This was the fourth visit in a series of activities planned by the Directorate to reach out to businesses in different Slovenian regions. The event took place on the sidelines of the 18th Regular Assembly and the 4th Regular Board Meeting of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry Celje and was attended by top representatives of some 40 companies from the Savinja region.

State Secretary Marko Štucin first outlined the work of economic diplomacy and stakeholder networking to help Slovenian companies internationalise their business. He explained the Foreign Ministry's efforts to date to strengthen Slovenia's cooperation with foreign countries and presented future plans. In this context, he invited companies to participate in the planned high-level visits accompanied by a business delegation and in international business events, which can also provide business opportunities for companies.

Director-General of the Directorate for Economic and Public Diplomacy Dr Slobodan Šešum presented the working methods of economic diplomacy, the links with the diplomatic and consular network, the ways in which economic diplomacy supports Slovenian companies in their expansion into foreign markets, including through the Economic Projects Fund, and examples of best practice in the internationalisation of Slovenian companies abroad. 

Dijana Madžarac then presented the measures and policies of the Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport to promote internationalisation. She also presented new legislative incentives to promote domestic and foreign investment and the 2024 Development Incentives Plan with a focus on internationalisation.

As part of the programme, the Director of the Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry Celje presented the regional business community and its interests in the international market. In a discussion with the companies, a number of cooperation opportunities were identified that could help them achieve better visibility in key markets through the network of Slovenian diplomatic missions and consulates.

The event provided an opportunity for networking between representatives of economic diplomacy and companies, who showed great interest in enhancing communication in order to support their activities in foreign markets more easily and quickly.

Comprised of 31 municipalities, the Savinja region is the fourth largest in Slovenia. More than 24,600 companies located in the region employ around 110,300 people. In 2022, these companies contributed the second largest share to Slovenia's total exports and imports. Their exports account for 8.7% of total exports and imports for 7.2% of total imports.

The event included a presentation of Unior d.d., the world's largest manufacturer of bicycle tools, which has a long tradition and a strong international presence in the production, transformation and processing of metals on the global metal market, including a production plant in Yutai Ningbo (China). Another important area of activity is tourism. The company applies all its long-standing know-how in four different interrelated areas: forgings, hand tools, mechanical engineering and tourism.