisation with six European cultural institutions. The jury that evaluated the projects estab34
Business & Investment 2013
lished that the project entered by the City Municipality of Ljubljana creates a unified public space that enables total accessibility.
In the words of the Secretary of the 2012 European Prize for Urban Public Space, David Bravo Bordas, the reconfiguration of the banks of the Ljubljanica River is clearly identifiable as the fruit of a collective effort of different developers and authors, who through the skilful use of the available resources and by optimising cooperation in the realisation of project objectives, have embraced “Plečnik’s humanistic dreams and given it continuity”. Janez Koželj, Professor, Faculty of Architecture of the University of Ljubljana and Deputy Mayor of the City Municipality of Ljubljana, in charge of Ljubljana’s urban development.
What does the 2012 European Prize for Urban Public Space mean for Ljubljana? Professor Koželj: “Ljubljana received the first prize for urban public space with Barcelona, which is considered the leading city in the world in terms of the arrangement of its public space, which was designed by the best Catalonian architects. For decades, Barcelona has been implementing a policy of systematic arrangement and refurbishment of public space, especially parks, which allows the city to successfully solve both the problems of refurbishing the old city centre and constructing new parts of the city. The refurbishment and renovation of public space in Ljubljana therefore also expands the network of attractive areas for pedestrians and cyclists, which solves spatial, social and transport-related issues in the city centre. By opening beautifully and comfortably arranged squares, streets, banks and walking trails while also connecting them by means of new bridges and footbridges, thereby creating public spaces that are accessible and friendly to everyone, we are reviving the almost forgotten concept of public life, attracting new visitors to the city and thus indirectly contributing to
Photo by: Vita Kontić
Professor Koželj: “I am most proud of the fact that everyone cooperating in the project of renovating the river banks has managed to create an atmosphere of joint endeavours for the most beautiful, most elaborate and best implemented arrangements that strive for comprehensiveness. The jury of international experts also saw that the individual arrangements, which are connected in a rather large and long line of urban landscape, are actually a piece of group art. Furthermore, the renovation of the river banks continue Plečnik’s bold idea of the Ljubljanica being the water axis of the city with monumental arrangements of public space and important public institutions. The large number of participating architects, from six individual studios, were all able to adapt to the special features of the individual ambiences while simultaneously respecting Plečnik’s architecture and working together. The whole image is thus not provided by the same solutions that have been repeated in various versions, but by following the same design principles under which each arrangement is seen as its own
03
What are the future plans for the renovation of the river banks? Professor Koželj: “We first need to finish the refurbishment of the last part of the Gallus Bank with new programmes and set up a quay for the permanent mooring of inland navigation vessels in Špica. Upstream, a river marina with accompanying sports activities is planned next to Livada, while the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region is preparing expert groundwork for the navigability of the Ljubljanica river from Špica towards Podpeč and Vrhnika. The refurbishment of the banks will thus continue from the city centre in all directions along the rivers and tributaries to the city’s natural hinterland.
This will be followed by arrangements along the Gradaščica River, then the landscape arrangement of the detention basins and catchments along the Glinščica stream in connection with the Biological Centre, the Zoo and the Path along the Wire. We will complete Plečnik’s design of the quay at the end of the Gerber Staircase with a new and permanent Fish Footbridge by choosing the best solution from the organised contest. The Petkovšek Bank is already being refurbished. With the construction of the new Morgue Bridge, we are planning to move the temporarily constructed footbridge upstream from the new Fabiani Bridge to a new location at the end of Potočnikova ulica and with it also the river pavilion from the Petkovšek Bank. In the extension of Grablovičeva cesta, the narrow Kodeli Bridge will be expanded with a double footbridge for pedestrians and cyclists. A more demanding project is the construction of a dam and power plant upstream of the mouth of the Gruber Canal into the Ljubljanica, which would enable the implementation of public transport along the river. For now though, this remains a more distant vision. In addition to the urgent refurbishment of numerous bridges, we cannot forget the arrangement of walking trails and a recreational park on the Sava River, which will be enriched by an Equestrian Club. This arrangement is planned to be extended into the project of the embankment trail to Zagreb and Belgrade within the framework of the bold international Danube Initiative. There are numerous other opportunities – if we manage to build the planned power plants on the Sava between Medvode and Dolsko within the framework of the Vision of the Long-Term Development of the City Municipality of Ljubljana, we will create a huge artificial lake that will be appropriate for boating, sailing and other water sports. We must not forget that Ljubljana is not just an island between the Ljubljanica and the Gruber Canal but a city between two rivers stretching across the Sava.” << 01 02 03 04
Pleasant walks along the Ljubljanica river Green riverbank Wonderful renovated bank The new Butcher’s bridge near the central market 05 Looking toward the Trnovo quay from the Hradecky bridge Photo by: Dunja Wedam
What are you most proud of about this project?
superlative. In this way, the renovated river banks expand into parallel public spaces and are linked with new arrangements of nearby squares and streets, each bridge has been expanded into a square above the river and prolonged into a park, a raft is attached to it for the quay, staircases and terraces can be seen on the bank, etc. All the refurbishments and renovations of the banks include planting new vegetation that additionally improves the microclimate in the vicinity of the river, provide shade and generates a friendlier appearance. Even though it has been the most recognisable project, the project of renovating the banks of the Ljubljanica River and the new bridges and footbridges is only part of a strategic project to refurbish the city centre, which includes archaeological exploration, the modernisation of public utility infrastructure, the refurbishment of streets and squares with new pavements and new street furniture and the refurbishment of façades and roofs within the framework of the Ljubljana – My City campaign. This is actually a project of mutual work and investment by the City Municipality of Ljubljana along with public companies in a special form of public-private partnership. I hope that the European prize will not lessen the enthusiasm that can be felt in everyone who is designing these urban projects, preparing and managing them, seeing to their financing, managing all the procedures, harmonising and implementing them.”
Photo by: Dunja Wedam
the development of the city’s economy, especially tourism. By convincingly proving the advantages of walking and cycling in areas that have been freed of motor traffic, we are utilising the most direct way of changing traffic habits and gradually and unobtrusively implementing the measures of a new traffic policy. The public has mostly welcomed the revived pulse of the city, public open-air events of all types have been given more swing, various types of artistic creativity are moving to the streets and markets where they are attracting public attention. In short, the most important thing for Ljubljana is that both the awareness of belonging to the city and co-shaping its life have been reinvigorated. One of the main roles of public space lies in giving people the feeling of being part of a community and public life. Abroad, this European prize has awakened even more interest in Ljubljana and many experts are visiting the city specifically in order to see the new acquisitions on the spot.”
04
05
Business & Investment 2013
35
>>LIFESTYLE AND TOURISM
A Successful 2012 for Postojna Cave Despite the Crisis
Postojnska jama d.d. has just had its most successful fiscal year since the independence of Slovenia. While there was a decrease in the traditionally large number of Italian guests, this decline was balanced by the growing numbers of visitors from the Far East, Russia, Israel and the United Kingdom. A year of anniversaries, 2013 will be commemorated with a coin and postage stamps. The company also expects to welcome the 35 millionth visitor to the cave this year. New markets being targeted in 2013 include India and Brazil. Despite the economic crisis, Postojnska jama d.d. achieved excellent business results in 2012, generating a net profit of EUR 1.62m. “This was our most successful fiscal year since independence,” stated CEO, Marjan Batagelj. In 2012, Postojna Cave received 521,000 visitors but when combined with other attractions managed by the company, the total number of visitors exceeded 700,000. “This means that we were successful in improving our business results while keeping the number of guests at the same level,” added Mr Batagelj. According to him, the number of Slovenian and Italian visitors dropped by around 30,000, but they were compensated for by visitors from the Far East. Mr Batagelj is very pleased with the result but does not see it as surprising considering that the company prepared a new business policy three years ago and continues to implement it with financial indicators improving year on year. Both Postonjska jama d.d. and its majority owner, Batagel & Co, have a credit rating of AA, which represents excellence, operations with no liquidity issues and above average returns. In 2011, Postojnska jama d.d. was included in Manager magazine’s top 100 rank of medium-sized enterprises and described as Slovenia’s leading tourism company. A famous natural karst sight, Postojna Cave is under national ownership. Postojnska jama d.d. pays a concession for managing the cave; a part of the concession is returned by investment, while the remainder is divided between the municipalities of Postojna and Pivka and the government. According to Batagelj, the change in visitor structure is a result of the crisis in Eu36
Business & Investment 2013
01
Another milestone for Postojna Cave in July this year Marjan Batagelj, CEO, expects to welcome the 35 millionth visitor.
02
03
04
05
rope which has led to a drop in demand from European markets but an increase from the Far East, where 10% of visitors to Postojna Cave come from. “This clearly shows that Postojna Cave is a famous natural sight worldwide and a global brand,” says Batagelj. “The majority of our visitors still come from Italy and Slovenia but we have seen a considerable increase in guests from the Far East – China, Korea and Hong Kong – and from Russia and Israel. These are indices of over 150.” Thanks to good airline connections with London there has also been an increase in the number of British visitors.
01 02 03 04 05 06
Postojna Cave – The Diamond Postojna Cave – Curtain Postojna Cave – Entrance Postojna Cave – Train Marjan Batagelj – CEO Postojna Cave Postojna Cave – White Hall
06
When it comes to marketing, special attention is paid to distant markets. “We make the most of every opportunity to highlight Postojna Cave and other beautiful sights in Slovenia when we communicate with travel agencies, foreign representatives and TV reporters who visit here,” says Batagelj. “It is important to note that people come here for more than just Postojna Cave; they come because we are an exceptional destination with many natural sights, including several which have global importance. Postojna Cave is undoubtedly one of them.” Batagelj says that they are always searching for new opportunities, placing particular emphasis on electronic media. This allows the company to reach even the most distant markets at minimum cost. As of last spring, Postojnska jama d.d. is one of just 26 companies in Slovenia to hold the full Family-Friendly Company certificate. They earned it by offering a number of benefits to employees and their families, including gifts for their children in December, holiday leave for parents during school vacations, low-cost vacations for employees, etc.
The two euro coin commemorates 800 years of cave visits. In March, Pošta Slovenije and Österreichische Post (the Slovenian and Austrian postal companies) issued the first Postojna Cave postage stamp in history. “This is an extremely important event. You would think that the cave would have been depicted on stamps before, but this is actually the first time in its long history that Postojna Cave has been commemorated with a stamp,” points out Batagelj. Postojna Cave boasts many firsts, including the first and oldest subterranean post office which opened on 15 August 1899 and continued to operate until after World War II. Mr Batagelj brings up another Postojna Cave milestone: in July this year, the 35 millionth visitor will be welcomed. The CEO is cautious when it comes to making predictions for the current year. The economic crisis continues unabated and has affected tourism as much as other sectors. “After all, we are not part of the accommodation industry and money is dwindling. Our goal is to reach new markets, at the moment we are focusing on India and Brazil.” The company strives to maintain the annual number of visitors at 530,000. “As long as we can achieve that, our business results will be exceptional,” added Mr Batagelj. He stresses that the company puts great emphasis on visitors, their well-being, experience and comfort. As of this year, a new service is offered to visitors who come to Postojna Cave with their pets. In the summer, secure units will be provided to accommodate dogs while their owners explore the cave. Another new feature in 2013 is the renovated illumination system. With an investment of EUR 3m, the new system will increase energy efficiency and reduce light pollution. An exhibition pavilion focused on cave formation and the history of local tourism will also open this year. <<
Postojna Cave Coin and Postage Stamp 2013 is a very important year for Postojna Cave. Early February saw the 800th anniversary of the oldest signature in the cave. The occasion was marked with the first Postojna Cave commemorative coin in history.
Postojnska Jama Jamska cesta 30 6230 Postojna, Slovenia T: +386 (0)5 700 01 00 E: info@postojnska-jama.si www.postojnska-jama.si
Business & Investment 2013
37
>>LIFESTYLE AND TOURISM
Revitalised life in Terme Olimia
The comprehensive and high quality wellness offer and the most prestigious Wellness Orhidelia, unique selfness programmes, water adventures, pampering in the sauna world, diversified culinary delights, recreational activities, fresh air and serenity are all pieces in the mosaic of a revitalised life, which you can experience only at Terme Olimia. turns and curves and surprises during the ride down the open and closed sections of the water slide. The closed section of the water slide is kept in total darkness, which then comes to an unexpected finish when you plunge into the open section and into the bright daylight. Just when you think that the ride is coming to an end, you will slide down an eight metre long and 50 degree steep drop at a speed of 51 kilometres per hour. This is the highlight of the ride!
The ultimate experience Orhidelia Wellness is distinguished as one of the most prestigious thermal complexes and was ranked among the best eleven finalists at the World Architecture Festival 2009 in the “Holiday” category. In 2009, for the third time in a row, Terme Olimia was proclaimed as the “Best Wellness Centre” in Slovenia in the mass tourism ca tegory by the jury and visitors. In 2012, Terme Olimia achieved another landmark and won first place in the campaign “Best Swimming Pool Complex”. This is a very successful achievement for Thermal Park Aqualuna and at the same time an assurance that they provide an appealing and high quality offer.
38
Terme Olimia and Terme Tuhelj are the first and only providers of a comprehensive selfness offer in Slovenia and Croatia. At Terme Olimia and Terme Tuhelj we focus a lot of our knowledge and energy on becoming the first provider of the Selfness service in Slovenia and Croatia. The idea of selfness, a new world trend and a new trend in our offer, was developed to offer our guests much more than just pampering services and to show them the path to self-realisation, achieving a balance of the body and mind and improving the quality of their lives. We are positive that this type of offer; drinking and bathing in the thermal water, tasting selected food from Olimia and the idyllic natural and cultural surroundings, will allow our guests to return to their homes reborn and keen to return again and again to the harmony of nature in the Kozjansko region.
The “Top Swimming Pool Resort for 2012” in Slovenia – the Aqualuna Thermal Park will this year be an adrenaline experience like never before.
Focusing on foreign markets
This year, the “Top Swimming Pool Resort for 2012” in Slovenia, the Aqualuna Thermal Park, will feature the craziest, the fastest and the most adrenaline packed snake in Slovenia – the unique King Cobra water slide. The fantastic and adrenaline packed King Cobra gives you a circular race experience down all the twists,
In 2012, the final quarter was the most difficult time for Terme Olimia. Due to the financial crisis, we recorded the lowest results for the domestic Slovenian market so far. At Terme Tuhelj, the investment into the new Well Hotel was finalised under difficult conditions that further hindered sales in the Croatian market. Despite this,
Business & Investment 2013
by increasing sales in foreign markets in Terme Olimia and with an extraordinary income of Terme Tuhelj we managed to achieve satisfactory results. We are proud that we managed to compensate sales losses due to the crisis in the domestic market with an increase of sales in the foreign markets. In addition, we updated the offer at Aqualuna with jungle themed elements. The main investment acquisition is the newest Well Hotel at Terme Tuhelj, which we managed to open on 6 June 2012, despite the termination of the contract with the main contractor. The opening was held in the presence of the Slovenian and Croatian presidents. The investment into the Well Hotel completed the contents of the offer of both companies. The investment into the infrastructure and knowledge of the employees that we made in past years is what has allowed us to manage our business strategy according to the diversification principle. Due to the changes in population demographics and the structure at home and across Europe our offer is being constantly developed toward medical wellness and selfness. This type of offer will educate and direct our guests to constantly take care of their health. We will continue to focus our main sale service activity at Terme Olimia, the sale of accommodation, in foreign markets. We will strive to generate at least a minimum growth in foreign markets. We will work to increase sales in this year’s already successful markets of the Benelux countries and Denmark, as well as in the Russian market.<<
Terme Olimia, d.d., Podčetrtek, Zdraviliška cesta 24, SI-3254 Podčetrtek T: 03 829 70 00 E: info@terme-olimia.com W: www.terme-olimia.si
Selfness develops potential. t Welln es
s es
11/12
B
s es
t Welln es
It has been said that we are the best in Slovenia. However, you do not simply have to believe everything. Instead, pay us a visit and check it out yourself.
2010
B Terme Olimia is the proud recipient of the Best Wellness awards for the years 2010, 2011, and 2012.
A revitalized life
www.terme-olimia.com
>>LIFESTYLE AND TOURISM
Terme Maribor
expanding to medical tourism Once you have been to Terme Maribor in North East Slovenia you will want to go back. Following a “green” winter in 2012, the company is expanding its offer to include medical tourism which complements its wellness and thermal spa centres and the high-quality medical treatments already available. Leonida Selinšek, CEO of Terme Maribor says they are hoping that the good start to winter in 2013 will mean another year of increased overnight stays.
02 01 Leonida Selinšek, CEO of Terme Maribor 02 Chockolade Massage – Terme Maribor
of executive check-ups. In the summer, the destination attracts hikers and offers many other sporting opportunities.
Q Terme Maribor offers many options from
01
Q Are you satisfied with the 2012 financial year?
A Unfortunately, we cannot be satisfied as the weather let us down and the green winter meant fewer guests. Despite this, we recorded growth in all the Terme Maribor hotels for the year. At the group level, this meant an 8% increase in overnight stays compared to 2011. We are pleased that this year’s snow depth on Pohorje is ideal and we can expect a larger number of guests.
What does Terme Maribor offer its guests? Q A We can offer our guests a wonderful holiday full of adventures. In the winter, our guests can enjoy themselves skiing and sledging, surrender to culinary pleasures or allow themselves to be pampered in our wellness centre where we offer beauty treatments, saunas and massages for relaxation, pampering, and also for therapeutic reasons. In addition to our own dermatology centre, we have the MTC Fontana Medical Centre, where our guests can have all types 40
Business & Investment 2013
recreation, tourism, hotels and medical services. What are your plans for 2013? A As well as further developing our offer, Terme Maribor is planning additional healthy lifestyle products for 2013 – diet and healthy food, anti-aging treatments, yoga, etc. and medical tourism. As far as the latter is concerned, we are working together with renowned specialists from the Maribor University Clinical Centre. The Bellevue Hotel, which is located at the heart of Maribor Pohorje, will offer medical rehabilitation. Special attention will also be paid to establishing connections with local providers, as we are aware that we need to provide our guests with as much as the destination can offer. A lot of effort has already been invested in being recognised as the “heart of the destination”. We are thus growing and developing together with the area, while at the same time making sure that we continually offer our guests new ways of spending their leisure time.
Q How will you develop the new service – medical tourism?
A The development objectives are not only important for the company but also for the area, as it opens up a number of new highquality jobs. Higher occupancy rates, the de-
velopment of new products and above all, a lot of heart in our tourism, will pave the way to expand the offer and thus create new jobs. Allow me to mention that medical tourism is one of the most promising service industries. The objective is to implement the latest in high-quality medical services and programmes, promote them internationally, implement an individual approach and a competitive and comparable offer. A special emphasis will be placed on the presonalisation of medical programmes and procedures and above-standard rehabilitation of patients after the procedures have been conducted. Medical tourism unites the key competitive elements of Slovenian tourism, i.e. green, active and healthy. The anticipated success is dictated by tradition, thermal waters and other healing resources, excellent doctors, an exceptional offer and services and the characteristics of the green and diverse Slovenia. Medical and tourist products correspond to global trends and the expectations of the modern guest. The development of the new medical tourism service is only possible with our partners, it is seen as an excellent opportunity as the Maribor University Clinical Centre also has everything required to meet our needs. There are also other partners and we believe that a lot can be achieved together. We are talking about synergies and improving Maribor’s recognition as a destination and of its medical field. Our mutual cooperation includes high-quality medical services involving diagnostics, surgical procedures, treatment and rehabilitation. <<
Terme Maribor d.o.o. Ulica Heroja Šlandra 10 2000 Maribor T: +386 (0)2 234 43 00 E: info@termemb.si http://www.termemb.si
Terme Maribor
Tourism and Medicine
Let us take care of your health and well-being www.termemb.si | booking@termemb.si | +386 2Business 23 44 333 2013 & Investment
41
>>RETAIL
01
BTC: Environmentally Friendly and Sustainable BTC has, over the last two decades with a clear vision and development strategy, managed to build one of Europe’s largest business, shopping, sports, entertainment and cultural centres. The BTC group also includes a logistics centre and BTC City branches in Murska Sobota and Novo mesto. BTC is amongst the most environmentally friendly and sustainable Slovene companies, with sustainable development being a constituent part of their business strategy. “Slovenian society is still not at the same level as other highly environmentally aware societies however, without making small steps towards the set goals, we will never reach them. We thus started planning our company’s sustainable development approach a few years ago by first building BTC’s own ecostation. Then we introduced the environmental ISO standard as an important component and later we started to analyse the effect of our actions on the environment. This was then complemented with both 42
Business & Investment 2013
small and large projects. These actions add value to our company and also provide comfort to our visitors”, said Jože Mermal, President of the BTC Management Board. From 2000, BTC has invested more than EUR 30m into its sustainable development projects.
Mission: Green In 2012, BTC started their Mission: Green project, the first such project in Slovenia, with its main goal being the gradual trans-
formation of BTC City into a green area. The strategy addresses many areas including waste management, energy efficiency, responsible water management, sustainable transport, safety amongst others and is based on two key words: mission and green. “Mission” refers to action, boldness, courage, persistence and cooperation, whereas “green” symbolises hope and growth and can also be associated with regeneration and the future, that is, with everything which is people and environmentally
friendly and sustainable. The concept is to establish a green city in all segments. “Such projects are necessary to provide a sustainable and eco-friendly future,” said Jože Mermal. “BTC City will remain an attractive and dynamic city of shopping, fun and the urban way of life; a city of social and business networking. In addition, it is also becoming an important player in the green transformation of Slovenia. We are more than aware that sustainable development cannot be regarded as a distant future goal, but as a necessary factor of reality.” BTC has shown its focus on sustainable development previously.
Crystal Palace: a good example of sustainable construction A special feature of Crystal Palace, built in 2010 and at 89 metres the highest building in Slovenia, is all the safety, construction, installation and environmental standards which were met during its construction. The building is modern, energy efficient and, at the same time, also a power plant with an 86kWp maximum. Its southern facade has built-in systems for the production of solar electricity with the building being included in the remote system of heat supply. Ice-storage batteries are intended for the building’s ventilation system whereby ice is stored during the night when there is more electricity available. This ice is then used during the day to cool the building,
making it possible for the building to function with constant electricity. The glass facade of the building enables natural light in the offices, while the glazing on its southern facade is ventilated with a double glass facade without parapet barriers. The glass enables solar radiation permeability of up to 0.25 meaning that far less electricity has to be used for the ventilation of the building as the glass offers comfort during the hot summer and also the cold winter days.
Enviable results in sustainable development Sustainable development and in particular the measuring and evaluating of the effects of BTC’s environmental influences, has for many years been a part of the company’s business plan. They have developed their own business model at BTC for measuring the effect on the business, the ‘EcoIndex’, which received the award for the most innovative business model. Additionally, BTC received the international ISO 5001 certificate for efficient energy management, built its own eco-stations and sorting stations and carried out several sustainable projects. BTC’s technology upgrades in 2011 and 2012 have reduced carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 2,000 tonnes. The three solar power plants produce two million kWh of electricity. Between 2008 and 2011 they intentionally (with thermal insulation plans, LED lighting and improving cooling, pump and facade insulation systems, etc) reduced electricity consumption by four million kWh. Their eco-stations and sorting stations can process and sort 60%
Photos 01-05 Mission: Green at BTC City
02
04
03
05
BTC, d.d. Šmartinska 152 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia www.btc.si www.btc-city.com
of the waste which is organised into 24 different fractions. Their use of water is economical and rational. To fill the pools with water a special well is used which provides up to 3,500 cubic metres of water a month. Water from Atlantis Water City spills and sanitary fixtures are equipped with special spray nozzles which prevent the piling of scale, reduce the water flow to less than nine litres per minute during use and ensure appropriate microbiological water quality. The green traffic project presented a great challenge. The BTC City area acquired a new electric vehicle for waste transport purposes. The vehicle’s battery consumes merely 18 kWh of electric energy to gain full capacity, enabling it to cover up to 80 kilometres. The rational preparation and goods transport programme enables lorry capacity to be fully utilised so that daily transport consists of a minimum number of vehicles which take the shortest possible route. BTC City also has its own free city bus service. A system of roundabouts has been set up and there is also systematic work being done on pavements, cyclist and green paths. Visitors are encouraged to leave their vehicles in the parking garage where there are 780 free spaces and take a stroll or a city bus through BTC City. One of the most important values of BTC City is ensuring everyone’s safety and wellbeing. The general fire, traffic and other forms of safety are actively addressed with the help of a central video surveillance system, a private fire-fighting unit and modern anti-burglar and fire-protection systems. The well-trained and friendly security staff take care to keep visitors and tenants informed, whilst also cooperating with the police, rescue teams and fire-fighters. BTC City strives toward improving every aspect of life quality which is why the company is very supportive of sport projects, environmental and humanitarian events, organising workshops and children’s competitions, co-financing the purchase of playground equipment, etc. They have been awarded the Slovenian Award for Social Responsibility (HORUS 2011), the Environmentally-Friendly Company award (Finance 2010) and the JAPTI award for the most innovative business model (2011). << Business & Investment 2013
43
>>RETAIL
Building on Success
01
Studio Moderna is one of Slovenia’s greatest and most international success stories. Co-founder Sandi Češko first started the company in 1992, and it has since grown from ‘garage-based start-up’ to become the leading multi-channel retailing platform in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) with a presence across 21 countries. As a developer of leading consumer brands, the company is quickly expanding its footprint across the world. Q Although your company is headquartered in Slovenia, you are a multinational company. How does this arrangement work? A Studio Moderna is not a classic corporation. We have multiple companies globally and numerous headquarters in different cities such as Lugano, Budapest, London, Dallas, Los Angeles, with each office specifically configured to the requirements of the country it’s doing business in. Each has its own structure, purpose and strengths, and together they work as a network.
Q How would you evaluate 2012 in financial and market penetration terms?
A From our point of view it was one of the toughest years since we first started back in 1992. But, despite everything this entailed, we were still able to achieve double-digit growth and fortunately, we have been able 44
Business & Investment 2013
to maintain it. It has also helped us in being able to expand into new territories.
Q Despite the crisis, Studio Moderna keeps establishing itself in new markets. How and why do you manage to achieve this? A Our focus is to continue seeking opportunities that provide “added value” products and services to the marketplace, regardless of whether they are B2B or B2C. We are at the cutting edge of several new marketing trends and innovations which we will be implementing in all the new markets we are entering. The customer is always at the centre of all our activities and our focus is about what we can do for the customer that others are not yet doing. Our premium mattress brand, Dormeo Octaspring, is a good example. At the heart of it is a ground-breaking new mattress tech-
nology, but it was the success and learning experiences gleaned from building Dormeo as a leading home brand that gave us the foundation and the confidence to invest in, and to launch, a totally new technology and marketing strategy. There is no other product like this on the market, but one of the reasons it is taking off is because there is a void in this segment. That void is for a mattress that has the comfort benefits of memory foam and the support of traditional springs, but without the recognised downsides: the heat and humidity of memory foam or the pressure-points, motion-transfer and creaking of a metal spring mattress. We are also a standout in the industry in terms of marketing and design. We have been through major product launches in the UK, US and Canada in the past year and will launch in Japan this
The customer is always at the centre of all our activities and our focus is about what we can do for the customer that others are not yet doing. Our premium mattress brand, Dormeo Octaspring, is a good example.
03
02
spring and key factors in the success of these launches are the fact that we brought our unique multi-channel marketing model to these markets, and that we have a product that really works and is filling a gap in both the retailers’ and end-consumers’ lives. To be successful we’ve had to adapt and integrate into these new markets, without losing our focus on what made us successful in the first place.
Q Again, despite the crisis, Studio Moderna keeps growing also in financial terms. What is the reason behind such success? A Constantly being able to innovate and adapt. We’ve always had the ability to think on our feet as a company, enabling us to respond to market pressures very quickly. The entrepreneurial spirit that runs through the company means that we are always
looking, always searching and are never content to simply rest on our laurels or pat ourselves on the back about how successful we’ve been. There is always another challenge around the corner, but by the same token there are always new and exciting possibilities and opportunities ahead.
01 Behind the scene of Dormeo Air mattress infomercial shoot. 02 Sandi Češko, CEO, holding Octaspring’s innovative memory foam mattress springs 03 Dormeo Lavender collection
we have seen which are open to new ideas and investments, which suits us. We have already made huge strides there but we still have a lot of work ahead of us in order to respond to the demands of this vast, challenging - and potentially lucrative - market. <<
Q What are the plans and expectations for 2013? Are you planning any new markets and products? A Future plans are to maintain the growth in all markets and to continue the development of new brands and new solutions. Maintaining growth and launching new brands in the markets of Eastern Europe. A lot of our attention will be focused on the American market, which, intriguingly, many commentators are referring to as an emerging market. There are certainly many areas
Studio Moderna d.o.o. Podvine 36 1410 Zagorje Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 589 97 00 E: info.si@studio-moderna.com www.studio-moderna.com
Business & Investment 2013
45
>>HEALTHCARE
The intertwining of tradition, knowledge and the gifts of nature
For almost 60 years, Medex has been listening to the desires and requirements of users, following global trends and providing tested quality. The diverse range of products from the beehive and natureâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s treasury combines tradition, knowledge and extensive experiences, the gifts of nature and innovation. The high technological standards, continuous control, our own development and national production that maintains and provides jobs for various people and contributes to the economic pie are all reasons Medex is a company we are proud of. It is Slovenian and a part of us. The brand enjoys the trust of the elderly, of active adults, young people and children. Medex pays special attention to each of them and develops products for different age groups and requirements.
01
46
Business & Investment 2013
Q Medex is a leading manufacturer of apitherapy products in Europe. What are some of the main apitheraphy products and what is their added value? A Apitherapy refers to the use of honey bee products for the improvement of health and well-being. Bee products are known to have a positive effect on over 500 diseases. Many people already know of and use royal jelly, a strong natural stimulant that strengthens the immune system. In the hive, only the queen eats royal jelly for the entire course of her life. Genetically, the queen bee is exactly the same as other bees, but its royal jelly diet results in her being almost twice as large, developing ovaries and being able to live through 15 generations of worker bees. Propolis is what keeps a beehive healthy. It is a resinous mixture collected from tree buds that bees enrich and use as a natural antibiotic and disinfectant. Propolis is effective in combating bacteria, viruses and moulds. Bees use it to seal the honeycombs and hive walls to protect the beehive from wind and humidity. Inside the hive, the propolis slowly evaporates, offering natural protection against disease or infection and ensuring the healthy development and life of bee colonies. The fact that its effect has been known for millennia is demonstrated by the Greek origin of the word pro-polis, which literally means city defence. Honey is a well-known foodstuff, beauty product and sweetener produced by honey bees. In recent years, it has also gained importance in the treatment of wounds and burns. Last but not least, there are many
other bee products such as pollen, beeswax and bee venom. The latter is perhaps the least recognised of the three, but it is actually used in the treatment of rheumatism. Moreover, bee stings are used as a successful method for combating multiple sclerosis, naturally, under the constant supervision of apitherapists.
Q Medex has been building its name based on natural products that improve our health and well-being. What do you do to promote the brand? What do you see as your greatest advantages? A The results of our regular surveys show that people see Medex as a brand that stands for nature, health and genuine values. They trust the brand and value its tradition. As Medex employees, we recognise our responsibility to nurture these values and to build on them day by day, year by year, with every single endeavour that we undertake. Every product and every ingredient is selected with the utmost care and thoroughly tested. Our focus on development, high standards and consumer care is reflected in our mission calling for constant and verified quality.
Q What are the key markets for Medex? What is your share in these markets?
A Medex products are now available in over twenty markets. This year will see us entering markets in Israel, the Arabic countries such as the Emirates, Jordan and Kuwait, and in Persia. Next year, the markets in Russia, China and Saudi Arabia will be particularly important for us.
Medex d.o.o. Linhartova 49A 1000 Ljubljana T: + 386 1 475 75 00 F: + 386 1 475 75 22 E: medex@medex.si www.medex.si
01 AleĹĄa Kandus BenÄ?ina, Director, Medex 02 The Medex Royal Jelly product range. We pride ourselves on the substantiated quality of our products, which are meant to cater to the various ages and needs of our customers 03 Collagen products for beautiful hair, nails and skin also help maintain healthy joints. 04 Medex is in the TOP 50 si.Brand for the third year.
02
04
Q What is your vision for the next few years and the role of values in future business?
A At Medex, we strive for constant, but 03
Q How do you compete with companies in these markets which often have more capital than Medex? A We usually enter these markets through strong local distributors that are familiar with the market, the issues, opportunities and local legislation. Many countries require our products to be registered as medication, which is a complex process that can take as much as two years and demands a considerable financial investment.
controlled growth and sustainable development. Our priorities are the satisfaction of our customers and employees. It is the latter that continue to create beautiful new stories every single day, particularly in these unstable times. It takes satisfied and motivated employees to serve as the basis for development in any company. At Medex, we do our utmost to make our employees feel like one big family. Our values are honesty, trust, a responsible attitude towards the environment, both natural and social, as well as care for the traditions and the legacy of our ancestors. <<
Q How focused are you on developing new products? What are some of your most recent products? A We have our own registered development unit that works on developing appealing and innovative new products, as well as improving existing products. When developing new products, we listen to the wishes and needs of our consumers, keep up with the trends and combine tradition and knowledge with the gifts of nature. Our latest apitherapy product is water-based propolis. As the typical bitter, spicy flavour has been eliminated, leaving the natural effectiveness of the propolis intact, the product is suitable for children, pregnant women and nursing mothers. Business & Investment 2013
47
>>INNOVATION & SCIENCE
Never Give Up
01
In difficult economic times innovation is even more important to enable companies to remain competitive - many Slovenian companies recognise this. Saša Bavec, CEO of Knauf Insulation says that the company had two options when the crisis hit – lower prices or improve its products. They opted for the latter and eventually compensated for the lower prices charged be their competitors. This example of Knauf illustrates that finding a way out of the crisis is more than just cutting costs; it is also an opportunity for self-reflection and testing your abilities. As Janusz Miluch, General Manager of Lafarge Cement commented at the FDI Summit Slovenia 2012, “Slovenia, similarly to Poland, was self-complacent before the crisis. Slovenia’s dynamic, modern and fast growing economy lost the motivation to grow, improve and adapt, and its advantages became disadvantages.” The good thing is that individual companies are simply focusing on improving their businesses by constantly coming up with better products or services. Krka, Elan, Seaway, Optotek and Hidria are good examples of successful Slovenian companies. Krka, the pharmaceutical producer from Novo mesto, has been a synonym for business success in Slovenia for at least 20 48
Business & Investment 2013
years. In 2012, the group reported sales of more than EUR 1bn, an 8% increase from 2011 and preliminary net profit of EUR 155m. The company generated 31% of its sales revenue in Eastern Europe followed by Central and Western Europe respectively. Looking beyond the numbers there is a story behind the success. According to Krka, efficient research and development and new products are the key to competitiveness. The company invests around 9% of its sales revenue into R&D activities, which means knowledge, cutting-edge equipment and new laboratories. To develop new R&D and production capacity, the company is currently working on a new EUR 45m development centre. In line with its philosophy, Krka has around 170 products under development which are scheduled to be launched within the next few years. In 2012, there were 14 products
Slovenia, similarly to Poland, was self-complacent before the crisis. Slovenia’s dynamic, modern and fast growing economy lost the motivation to grow, improve and adapt, and its advantages became disadvantages. Janusz Miluch, General Manager of Lafarge Cement commented at the FDI Summit Slovenia 2012
03
01 COODO Contemporary Living 02 Pipistrel Aircraft 03 Elan skis
launched. In addition to entering the oncology area, Krka is particularly proud of its product for the treatment of Alzheimer’s dementia which won the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce prize for innovation of the year.
Raising the stakes Elan has a reputation for being one of the most innovative ski producers in the world, the now ubiquitous carving skis are the brainchild of Elan. Operating in a mature market with little or no growth and facing strong competition, Elan is continuously looking for opportunities in new market segments and niches such as the awardwinning women’s Delight skis, the lightest skis ever which were launched in February 2012. Furthermore, the amphibio range, incorporating all the major innovations of the last 20 years, is well established and was officially recognised by the German Plus X Award organisation when Elan won the “Most Innovative Brand 2012” title. Although less known, Elan is also a yacht manufacturer. Its 2012 achievements included the E400, which the company believes will set the benchmark for 40-foot sailing yachts. The company is convinced that their future lies in the production and marketing of technologically advanced products. In this respect, its foundations are solid. Seaway is the world’s leading boat developer. Although highly successful, Japec Jakopin, one of its founders, admits that 2012 was a very difficult year. “Europe is gradually sliding into recession, which makes it vital to concentrate on the markets outside Europe” stated Jakopin, “Everyone is trying to adapt and those who make it faster and better will come out the winners.” Last year was marked by expansion into other areas based on company skill – composite materials and green energy. They started building a new workshop in Puconci, Italy and developing two new products – the Greenline 46 and Shipman 59. The Greenline complements the fleet of highly successful hybrid propulsion boats while the Shipman will become the smallest in the range of carbon fibre sailing yachts. Jakopin, an occasional outspoken critic of public life in Slovenia, complains about the unstable political situation in Slovenia: “A hard-earned reputation is suffering and together with it, the
02
value of our products and services.” Nevertheless, he is cautiously optimistic about the future: “We trust in our innovativeness, creativity and adaptability.” Optotek is a “hidden champion”, a relatively unknown but successful business. The company focusses on the laser treatment of eye diseases. Boris Vedlin, Optotek’s CEO, proudly says that in its market niche, every laser system installed anywhere in the world in 2012 was designed and built by his company. 2012 was a successful year, especially the fourth quarter when value added per employee reached EUR 60,000 (annualised). Over 20% of its sales revenue was generated outside the European Union. Development-wise, they are particularly proud of a new laser platform that will result in a range of new products. The platform allows very safe and efficient execution of laser procedures and it was purpose-designed for the US market. They feel the impact of the economic crisis but according to Vedlin, the overall global market hasn’t declined. “It only requires a better quality to price ratio which we achieve through ongoing innovation”. New methods of diagnostics are being intensively developed and Vedlin sees these as opportunities for growth. Hidria, a leading European and global provider of solutions for climate and automotive technologies has been named one of ten most innovative European companies in its category by the “European Business Awards” competition organisers. The quality of Hidria’s solutions has been recognised by the Kremlin in Moscow, where Hidria assisted in the complete renovation of the Palace of Facets with its air conditioning products and solutions. Hidria’s experts
These are just a few examples amongst many companies in Slovenia that continue to raise the stakes in innovation and are increasingly competitive globally.
carried out detailed CFD analysis and built aluminium ventilation grids into the palace. Last but not least, Akrapovič, the automotive exhaust system producer also registered a successful 2012 where the emphasis was on the development of all four divisions: motorcycle and automotive exhaust systems, composite materials and the foundry. The sales of motorcycle exhausts increased due to expansion into the scooter and custom bike markets. The company achieved record sales of automotive exhausts, expanding its product range and completing its first full year of cooperation with Alpina, a manufacturer of exclusive automobiles and best known for its partnership with BMW. Estimated gross revenue for 2012 is EUR 46m. Away from motorsport, the foundry with its investment in the casting of titanium is becoming increasingly important. However, due to the confidential nature of its projects, the company refuses to reveal details other than its current production which includes parts for exhaust systems, medical devices and aeronautics. << Business & Investment 2013
49
>>INNOVATION & SCIENCE
Location for Future Argonauts The Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana is not only helping high-tech companies with their business platform but is also using innovative approaches to help prepare their students for the future. Professor Marko Jaklič of the Faculty of Economics, explains how this is done. Q What is the future of the IT industry in Slovenia, where are we now and where are we heading? A In my opinion there are many opportunities, especially once Slovenia properly opens up to foreign capital. Whenever we talk about the high-tech sector in Slovenia, we list the negatives such as “Slovenia is too small”, “there is no critical mass”, “not enough money”, “not enough people”. However, limitations can actually be an advantage. Slovenia has successfully demonstrated that it knows how to build ecosystems to support ICT projects and businesses. There are a number of companies in Slovenia that operate globally within their own sphere. Of course, the advantage of the IT industry is that it is relatively cheap to enter the market, however that is why it is also very competitive. Slovenia has international connections through entrepreneurs who are already successful and are willing to support start-ups. There are a number of successful entrepreneurs who work in Silicon Valley and also have their own R&D companies in Slovenia. We also have a huge potential in biotechnology because we have a very strong science background. However it is much more difficult because the cycle to achieve commercial success is around 10 years and obtaining capital from financial funds is thus much more difficult. There are opportunities and we have successful entrepreneurs, such as Bia Separations, showing a path of success to biotech companies. We live in a third industrial revolution, which is beginning to show results. Today we do not live in crisis but with change. Business models will change, innovation and technology is not only related to the core of IT but also to other industries and businesses: even bakers will have to use improved technology to compete in their industry. Professor Marko Jaklič Faculty of Economics, University of Ljubljana
50
Business & Investment 2013
Slovenia has to ensure that it is attractive enough for the entrepreneurs of the new economy, both Slovenian and foreign. The challenge is brain circulation, not brain drain. Younger generations will be more project based, they will not only change jobs but also location and career. The challenge for smaller countries is to create the conditions that will be attractive enough for such people to come and work for a while.
Q Who should be involved in creating such environments and supporting such companies? A I always see the government as the second best solution – something else needs to happen first but that is not to say that the government doesn’t have its obligations. The government can do a lot in terms of regulations and protection of intellectual property, for example. It can also ease the visa system for those individuals that have the right qualifications and talents and help them get integrated into Slovenian society. But a greater focus needs to be put on universities and their role: what does it mean to be an entrepreneurial university which would partially contribute to facilitating this development. At the moment, academics put a lot of focus on publishing articles and being quoted which, of course, is good. However, we need to work more on getting theory into practice, i.e. helping in the implementation of a business idea. There is a huge gap between knowledge and action. I must point out that in the last couple of years a lot of initiatives for facilitating entrepreneurship have been established in order to tackle this issue. These are private initiatives but what matters is that there is a lot of work being done and a lot of connections being made.
Q How is the Faculty of Economics involved in the field of high-tech industry?
A The faculty is working a lot on the subject of academic entrepreneurship. The COBIK initiative (Centre of Excellence for Biosensors, Instrumentation and Process Control) is an example. COBIK is one of eight centres of excellence that have been granted government support. It was established in 2009 and is a privately founded research institution that employs 83 highly qualified researchers from the most challenging and promising fields such as bio-chemistry, bioinstrumentation, optics, new materials and advanced new cleaning processes in pharmacy. The centre consists of six laboratories with state-of-the-art equipment and currently runs 27 research projects. We, at the Faculty of Economics, have also been invited to participate in order to try and develop the business platform.
Q The faculty also strives to introduce innovative approaches in its teaching methods.
One of these is the D.school method. What is it? A The D.school method was first introduced at the Institute for Design at Stanford University in California (Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford). It is a teaching innovation that brings together students from scientific, social and design courses who together, in groups, solve problems. Innovation is taught as a process. Design methodology is taught as a way of thinking. It soon became apparent that this kind of education is very successful and socially useful. The institute was founded with the idea to accelerate multidisciplinary innovation and strengthen the links between universities and industry. The idea began to develop when a group of eminent professors at Stanford University began to talk about how to change the old ways of education. Professor David Kelley, who is also the founder of Ideo, contributed to the realisation of the concept which was financially supported by the owner of SAP, Hasso Plattner, after whom the institute got its name.
Q In business education the faculty is also using innovative approaches in order to respond to the needs of the market. This year, the novelty is the GLA International Academy which responds to the question of how innovation and rapid technological development in the future affects business leaders and leadership in general? A In the future it will be important for business leaders to be able to think long term because of extremely rapid technological change which will be a lot faster than it has been in the last 15 years. This will be a big challenge for many people and businesses as some companies, in these turbulent times, are often in the situation where they don’t even know if they will be able to survive. For leaders who want to be globally successful, it will be very important that they are open and are able to operate in open systems. Strategy “do together” will become increasingly important, so business leaders and corporations will have to adjust to this.
However, if we look at all of this more optimistically, I think that due to the rapid development of technologies, the global space will democratise. An increasing number of small businesses will be established which, due to all the new technologies, will easily be included in the global system and the world will become more multipolar. Also, people will increasingly become creative individuals who will be multicultural. cated by the crisis and demographic changes that are happening.
Q So we are seeing the end of autocratic leadership?
A There is always space for autocrats and if we look around we do not have many leaders which concerns me. However, if we look at all of this more optimistically, I think that due to the rapid development of technologies, the global space will democratise. An increasing number of small businesses will be established which, due to all the new technologies, will easily be included in the global system and the world will become more multipolar. Also, people will increasingly become creative individuals who will be multicultural. In different periods of their life they will live in different parts of the world, maybe five years in China, five years in the U.S. and possibly five years in Slovenia. All this will naturally lead to new leadership structures. But it will be quite turbulent. <<
What therefore will future leaders be like? Q A In the future, we will talk more about the good and successful group leaders, the kind of leader coordinators that others will look up too. The concept that a good leader has many followers and can quickly gain a lot of followers will not be as true. A good leader will be the one who will be able to unite good leaders, as the skills necessary for successful leadership will be so diverse that they will no longer be combined in one person. Since the crisis will not be over for another 10-15 years, the successful managers will be those who are able to understand the emerging trends, the social aspects indi-
University of Ljubljana Faculty of Economics Kardeljeva ploščad 17 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 5892 400 F: +386 (0)1 5892 698 E: info@ef.uni-lj.si www.ef.uni-lj.si
Business & Investment 2013
51
>>INNOVATION & SCIENCE
Connecting Science and Industry
The PoliMaT Centre of Excellence, based on a public-private partnership, was established on 8 January 2010. The centre brings together science and industry in the field of polymers. Establishing the centre was just the beginning, as numerous opportunities continue to present themselves, says Mateja Dermastia, Director of the Centre, who believes that Slovenia can become a hub for biopolymers in Europe. 01
Q What was the original idea behind CE PoliMaT? A The idea goes back to 2009 when the 22 founders of CE PoliMaT decided to prepare the application for the tender launched by Sloveniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Ministry of Science and Technology. The idea was to bring together a critical mass of polymer science and the polymer industry in Slovenia - to help Slovenian industry to increase competitiveness based on science and advanced technology. Why polymers? Q A Polymers are large molecules made up of smaller repeating subunits. They offer great versatility and utility in a wide range of industries. Slovenia has a long tradition of scientific excellence that precedes its famed chemistry Nobel laureate, Fritz Pregl. For over 60 years firms like Helios, Lek, Melamin, Akripol and Mitol have fostered a skill formation and advanced education complex that has contributed to the development of a distinctive capability in polymers applications in different industries, from resins, paintings, adhesives and pharmaceuticals. These capabilities offer strategic opportunities upon which to foster mutually reinforcing processes of cumulative and collective capability development and can further boost specialisation, competivness of firms, new firms and jobs.
Excellent science, companies and an opportunity to help Slovenia take leadership at the centre of the international network of biopolymer research, development and commercialisation. 52
Business & Investment 2013
Why biopolymers? Q A Despite technology advances, the main source of polymers are still fossil fuels. Non-degradable synthetic polymers are very durable and can persist in the environment for many years after their disposal. As a result, millions of tons of plastic ends up in landfills, the ocean and the shores, negatively affecting life on earth in general. What we realised is that people are not aware of the power of biopolymers. They can be produced not only from oil sources but also from plants bacteria, fungi and waste streams and can serve as environmentally benign substitutes. What is criti-
cal here is to change the way polymers are produced and used in different applications. Leveraging the power of frontier biopolymer research to address global challenges in fields such as agriculture, health, water and environmental management has become one of the main goals for CE PoliMaT. It is an ambitious plan which requires international scientific and technology collaboration.
How does CE PoliMaT work in practice? Q A We have 17 founders from the private sector and 12 of them are industrial companies with very specific and different needs of the polymers. So CE PoliMaT is developing a new material and new technology to produce this material and how it can be used in the applications for our industrial partners. This is one line of business. We also strongly support the ideas of startups. We are building teams around good ideas and help them establish their own companies. Start ups have also an opportunity to explore their ideas through the CE PoliMaT Innovation Office at the centre of polymers in Akron, USA.. The third aspect of our business is to promote the transformation of innovation into economic exploitation. All of the above lead to the creation of more jobs in Slovenia which is extremely important to us. In this regard, we have an opportunity to help Slovenia take leadership at the centre of an international network of biopolymer research, development and commercialisation. CE PoliMaT is actively building a Global Biopolymer Network currently involving institutions in selected parts of Europe, the USA and Africa, namely the Austen BioInnovation Institute (Akron, USA), the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, the Harvard Kennedy School (Boston, USA), JKUAT (Nairobi, Kenya), VDI/ VDE Innovation (Berlin, Germany), the Polymer Competence Center (Leoben, Austria) and CE PoliMaT (Ljubljana, Slovenia). This
01 Mateja Dermastia, Executive Director 02 Professor Andrej Kržan and his group at JKUAT Kenya
studies to work on and they come up with solutions. For example, one of the companies is going to implement a student idea in the summer.
What are the plans for this year? Q A This year is the last year that we get full
02
network builds upon the strengths of participating institutions and companies with a focused approach to realworld problems that can be addressed through appropriate technological approaches involving advanced materials and biopolymers.
Q You mentioned that you have established an office in Akron. A Yes, we are proud to have signed a visionary Memorandum of Understanding with the Austen BioInnovation Institute in Akron (ABIA). ABIA represents a unique collaboration of prestigious health care institutions focused on patient-centered innovation and commercialisation of biomaterials and medicine. This partnership resulted from a visit to Akron organised for us by the Slovenian Embassy in Washington. The economic development group of the city council with the mayor, the deputy mayor and directors of key institutions in Akron, spent a day with us and explained what they are doing and how they got there. They offered us different options for cooperation. Our 15 researchers have spent two months at a time there, they explored cooperation opportunities with research organisations; with the university; and with the companies there. The whole idea of this mission to Akron was to test if our research ideas and projects are relevant to the market – the USA is a market that gives you very fast feedback. The Akron delegation is coming in April and they will also take part in the ASPM conference which was originally a meeting of the Slovenian and Austrian polymer industry but, due to considerable interest, it is now an international conference with more than 200 people due to attend from all over the world. Q You are also working with Jomo Kenyatta University in Kenya.
A We have a good team that is working on micro-encapsulation of fertilisers. Such tech-
nology ensures cost optimisation of fertilisers and this is particularly important for Africa. The Harvard Kennedy School suggested to us to go to Kenya and explore this potential. We got in touch with Jomo Kenyatta University and we agreed that we will organise a workshop on the use of biopolymers in agriculture. The idea was to train 20 students for three days in three fields: agriculture; waste management and biopolymers for health. In the end 80 students participated in the workshop, it became a huge event and it was extremely successful.
Q What are CE PoliMaT’s biggest achievements since it was established in 2009? A Firstly, CE PoliMaT brings together science and industry. Slovenia has good science and good companies but lacks engineers who are able to transform laboratory knowledge into industrial scale. We formed research teams which are composed of experts from industry, from science and engineers. Because of this, we have managed to develop 64 innovations and out of those we know that for 13, industrial partners are interested in bringing them to the market. I think this is a good percentage. We also have a spinoff firm for agriculture micro encapsulation. We have three startup teams, all of them were trained in the United States and from one we are sending samples to an American company for tests. We have four patents and this year we will file 10 more. We have published 78 articles in highly regarded science and industry publications. What I am particularly proud of is that we have established a talent camp and biopolymer workshops that shows how to bring the knowledge together. They are not scientific or technology products but they offer an opportunity to industrial partners that, together with CE PoliMaT, we can bring students together and give them case
financing from the government. What we have to do therefore is finalise all tasks and results that we promised in our tender application. The most important are all the activities and all the results which will provide CE PoliMaT with sustainability after the financing ends. CE PoliMaT shall further promote our Global Biopolymer Network to source innovative ideas at an international level and to support the formation of dynamic international consortia which will be able to start working together. We will explore the idea of how to work with multilateral agencies and foundations in particular for our development oriented projects. Next month will be very busy. In April we are hosting all our international partners from Europe, the United States and Africa as an introduction to the ASPM conference. The conference shall be held from 3 - 5 April 2013 and it is bringing together scientists and researchers from more than 38 countries. Two special events for multilateral agencies, development foundations and impact investors will take place in Vienna and Washington, both supported by Slovenian diplomacy. The goal is to create a CE PoliMaT Academy which will focus on the dissemination of knowledge which is developed through CE PoliMaT. Finally, CE PoliMaT has state-of-the-art research equipment and the idea is to prepare all the mechanisms that we need to be available for research and development, not only for CE PoliMaT’s industrial and scientific partners but also for the larger research and development community. <<
CE PoliMaT Tehnološki park 24, 1000 Ljubljana Slovenia T: +386 (0) 59081274 F: +386 (0) 59081279 E: info@polimat.si www.polimat.si
Business & Investment 2013
53
>>INNOVATION & SCIENCE IEDC-Bled School of Management:
Developing leaders for a better world Innovative teaching methods - in the service of high-impact learning
As an educational institution focused on developing responsible future leaders, and with a desire to be part of building a better future, we at IEDC-Bled School of Management seek to maximise the impact of the education that our students receive. Something that we as educators often don’t reflect upon enough is what it is that we are actually doing. I am reminded of a famous quote attributed to Socrates: “Education is about kindling a flame, not filling a vessel”. Often I worry that education is understood more as a filling of a vessel and far less as kindling a flame. What Socrates meant of course is that filling a vessel – giving people new ideas, concepts, theories, skills – is only part of the educational equation, and in fact not the most important part. What great education does is encourage a flame within students; a burning desire to take new ideas, concepts, theories, skills actively forwards into the future with a burning desire to continuously engage in
The MBA Innovation Award In 2012, the Association of MBAs (AMBA) - a leading authority and international accreditation body on postgraduate management education – awarded the MBA program of IEDC-Bled School of Management with The MBA Innovation Award for being one of the four most innovative in the world (among 700 MBA programmes, accredited by AMBA, from 195 business schools in over 75 different countries).
54
Business & Investment 2013
lifelong learning. What this actually means is that education – in addition to presenting rigorously developed, research rooted knowledge – is about creating memories that are more than facts, figures, theories and concepts. It is about creating memories that flame in the minds and hearts of students to live out that which they have learned and to continuously seek to learn more. Recently I published an article in the journal Management Learning, in which I refer to this as “memories with momentum”. What education needs to focus more upon is creating an educational experience which lives on with students in momentous ways. That is to say, we need to engage in educating with a view to creating learned memories which remain with students and inform their future practice. In my teaching, and across IEDC’s curriculum, this is a significant focus. While the content is based on firm foundations of academically rigorous, researched, tested material, the delivery of this content is targeted towards creating memories with momentum. We do not shy away from exploring, improvising with and innovating on how to maximise students’ experiences in the classroom. We absolutely focus on kindling flames for taking this learning forwards and in developing the desire to never stop learning, no matter how many certificates or degrees one may have earned. In our continuous striving for this we
01 IEDC is a stunning architectural space designed by a prize winning Slovene architect Vojteh Ravnikar. 02 Since 1986, over 63 000 participants from 70 countries have joined IEDC’s community and become ambassadors for the school around the world. 03 Professor Danica Purg
heavily focus upon experiential, action learning methods. Within this overall focus we employ a wide range of processes and experiences. Some of these practices may be familiar. For example, in most of our MBA courses there is a focus on case studies. Additionally, all of our MBA students engage in real world consulting projects with real companies working with real problems. However, some of our methods are also unique innovations. In particular we have been focused on blending business and the arts. Across our programmes, from PhD to MBA to open enrollment courses, you can find elements of the arts furnishing the experiences of students. We use the arts to help our students shift mindsets towards questions about ethics, morality, and philosophy as well as to engage in more sympathetic and empathetic processes. Through dialogues with artists, engaging in arts-based practices (e.g. conducting choirs, painting, sculpture) participants also gain fundamental insights into major 21st century business issues such as creativity and innovation processes.
01
IEDC at glance
02
• highly relevant, practice oriented programmes • world class professors • innovative approach to leadership development - learning from the metaphors of art, sports and science • diverse international participants • personalised approach to people and programmes • regional expert, global recognition
This all lies in the service of creating momentous learning, educational and developmental memories for our students. As they learn essential skills, functional knowledge and more, and as we raise essential questions around ethics, morality and philosophy, we do so in highly engaging ways, creating memories which kindle flames for the future. Additionally, the school is focused not only on employing such methods, but in developing cutting edge research around management and leadership education and practice.
IEDC’s latest invention learning accelerator studios Recently we began a project focusing on the hot topic of MOOCs (Massive, Open, Online Courses). With our alumni we are taking the ‘Leading Strategic Innovation in Organizations’ MOOC, delivered by Dr David Owen of Vanderbilt University (USA), combined with five learning accelerator studios being held at IEDC. This blended learning format is an innovation dreamed up by myself and two of our visiting faculty members, Prof. Nancy Adler and Prof. Arshad Ahmad. Along with this blended learning experience, and in collaboration with Dr Owen, we are leading a research project on the experience of MOOC participants, exploring this phenomenon’s pluses and minuses, and how it can be harnessed to further executive education globally. In conclusion, business education for the 21st century must absolutely address the fundamental questions of our times. As academics, researchers and educators we must actively work to facilitate student en-
03
Ethics must be core to study
We are used to talking about the “economic” or “financial” crisis when describing the global crisis the world suffers today. The question is, however, whether the crisis is much deeper than being “economic” or “financial”. The answer is given by those who consider the crisis particularly as a “moral” crisis. Of course leaders took wrong decisions, the models of financial engineering were inadequate but more important is the question of why skilled and experienced people were able to cause such a crisis. How is it possible that business leaders ceased options and shares for billions of dollars and euros before the companies went into bankruptcy. How is it possible that experts gave triple-A ratings to mortgages that were not backed by real guarantees. The answer, in my opinion, can be found in the understanding of the philosophy of the neo-liberal ideology that society will be better off if everybody is maximising their own interests. In the meantime we have learnt that this does not work because nobody takes final responsibility for issues of common interest or for the society at large, that solidarity disappears out of society and that the gap between rich and poor is growing. At IEDC-Bled School of Management we never believed that the sum of all self-interests will lead to a common or general interest. From the late 1980s, business ethics have been an important topic in our postgraduate studies. In recent years, IEDC and a number of business schools in Central and Eastern Europe have become active members of the PRME – movement, the United Nations initiative to promote responsible leadership and management. This organisation has 500 members, including the most well-known schools in the world, from 80 countries and it became a global movement for responsible management education and in September 2013, the global PRME conference will take place in Bled. << Professor Danica Purg Dean, IEDC and Chair of the PRME Steering Committee for 2013 gagement with these questions, particularly around ethics, morality and philosophy. How we do this also needs to be addressed. The millennia old format of passive learning (lecturing to students who sit silently in a lecture hall) just isn’t working. We need to think deeply not only about what we are passing along to our students, but how we are passing the knowledge along. We need to engage students in actively co-creating the learning environment through experiential, action based learning. We need to focus not on filling vessels but of kindling flames full of momentous learning memo-
ries which drive future action and inspire future learning. << Dr. Ian Sutherland Executive PhD Director and Deputy Dean for Research IEDC-Bled School of Management Prešernova 33, 4260 Bled Slovenia T:+386 4 57 92 500 F: +386 4 57 92 501 E: info@iedc.si www.iedc.si
Business & Investment 2013
55
>>AUTOMOTIVE OVERVIEW
Photos by Shutterstock
Preserving a Competitive Edge
The automotive industry continues to be the engine of the Slovenian economy. Although globally the industry is experiencing tough times, in Slovenia the sector continues to grow in terms of revenue, although the growth rate is lower than that of previous years. The massive role the automotive sector plays in Slovenia is self-evident: 222 companies generating EUR 3.2bn in revenue in 2011 representing 10% of the country’s GDP. Furthermore, 80% of the products and services are exported, representing 21% of total Slovenian exports. With almost 15,000 employees, the sector is also one of Slovenia’s biggest employers. The number of highly qualified people working directly and indirectly for car and truck manufacturers totals 147,000. Some 6,000 students are enrolled in undergraduate courses in mechanical, electrical and electronics engineering. The number of students in secondary schools for automotive and related industries is nearly 7,000. 56
Business & Investment 2013
“It is the quality of the industrious and creative Slovenian people that ensures high professional and technical standards, process and financial controls, management systems and customer satisfaction,” the Public Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investment says on its website. “Knowledge of foreign languages and high interpersonal skills are an asset in an industry where only the best get to supply original equipment manufacturers.”
Continuous growth In Slovenia, during the crisis, there haven’t been any measures to promote the sale of
cars such as those in some other European Union countries but this also had a positive impact on the businesses of Slovenian suppliers. A significantly greater impact was the introduction of a credit line by SID Bank for a clean and energy-efficient Slovenian supplier industry, where companies received, based on the elaborates, long-term loans for industrialisation projects in the areas of emission reduction and energy efficiency of vehicles. This measure enabled Slovenian companies to follow their customers during a time of reduced cashflow and to sustain their long-term competitiveness. It certainly helped as the sector’s revenue grew by 15% from 2010 to 2012. Sales by Slovene suppliers were EUR 3.2bn in
2008, EUR 2.4bn in 2009, EUR 2.8bn in 2010 and EUR 3.2bn in 2011. The first half of 2012 was, for Slovene automotive suppliers, successful. According to estimates by Automotive Cluster of Slovenia members, sales increased between 5% and 10% (forecast at the end of 2011), depending on the segment in which the companies operate. In the second half of the year, sales are expected to fall between 2% and 6% so the expectation is that the sales will, in comparison to last year, be 2% – 3% higher on average. Dušan Bušen, President of the Automotive Cluster of Slovenia, believes that automotive companies which sell most of their products to European car makers will face problems next year, while the rest of the automotive industry is expected to grow in 2013.
Innovation is key According to Bušen the secret to the automotive industry’s success is the dedication to innovation. “On average, Slovenia’s automotive companies invest 5% of their turnover in development and 12% in new technology,” Bušen says. “This means we have been able to seize the opportunities offered by development trends in the automotive industry including hybridisation and the technology for making vehicles Despite the fact that the majority of the automotive industry in Europe and the world is currently facing difficulties linked to the fall in demand, new opportunities are opening up for future development. “For the long-term competitiveness of the Slovene automotive industry it is very important to support three development centres in the fields of electric mobility, high- processed castings and electronics,” Bušen said at the Cluster’s seventh annual convention. “More investment in research, development and innovation, training and educa-
tion of employees and engineers is necessary,” he added. Bušen pointed to strong integration in global supply chains as the main advantage of Slovenian companies in this area, but warned of a shortage of staff specialising in technical professions as a limiting factor for expansion “We have to make the engineering profession more attractive.”
Competitive edge In order to preserve the sector’s competitive edge, the influential cluster - which last year helped its members enter the markets of Japan, Turkey, Ukraine, Tatarstan, Germany and Serbia - is also eyeing a push into the sector of sustainable mobility as part of a new strategy that the association plans to draft by spring 2013. The strategy document, which has been labeled as the first of its kind in the Slovenian industry, is based on the European Commission’s CARS 2020 strategy for the automotive sector and Slovenia’s industrial strategy for the 2014-2020 EU budget periods. Referring to the strategy, State Secretary at the Ministry for Economic Development and Technology, Uroš Rožič, pointed out that one of the strongest and most promising industries in Slovenia is undoubtedly the automotive industry in which particularly important are companies working in the metal-working and electrical engineering fields. He said that Slovenia must tap into the opportunities offered by EU policies in this area and step up cooperation with important Slovenian trade partners. He added that Slovenia has the knowledge, skills, technology and trained staff to implement smart specialisation such as a move into sustainable mobility which will form the backbone of future economic development. Indeed, many will agree with him and the figures say it all – the automotive sector is an industry with a promising future.<<
Key figures 2011 Number of companies: 222 Number of employees: 14,966 Revenues (€): 3.5 billion Exports (€): 3 billion Key export markets: Austria, Croatia, Hungary, France, Germany, Italy, Mexico, Romania, Spain, Turkey, UK, USA Source: AJPES, 2012
Key products: • Seats and seat components • Components and materials for interior furnishing • Car body parts • Components for braking systems • Mechanical and electric/electronic components for engines • Exterior equipment and body lighting equipment • Exhaust systems • Engine and gearbox components • Steering system components • Drive components • Other systems and components • Manufacturing spot welding equipment • Tooling for automotive industry • Research, testing and other development activities Business & Investment 2013
57
>>AUTOMOTIVE
On a Good Road for 15 years
Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires is one of the leading tyre manufacturers in South East Europe. The company, celebrating its 15th anniversary on July 1, is solely owned by Goodyear Dunlop Tires Europe B. V., a subsidiary of Goodyear, one of the largest tyre manufacturers in the world employing approximately 69,000 people and manufacturing its products in 52 facilities in 22 countries around the world.
Some of the company’s latest top products and innovations are: Goodyear EfficientGrip Performance, summer passenger tyre available in 90 sizes, delivers some of the highest European label grades commercially available on the market today, with an A-label on wet grip and a B-label for rolling resistance. Also in noise, the third label criteria, the tyre delivers some of the lowest decibel values available on the market for such a range of sizes. As of 1 March 2013 a total of 23 tyre sizes are available, of which 21 are BA rated, accounting for approximately 91% of the total available portfolio at this time.
01
Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires manufactures and markets tyres for passenger cars and trucks, industrial and construction machinery and motorcycles. The company product range consists of five tyre brands: Goodyear, Dunlop, Sava, Fulda and Debica. In Kranj, Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires specialise in the production of high-performance tyres and is one of the most complex Goodyear factories in Europe. Since the company started to operate in 1998, Goodyear has invested more than EUR 190m in Slovenia and the majority of this investment went into the development and modernisation of the factory. Today, the plant can boast double the capacity and make more than seven million tyres per year – twice as many as in 1998. In addition to flexible production, the factory has achieved exceptional results in work safety, environmental protection and continuous improvements. 58
Business & Investment 2013
Since 2003, Kranj has also been the location of Goodyear’s main distribution centre for South East Europe. The distribution centre is located near the factory and can house up to 600,000 tyres. “We export more than 90% of the locally manufactured tyres to European and other countries through the Goodyear distribution net, assuring safety and comfort to drivers around the world”, says Thierry Villard, Managing Director for Central and South-East Europe. According to the company, its efforts to achieve optimal results are reflected in the satisfaction of its associates, customers, owners and the local environment. From the beginning, Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires has been amongst the biggest Slovenian companies in terms of sales and number of employees. “Around 1,400 employees at the company headquarters in Kranj, work hard every
Dunlop Sport BluResponse also delivers the European BA label on rolling resistance and wet grip respectively. On wet, the new Sport BluResponse benefits from large central grooves that evacuate water efficiently, especially at high speed, delivering high quality aquaplaning performance. The tyre has impressive wet braking, with up to 3 metres shorter braking distance versus the average results of competitors in tests. AMT (Air Maintenance Technology) one of the newest Goodyear innovations for maintaining air in the tyres. This unique system that will initially be available for transport vehicles will save time, increase security and reduce tyre wear as well as fuel consumption which sharply increases under low pressure.
We care for our communities
02
“We know that we can only thrive globally if we are building on local relationships. We are building a long-term relationship with our communities based on mutual understanding and respect,” says Villard. Based on its achievements and best practices in environmental management, the company launched Pay Attention to the Environment campaign back in 2010. The campaign focuses on encouraging teenagers to recycle, uniting 36 partners in educating high school students about the importance of proper waste management. As part of the campaign, high schools compete in recycling. Students – ECOfriends encourage their friends to pay more attention towards their environment. Goodyear has been very active in its attempt to increase road safety – both with the help of the tyres it produces, and by various educational road safety campaigns. In Slovenia, Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires has been organising a campaign called Safety for kids, raising road safety awareness among children. The company has so far donated over 50,000 safety vests to kindergartens and schools all across Slovenia. Since 2011, the company has also donated over EUR 100,000 worth of speed displays to many municipalities in Slovenia and Croatia.
Looking after the environment 03 01 Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires 02 As part of the Pay Attention to the Environment campaign, ECOfriends encourage their friends to pay more attention towards their environment 03 The company has so far donated over 50,000 safety vests to kindergartens, as well as over EUR 100,000 worth of speed displays to many municipalities in Slovenia and Croatia.
day to ensure the high quality business practice that makes Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires one of the largest, most successful and most highly renowned Slovenian companies”, says Villard. “Quality is the driving force behind everything we do – our products, service, behavior and work ethic.
Innovation is key The mission of Goodyear is to increase the value of its brands through market-driven innovation and to deliver the highest quality tyres, related products and services for its customers and consumers globally.
The Goodyear innovation centre in Luxemburg ensures that all the tyres are manufactured in accordance with the latest available technology, while local associates are responsible for high quality production. “At Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires, we can manufacture more that seven million car and truck tyres per year. All the tyres undergo a rigorous inspection process before they can enter the warehouse and be sold to the end user”, explains Villard.“ Through continuous improvements, we are constantly enhancing the quality of our products and processes, improving the reliability of our supply, reducing business costs and making our employees aware of the need to find room for improvement. The Goodyear innovation centres in Luxembourg and Akron (Ohio, USA) are responsible for research and development activities as well as for the manufacturing and testing of new tyres. The company’s researchers and engineers work together with the marketing department to implement the next-generation tyre technologies based on new trends and consumer demands.
While striving for perfection, the company remains committed to protecting the environment and the communities in which it operates. The numbers speak for the company’s environmental efforts. In 2007, the company stopped disposing of its waste in landfills. With its systematic recycling system, Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires was able to reduce municipal waste by 92% between 1999 and 2012. It also encourages its suppliers to protect the environment - it now receives more than 60% of its raw materials in returnable containers. <<
Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires d.o.o. Škofjeloška cesta 6 4000 Kranj, Slovenia T: +386 (0)4 207 7000 F: +386 (0)4 207 7500 www.sava-tires.si
Business & Investment 2013
59
>>AUTOMOTIVE
Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All About Prestige Automotive signal lights maker, odelo from Prebold, was named 2012 Foreign Investor of the Year. The company produces systems and components for rear lights for the most prestigious car brands such as Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Porsche, Bentley, Ferrari, Maybach and Rolls Royce. Based in Schwaikheim, Germany, the odelo Group has six companies in Germany and Slovenia. In 2011 it became fully owned by the Istanbul-based company, Bayraktarlar Holding. Klaus Holeczek, General Manager of odelo Slovenija and Chief Operating Officer of odelo Group, explains how the company plans to accomplish its long-term goal: to become one of the top manufacturers in the world on par with WCM - World Class Manufacturing.
for market share with innovative solutions, quality, cost performance, customer satisfaction, on time deliveries etc. Again, it all comes down to gaining customer trust and being their best choice. Because of an expected downtrend in Europe, manufacturers and suppliers must adjust to these new circumstances.
Q What is the companyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest potential in Slovenia?
A Our greatest potential is our employees.
01
How would you sum up the work of odelo? Q A As General Manager, I managed the odelo Prebold plant in Slovenia from its first day and initially it was pioneering work - building the plant, transferring projects and production and being faced with fulfilling market and customer demands for cost/OTD/quality in the production of moulding, metallising and assembly. Since then, odelo Slovenija has grown from a company of around 20 employees to a firm with over 800 employees and has become one of the most recognised producers of 60
Business & Investment 2013
high-quality tail lights, centre high mounted stop lights and signal lights for premium class cars.
Q Where do you see the biggest potential for growth in your industry?
A The automotive market worldwide is still growing, but unfortunately not in Europe. Because European suppliers to the automotive industry supply manufacturing for the European market, potential has to be found within the existing market volume. This means every supplier has to fight
We have young, highly educated and motivated employees who are the main reason for our success. They, without a doubt, have a vital role in our customers satisfaction with odelo Slovenija. We have a special emphasis on the education of each employee and development of prospective personnel and we strive to ensure they have a high level of professionalism. Moreover, we promote individual responsibility and emphasize the importance of continuous improvement by each individual and the team in the process of creating satisfied and motivated employees, which is also important for our products. Here we see the greatest success and potential of the company and that is how we set the foundation for our long term success. We also have great support from our colleagues in Germany who have years of engineering experience in automotive lighting and together with them and our new investors/owners, the Bayraktarlar family, we have great potential for our improvement in the lighting business.
Q In terms of business, production and if applicable, products, how has the company changed since you took over? How would you evaluate 2012 in terms of financial results? A Odelo Slovenija finished the year within expectations. Although we again had a record year, revenue was slightly below plan. We managed to compensate with cost savings, lower material usage and internal potential. Basically, the main point is customer trust which is gained by On Time Delivery, with the right product, right quality, at
02 01 Klaus Holeczek, General Manager of odelo Slovenija and Chief Operating Officer of odelo Group 02 odelo employees
the right price. If we maintain a good relationship with the customer and show that we can meet their demands, we increase our competitive edge when new business is awarded.
Q Last year you were the only company in Slovenia that was awarded the TPM (Total Productive Maintenance) award. What does winning this mean to you? A In March, odelo Slovenija became the first company in Slovenia with the international TPM Award, awarded by the International TPM Institute, for the company’s successful introduction of lean production. With this, we increased the cost efficiency of production which is definitely an advantage for our customers. However, lean production does not end with the TPM award. Winning the award means that we have reached a certain level of lean production which we have to maintain and upgrade. There are a lot of possibilities to introduce new ways for lean production. An upgrade and constant improvement of lean produc-
tion is our priority on our way to being among the best. We are still on our way for the Roadmap 2015 WCM goal. Now we need to stabilise at this level and follow our goals and activities step by step.
Q What are the plans and expectations for 2013 and beyond?
A We expect to further grow our business. We have new projects, starting in 2013, with our main customers. The growth rate in the coming years will not be as steep as in the past, but we want to stabilise our production, focus on internal potential and become a world class automotive supplier by 2015. The whole company always strives for excellence, looking for improvement potential. This shows us that we are on the right path and that we mustn’t stop but continue pushing ourselves toward future goals and improvement. Customer satisfaction is our main focus. We place great importance on treating one another with respect. Outstanding quality cannot guarantee customer satisfaction by itself, but it is an essential basis for the decisions made by our clients, our suppliers and our business partners. Product quality is not the only cornerstone of odelo’s success. We take an integrated approach and
our quality expectations also influence our processes. This is the only way to ensure customer satisfaction and thus our own commercial success. Innovation is always the key to our long term existence and that is why we always introduce the latest technology and knowledge into our production processes. One of our long term goals is to play among the best production companies in the world and to achieve the WCM (World Class Manufacturing) level. It is important to have strong discipline and to make small steps toward continuous improvement in quality, cost, lead time, flexibility and customer service and to make our plants flexible and competitive with the best in the world. And in the future we would also like to put more attention on local sourcing. <<
odelo Slovenija d.o.o. Tovarniška c. 12, 3312 Prebold, Slovenia T: +386 (0) 3 703 45 00 F: +386 (0) 3 703 46 00 E: info@odelo.si http://www.odelo.si
Business & Investment 2013
61
>>AUTOMOTIVE
The Kolektor brand is an assurance of innovative products for global enterprises. The Kolektor concern marks its 50th anniversary this year. Since its beginnings, the company has developed into a respected multinational enterprise. Its operations are focused on three areas: automotive industry products, products for the home, and energy engineering. We talked to Stojan Petrič, Chairman of the concern. Q Kolektor marks its 50th anniversary in 2013. Over the decades, what started as a simple workshop has developed into a multinational enterprise active in the automotive industry, energy engineering and products for the home. When it comes to future development, what areas are you focusing on? A The future of the concern continues to be contingent on our ability to provide products and solutions that will solve the technological problems and challenges of our customers. We also plan to continue expanding our market network across the world. As far as Slovenia is concerned, our goal is to remain one of the largest industrial companies. On a global scale, we are hoping to reach the category of medium-sized enterprises. More specifically, we are looking to develop and market green technologies that will reduce the carbon footprint. In the field of energy engineering, we plan to work on solutions for efficient energy conversion and to develop smart grids. In Slovenia, we want to bring the industry together wherever it is possible to achieve synergy; in this way we hope to become an even more influential player on the global market.
Q What would you describe as the crucial milestones in the 50 year history of Kolektor?
A There have been plenty of milestones, but in my opinion there were five that mattered the most. The first dates back to 1968 when a joint venture agreement was concluded between Kolektor and Kautt & Bux, a German company that at the time was the largest manufacturer of commutators. By signing the agreement, the then management made a very important, visionary move. The next milestone was in 1980 when the company made the leap from workshop manufacturing to large-scale serial production as the technology was developed to make commutators using tape for small electric motors. The technology was patented and was crucial for obtaining an investment in an automated production line. The third milestone was in the period 62
Business & Investment 2013
from 1990 to 1994, which saw a change of ownership as the German owner went bankrupt. Kirkwood Industries, a US company, then bought a 51% share in Kolektor. The fourth milestone was in 2002 when Slovenian owners bought out the US owner’s 51% share, gaining 100% ownership of Kolektor. The fifth and final milestone was in 2008 when we drew up the development strategy for 2008-2012. The strategy focused on three areas: the automotive industry, energy engineering and products for the home. From 1994 until the present day, we have worked actively on internationalising, diversifying and globalising the company operations. In this way, we were able to minimise the concern’s susceptibility to the global crisis; in fact, the company emerged from the 2009 crisis even stronger, having increased sales by over 70%. At the same time, Kolektor’s debts never exceeded 20% of the total sales.
Q What has Kolektor developed into in these 50 years?
A Today, Kolektor is a Slovenian multinational enterprise with a transnational culture. We have over 20 manufacturing companies; 90% of the turnover is generated by export. A third of our 3,000 employees work abroad. The total revenue of the concern is EUR 450m a year.
What is the secret of your success? Q A The secret is in our values - something that we have always developed - and in our focus, which is always on the customer. The values that we build on are responsibility to the environment, to our employees and to our customers. We put honesty and fairness first in everything that we do. We support innovation and team spirit. Individualism does not work for us. We have always put content before form, something that our global customers have not failed to notice. Our customers abroad know that Kolektor is a brand that stands for safety and trust in business. With its basic commuta-
tor programme, the Kolektor brand is just as well known as Bosch in the automotive industry. This is true of the European and Asian markets.
Q Kolektor is a company focused on development, making considerable investments in research and development. How do you implement this? A Ever since the 1970s, it has been standard practice in Kolektor to invest 5% of the revenue in development. In the last 20 years, we have been investing as much as 8%-10% of the revenue in development, which has led to a considerable leap in growth. Sales have increased by 15 times. Q How do you ensure growth? How important is organic growth compared to growth by acquisition? A The most recent acquisition took place in 2009-2010 when we bought Etra 33, a renowned transformer manufacturer. We immediately made a EUR 35m investment in the construction of a new Etra plant and technology for the manufacture of 400kW transformers. At the moment, a large share of our assets is focused on organic growth and increasing internal production capacities. By 2014, we will have invested in 10 new production lines, which will lead to an increase in revenue by at least EUR 30m. 50% of investments come from our own assets, while the remaining 50% is covered by SID Bank and foreign banks. Q One of the areas that you are particularly focused on is energy engineering. What energy engineering products and services do you offer? A Energy engineering is the future. In the concern’s strategy for 2008-2012, energy engineering was given priority as we believe that it provides an excellent basis for the continued growth of the concern. We are focused on finding advanced solutions, including on a turn-key basis, for distribution networks and industry use (low voltage transformer stations, etc.), for the con-
Stojan PetriÄ?, Chairman
struction and running of electric power equipment, for facilities for the production and transfer of energy (energy transformer control systems). We also offer our own competences for designing, engineering and realising technological assemblies for energy production (delivery, installation, start-up, maintenance, steering equipment, control and information equipment). Our goal is to increase the sales share of energy products and services from 17% across the entire concern to over 30% in the next five years.
able to introduce the resonant management approach as well as mentoring and friendly and democratic management styles. In other words, we are looking to achieve openness in sharing information and courage in the face of bad news, since we know that solving problems leads to progress. I support these management styles. I believe that we have succeeded in introducing them at the first and second levels but they will take a bit more work at the third level, the production process.
labour costs compared to the most developed countries such as Germany, France and others. Our past provides foreign investors with very good opportunities to utilise Slovenian employees, who are familiar with the culture of the Western Balkans, to place their products on the Balkan market, which is ten times the size of the Slovenian market. It is also an important fact that Slovenia is a stable and safe country. <<
Q What investment opportunities do you Q What is the usual management approach see in Slovenia for foreign companies? How in Kolektor? How would you describe the management and business culture? What kind of management approach do you personally use and prefer? A I would describe our management style as emotionally intelligent. This means that we control ourselves and our relationships and that we try to maintain a good atmosphere. To a certain extent, we have been
should they tackle the process?
A Slovenia has a relatively low corporate income tax rate of currently 18%. Slovenian employees, both those employed directly in production as well as highly trained staff, do not only master foreign languages but also display a high level of seriousness in performing professional and general tasks and all that with two to three times lower
Kolektor group d.o.o. Vojkova 10 5280 Idrija, Slovenia T: +386 (0)5 375 01 00 E: kolektor@kolektor.com www.kolektor.com
Business & Investment 2013
63
>>AUTOMOTIVE
01
Preparing for the Smart Future
Hella Saturnus Slovenija d.o.o. is renowned for the production of car lights and continues to achieve excellent results in their core business. The company is also branching out, developing LED lights for street lighting, car parks, airports and interiors. Although the crisis is deepening and the automotive sector is one of those most affected, Hella Saturnus is still registering good business results. The reason for this is that the company is well prepared, says Christof Droste, Managing Director of the lighting company. “During the crisis the market, especially for small cars, was very much supported by subsidies. We expected that after the subsidies finished the market would drop again. In March 2012 we planned a scenario where, after the summer holidays, the market would drop by 30%. The market actually dropped 10% and we were quite lucky. We prepared a very bleak scenario on purpose to be able to imagine what we should do if that drop really happened. “The operative business will suffer this year. But nevertheless we intend to renovate an entire production area completely for the production of full LED headlamps for Porsche. We are using this unfavourable year to do the necessary adjustments in our production to prepare for the future.” 64
Business & Investment 2013
The company has already acquired a lot of new business: for 2015 it has confirmed orders for almost 3.5 million headlamps. In Slovenia, the highest number of headlamps Hella Saturnus produced in a business year so far was 3.3 million and for the 2012/2013 year, the company expects to produce 2.5 million. In preparing for the future, the company also has the responsibility within the group to reconfigure its Indian after-market plant to an original equipment plant. In 2012, Hella Saturnus was also given the responsibility to be the “mother ship”, that is, from 2013 the responsibility for all the technologies inside a new plant in China. The planning was done in 2012 and the construction will be done in 2013. A highlight of the company’s growth is that during the last two years they have employed more than 100 engineers and in all, they now have approximately 200 engineers. “In terms of number of engineers, we are probably one of the biggest plants in Slove-
02
nia,” Droste argues. “We have also been appointed competence centre for interior lamps at this location so we will need another 20 engineers by May 2013.” Regarding the finances things are also looking up and although the plans are ambitious they are easily achievable. “We came from a EUR 90m turnover; during the crisis we went up to EUR 260m which will now decline with this new crisis to around EUR 200m. Our vision for 2020 is to achieve EUR 500m profitable revenue,” says Droste.
First of its Kind In 2012, the company was given the task to develop the competence centre for single function lamps: these are the smaller lamps on a car with a single function such as indicator lights. For this project, Hella Saturnus employed, for six months, a lead engineer from Germany as an expert to do the training at the location. The centre is already bearing fruit. In the current business year the company realised its first “full LED”project: infiniti fog lamp in LED technology. “There are some chips where more than one LED is integrated in the chip,” explains Droste. “It is usually a multichip LED and the thing with LEDs is that the relative position to each other must always be the same and this is quite expensive for multichip. So it is less expensive to do it with single chip and in LED nobody in the market had achieved it until we did for the Nissan fog lamp. This is a single chip LED and was achieved by the LED department. This is the first of its kind on the market.” Following the launch, the supplies were moving at 1,440 pairs a week. “So far, it seems good,” says Tadej Cajhen, the project development leader. “Our first LED fog light has been well received. There is also a lot of interest for it among the local dealers in Japan that equip cars according to the wishes of their customers.”
The Hella Saturnus production team has also been preparing for the most important phase in the development of fog lamps: the successful launch of the assembly lines. It is a novelty among lines with a revised design which will be the trend for future generations of fog lamps. “We can’t afford mistakes,” says Cajhen. “It is a pilot product made exclusively in Slovenia. Our mission is to provide effective individual procedures in the process of producing fog lights, optimal internal logistics and cleanliness of components, following the prescribed instructions for packing. LED products are built with expensive electronics that no one wants to scrap, if any mistakes happen we can easily talk about the tens of thousands of euros of cost.” Approximately 80% of the production of fog lamps within the group is done in Slovenia. The company plans to expand into Asia and America so that in a few years only 50% of fog lamp production will occur in Slovenia. “But that doesn’t mean less production,” reassures Droste “it means even more than we are doing today as the overall number produced will increase considerably”.
Branching Out In 2012, the company has also done a lot in the non-automotive segment of the business. “In 2007 Hella moved into non-automotive business,” explains Droste. “We are very much dependent on the automotive business but in the long term, we will need a second leg to depend on. Now, with the crisis, we have been proven completely right. “At that time we were brainstorming about what we can do and what was clear was that in this segment of the automotive business, we have to use at least one of our core competencies and not go for something completely new that we have never done in the past. Light, for sure, is our core competence, hence the street lamp business and now interior lighting. 01 Smart street lighting 02 Christof Droste, Managing Director, Hella Saturnus Slovenija d.o.o. 03 Tadej Cajhen with LED fog lamp for the Infiniti Q50 04 Infiniti Q50
03
04
“This is our big advantage, the industry and the customers are slowly understanding this, that it is good that somebody from car manufacturing is doing it because we are experts in lights, that our light distribution is one of the best, if not the best in the market. “That means we are using the energy much more efficiently than the others - we can do it with lower voltage than others because we use the light differently. We can also do the proper calculation for the places as to how much light is needed. One of Hella Saturnus’ biggest achievements in this segment so far is the development of smart lamps in the area of public lighting, which were jointly developed with Slovenian partner, Envigence. “Those lights are just coming out of our series production ready for smart cities and municipalities,” says Droste. Slovenian municipalities have already ordered 5,000 smart street lamps integrated in the cognitive network, capable of learning, memorising and reasoning, The company also produces LED lights for darker premises such as parking garages. Currently, some old garage lighting is being replaced with LED tubes. “Today you can buy tubes with LEDs inside” explains Droste. “But LEDs are not made for tubes and vice versa. So you end up using the same number of lights as before and with worse light distribution than before. “If instead of tubes you would use our LED lights, we would do a completely new configuration for the whole parking lot and you can do it with fewer lamps than before. With rising energy prices in Germany, the payback period is less than a year. In Slovenia, the company also developed a retrofit kit for old street lamps to put its LED module into the existing lamp. It is on one hand making it less expensive for customers to exchange to new technologies. “What is even more important from my point of view,” says Droste, “is that it is simply saving resources: why throw good housing in the bin when it is possible to still use that housing with a retrofit, preparing it for the future.” There seems to be plenty of light at the end of the Hella Saturnus tunnel. <<
HELLA Saturnus Slovenija d.o.o. Letališka cesta 17 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 520 33 33 E: info@saturnus.hella.com www.hella-saturnus.si
Business & Investment 2013
65
>>ENERGY OVERVIEW
01
Old Industry, New Business Model When talking about the energy sector, we generally think of large scale investment in generation, transmission and distribution infrastructure. Yet the changes we are witnessing in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy markets are more extensive than ever before. The old business models are outdated while the new ones havenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t yet been developed. If both the regulated segments of the value chain, transmission and distribution, somehow have their strategies cleared, particularly in terms of investment in smart grids and integration of distributed generation, the situation both upstream and downstream is much more uncertain. The main issues of new downstream business models in the retail segment are how to engage customers, how to change their perception of the traditional energy industry, how the customers can become active participants in the energy value chain through demand response programmes. It needs a much more holistic approach where consumer trust will play an important role. Electricity will no longer be a low involvement product thus making the role of consumer education more important. Additionally, the recently adopted Energy Efficiency Directive offers retailers and utilities 66
Business & Investment 2013
some incentives for the development of new business models. The upstream business, on the other hand, faces far more difficult and different challenges. Power generation in Europe is challenged by big shifts in the geopolitical environment. Slovenia does not play a decisive role however, future development in Europe will not only affect Sloveniaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s energy industry but also the economy as a whole. Slovenia must therefore develop a consistent and sustainable energy strategy which will result in a balanced lower carbon and competitive energy mix over the next
10 to 15 years. The German Energy Transition, a result of post Fukushima sentiment, is an ambitious programme although with effects way beyond national borders. It is paving a faster way toward a low carbon future, as originally planned within the EU goals, whilst opening some new issues connected with system stability, potential reregulation and the economics of new investment. Extensively subsidised wind and solar generation is pushing the wholesale electricity price down thus making conventional generation unprofitable. Not that con-
Extensively subsidised wind and solar generation is pushing the wholesale electricity price down thus making conventional generation unprofitable.
02
03
04
01 02 03 04 05
Nuclear power station, KrĹĄko Gas pipeline Termoelektrarna Ĺ oĹĄtanj Wind generation Solar cells
05
ventional generation should be preferred but the fact is that the system cannot cope without it. It is obvious that the mid-term solution shall include a form of renewable generators commitment to take more responsibility for the stability of the whole system. The remaining conventional plants will not be able to shoulder that burden alone. European customers will not be able to bear constant electricity price increases as a result of the growing need for renewable subsidies. One of the two main problems is gas generation which is currently completely out of the market and preventing any in-
vestment in new plants, although it is technically still irreplaceable. In addition, Europe is increasing its coal consumption while the US is changing from coal to its cheap shale gas. This is a geopolitical issue to which the EU Energy Policy shall adjust and be more operative. The second problem is that it seems that the only profitable investments in new generation facilities in Europe are those which are being subsidised through feed-in schemes. Debates about the establishment of a s.c. capacity market which would obtain certain incentives for gas and other flexible, but reliable, generation may only lead to re-regulation and further fragmentation of the European energy market. Thus, Europe needs a more consistent and harmonised energy policy, one which will give a clear answer to the above mentioned challenges such as shale gas and oil. A policy which will enable a competitive European economy in the global market, attain greater alignment between European and national energy policies and prevent national interventionism. The stated price disproportions and lack of market based investment incentives are causing serious stagnation of investment activity and long term negative consequences in the European energy sector balance and stability. Furthermore, South East Europe is facing an even more troubled investment climate due to their higher borrowing costs and sovereign debt crisis. This makes it even more essential for Slovenia and other countries in the region to pursue a clear, progressive energy strategy based on long-term strategic thinking. A stable regulatory regime, transparent investment environment, simplified bureaucracy and permit processes are some of the prerequisites for prosperity in the sector. Fortunately, these new challenges in the sector also offer various opportunities for the local industry. Slovenia has well developed and innovative IT solutions for the energy sector which are already present in the competitive smart energy global market, from smart metres for surge protection solutions to system solutions for demand response. This is the sector of the industry with the greatest growth potential thus requiring special attention and support from national economic policy. << Business & Investment 2013
67
>>ENERGY EFFICIENCY
20 Years of Pure Success
This year marks 20 years since the BSH Group became the 100% owner of a small home appliances factory in Nazarje. During this time, the company’s subsidiary in Slovenia has gone from strength to strength in all aspects: employees, market share, revenue and profit. Since 1993 the factory in Nazarje has developed into BSH’s modern competence centre for the development and manufacture of small household appliances for food preparation and thermal appliances for beverage making under brands Bosch and Siemens. Today, the company is one of the most important and major production plants for small home appliances, not only in Slovenia but also in Europe. On average, the factory produces approximately 32,000 appliances per day and each day about 13 trucks leave the factory with finished products that reach end-users worldwide. Over 20 years, the number of employees in the company has increased almost threefold, with 1,236 employees at the end of 2012; EUR 178m has been allocated for investment and development projects, 78 million pieces of apparatus have been manufactured and revenues have increased more than 14 times (from EUR 21.8m in 1993 to EUR 316.8m in 2012 ).
68
Business & Investment 2013
The profit for 2012 remained the same as it was in 2011: EUR 30.1m with the number of manufactured appliances also the same at 6.8 million. Most of them (98%) were exported. So what are the reasons for such steady growth of the company? Gerald Schmidt, the chief executive officer, and Peter Eisermann, the chief technology officer, say it is the company’s ability and commitment to be innovative that keeps it ahead of the competition.
reliable and high quality products, which is also one of the main principles of our company. We have an experienced team that have been producing home appliances for more than 40 years in BSH and for more than 120 years in both of our mother companies (Siemens AG and Robert Bosch GmbH). What is also very important is that most of our products are produced and developed in our own locations and factories across the globe, including Nazarje.
Q What are the main differences between
Q At BSH Hišni aparati d.o.o. in Nazarje a
BSH products and other products on the market? A BSH is the most active company globally for patent innovation in the household appliances industry. Many inventions first introduced on the market come from BSH. From the technical side our main focus is the high quality of our entire product portfolio. So we have a big focus on producing
lot of emphasis is put on energy efficiency. Is it proving to be the right time for this? A Responsibility for the environment, employees and society has been firmly embedded in BSH Group’s business conduct and its corporate culture for many years. As part of a global group, we strive to achieve and accomplish our corporate sustainability strategy also at the local level. So each
• BSH has been in Slovenia for 20 years • In 2012 revenue was close to EUR 316.8m • The Nazarje factory produced 6.8 million appliances in 2012 • Investment reached EUR 13.6m in 2012 BSH Management team
year we are reducing energy consumption by a specific percentage and developing products that use less energy than in previous years and also less energy than appliances from our competitors. Namely, 90% of the effects on our environment originate from the usage of home appliance (throughout the entire lifecycle of the appliances) and only 10% from the production process. So it is very important for us to produce appliances that are energy efficient and also environment and user friendly. Just for information, the share of sales of our energy efficient appliances (energy efficiency level A++ and A+++) in the European market was more than 50% in 2012, 10% more than in 2011. With this large share, BSH is also the clear leader in sales of super-efficient home appliances in Europe.
Q How are people responding to “green innovations”, are they prepared to pay a higher price for quality, energy and water saving products? A Being the largest manufacturer of home appliances in Europe and one of the leading companies in our industry globally, BSH’s main goal is to develop energy efficient and environmentally friendly home appliances. For years, the BSH Group has been working consistently on decreasing the amount of energy and water used by household appliances. Our products contribute to environmental and climate protection and with improvements over the past 15 years, we have managed to achieve enormous savings of up to 70% of energy consumption in each product group of our appliances. Research shows that consumers are more and more aware of the importance of energy saving and energy efficiency in their home appliances. Not only because of higher electricity costs, but also because of the quality of their lives and the environment, which is
indirectly also affected by use of all the environmentally non-friendly technologies. We think and hope that, in the future, more and more people will start to realise that energy efficient home appliances, which are in the higher price range, are actually a midterm investment and contribute to a better quality of life.
Q How much can we save by buying the energy saving product and in how many years does the investment in green products pay off? A If we take, for example, a refrigerator that uses the most energy in a household since it operates 24 hours/day. Our most super-efficient refrigerator, A+++, costs approximately EUR 120 more than a refrigerator in energy class A+, but uses only half the energy. So the investment pays off after at least four years. Q Do you think that you will be able to follow price competition from some low price producers? A Yes. If we compare products with similar features, we are convinced that we are always competitive and guarantee the customer that he is buying a quality product. We will always offer good and quality performance of our appliances for a competitive price. But we will never reduce the quality of our appliances just to offer the cheapest appliance.
experienced coffee drinkers and expect good coffee quality. Coffee on demand is the other big trend at the moment, where you can just take your cup of coffee whenever you want with capsules. In Nazarje we are producing the “multi beverage” Tassimo appliance/brewer which can prepare various hot drinks – from coffee, tea to hot chocolate. At the moment users can choose among more than 50 various drinks that can be prepared with the Tassimo brewer. The area of food preparation currently more in “evolution than revolution”. We are reacting to the demands of the market and improving existing products with new features to make work at home easier. In the area of major domestic household appliances we have two aspects. One is energy consumption and the other is the intelligent management of household appliances (connectivity with eWorld). <<
Q What are the latest technical trends in the home appliance industry?
A If we talk about the small household appliances that we are producing in our factory at Nazarje, then we are referring to appliances for food preparation and coffee machines. Coffee is one of the biggest trends in the world, especially the fully automatic coffee machine. Our main technical challenge of recent years has been to provide the perfect coffee for the different ways of preparing coffee (espresso, cappuccino, latte, macchiato) for customers that are demanding and
BSH Hišni aparati d.o.o. Nazarje Savinjska cesta 30, 3331 Nazarje, Slovenia T: +386 (3) 83 98 222 F: +386 (3) 83 98 200 www.bsh-group.si
Business & Investment 2013
69
>>ENERGY EFFICIENCY
01
Innovation is the Key Knauf Insulation Škofja Loka is a part of the insulation division of the Knauf Group, a global leader in the insulation materials industry. Since 2007, Škofja Loka has been the Knauf Insulation’s European and CIS headquarters for industrial OEM applications. With a customer focused approach, the company has succeeded in transforming the former production driven company into a market driven company allowing it to sell insulation solutions all around the world. Over the past three years the company has grown nearly 50%.
The company in short
Knauf Insulation is recognised as one of the insulation leaders in the OEM industry owing to the fact that they offer unique insulation solutions which can be entirely tailor-made according to the needs of their customers and in line with their production process. They focus on providing fire protection, thermal and acoustic insulation solutions. Key customers are producers of sandwich panels, fire protection and multi-purpose doors, domestic appliances, road sound barriers and thermal solar systems. Their special products are also used as a growing medium in horticulture and for designing green roofs. One of the main characteristics of their business is that they do not have standard solutions because each 70
Business & Investment 2013
customer has specific needs which must be met. This gives them the opportunity for differentiation and the possibilities for strong collaboration with their customers.
The story On the brink of the economic crisis the company realised that the only way to go smoothly through the downturn was to be different than the competitors. Therefore they redirected the majority of the resources to focus on an internal programme for improving creativity and customer centricity. The thread of all these activities was value innovation or how to offer more to their customers at more profit for the company. The biggest shift was in the approach to the customer – instead of “blindly” producing
what customers were asking for, they started to study the customers’ needs, their processes and the way they used their products. At the same time they developed capabilities to test performance and the effect of their products when installed in customer products. This transformed the company from a commodity supplier fighting on prices to a solution provider and a valuable strategic development partner. Close collaboration, intensive communication and team work between the commercial, R&D and production teams enable them to provide prototypes of the products to their customers with a speed the competitors can hardly achieve. European legislation on energy performance requires, every year, higher standards for the outer insulation of buildings.
“We are credible, we are respected, we are copied. We are not followers but trend setters.”
Some major innovations that gave them the market advantage Kitchen ovens are one of the biggest energy consumers in households. Knauf Insulation improved the rock mineral wool insulation layer which was developed specially for high quality ovens, improving energy performance by up to 20 %. The uniqueness of the product gave them a special position in the global market and easy access to all major domestic appliance producers, doubling their turnover in two years. Being a major supplier to global fire protection door producers, they realised that users of regular doors would like to buy doors with some additional features. Therefore they developed a special insulation core for multipurpose doors with lower weight and better fire, thermal and acoustic insulation properties. For the same price, their customers can now produce doors with much better performance.
01 Knauf Insulation OEM Solutions. 02 Facade system with Knauf Insulation rock mineral wool insulation. Emirates Arena and the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Glasgow, UK. Image courtesy of Trimo d.d. Slovenia 03 Knauf Insualtion Green Solutions - a layer of Knauf Insulation rock mineral wool helps retain water, stimulate plant growth and reduce maintenance costs. Image source: Knauf Insulation OEM Solutions.
Sustainable development in recent decades has brought special importance to the use of solar energy. In thermal solar systems, the issue of effective transformation of heat into the energy always exists. There are many factors that can reduce or improve efficiency. Effective insulation of thermal solar panels is also crucial. By developing black emission free rock mineral wool insulation, they achieved better thermal insulation and no emissions on the solar collector’s screen, meaning the capacity of the collector stays unaffected throughout the lifetime of the product.
As the walls should not get thicker, Knauf Insulation has spent the last two years developing high performing rock mineral wool insulation. Currently they offer material for sandwich panel buildings, which has up to 15% improved thermal insulation performance and maintains or even improves other properties. The result can be seen in the double digit growth despite the decline in the “newly built” construction sector in recent years. To summarise – good customer understanding, flexibility, speed, challenging every rule in the industry and a good team who work closely together, are the key drivers of the success and a source of differentiation versus the competition.
Looking ahead
02
The future looks bright as they know how to manage their business in an unpredictable economic environment. Knauf Insulation OEM Solutions is aware that research and development, together with an innovative market approach, are crucial drivers of their business. Currently they are developing new solutions for the horticultural and landscaping industry where rock mineral wool in used for cultivation of plants in very dry areas. Global environmental problems (scarcity of water, high temperatures, food scarcity) are new challenges for the industry. They strive to de-
03
velop products which are specially designed for water conservation, higher crop yields and maintenance savings… to bring a higher quality of life for all of us. <<
Knauf Insulation d.o.o., Škofja Loka Trata 32, 4220 Škofja Loka, Slovenia T: +386 (0)4 5114 000 F +386 (0)4 5114 179 E: oem@knaufinsulation.com www.oem.knaufinsulation.com
Business & Investment 2013
71
>>BUILDING MATERIALS
01
Lafarge Cement Invests in Sustainable Future of Trbovlje and the Zasavje Region
Lafarge Group is the world’s largest manufacturer of building materials, the world’s largest producer of cement, and is present in 64 countries worldwide. This is the story of Lafarge in a small but warm and open city in Slovenia – Trbovlje.
Trbovlje Trbovlje lies in the geographic heart of Slovenia, is the biggest city in the Zasavje region and it stretches over seven kilometres along a narrow valley. Aside from being the cultural and administrative centre of Zasavje, Trbovlje’s progress and development is closely linked with the excavation of coal and the production of cement. At the beginning of the 19th century the extraction of coal began and in 1876 the cement plant was built. Trbovlje became the mining and industrial centre of the region.
Modernisation and sustainable development Present in 64 countries and with 68,000 employees, Lafarge is a world leader in 72
Business & Investment 2013
building materials, with top-ranking positions in its cement, aggregates & concrete businesses. In 2011, Lafarge posted sales of over EUR 15bn. In 2002, a new, sustainable path was set for the Trbovlje cement plant, when it joined the Lafarge group. “We are always striving toward making our operations more sustainable and Trbovlje is no exception.” emphasises Haimo Primas, the newly appointed General Manager of Lafarge Cement in Trbovlje. Since their presence in Trbovlje’s cement plant, they have invested over EUR 32m in its modernisation, helping it to become a modern European cement plant using the best available technology. Lafarge is one of the first industrials in Slovenia to commit to CO2 reduction. Their efforts have also shown results in Trbovlje. Their largest investment was made in 2007 when a sulphur reduction device was
installed and introduced. With an investment of EUR 10m, Lafarge has managed to reduce sulphur dioxide emissions by 97% and in 2008 when a new treatment plant for nitrogen oxide started to operate, there was an 85% reduction in emissions, yet another step toward sustainable development of the local environment. Protecting the environment has been their primary focus and their products are now even more costefficient, sustainable and environmentally friendly – just like their production, which could replace fossil fuels with alternatives, all of local Slovenian origin. ‘’With this, we are not only sparing limited natural resources but also solving an important industry-to-industry disposal problem. The challenge remains to further reduce our impact on the environment and produce more sustainable products for our customers.’’ adds Haimo.
Local community and social responsibility Lafarge firmly believes that a responsible company must meet the challenges of society and have an active role in the development of the communities within which it
02
03
operates, and that the implementation of proactive measures in favour of sustainability creates value not only for shareholders but also for its teams, its customers and all its stakeholders. In Trbovlje, their engagement reaches almost every segment of life in the local community. At first glance their acts of social responsibility are visible; in cooperation with the local community they improved the appearance of the entry to the town by renovating buildings and greening the area. Upgrading their efforts, Lafarge Cement Trbovlje developed an industrial path inside the plant to bring the operations of the plant closer to its stakeholders, also enriching the tourism offer of the area. The path leads a visitor through seven information points and reveals the complete process for the production of cement. This has turned out to be a very successful project; since the opening of the path there has been over 2,000 visitors, local residents, environmental experts, student groups and even visitors from abroad. Another green project they started couple of years ago was the rehabilitation of parts of the quarry where they excavate the raw materials for cement production (limestone and marl). They prepared a comprehensive long-term plan to stabilise the slopes and prepare the abandoned parts of the quarry for biodiversity restoration. Due to the complexity of the project, Lafarge in-
01 Guided plant tours are a hit which also bring additional visitors to Zasavje region 02 Haimo Primas, General Manager 03 Investment in modernisation results in a lower environmental footprint 04 Lafarge’s products - more sustainable and evironmentally friendly
Lafarge Cement d.o.o. Kolodvorska cesta 5 1420 Trbovlje T: +386 (0)3 56 52 300 F: +386 (0)3 56 52 440 E: info@lafarge.si www.lafarge.si
cluded various experts, from engineers to environmentalists, to help with the rehabilitation. The plan also includes the local community and in particular the youth from the local primary school. The campaign ’Adopt a tree‘ is an example, they do not want young people to just plant a tree but also to take care of it and monitor its growth. So far they have planted over 2,000 trees. The Trbovlje plant also has a stakeholder panel which offers a critical perspective on the sustainable development efforts. The panel, created in 2011, comprise representatives of the municipalities and different local associations who provide feedback on the plant’s operations with regard to sustainable development. “The stakeholder panel is a good way to receive feedback from the locals and to show that we care about their concerns. Their view and opinion about our work will help us in improving our performance and management” says Haimo Primas. Their latest project is the renovation of an old pool complex. “We contacted students from the Faculty of Architecture for ideas about how to renovate the old pool complex and they gave us several interesting proposals.” says Haimo. For the outside they decided for a more classic style that visually connects the pool and the Lafarge office building. Inside, the building is slowly becoming a common place for cultural, youth and other local organisations to work, to create and to educate.
Best practice
04
The emphasis that Lafarge places on social responsibility also extends to the employees of the plant. Ensuring the protection of employee health and safety is the highest priority and Lafarge has developed a health strategy supporting their goal to provide a healthy work environment and prevent occupational illness. The results of their efforts deserve respect, with more than two accident-free years in the cement plant and over 4,000 accident-free days in their limestone quarry in Zidani Most. Their achievements have been noticed by other companies and now Lafarge share their best practices in occupational health and safety with other companies in Slovenia. << Business & Investment 2013
73
>>WOOD PROCESSING
Forests: Major Untapped Resource
After decades of neglect and faltering fortunes, the wood and forestry industry is finally getting the attention it deserves. The sector is now recognised by the government and people within the industry as one of the most strategic sectors for the future economic growth of Slovenia. Its competitive advantage is obvious – almost 60% of the country is covered by forest. Wood has always been an important product for Slovenia which has forest cover of 58.5% and is the third most forested country in Europe after Finland and Sweden. Approxi- nearly 20 years followed. The strategy for the sector was adopted mately 4 million cubic metres of timber is with an action plan designed to increase produced each year from 1,186,104 hecthe competitiveness of the sector by 2020. Turning the tables tares of forest. In addition, the forested The key aims of the plan, “Wood is beautiland has expanded from 35% to almost In 2011, Slovenia cleared 3.9 million cubic ful”, are to create a market for timber prod60% in a matter of decades. Wood process- metres of wood, although had the capacity ucts and services; increase the felling of foring is considered the only Slovenian eco- to cut 5.5 million cubic metres annually ests according to plans for forest managenomic sector and product chain that has a and in future years it will be possible to in- ment; increase volumes and greater comsufficient quantity of raw material; is geo- crease it to 6.5 million cubic metres. Tim- plexity timber processing with new techgraphically dispersed; has technologically ber mills producing sawn timber and ve- nologies; create well-equipped manufacturing facilities; neer processed 76% of domestically proand a highly diversified market for prod- duced timber in 2010. ucts. The companies that operate within After 20 years of steady decline, the govthe sector are diverse, producing almost ernment and the sector are recognising the every kind of product ranging from semi- country’s huge potential and have taken confinished, construction fixtures and fittings, crete measures to improve the faltering situato a broad spectrum of furniture. tion in the industry. “The advantages and valYet, the wood sector has always been ue of wood have been neglected for too long perceived as non-profitable and low value- and it is now time to change that”, said the added, a sector where there is no future. former Minister of Economic Development Consequently, the interest in occupations and Technology, Radovan Žerjav, in 2012. related to the industry waned, there was The government has included the wood closure of schools teaching sector-related and forestry industry as a strategic sector subjects and inevitably, a stagnation of for the future economic growth of Slovenia. 74
Business & Investment 2013
new jobs and growth in value added per employee in the industry. “We have always believed this is a promising industry because we have a strong raw material base: we have a lot of forest but we didn’t know how to add value to it,” says Gregor Benčina, President of the Board of Jelovica Group, the leading Slovenian manufacturer of energy-efficient houses, windows and doors. “The last four years have significantly changed the attitude toward the industry and today it is considered one of the most promising sectors. Today, all Slovenia needs to do is to add value to its raw material and sell it abroad.
Value-added potential To add value to its raw base there are a few steps that must be taken and the government has already started dealing with them. “First we need to connect the raw material base with the processing segment which should be relatively easy”, explains Benčina. This means that the right to forest use should be given to those who process the raw material, the concessions should be given to those who are active in the wood processing industry. “It is irrelevant whether the owner of that company is a Slovene or a foreigner, it is important that the company is creating jobs in Slovenia and that the added value remains in Slovenia,” Benčina adds. From that added value the government can collect taxes, with those in the industry estimating the value at EUR 100m meaning the government could collect EUR 30m. The second step is to invest in the wood processing industry as it is currently underinvested which is why it is important to create a co-financing and investment programme, argues Benčina. The government
co-invests in hotel facilities as part of the tourism industry programme, it should also co-finance processing capacity in the wood industry, he adds. The third step is to increase local consumption, promotion, the use of wood and the domestic consumption of wood products and the relating energy saving products. Currently, the average use of wood in Slovenia is five times less than in Austria, a country similar in structure to Slovenia. “In Slovenia, there are not enough schools, kindergartens and buildings made from wood; solid wood furniture; and other wood products despite wood being part of the Slovenian identity,” says Benčina. “Our raw material base is such that our market has always been and will in the future be beyond our borders. So, the important fourth step in adding value to our wood is promotion. The government has taken important concrete steps since the industry was perceived as strategic and as such placed it in the industrial policy: the law was adopted on green public procurement which will have an impact in creating demand for wood products at home. The Eco Fund has started to finance energy-saving products made only from natural materials (in practice this means wood). There has also been the establishment of a strategic council for wood which is a body coordinating the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry for the Economy and the Chamber of Commerce, and has clear responsibility for the steps needed to bring more funds into the sector. An important role is also played by SID bank (Slovenian export and development bank). The responsibility for promoting Slovenian wood abroad is taken by SPIRIT, the Slovenian Public Agency for Entrepreneurship. <<
Slovenian forests in figures Forest area:.............................1.186.104 ha Forestation:........................................58.5% Growing stock:.................327.458.525 m (276.08 m3/ha) Annual increment:.............. 7.985.256 m (6.74 m3/ha) Possible cut:......................... 5.126.609 m3 Total annual cut:.....................3.74.191 m3 Coniferous trees:................ 1.853.772 m3 Deciduous trees:..................1.520.419 m3 Realised cut represents 70% of possible cut. Length of forest roads: 12,624 km Length of forest borders: cca 115,000 km Source: Slovenian Forest Service
Business & Investment 2013
75
>>WOOD PROCESSING
In a League of Their Own
Founded in 1905, Jelovica is a company with a very long tradition. Since then its business has always been connected with a range of wood products and in recent decades, this has mostly included wooden windows, doors and prefabricated wooden houses. Throughout history the company has sailed in calm and stormy waters. At the beginning of this century Jelovica lost most of its markets and sought new opportunities. However, the business environment also changed. Company modernisation and a review of the vision was crucial for the new successful era of Jelovica.
01
Since taking over Jelovica at the end of 2007, Gregor Benčina introduced a number of changes into a company that many thought had no future. Today, Jelovica has not only revived its fortunes but is showing that Slovenia’s wood industry has major strategic potential for investors, both at home and abroad.
Q When you took over the company in 2007, you made a number of changes. What are the most important and how have they affected the company in financial terms, in client terms and in terms of products? A From 2008, in Jelovica, we started with changes that followed some basic values and vision of the “company to be”. What this meant was that everything related to wood should, of course, be environmentally friendly and energy-saving. Our products, our processes and our way of operation needed to become sustainable. Going green 76
Business & Investment 2013
should not just be a buzz word but a way of business. These were the guiding principles on which we decided how to change the company. When the new vision was crystallised, we made a number of strategic decisions regarding our markets and the volume of business. In terms of markets, our transition was made from South East Europe to Western Europe, which for Jelovica actually meant development, growth and production of innovative, high quality and more demanding products with higher added value. The next challenge was how to create a more flexible company that would be able to respond to the requirements of the different and demanding markets. Through constant development of new energy saving products and sustainable, emission free processes, the company achieved more and more recognition both at home and abroad. Consequently, Jelovica has become an im-
portant international player in the production of energy efficient prefabricated wooden houses and wooden windows with the related services that we offer. We organised Jelovica as a group of companies where each subsidiary is engaged around one product and related services. Based on this development perspective, we also realised that we have two excellent locations where our chosen products can be developed and manufactured. Having a relatively healthy base, the next step was to decide the scope of work to achieve our business goals: double-digit growth in each year that followed, which we have achieved. In searching for new opportunities and proper sales processes, it was clear that each customer, as well as each market, is individual. Hence we established our own retail network in Slovenia where we detected a need to include services in our offer such as consulting and implementation. Customers gained a comprehensive energy solution for renovations or new construction. It was a significant change in the company, since services were never offered before, only products. A similar strategy was implemented in the house segment. A lot of the focus was not only on the sale of the products, but again on redefining the scope of the product. In this way we added value to the company. In 2012 we opened a modern and innovative sales channel called CER – Centre of Energy Efficiency and for everything we have done in the last five years we were awarded as the most environmental company in Slovenia In four years, in chosen segments, we have practically doubled the value added per employee.
Q What about financial results, how have they changed?
In four years, we have doubled our revenue per employee. Our employees adapted well to the renewed model as we invested in their education and implementation of modern processes to optimise efficiency.
01 Gregor Benčina, President of Jelovica 02 Passive prefabricated wooden kindergarten in Preddvor 03 Gozdna vila Jelovica
02
the market at a time when we were still making some revenue from it. When, a year later it became clear that those markets were indeed not profitable, we were already working in other markets.
03
A For the products we decided had potential, we now produce 30% or 40% more than we used to. As a result of our efforts we have achieved growth in these areas. In addition, in four years, we have doubled our revenue per employee. Our employees adapted well to the renewed model as we invested in their education and implementation of modern processes to optimise efficiency.
Q You came to the company just as the crisis was setting in. This was an additional challenge – how did you cope with the crisis? A We are always challenging the future. We had to introduce all the changes during the most challenging and demanding market conditions. However, we were changing the company because we wanted to not because we were forced to due to the external conditions. This is why we are ahead of market requirements each year. A smart decision, as I see it now, was to stop our cooperation with the Slovenian construction sector before the crisis kicked in. At the time it was, for many, quite a bold step. By the time all the financial turmoil in the sector hit the roof, we were not dependent on it. Similarly, we also decided that focusing on the South East European markets was not profitable before the crisis had started – we left
Q What are the plans in terms of your products for the next year and also what markets do you cover currently and where do you plan to go? A In Jelovica we are focusing on more areas: satisfying customers with a proper range of product and services; development of energy saving houses and windows by using wood and natural materials; using innovative processes and gaining reliable markets, either new or existing. Important for us is to continue to offer a complete solution combined with innovative sales channels, developing a new line of windows, new objects or a new, optimised wooden construction system each year. Due to our knowledge, experiences and recent investments in modern technology and IT in general, today we are able to realise the most demanding installations. I’m not talking about complex individual houses; I’m talking about schools, kindergartens, hotels etc. Since we entered the segment of larger prefabricated buildings, each year it has become one of our strongest assets. Today we are one of the few companies in Europe, who is a reliable partner in terms of knowledge, experience, quality, price and execution. If reviewing our markets, we are present in Slovenia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Of course we are flirting with new markets, even moreso when we know where our strengths are. Successful expansion to the Northern European markets would be
another confirmation for a modern and green Jelovica and its low carbon footprint products. Why? In addition to let’s call them a standard assortment of prefabricated wooden buildings, we have added a new segment: small objects, small multifunction mobile or fixed modular buildings for tourism or other purposes. This is a completely new segment which we entered last year and with which we plan to enter the Scandinavian market in 2013.
Q Why do you want to expand into the Scandinavian market? A With different products we want to be present in the most demanding markets. If you are working in the housing segment, you need to be present in Germany and Switzerland to prove your houses are good. Today, those two countries are our two main export markets. The field of small objects is slightly different; the largest and most demanding market is the Scandinavian market. Why? Their way of co-living with nature is a good starting point to market our newly developed products. I think the Scandinavian way of living, in general, could be a role model for us in many areas. We should all aim to have their sustainable values. Therefore, if we want to be serious in emphasising the sustainability of our products, we need to be present in Scandinavia. If we have high quality products, and we believe we have, then we should introduce them in the most demanding markets and countries. <<
Jelovica d.d. Delavska cesta 24 4208 Šenčur, Slovenia T: +386 (0)4 51 13 000 F: +386 (0)4 51 34 734 E: info@jelovica.si www.jelovica.si
Business & Investment 2013
77
>>TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
Change of Fortune
The potential Slovenia has in the logistics sector is well established. On the motorways there are trucks from all over Europe and beyond, international routes corridor 5 and corridor 10 cross each other in Ljubljana and Slovenia is located right in the centre of Europe. The companies in the sector are looking to capitalise on this potential despite the continuing dire economic situation. The transport and logistics sector witnessed mixed results in 2012 but, overall, companies in the industry performed better than the year before. The interest of foreign investors in the sector is not waning either, German companies looking for investment opportunities in Slovenia see the greatest potential in logistics.
Cutting the losses Although Adria Airways is still in the red, the size of the loss is reducing each year. According to its annual report, Adria reported a loss of EUR 15.3m in 2011, EUR 59.7m in 2010 and EUR 12.2m in 2009. The 78
Business & Investment 2013
company forecasts an EUR 8m loss for 2013 (the 2013 results had not been released at the date of this publication). In 2012 the state invested EUR 50m in the company to save it from receivership, one of four capital injections carried out between 2007 and 2011 and amounting to approximately EUR 85.5m. Adria Airways has been seeking a strategic partner and at the time of this publication going to print, the government was selling its 78.9% share in the company.
Profitable again Meanwhile, Slovenian railway operator, Slovenske 탑eleznice, ended 2012 with a sig-
nificant improvement in business results from the year before, generating EUR 2.4m in net profit. In 2013, profit is expected to almost double to EUR 4.3m, the group stated in a press release. Operating profit reached EUR 7.3m last year, above planned, EBITDA was EUR 47.4m. In 2012, intensive restructuring was undertaken with the number of employees reduced by 618 to 8,179 and the restructuring will continue in 2013. The group is expected to reduce the number of employees to 7,754 by the end of the year. In 2013, operating profit is budgeted at EUR 16.2m. Revenue from cargo transport is projected to rise by 4.2%, whilst revenue from passenger transport will remain flat.
The rail operator expects to transport 16.5 million tonnes of cargo, a 1.6% increase over 2012. The number of passengers is expected to reach 16 million which would be a 4.6% increase on 2012. The indebted rail operator is continuing cost-cutting activities, reducing the number of employees by 185 in the first nine months. Severance costs for the period were EUR 1.98m. In line with the revised business plan adopted in September 2012, the operator planned a year-end loss of EUR 3.62m. The plan earmarks EUR 5.56m for restructuring costs without which the company’s result would have been positive, the company said at the time. Photos by Shutterstock
There are also plans to invest in a new railway communications system. The Infrastructure and Spatial Planning Ministry said three international consortia have registered bids for the EUR 145m project to establish the interoperable GSM-Railway communications infrastructure. The system could be in place by the end of 2015.Of the EUR 144.7m earmarked for the project, EUR 100m will come from the EU budget. To date, EUR 4.6m has been spent on planning and documentation. The Ministry expects the system to be operational within 30 months after the contract is signed. GSM-Railway (Global System for Mobile Communications - Railway) is a digital radio communication system based on the public GSM system and adapted for use in railway communications. As an EU member, Slovenia has pledged to set up an interoperable railway system, which includes the railway communications segment, the Ministry explained.
Smooth sailing Port operator, Luka Koper, also generated profit in 2012. EUR 10.4m was registered in net group profit after reporting a fraction of that figure for the year before. “I believe these are decent figures,” Chief Supervisor, Bojan Brank, said. The group saw a 1% increase in operating revenue of EUR 144.4m, which is 4% below projection while the total throughput rose by 5% from the year before to 17.9 million tonnes. Earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) was down 5% on 2011 to EUR 47.2m while operating profit dropped by 14% to EUR 19.2m. Financial liabilities decreased by EUR 22.3m to EUR 183.4m on the last day of 2012. Financial expenditure decreased substantially as a result of lower impairments of financial investments and lower interest costs. The group has thus been financially restructured and is financially fit to develop the port further according to a press release issued by Luka Koper. The expectations for 2013 are positive. The group expects to increase net profit by 54% to EUR 13.34m while the operating profit of the group is planned to increase by 2% to EUR 146.62m. The plan is ambitious and envisages growth in most sectors despite the persisting difficult situation in the key markets, but the group also expects much lower expenditure based on its repayment of debt. The group expects to further decrease its total debt in 2013 to EUR 172.3m. The group operating profit is planned at EUR 18.9m for 2013, up 8.4% from the 2012 estimate, while the core company’s operating profit is expected to grow by 14.7% to EUR 16.7m.
The 2013 earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of the group managing Slovenia’s sole port is estimated at EUR 47m. The Luka Koper group also plans EUR 33.8m of investmentin 2013 in port infrastructure and equipment, notably in the deepening of the seabed to allow bigger container ships to access the port. The port expects to load and unload 17.7million tonnes of cargo in 2013, 1.5% more than 2012.
Back on track The logistics group, Intereuropa, is an example of how a company can be steered from trouble onto the right path. The company has finished its financial restructuring, boosted its cash flow and reduced debt considerably, Intereuropa Chairman, Ernest Gortan, stressed in an interview with STA. Intereuropa is most certainly on the right track, Gortan pointed out, explaining that in the last three years since he took over, the core company had improved through the restructuring of its cash flow more than six-fold, from around EUR 1.8m in 2009 to an estimated EUR 11.8m in 2012. The company’s debt was reduced from EUR 196m to EUR 108m, but a large part of Intereuropa’s financial restructuring was debt reprogramming to fit the company’s seven year capabilities. After finishing the financial restructuring in 2012 - which included a debt-to-equity conversion and the sale of the company’s poor investment in the Checkovskiy logistics hub in Russia which almost brought the company down Intereuropa should be fit to meet its obligations to the banks in the next seven years, unless drastic changes happen on the market, according to the company. Despite the difficult economic situation and conditions on the market, the company remains optimistic about its long-term success, since it has the leading market share in Slovenia and other countries of the former Yugoslavia. After finishing 2011 in the red, Intereuropa generated EUR 14m in operating profit and EUR 7m in net profit in the first nine months of 2012. The company’s efficiency was relatively low after it lost its customs brokerage revenues when Slovenia joined the EU in 2004. According to the company, the profitability increased in recent years through a series of measures, which included scrapping unprofitable products and locations, withdrawal from certain markets and simplification and automation of processes which, in turn, brought higher productivity and strengthened the market position. << Business & Investment 2013
79
>>TRANSPORT & LOGISTICS
No. 1 in containers,
but a lot still needs to be done In 2012, Luka Koper handled 17.9 million tonnes of cargo, a year-on-year increase of 5%. Based on non-audited data, Group operating revenue of EUR 144.4m was 1% higher than 2011. The improvement in these numbers can be attributed to a more rapid turnover of cargo which also resulted in a decrease of revenue from storage. The planned Group operating revenue for 2013 is EUR 146.6m which is based on the unfavourable macroeconomic forecasts in the euro zone and other European countries.
Luka Koper, d.d. Vojkovo nabrežje 38, 6501 Koper, Slovenia T: +386 (0)5 665 61 00 E: portkoper@luka-kp.si www.luka-kp.si
cessionary times. Due to uncertain quantities, extreme variations in (shipping) rates and high fuel prices, the fleets have been repositioned and services reconfigured to ensure optimisation. More than twenty brands of cars or 480,328 units were cleared through Koper in 2012, a 7% increase from 2011, positioning Koper in the top three car terminals in the Mediterranean.
Major container and car port in the Adriatic In 2012, Luka Koper maintained its lead in the region for container freight although the container throughput declined by 3%. Decline in throughput was common across all the North Adriatic with an overall 7% decrease at the Port of Venice and 16% at the Port of Rijeka. Only the Port of Trieste achieved growth: its container business increased 4% following the poor performance recorded in 2011. A general decline in North Adriatic maritime transport can, to a great extent, be attributed to commercial decisions made by shipowners in these re80
Business & Investment 2013
Ready for new investment impetus Infrastructure investment at Luka Koper has declined considerably over the past three years. In addition to the economic recession, Luka Koper also found itself in a difficult financial situation. Today, the company is financially sound, debts have been reduced and the company is ready to make new investments in the expansion of port infrastructure. In 2013, Luka Koper plans to invest EUR 33.8m in tangible and intangible fixed assets. These investments will mainly be allocated to port infrastructure and equipment that is of key significance in order to preserve Luka Koper’s competitive advantage and the development of the stra-
tegic terminals, specifically, the container terminal. The depth of port waters is also of major significance, in particular at the container terminal, where business partners – the shipowners – are looking to use ever larger and more heavily loaded vessels. Dredging the berth and harbour area is closely correlated with the space available for silt-deposit landfill. In autumn 2012, Luka Koper found itself in a deadlock due to the prohibition of further silt disposal on land owned by the Municipality of Koper. Fortunately, an alternative has now been found with the cooperation of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning, i.e. a plot located near the port which was intended for the removal of material from the construction of a second rail track. The dredging project is again operational; recently, Luka Koper selected a contractor to undertake archaeological research across the new disposal site and published a tender request for the project. The commencement of archaeological research depends on the favourable opinion of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sport. In the meantime, discussions are taking place with the Ministry of Infrastructure and Spatial Planning as to a concession re-easement in the use of the land for the disposal of dredged materials. If the bureaucracy is reasonably quick and there are no unforeseen complications, the sea depth at the container terminal should facilitate the arrival of vessels, with drafts of up to 14 metres, by the autumn of 2013. <<
Business & Investment 2013
81
>>LOGISTIC/TRANSPORT
>>IT OVERVIEW
Steering when Braking is always a Challenge
As proven time and time again virtually no industry is immune to the financial and economic downturn. That said, there will always be some sectors that will do better than others but finding the right solutions is by no means an easy task. The Slovenian ICT sector faced a difficult year in 2012, applying the brakes to budgets and just trying to survive the corners. Although the Slovenian ICT sector did not produce record breaking results in 2012 the latest research by International Data Corporation (IDC) which uses its quarterly IDC Black Book research for advanced market monitoring, reveals total IT spending in Slovenia fell by 1.9% from 2011. The drop is slightly larger than forecast but nonetheless it can be said that the local ICT sector survived 2012 with only minor scratches and bruises. That in itself is great news particularly when taking into account that the ICT budgets of most companies were flat at best, with some having to find new ways to do more with less money and the structure of modern ICT budgets where, on average, 60% to 80% is consumed by maintenance for current ICT infrastructure. As IDC’s research indicates, almost all segments were down in 2012, the only exceptions being tablet PCs, smartphones, networking equipment and software sales. It is becoming apparent that employees demand modern toys and companies are happy to oblige as people use smart devices 24/7, using them for work related issues outside normal office hours. As connectivity becomes increasingly more important one cannot be 84
Business & Investment 2013
surprised about telecommunications and network investment as IT departments attempt to keep up with increasing demand for access at any time, from anywhere and from any device. The real problem however is that there is less and less money being put into real development projects. The economic downturn has for years forced enterprises into optimising business models but many of them just come up with standard solutions for their long term prospects. Cutting jobs and costs, eliminating internal inconsistencies and putting additional strain on suppliers and partners are not universal solutions that will help turn things around. Fresh development and innovation can, however these areas are not raised at strategy meetings due to associated uncertainties and risks. “We noted that Slovenian companies remained under strong pressure to cut costs but when it came to the introduction and implementation of new advanced solutions that could help their business prospects they are also being rather stiff,” explained Darja Jama Tomšič, Country Manager at IDC Slovenija.
Many small and medium size companies simply don’t have the best understanding of all the benefits that modern technology can offer to their business and therefore do not see a need to implement it. Among such solutions are advanced mobility, social business interactions, cloud computing and big data solutions.
As modern IT is evolving in different segments there will always be solutions that will generate growth. Right now such solutions include mobile applications for various purposes, custom applications for specific industries and innovative cloud based services. Slovenia‘s track record with start-ups is actually quite good with a lot of small developers becoming bigger fish in the global pond (and moving their business abroad). Here the politicians failed as they continued to miss the importance of keeping the best programmers and engineers in local companies. The ICT sector can and must be one the sectors that generates the most added value that is, in the end, also transfered to VAT.
Understanding modern IT solutions and its role in business development Once organisations realise that IT is not only an enabler of cost reductions then they can use it to increase revenue in ways not seen before. Modern technology should have a central role in the strategic and operational decisionmaking, which will be assisted by smart applications and breakthrough innovations. As with all new technology things need to be better explained to target users. Many small and medium size companies simply don’t have the best understanding of all the benefits that modern technology can offer to their business and therefore do not see a need to implement it. Among such solutions are advanced mobility, social business interac-
tions, cloud computing and big data solutions. These are all among the pillars of the so called third development IT platform which should be the fastest value and revenue generator in future years.
2000. In 2013, ZZZS plans to include most health service providers and insurance companies into the new system and make health related information for individuals more transparent.
Living off the state might not be the best recipe for the future
Looking for new opportunities abroad
Some big local solution providers have, for years, made their living off public sector support but as the country entered “savings mode” IT spending was constrained. Recent IT investments in the public sector were plagued by problems such as the new information system of the Slovenian tax administration which has numerous imperfections and has irritated tax payers, generating a lot of bad press in the process. What should be highlighted is that the customs administration has been using electronic data exchange for years without any hiccups. The infamous eHealth project also raised media attention in 2012. Various providers of IT solutions wanted their share of the estimated EUR 130m, at least the work to date has been done properly. Toward the end of 2012, Slovenians were able to check their health insurance status, drugs prescriptions and many other health and health insurance related data online courtesy of new web offerings from Slovenia‘s Health Insurance Institute (ZZZS). This was another big step forward following Slovenia's success as the first country to have introduced a universal and countrywide electronic health insurance card in
The stagnation of the domestic IT market also brought some positive changes. Slovenian companies now sell their IT solutions in Austria, Germany and Switzerland and also futher afield in markets such as the Middle East and Scandinavian countries. These markets have a common feature - they require high quality solutions or services at an affordable price which is something that certain Slovenian companies can offer. “The difficult domestic situation brought some positive changes, such as greater price competitiveness and faster development of new products. The companies that have internationalised their business in the past will certainly have the upper hand as the aforementioned lack of fresh money makes it harder for companies to enter new markets on a bigger scale,” commented Jama Tomšič. Extensive analysis of international research firms indicates that this year's ICT budgets will remain weak or virtually flat but the experts predict ICT spending will pick up as investment in new technologies should amount to around 4% growth at the global level. Hopefully Slovenian ICT companies will participate in this trend. << Photos by Shutterstock
Business & Investment 2013
85
>>IT
01
Being First is a Privilege You Have to Earn IBM is a company that needs no introduction. It is the only IT and business giant that has been around for a whole century and it is a safe bet it will be here for another one. Roman Koritnik, Director of IBM Slovenia, is convinced that the pace of technological progress, fuelled by innovation, will only rise and this is a good thing as IBM turns the earth into a truly smart planet.
86
Q We have entered 2013 and the economic ness model. In Slovenia, we offer the best
Q What is actually fuelling IBM’s “think-
situation at both home and abroad does not seem to be getting any better. How are the IBM and IBM Slovenia businesses doing? A We are in good shape, both globally and locally. IBM is the second most valuable brand in the world, our solutions for a smarter planet brings workable and adoptable solutions to customers – and we can prove it through thousands of real engagements. In the last decade, we balanced our operations by predominately adding services to our portfolio, through acquisitions and their smart integration into our busi-
tank”, the so-called brains behind these solutions? A IBM is well known for its investment in research and development, the crown jewel of the IBM identity. In 2012, IBM marked patent leadership for the twentieth consecutive year. Behind these patents are our employees, some of the greatest minds on this planet. We have a few thousand scientists and world-class engineers working to solve this planet’s greatest challenges. They are the living embodiment of our devotion to innovation that matters, for our clients, for
Business & Investment 2013
IBM has. We provide our customers all the most advanced business and IT solutions for a variety of industries, such as telecommunications, energy, finance, healthcare, distribution and many others. We are particularly strong in terms of solutions aimed at financial and public administrations. It is also worth mentioning that while the market has been struggling during the last three years, IBM Slovenia has employed more and more experts and today we have the largest headcount, in our history, in the local market.
our company and for the world. With such force, we set the trend, we are not a follower. We are setting new milestones in information technology in the 170 countries around the world where IBM operates. We are aware that being “first” is a privilege you have to earn.
Q In one of your recent interviews you stated that Slovenia is the most advanced country in the region of Central and Eastern Europe. Do you still believe in its potential? A Absolutely. Based on many criteria, the infrastructure and solutions implemented in Slovenia are the most advanced in the whole of Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, IBM local investments confirm that. IBM’s presence in Slovenia goes back seven decades and for the last 20 years the company has been present with a local office. In 2011, IBM chose just Slovenia, amongst many other countries, to be the centre of innovation and opened the IBM Innovation Center Ljubljana. The centre is an important part of local and regional business, it boasts high efficiency and it was the most utilised IBM centre in Central and Eastern Europe in the past year. Here customers can see advanced IBM solutions and products live at work and can consult with our experts and business partners on their business ideas and implementations. The centre also has strong links with the academic field and has already established contact with several prospective experts and innovators.
to grow and educate and we give them a chance to show their talent. You see, our employees are behind all our great client stories, empowering them is the key for successful business. Furthermore, the market also recognises this – in 2012 we received some awards to prove it. The Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments (JAPTI) presented us with a special award for our longstanding presence in the Slovenian market. We were also awarded third place in the national HORUS award for social responsibility. And last, but not least, IBM Slovenia was awarded as one of the 10 top companies in Slovenia investing the most in employee skills, education and training.
Q What about local competition? The fact is that companies must stand out. What, in your opinion, makes IBM essential in the eyes of customers, what distinguishes it? A Our customers demand only the best, this being hardware, software, services and/or ongoing support. IBM can pretty much meet any needs a company can think of. However we act according to unique client needs, not serving them all the same. Not only we have the best business tools out there, we also know how to use them in the most efficient way and implement and adjust them for different business environments. You could say IBM is a “one-stop shop”, a true partner of the digital age, and the best one at that.
IBM Slovenija d.o.o. Ameriška ulica 8, 1000 Ljubljana, T: +386 (0)1 3208 600 E: info@si.ibm.com www.ibm.com/si/sl/
Q Managers and decisionmakers are also very keen on your content rich C-level studies, why is this? A Our C-Suite studies, made by the IBM Institute for Business Value, are the most insightful exploration of the agendas of global business leaders. We get insights how CxO leaders think, act and transform their business and make this knowledge available to the public. Over the past 10 years, IBM specialists have performed over 18,000 face-to-face interviews with CxO leaders, including Slovenian leaders. In October 2013, IBM will issue the 2013 Global C-Suite study that will be one of the largest collections of C-level executive insight and perspective anywhere in the world. Slovenian leaders will be a part of this study and I am convinced the insights will be very useful for the Slovenian business audience. << 01/02 Roman Koritnik, Director of IBM Slovenia
Q Recently, one of your customer solutions from Slovenia reached global recognition. How does it feel to create something so high profile? A It is a great recognition for us. We are very proud of our local IBM specialists and business partner that were able to develop and implement this advanced solution which achieved global importance. It proves that small Slovenia can have great visibility and how tailored solutions can be implemented to meet the business needs of the customer. In this particular case our customer, Kemofarmacija, used an e-commerce solution to implement precision marketing campaigns. The company increased its online sales orders by 30% after gaining valuable insight into customer buying preferences. By using cloud technology and IBM analytics, they are now able to offer online promotions and display ads that accurately reflect what customers need.
Q You mentioned the excellent local team. Today IBM Slovenia employs almost 270 people, how do you motivate your employees in these times? A I know this will sound very easy but I can assure you it is quite a difficult task – we offer our employees many opportunities
02
Business & Investment 2013
87
>>IT
SAP Building the Ecosystem of Success
Marko Dolinar is the new Managing Director of SAP Slovenia. A charismatic leader with more than 10 years with the company, Marko knows that success is made by a good team and world-class business solutions that can unlock the potential of a business. He is convinced that all businesses can run better if they are not afraid of success. The Slovenian subsidiary of SAP and its partners are creating a path of innovations that enables local businesses to extract more value from their company and meet their potential. These days information technology is not only a tool, it is the base on which a true competitive advantage is built. is also my change in focus – now I am totally devoted to the local team and market whereas in my previous role I was leading the sales teams across the region.
Q You have been with the company for more
Q The beginning of 2013 has been quite
than 10 years. What do you like most about it? A I believe that with SAP everything is possible, after all the company is the leader in enterprise IT. As the market leader in enterprise application software, SAP helps companies of all sizes and industries run better. From the back office to the boardroom, the warehouse to the storefront, desktop to mobile – SAP empowers people and organisations to work together more efficiently and use business insight more effectively to stay ahead of the competition. SAP applications and services enable customers to operate profitably, adapt continuously and grow sustainably. Locally and globally we have a very strong ecosystem of partners with which we form the best solutions and services in various industries and this is something our customers expect from us – to deliver added value to their business.
eventful for you as you have taken on the role of managing director of SAP Slovenia. What is the most remarkable thing you have faced so far? A For me the role of managing director is both an honour and a big responsibility at the same time. I am lucky to be surrounded by a great team which I can trust to get the job done. Our team has already set some ambitious goals for this year. One of the good things about moving into a new office
Q Looking from the global perspective, Slovenia doesn’t have many companies that fit the “enterprise” description. Have you adapted SAP solutions for the SME market? A Of course we have. Actually at this very moment 79% of SAP customers are small or medium enterprises (SMEs). We have had tremendous success with SAP Business Allin-One, our comprehensive, industry-specific ERP solutions for fast-growing SMEs.
Marko Dolinar Managing Director, SAP Slovenia
88
Business & Investment 2013
These can help companies manage every aspect of their business – from financials and HR to sales and procurement. The most important part is that these are affordable solutions and are designed to fit clients’ needs – both now and in the future. Our local partners are doing a wonderful job of tailoring these solutions to the needs of some unconventional businesses. Today our Business All-in-One ERP system is being used by the Vina Koper winery, exhaust systems specialist, Akrapovič, laboratory equipment manufacturer, Mikro+Polo and Sensum for visual inspection in the pharmaceutical industry to highlight just a few success stories of the last year. Though Slovenian companies might seem small from a global standpoint, I can assure you that they know how to use the latest technology to their advantage.
Q To what do you attribute the success in the Slovenian market?
A I am sure that SAP has the largest and best solutions portfolio when it comes to business software. We offer standardised products for 24 industries and 11 lines of business and our core product, SAP Business Suite, optimises all business-critical processes, including finance, marketing, human resources, procurement and many others. With these solutions we can address the needs and requirements of virtually any company. One of our strengths is also quick implementation in business environments. Our so called Rapid Deployment Solutions provide quick availability of applications all within a few weeks which seemed just impossible a few years ago.
Q SAP has come up with many innovations in recent years. Which of them has had the biggest business impact? A I believe that would be mobility. The world has not just gone global, it has become mobile. Business follows the “go mobile” trend very fast, today our customers reach more than 5.2 billion mobile subscribers across the globe. SAP’s mobile ecosystem consists of around 10,000 mobile applications, many of those contributed from ISVs around the world serving more than 60 million mobile users. Even when we look how businesspeople work these days – they want access to data and information whenever and wherever. As the quantity of data increases exponentially this becomes quite a challenge. SAP specialises in solutions that help businesses extract value and information from loads of unstructured data. This is where SAP HANA comes into play.
Q What is SAP HANA and what does it do for modern companies?
A SAP HANA is a game changer as it marks a new era of enterprise computing. It is an implementation of in-memory database technology and it takes advantage of the low cost of main memory (RAM), data processing abilities of multi-core processors and the fast data access of solid-state drives, relative to traditional hard drives, to
deliver better performance of analytical and transactional applications. It offers a multi-engine query processing environment which allows it to support relational data as well as graph and text processing for semi and unstructured data management within the same system. Modern data management requires companies to leverage their data for new signals to run the business. The fact is SAP HANA works with all business applications, whether they are from SAP or not. With the SAP HANA platform underneath them, all business applications feel like they have been fuelled by rocket fuel.
Q Everybody in the ICT industry is talking about cloud computing. What are SAP’s plans with this technology? A Cloud computing is probably one of the greatest evolutions in the PC industry in the last decade. SAP has already prepared various line-of-business solutions for business-critical processes related to employees, finances, customers and suppliers that are run from the cloud. The company’s Cloud Division today employs more than 7,200 experts that build hybrid solutions for the use of business software on the premise and in the cloud, with seamless transition enabling many advantages and great efficiency. SAP actually has the largest user base in the industry with approxi-
mately 20 million users of cloud applications.
Q What are your predictions for 2013? How will you approach a business environment that is filled with uncertainty? A We are quite ambitious for 2013 - our growth ambitions start where our competitors’ end with steady margin improvement. Our mission is straightforward - we will try to ignore negative signals from the market. We have laid a path in the past that has been very successful and I see no reason why this trend would change. Our plan is to be even more active in South East Europe; we will invest heavily in our team of experts, be there for our customers and help them achieve a competitive advantage. We will push for more advanced implementations with higher added value. In terms of solutions our focus will be on business intelligence, in-memory and cloud computing, analytics and mobility. <<
SAP d.o.o. Dunajska 156 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 588 12 55 F: +386 (0)1 588 13 85 www.sap.com/slovenia/
Business & Investment 2013
89
>>IT
Expertise will Always
Stand Out
Since IT became a major building block of business success, the expectations towards IT providers have increased. Solution providers are well aware of this trend and are doing everything to justify the trust of customers. Robert Trnovec, Chairman, S&T Slovenia, believes that the true success of modern companies can only be measured through the success of their customers. Everyday Robert and his team diligently work toward that goal.
Robert Trnovec Chairman, S&T Slovenia
Q 2012 was a tough year for many enterprises. How was it for S&T Slovenia in terms of business results? A We fared well. S&T Slovenia has never compromised on expertise, even recently when the IT market in Slovenia started its slow decline. It has paid off - the company has gained generally in our ability to execute in the market. Customers expect topnotch projects more than ever and for solutions providers such as S&T, this translates into more expertise and project management skills to meet the demanding technical and budget constraints. S&T Slovenia can provide these better than ever and the company presented various new solutions in 2012 that were well accepted by the market. Q Even in times of economic downturn S&T managed to get some big contracts. Which projects are you most proud of? A I cannot disclose the details of all the 2012 projects. The most visible from our standpoint was the implementation of Mi90
Business & Investment 2013
crosoft Office 365 at Mercator. With its 6000 seats/users, this was by far the biggest business software implementation not only in Slovenia but also in Central Eastern Europe. It proves Mercatorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s vision and our technical expertise. Â Q The ICT field is becoming increasingly more competitive as information technology becomes a commodity. What makes S&T stand out? A Expertise will always stand out. To say IT is becoming a commodity is only partly true. Somebody needs to set-up the solutions which then become available as a commodity to consumers. We are a B2B company, working with the biggest organisations in Slovenia. Enterprise IT is a demanding field; not only because of budget constraints but moreso because of the pace of change. Change is fast and there is more of it in enterprise IT. IT transformation projects are seeking better return on investment, less technological complexity and better business results. All this needs to be done in a record (short) period of time. S&T Slovenia has the expertise necessary to cope with this magnitude of challenges in the design, build and execution phases of such projects.
Q Which ICT trends are impacting your business the most? How has S&T adapted to the new market reality? A In Slovenia there are two main trends shaping enterprise IT today. The first is providing IT optimisation by implementing cloud infrastructure as companies seek to lower the total cost of IT infrastructure ownership. IT environments are changing and this change requires an extremely wide set of expertise. S&T is second to none in the market in terms of the depth and breadth of the portfolio. The second trend requires providing business improvements beyond customer imagination. Our advanced business process consulting amounts to more business value and in this way, all IT spending is jus-
tified by results. We are particularly strong in some verticals such as manufacturing, where our ERP consulting expertise is unmatched. Optimised infrastructure is an important first step but the business value of IT is really decided by the business process optimisation. Here is where S&T proves its worth to customers.
Q What are your predictions for this year will global economic trends have a bigger impact than local events? A No. Local events are impacting the Slovenian IT market more than global economic trends. So far these have been mainly negative. It remains to be seen if 2013 can bring a turnaround.
Q Where do you see S&T going? Where do you want to be in 2015 or 2020?
A In 2015 we will do 30% of our business outside Slovenia. Our knowledge will be even deeper in FSI, telecommunications, manufacturing, energy & utilities and distribution & retail industries. We will be an important partner in transforming public sector IT to better ROI as our extensive expertise will reach beyond the HRM and CRM of today. Operating IT for our customers will become a significant part of our business. Most importantly, we will always strive to be a trusted partner in the eyes of our customers and we will achieve this with leading edge knowledge and no compromise in execution. This is what customers expect from us. <<
S&T Slovenija d.d. LeskoĹĄkova cesta 6, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 1 5855 200 E: info@snt.si www.snt.si
Business & Investment 2013
91
>>BUSINESS SERVICES
Annual Reports â&#x20AC;&#x201C; The Primary Source of Business Information
AJPES is an indispensable primary source of official public and other information on business entities in Slovenia. Information from the business register and other public registers, published annual reports and credit ratings of Slovenian business entities are mostly available free of charge from the AJPES (www.ajpes.si) website. AJPES is a one-stop-shop for collecting and publishing business information. The EU is preparing an accounting directive that foresees a reduction in administrative burdens, simplified financial statements for micro and small entities and greater comparability of financial statements across EU member states. Slovenia has been ensuring simplification for years and has already realised this objective and achieved the highest level of reduction in administrative burdens in this field. In preparing this directive, Slovenia is thus in favour of a solution that will allow Member States independence in implementing simplifications. In Slovenia, business entities submit their annual reports to AJPES via the website for three simultaneous purposes: public availability, tax and national statistics. In Slovenia, the objectives that the EU wishes to achieve with the amended directive have already been achieved.
Collecting and Processing Annual Reports All business entities or entities engaging in gainful activity or entities from the government or public sector that are recorded in the Slovenian business register have to submit their annual reports to AJPES. 92
Business & Investment 2013
Business entities that are not subject to the auditing of annual reports and whose financial year equals the calendar year can submit their annual reports for the three purposes simultaneously by the end of March for the previous year. Business entities whose financial year differs from the calendar year must submit their annual reports separately for the purposes of public availability within three months after the end of their financial year. Business entities that audit their annual reports submit them within eight months following the end of the financial year. Medium-sized and large companies, as well as associated companies included in the consolidation, are subject to a statutory audit. These represent approximately 3% or 2,300 entities. The majority of entities (97%) submit their annual reports once for all three purposes simultaneously. AJPES ensures the collection of annual reports in an efficient and entity-friendly manner employing modern electronic operations. The reporting entities submit their annual reports via an online application. Data is submitted on unified forms with built-in mathematical and logical controls and notifications for the reporting entity. The audited and consolidated annual re-
ports are submitted via the online application as a PDF file. The annual report has to be confirmed by a legal representative or an authorised person using a digital signature certificate. In 2012, AJPES collected over 162,000 annual reports for 2011 with 168,000 business entities being required to submit their
At the end of 2012, there were 175,000 business entities and public sector entities recorded in the Slovenian Business Register. Of those, 66,000 were companies 76,000 sole proprietors, 23,000 societies 7,000 non-profit organisations and 3,000 public sector entities.
annual report. AJPES allows business entities that do not have the appropriate software for electronically submitting their annual reports to submit them at AJPES branches with the help of AJPES employees, but there are not many such entities (200). AJPESâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s objective is to ensure the complete submission of annual reports of all business entities for the purposes of public availability, tax and national statistics. Failure to submit annual reports is sanctioned and entities subject to submission which fail to do so are committing an offence. The offence body is AJPES. AJPES processes annual reports that were submitted for national statistics and public availability and submits them to the competent state bodies (Tax Administration of the Republic of Slovenia, Statistical Office of the Republic of Slovenia, etc.) so that they can implement their tasks. On the basis of the data provided in the annual reports, AJPES prepares information on the property, financial situation and business results of individual types of business entities that serve as a basis for managing the economic policy.
The Public Posting of Annual Reports AJPES publishes annual reports on its website and these are available online, free of charge, 24 hours a day to all interested users in Slovenia and across the globe. Users therefore have comprehensive, simple and rapid access to this data. Annual reports are published for the previous two financial years for business entities and for entities from the government or public sector. The public posting of annual reports allows AJPES to ensure transparency of the business environment. In 2012, AJPES publically posted almost 158,000 annual reports, of which al-
Number of publically posted annual reports for 2003 to 2011 200.000
150.000
100.000
50.000
0
2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 Societies Companies and cooperatives (consolidated annual report) Companies and cooperatives (annual report) Companies and cooperatives (audited annual report) Sole proprietors Legal entities governed by public law
most 1,800 were audited and over 500 consolidated annual reports.
Re-Use of Annual Reports Information In accordance with the EU directive on the Re-Use of Public Sector Information and the Slovenian rules and regulations based thereon, AJPES allows re-use for non-commercial purposes free of charge and for commercial purposes for a fee for the service performed. Databases of annual reports are ordered by companies that include them in their processes, especially for mon-
itoring buyers and suppliers, companies engaged in credit rating activities and banks and other financial organisations. AJPES has provided data from the annual reports of companies since 1994 and of sole proprietors since 2001 in the FI-PO AJPES financial collection. AJPES also sends annual reports of companies to the European Business Register, whom they have been a member of since 2009. <<
Agency of the Republic of Slovenia for Public Legal Records and Related Services (AJPES) TrĹžaĹĄka cesta 16 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 477 41 00 E: info@ajpes.si www.ajpes.si
Business & Investment 2013
93
>>BUSINESS SERVICES Q At first glance, considering how much work you do and the number of languages that you cover, Alkemist appears to be a huge international corporation. Can you indicate how many translation jobs you undertake and describe your history?. A Alkemist was an idea that was for long time in the making: the beginnings of the Alkemist Translation Company stretch back to 2003 when the concept of a reliable translation service provider, that could face various language-related challenges on a daily basis, was put into practice. From the beginning, we have tried to build the relationship with our clients and to perceive them as equal partners in approaching the process of global integration. Very early on in our development we expanded our network to include the territory of the former Yugoslavia where we could offer clients support and facilitate their market entry. Thanks to our responsiveness and social responsibility, Alkemist has grown, over the years, into a major partner to many companies at home and around the globe. We now translate over 70,000 pages per year and have offices in Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade.
Q It is unusual for a translator to be also a
10 Years of Translation Excellence
The Alkemist Translation Company is one of the most reliable translation service providers in Europe. It has a wide network of first rate linguists and is committed to a single purpose – translation excellence. With offices in three capitals (Ljubljana, Zagreb and Belgrade), Alkemist is now going through a particularly exciting period in its development – this year marks the tenth anniversary of its establishment and everyone at Alkemist is amazed at how quickly the years flew by. How was the idea of Alkemist created? Has the profession of a translator changed over the years? Will translation tools replace us at some point? These are just some of the topics we discussed with Ms Saša Gorše, Director of the Alkemist Translation Company. 94
Business & Investment 2013
businessperson - you obviously have to be just that. How did you initially achieve this and how do you do it now? A I’ve never stopped following my dreams. Of course, I never imagined that I would one day be managing a successful translation company but foreign countries have always had a particular appeal for me in terms of culture and language. I visited other countries during my studies where I gained my first work experience. I find it invaluable that I was able to gain insight into the culture and values of the individual nations that I had the opportunity to get to know better. Italians taught me to be myself, though I had to learn Italian first (laughs). In Sweden, great emphasis is placed on lifelong education, general knowledge and the ethics and culture of business. Working for a Swiss company took my knowledge of organisational structure and work ethics to an entirely different level. My rich experience in the service sector is helping me to raise the level of satisfaction of Alkemist’s clients every day. We strive to provide a five-star service that allows our clients to obtain quick and clear information on translations along with maximum flexibility. The trust and satisfaction of a client whom we helped solve the unsolvable is our greatest reward.
Q Everyone wants to be a translator these days and there are many poor translations; modern technology often gives the (false) impression that the need for translators is decreasing. What do you think is the future of
Alkemist, prevajalske storitve, d. o. o. Obirska ulica 4, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: 059-07-32-72 E: info@alkemist.si www.translation-alkemist.com
the translation business? Will the number of those who think they can do a translation themself rise or will the notion be that a quality translation is a reflection of the company prevail? A Understanding each other is a must for successful communication. We enter into each relationship first and foremost through language which identifies who we are and reflects us personally. In the future, I expect that the need for translation services will increase. There are new markets opening every day, bringing with them new languages, while the world is turning into a sort of a global village where everyone wants to communicate with one another. Online translation tools are a great help in this regard, making communication not only simpler but also faster. However, it needs to be noted that online translation tools fall short when it comes to important communication or more formal situations, they cannot preserve the various semantic features or even grammar rules of a given language. The gist of the problem is in the fact that computers cannot be taught language, and this is a problem that will not be solved in our lifetime. It is necessary to understand that translating is not just about finding the corresponding terms in a different language. It includes discerning the distinct meanings and subtexts of the words and understanding their cultural context. Thus, the only reliable way to handle and contextualise content is and will be to give the text to a person.
Q Can you provide a general assessment of the translation market? What has changed over the last, say, 10 years? Is it undergoing the same crisis as the economy? How did you adapt? A We are noticing a growing trend of various translation service providers who are trying to survive. Unfortunately, the profession of translator is rather underappreciated considering that this is a time of major communication shifts. Prices are becoming the most important deciding factor rather than quality. Native speakers of foreign languages, experience in managing various projects with complex time and technology constraints, tried and tested procedures from order to delivery, technical equipment for simultaneous interpretation and finally something that often gets forgotten, re-
sponsibility for the work; these are the things we offer. We are a comprehensive provider of translation services and can deliver all types of translations into various languages as well as interpretation services, including the rental of interpretation equipment. Naturally, we do not intend to stop there and have already made plans to expand our offer this year.
Q Apparently you are the only agency that has the technical equipment for simultaneous interpretation. Why did you decide to make that investment which was undoubtedly not small? Did you identify a market niche? A That’s right, we offer comprehensive services under one roof. Before we made that investment into interpretation equipment, we often had to reject such projects because the necessary equipment was not available or required creative logistics. With this investment, we took control over the implementation of interpretation and we can now provide a reliable and comprehensive service to the client. At events our technical staff makes sure that our interpreters and equipment blend in perfectly – you don’t even know they are there. This is only possible when you have the best equipment and the best people.
Q What separates you from others; in what ways are you the best choice?
A Thanks to our project managers and our team of experienced translators and interpreters from around the world, we are able to stand by our clients’ side even in unpredictable situations. Our service grew alongside our clients in response to their needs, and now our native speakers of foreign languages make it possible for us to offer all translation services in one place – where you need them.
panies have been operating successfully as independent units within the Alkemist family since 2006 and are the market leaders in translation services in their respective regions. Our goal is clear: to become number one in translation in Europe. The meeting place of everything we have done over these past five years is – and remains – the Alkemist Foundation.
Q How do you choose who to support under the auspices of the Alkemist Foundation? What major projects have you backed so far? A At Alkemist, we believe that we should always give more than we receive. For this reason we decided to establish a foundation that will not only change the culture of a number of companies but also the face of the global economic order. We began with 5% of our profits. We want to prove that helping people is possible, even with our limited resources and time. The foundation is our way of trying to help people in need and to support exceptional individuals whose life stories move us. Last year, we released the excellent debut album of the Slovenian band, Relight; we helped adoptee Katarina Tomšič publish a memorial book for adopted children called “Naših prvih 1095 korakov” (Our First 1095 Steps); we helped engineer Svat’a Božak who decided to enter the most difficult bike endurance competition there is – RAAM – and who won sixth place after ten days of tireless pedalling. And, most importantly, we became friends with all of them. <<
Q How did the expansion into Croatia and Serbia come about and what is your position in those markets? What did you offer (and in Slovenia previously) that was not available before your arrival? A We expanded in the only appropriate way – professionally and responsibly. As an experienced translation company, we were able to offer superior translation services for new and existing clients from the beginning. Our Zagreb and Belgrade based comBusiness & Investment 2013
95
>>USEFUL INFORMATION Foreign Embassies (in Ljubljana) Albania
Kingdom of Denmark
Ireland
Russian Federation
Zaloška cesta 69 T: + 386 (0)1 547 36 50 embassy.ljubljana@mfa.gov.al
Eurocenter, Tivolska cesta 48 T: +386 (0)1 438 08 00 ljuamb@um.dk
Palača Kapitelj, Poljanski nasip 6 T: +386 (0)1 300 89 70 ljubljanaembassy@dfa.ie
Tomšičeva ulica 9 T: +386 (0)1 425 68 75 ambrus.slo@siol.net
Republic of Austria
Arab Republic of Egypt
Italian Republic
Republic of Serbia
Prešernova cesta 23, T: +386 (0)1 479 07 00 laibach–ob@bmeia.gv.at
Opekarska cesta 18A T: + 386 (0) 1 429 54 20 embassy.ljubljana@mfa.gov.eg
Snežniška 8 T: +386 (0)1 426 21 94 archivio.lubiana@esteri.it
Slomškova ulica 1 T: +386 (0)1 438 01 10 ambasada@ambasadasrbije.si
Republic of Azerbaijan
Finland
Japan
Slovak Republic
Beethoven ulica 4 (+) 386 1 425 25 10 azer.azembassy@siol.net
Ajdovščina 4/8 T: +386 (0)1 300 21 20 sanomat.lju@formin.fi
Trg Republike 3/XI T: +386 (0)1 200 82 81 info@s2.mofa.go.jp
Tivolska cesta 4 T: +386 (0)1 425 54 25 emb.ljubljana@mzv.sk
Belgium
Republic of France
Republic of Kosovo
Kingdom of Spain
Trg republike 3/IX, T: +386 (0)1 200 60 10 ljubljana@diplobel.fed.be
Barjanska 1 T: +386 (0)1 479 04 00 contact@ambafrance–si.org
Dvorec Sela, Zaloška cesta 69 Tel: + 386 (0) 1 541 54 10 veleposlanistvo.kosovo@siol.net
Trnovski pristan 24 T: +386 (0)1 420 23 30 emba.espa.eslovenia@siol.net
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Georgia
Republic of Latvia
Switzerland
Kolarjeva 26, T: +386 (0)1 234 32 50 ambasadabih@siol.net
Cankarjeva cesta 7 T: + 386 (0)8 382 65 98 ljubljana.emb@mfa.gov.ge
Tavčarjeva ulica 10 T: + 386 (0) 1 434 16 20 embassy.slovenia@mfa.gov.lv
Trg republike 3/VI T: +386 (0)1 200 86 40 lju.vertretung@eda.admin.ch
Federative Republic of Brazil
Federal Republic of Germany
Republic of Lithuania
Republic of Turkey
Kongresni trg 3 T: + 386 (0) 1 244 24 00 brasemb.liubliana@itamaraty.gov.br
Prešernova cesta 27 T: +386 (0)1 479 03 00 germanembassy–slovenia@siol.net
Emonska cesta 8 T: + 386 (0) 1 244 56 00 amb.si@urm.lt
Livarska ulica 4 T: +386 (0)1 236 41 50 embassy.ljubljana@mfa.gov.tr
Republic of Macedonia
Ukraine
Republic of Bulgaria
Greece
Opekarska cesta 35 T: + 386 (0) 1 283 28 99 bgembassysl@siol.net
Trnovski pristan 14 T: +386 (0)1 420 14 00 gremb.lju@mfa.gr
Rožna dolina, Cesta IV/2 T: + 386 (0) 1 421 00 21 makamb@siol.net
Teslova ulica 23 T: +386 (0)1 421 06 04 embassy.ua@siol.net
Montenegro
United Kingdom
People’s Republic of China
Apostolic Nunciature of the Holy See
Njegoševa cesta 14 T: + 386 (0) 1 439 53 64/65 embamon–lj@t–2.net
Trg republike 3/IV T: +386 (0)1 200 39 10 info@british–embassy.si
Kingdom of the Netherlands
United States of America
Koblarjeva ulica 3 T: +386 (0)1 420 28 55 kitajsko.veleposlanistvo@siol.net
Republic of Croatia Gruberjevo nabrežje 6 T: +386 (0)1 425 62 20 croemb.slovenia@mvpei.hr
Republic of Cyprus Komenskega ulica 12 T: + 386 (0) 1 232 15 42/3/4 embassy.cyprus@siol.net
Czech Republic Riharjeva ulica 1 T: +386 (0)1 420 24 50 ljubljana@embassy.mzv.cz
96
Business & Investment 2013
Krekov trg 1 T: +386 (0)1 433 92 04 apostolska.nunciatura@rkc.si
Republic of Hungary Ulica Konrada Babnika 5 T: +386 (0)1 512 18 82 mission.lju@mfa.gov.hu
India Maurerjeva ulica 29 T: +386 (0)1 513 31 10 amb.ljubljana@mea.gov.in
Islamic Republic of Iran Tolstojeva ulica 8 T: + 386 (0)1 589 71 00 iranemb.lju@mfa.gov.ir
Palača Kapitelj, Poljanski nasip 6 T: + 386 (0) 1 420 14 60 lju@minbuza.nl
Republic of Poland Bežigrad 10 T: +386 (0)1 436 47 12 lublana.amb.sekretariat@msz.gov.pl
Romania Smrekarjeva ulica 33a T: +386 (0)1 505 82 94 embassy.of.romania@siol.net
Prešernova cesta 31 T: +386 (0)1 200 55 00 usembassyljubljana@state.gov
Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela Emonska cesta 8 Tel: + 386 (0) 82 051 280 emba.venez.eslovenia@siol.net
>>USEFUL INFORMATION Slovenian Embassies Abroad Albania Ambasada E Republikës Së Sllovënissë, EGT Tower, P.11/1 kati i 3 Rr. »Abdyl Frasheri«, Tiranë T: 00 35 54 22 74 8 58 vti@gov.si
Argentina Embajada De La Republica De Eslovenia Avenida Santa Fe 846 p. 6° C1059ABP Buenos Aires T: 00 54 11 48 94 06 21 vba@gov.si
Australia Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia PO BOX 284, Civic Square Canberra, ACT 2608 T: 00 61 2 6290 0000 vca@gov.si
Austria Botschaft Der Republik Slowenien Kolingasse 12 A-1090 Wien T: 00 43 1 319 11 60 vdu@gov.si
Belgium Ambassade De La Republique De Slovenie Rue du Commerce 44, 4eme etage 1000 Bruxelles T: 00 32 2 213 6337 vbr@gov.si
Bosnia and Herzegovina Ambasada Republike Slovenije Bentbaša 7 7100 Sarajevo T: 00 387 33 271 260 vsa@gov.si Consulate office in Banja Luka Ul. Kralja Petra I. Karađorđevića 85a, 78000 Banja Luka T: 00 387 51 211 210
Brazil Embaixada Da República Da Eslovênia SHIS - QL 8 - Conjunto 8 - Casa 7 Lago Sul CEP: 71620-285 Brasília / DF T: 00 55 61 3365 1445 vbi@gov.si
98
Czech Republic Velvyslanectví Republiky Slovinsko Pod Hradbami 15, 160 41 Praha 6 T: 00 420 2 33 08 12 11 vpr@gov.si
Montenegro Veleposlaništvo Republike Slovenije Atinska ulica 41, 81000 Podgorica T: 00 382 20 618 150 kpg@gov.si
Denmark Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Amaliegade 6, 2nd fl., 1256 Copenhagen T: 00 45 33 73 01 20 vkh@gov.si
Egypt Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia 21 Soliman Abaza St., 6th Floor, Mohandessin, Cairo T: 00 20 2 3749 98 78 vka@gov.si
Iran Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia No. 30, Narenjestan 8th Alley, Pasdaran Ave.(North of Dr.Lavasani Ave.) P.O. Box 19575-459, Tehran T: 00 98 21 2283 6042 vte@gov.si
Italy Ambasciata Della Repubblica Di Slovenia Via Leonardo Pisano 10, 00197 Roma T: 00 39 06 80 914 310 vri@gov.si
Israel Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Top Tower 19th Floor, 50 Dizengoff Street POB 23245, Tel Aviv 61321 T: 00 972 3 629 35 63 vta@gov.si
Japan
Hungary
Spain
Szlovén Köztársaság Nagykövetsége Cseppkő ut. 68, 1025 Budapest II. T: 00 36 1 438 56 00 vbp@gov.si
Embajada De La Republica De Eslovenia Hermanos Bécquer,7-2 28 006 Madrid T: 00 34 91 411 68 93 vma@gov.si
FYR Macedonia Ambasada na Republika Slovenija Vodnjanska 42, MK-1000 Skopje T: 00389 2 317 66 63 vsk@gov.si
Germany Botschaft Der Republik Slowenien Hausvogteiplatz 3-4 D-10117 Berlin T: 00 49 30 206 145-0 vbn@gov.si
Netherlands Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Anna Paulownastraat 11 2518 BA The Hague T: 00 31 70 310 8 690 vhg@gov.si
Poland
Ambassade De La Republique De Slovenie 28, rue Bois-le-Vent, 75116 Paris T: 00 33 1 44 96 50 71 vpa@gov.si
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia 14-12 Minamiaoyama 7-chome Minato-ku Tokyo 107-0062 T: 00 81 3 5468 6275 vto@gov.si
Greece
Canada Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia 150 Metcalfe Street Suite 2200 Ottawa, Ontario K2P 1P1 T: 00 1 613 565 57 81 vot@gov.si
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Str. Puskin Alexandru 10 Sector 1, Bucharest T: 00 40 21 300 27 80 vbk@gov.si
China
Russian Federation
France
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia 280, Kifissias Ave. & 1, Dimokratias Str. 154 51 Neo Psychico, Athens T: 00 30 210 672 00 90 vat@gov.si
Croatia Veleposlanštvo Republike Slovenije Alagovićeva 30, 10000 Zagreb T: 00 385 1 63 11 000 vzg@gov.si
India Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia 46, Poorvi Marg Vasant Vihar, New Delhi-110 057 T: 00 91 11 4166 2891 vnd@gov.si
Business & Investment 2013
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia No. 57, Block F, Ya Qu Yuan, King’s Garden Villas 18 XIAO Yun Road Chaoyang District 100016 Beijing T: 00 86 10 6 468 11 54 vpe@gov.si
Kosovo Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Anton Ceta Street, No. 6, 10000 Priština T: 00381 38 246 255 mpi@gov.si
Ambasada Republiki Słowenii Ul. Staroscinska 1 m. 23-24 02-516 Warsaw T: 00 48 22 8 49 82 82 vvr@gov.si
Romania
Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Ul. Malaja Dmitrovka 14/1 127006 Moskva T: 007 495 737 63 55 vmo@gov.si
Slovakia Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Ventúrska 5, 813 15 Bratislava T: 00 421 2 5726 7700 vbs@gov.si
Serbia Ambasada Republike Slovenije Dositejeva ulica 41, 1000 Beograd T: 00 381 11 303 84 77 vbg@gov.si
Switzerland Botschaft Der Republik Slowenien Schwanengasse 9, CH-3011 Bern T: 00 41 31 310 90 00 vbe@gov.si
Turkey Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Kiralngiç Sokak No. 36 06700 G.O.P., Ankara T: 00 90 312 405 4221 e-mail: van@gov.si
Ukraine Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia Bogdana Khmelnytskogo 48 01030 Kiev T: 00 380 45 585 23 30 vki@gov.si
Vatican Ambasciata Di Slovenia Presso La Santa Sede Via della Conciliazione, 10 00193 Roma T: 00 39 06 683 30 09 vva@gov.si
Great Britain Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia 10 Little College Street London SW1P 3SH T: 00 44 20 7222 5700 vlo@gov.si
United States of America Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia 2410 California Street, NW Washington, D.C. 20008 T: 00 1 202 386 66 10 vwa@gov.si
Goodyear Dunlop Sava Tires d.o.o., Škofjeloška 6, 4000 Kranj
The most memorable wet performance since “Singing in the Rain”.
Buy 4 tires and get a gift
SPECIAL OFFER The new EfficientGrip Performance
goodyear.si
with A-rated wet grip** and a braking distance that’s two meters shorter on wet roads.*
M A D E T O F E E L G O O D. A-rated wet grip – the highest grade a tire can achieve in wet grip in line with EU labelling regulations.**
The innovative 3-dimensional block design within the tire tread increases the contact of the tire with the road when braking.
Two compounds give the optimum balance of wet grip and rolling resistance over the lifetime of the tire.
wET grip** 03/2013
TEsTEd by
* Compared to the average braking distance of four leading competitors (braking on high and very wet surface at 80–20 km/h). Tested by TÜV sÜd Automotive in september 2012 by order of goodyear dunlop. Tire size: 205/55 r16 91V; test car: Vw golf; test locations: Mireval (Fr), papenburg (d) and garching (d); report no. 76249743 ** The majority of sizes achieve a grade A rating for wet grip under regulation (EC) No 1222/2009, but grading may vary for certain sizes. For more information please visit www.goodyear.eu/egp
buying 4 goodyear tires Hp, UHp or 4x4 * when you will get a gift. special offer takes place from 20 March 15 May 2013 (or until stocks last) at authorized service stations.
>>USEFUL INFORMATION Permanent Representations United Nations, OSCE and other International Organisations in Vienna
NATO
Kolingasse 12 A-1090 Wien T: 00 43 1 319 11 60 11 mdu@gov.si
Representation Permanente De La Repuplique De Slovenie Aupres De Nato In Weu NG Building, Nato HQ Blvd. Leopold III, 1110 Bruxelles T: 00 32 2 707 27 69 mna@gov.si
European Union
Council of Europe
Représentation Permanente De La République Aupres L’union Européenne Rue du Commerce 44, 1000 Bruxelles T: 00 32 2 213 63 00 spbr@gov.si
OECD Permanent Representation of the Republic of Slovenia to OECD 28, rue Bois-le-Vent, 75116 Paris T: 00 33 1 44 96 50 69 mpa@gov.si
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations 600 Third Avenue, 24th Floor New York, N.Y. 10016 T: 00 1 212 370 30 07 mny@gov.si
Permanent Mission of the Republic of Slovenia to the United Nations Office and other International Organisations
Representation Permanente De La République De Slovénie Aupres Du Conseil De L’europe 40, Allee de la Robertsau, 67000 Strasbourg T: 00 33 3 88 36 60 25 msb@gov.si
37 - 39 Rue de Vermont, 1202 Geneve T: 00 41 22 716 17 80 mge@gov.si
Partners of the Publication
Ministry of Economic Development and Technology of the Republic of Slovenia – SPIRIT Kontnikova 5 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 400 33 11 gp.mg@gov.si www.mg.gov.si Slovenian Tourist Board - STO Dimičeva 13 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 1 589 85 50 info@slovenia.info www.slovenia.info
JAPTI - Public Agency for Entrepreneurship and Foreign Investments Verovškova ulica 60 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 589 18 70 fdi@japti.si www.investslovenia.org Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia Prešernova cesta 25, P.P. 481 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 478 20 00 info.mzz@gov.si www.mzz.gov.si Economic diplomacy Trubarjeva 3 1001 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 478 66 42 gospodarska-diplomacija.mzz@gov.si
Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia Center for Competitiveness Dimičeva 13 1504 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 589 81 87 ck@gzs.si www.gzs.si
Manger Association Dimičeva 13, 1504 Ljubljana, +386 (0)1 5898 584, E: info@zdruzenje-manager.si W: http://www.zdruzenje-manager.si
AmCham Slovenia Dunajska cesta 156 1000 Ljubljana T: +386 (0)8 205 13 51 office@amcham.si www.amcham.si
100
Business & Investment 2013
SAVE S.p.A. – Aeroporto di Venezia Marco Polo Viale G. Galilei 30/1 - 30173 Tessera – Venezia, Italy www.veniceairport.it
Letališče Graz Betriebs GmbH 8073 Feldkirchen / Graz T: +43 (316) 2902 172 www.flughafen-graz.at
Slovenian-German Chamber of Commerce (AHK) Tomšičeva 3 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia T: +386 (0)1 252 88 60 ahk@ahkslo.si http://slowenien.ahk.de
BSCC British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce www.bscc.si Britansko-slovenska gospodarska zbornica
British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce Trg Republike 3, 1000 Ljubljana, T: +386 (0) 1 320 02 40 E: info@bccs.si W: www.bccs.sI BSCC Member www.bscc.si
Ljubljana Jože Pučnik Airport Zg. Brnik 130a 4210 Brnik-aerodrom, Slovenia Passenger information: +386 (0)4 206 19 81 T: +386 (0)4 206 10 00 info@lju-airport.si www.lju-airport.si
British-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce Britansko-slovenska gospodarska zbornica
www.bscc.si
BSCC Corporate Member
Letališče Zagreb Zračna luka Zagreb d.o.o. Grad Velika Gorica Ulica Rudolfa Fizira 1 p.p. 40, HR-10150 Zagreb Tel: 01 4562 222 http://www.zagreb-airport.hr/
World of Knauf Insulation OEM solutions We provide insulation solutions for key industrial producers that integrate our materials into their final products. Our range of insulation solutions is based on years of expertise in the insulation industry. Our main focus areas are sandwich panels, fire protection doors, domestic appliances, chimneys and fireplaces, ceiling tiles, horticultural substrates, flat thermal solar collectors, machine production and road sound barriers. According to various final applications we use either rock or glass mineral wool to produce optimal combinations of: fire protection, thermal insulation, sound absorption and mechanical strength.
Knauf Insulation, d.o.o., Ĺ kofja Loka oemâ&#x2030;¤knaufinsulation.com www.oem.knaufinsulation.com
Your Daily Source of Information
www.sloveniatimes.com
LED STREET LIGHTING
INDUSTRY LIGHTING
SMART LED LIGHT
AMBIENT LIGHTING
HELLA Saturnus Slovenija d.o.o. Letališka c. 17 1000 Ljubljana/Slovenija Tel.: 01 520 33 33 info@saturnus.hella.com www.hella-saturnus.si
The World by Air France. Together with KLM and our SkyTeam partners, we offer one of the largest networks in the world giving you access to over 1â&#x20AC;&#x2122;000 destinations.
airfrance.si
Making the sky the best place on earth
SLOVENIA
Green. Active. Healthy. The inspiration for a more active lifestyle can be found in this land of woods and water. Familiarize yourself with the scenery of winners!
IZTOK ČOP
The first Slovenian gold medal winner at Sydney 2000 rows on Lake Bled.
TINA MAZE
ROMAN KEJŽAR
THE LIPICA STUD FARM TEAM
VASILIJ ŽBOGAR
MATJAŽ GOJČIČ
PETER KAUZER
ANJA KLINAR
MARKO BALOH
PETRA MAJDIČ
The best female skier on the world is at home on Slovenian’s slopes.
Our 2008 Olympic sailing silver medallist trains in the Adriatic Sea, off the coast of Slovenia.
The European swimming silver medallist takes time out at Slovenia’s health resorts.
Slovenia’s Olympic marathon hopeful is a multiple champion on the streets of Ljubljana.
The first Slovenian to make the European tour has a choice of world-class courses at home.
Slovenia’s world-record holding ultracyclist trains in the beautiful Logarska valley.
Organise equestrian competitions on the world famous Slovenian Karst.
The 2011 canoe slalom world champion loves to train on the Soča river.
Our Olympic cross-country skiing medallist loves Pohorje.
Choose your experience at www.slovenia.info/activeholidays.
RLDS O W OU FAM TION RAC E
ATT
C
SIN
1818
Explore the magnificent underground of Postojna cave
www.postojnska-jama.eu