August 7 2024

SPIRIT Slovenia, Business Development Agency, organised a second business forum at the Slovenian House in Paris, with a discussion focused on concrete business opportunities and possibilities for cooperation and networking between Slovenian and French companies.

Representatives of more than 20 Slovenian companies were informed about the business opportunities in France and how to find suitable business partners in France. With this event, Slovenia and France are further deepening their close partnership. The event was moderated by Matej Rogelj from the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while representatives of Slovenian companies had the opportunity to network with French partners.

In his opening address, Mr. Katja Koren Miklavec, Vice President of the Olympic Committee of Slovenia - Association of Sports Federations, said that Slovenia has never had such a large Olympic House with such a wide range of content - from tourist events to business conferences. "With the round tables, we addressed topics that are important both in the NOC Slovenia and in the IOC, the International Olympic Committee - gender equality in sport, sustainability in sport, second careers for athletes," she said. "Sport and business have many common points. We could say that one cannot exist without the other, they are mutually enriching. The Olympic Games have long been more than just sport, but the Olympic values remain perhaps even more important today. Excellence in being the best at what we do; respect for ourselves and the people around us, for nature; friendship as an inexhaustible source of energy and cooperation, without which we cannot solve both everyday and global problems," said the 1994 Olympic medal winner in Lillehammer.

In his welcoming address, the Deputy Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in Paris, David Weindorfer said, that Slovenia and France are strategic partners. The trade exchange between the countries amounted to 3.1 billion in 2023 and France is the 8  th foreign trade partner of Slovenia.  More than 60 French companies have subsidiaries and representative offices in Slovenia. Automotive industry accounts for a large part of trade between countries. “We are very pleased that the Memorandum of Understanding was signed in Novo mesto and Renault Group will base the production of the future Renault Twingo E-Tech Electric at our Revoz plant. That also confirms our commitment to sustainable development.“ Other areas for strengthening cooperation with France include: green and environmental technologies, space (Slovenia will become a full member of ESA on 1 January 2025), logistics and transport, artificial intelligence, renewable energy, defence and security. He added that the Honorary Consulate of the Republic of Slovenia in Marseille (the second after Lyon) had been opened a month ago, which will help Slovenian companies to open doors for business in the southern region.

Jernej Salecl, Director of the Directorate for Industry, Entrepreneurship and Internationalisation at the MGTŠ, said in his opening address that champions are born through hard work, both in sport and in business. He added that sport and business have many positive synergies and highlighted the Olympic Games as an excellent opportunity to strengthen business relations. Marjana Majerič, Executive Director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia, pointed out that Slovenia's strength in the international business environment is innovation and presented the way the Chamber of Commerce and Industry operates to its foreign partners.

Bernard Quinet, representative of the Paris Ile-de-France Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the greater Paris area accounts for 30 per cent of France's GDP. He presented key areas of potential interest for Slovenian companies. He also presented ways of further networking with very concrete advice.