The event brought together prominent Slovenian and international experts to discuss the future of the European automotive industry, EU competitiveness and which regional and global partnerships are needed to successfully manage a common European industrial policy.

The opening speech was welcomed by Metka Ipavic, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to France, who stressed that France and Slovenia are strategic partners and that more than 60 French companies are present in Slovenia, pointing to the signing of the MOU recently signed by representatives of Renualt, Revoz and the Slovenian Government as proof of our commitment to sustainability, as a basis for the production of the E-Tech twin in Novo mesto. Not only in the automotive industry, she said, the two countries also have excellent cooperation in the fields of green technologies, space, defence, logistics and other industries. Next, Rok Capl, Director of SPIRIT Slovenia, presented the Slovenian economy, competitive advantages and opportunities for further cooperation. He recalled the importance of organising the business delegation in France and stressed that Slovenian companies are leaders in some niche industries, and with a high level of innovation and a strong focus on research and development, they are successfully operating in diverse and forward-looking industries. Tomaž Jontes, Secretary General of the Slovenian Olympic Committee, said that Slovenia has never had such a big house at the Olympic Games - not only in terms of surface area, but also in terms of rich content, and addressed the gathering that the values of the Olympic Movement - excellence, respect, friendship and cooperation - should be followed in business too. And he mentioned that “Together” has been added to the Olympic motto “Faster, Higher, Stronger" at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics - The event was moderated by Petra Juvančič, Executive Director of the Managers' Association.

This was followed by a panel discussion on mobility and the shared future of the European automotive industry, which is highly developed and represents more than 7% of the EU's GDP, but faces many challenges in the global race. The round table was moderated by Tanja Mohorič, Director of Slovenian Automotive Cluster, and the panellists included Benjamin Krieger, Secretary General of the European Automotive Suppliers Association (CLEPA), Jean-Luc di Paola-Galloni, Vice President of the European Road Transport Research and Advisory Council (ERTRAC), Iztok Seljak, Director of Hidria Holding, d.o.o., and President of the Managers' Association of Slovenia, and Maria Ianculescu, Director of Trade and International Relations at PFA - Plateforme automobile. They agreed that Slovenian companies are an important part of the European automotive industry and must make an ambitious contribution to its resilience and to building partnerships for improved competitiveness.

Benjamin Krieger stressed that electrification will play a key role in the future of mobility. He stressed that we need to create a realistic roadmap for the future, where the vehicle is not only climate neutral, but also vehicle production, logistics and business processes, all of which require the support of policy makers, as investment cannot be purely private. Jean-Luc di Paola-Galloni said that e-mobility is clearly the way forward, but we need regulatory stability. He acknowledged that in any transition there will be some losers, which means some costs, so we need to prepare the whole industry for this shift. Iztok Seljak pointed to the coming "tsunami" of electric vehicles, which requires Europe to act quickly if it is to have a chance of competing with manufacturers from the East. He pointed out that China currently has a 5-7 year lead in electric vehicles, which they are increasing every day, and that Europe is not involved in their supply chains. The solution, he argued, was to restore innovation on European soil as soon as possible. Maria Ianculescu also confirmed China's rapid progress, pointing out the misconception that they invest less in research and development than the European Union. She said that European manufacturers will need to step up and increase sales of electric vehicles if they want to remain competitive, so the production of additional electric vehicles at Revoz is an excellent step.

After the official part of the event, the participants had individual business talks, joined by representatives of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia and a delegation of Serbian companies, who are currently in Paris. The networking among just under 100 representatives of the different delegations was once again an opportunity to establish and deepen business contacts and develop new business partnerships. The members of the Slovenian delegation consider their trip to Paris a success and welcome the business meetings on the margins of the sporting events, as they got acquainted with the French market and the opportunities it offers, and had numerous opportunities to establish new business connections.

More photos at: GALLERY.