The Slovenian economy is outperforming expectations this year, with a positive outlook for 2026 and an equally encouraging forecast for 2027. Is this the result of greater competitiveness and productivity, domestic consumption, public investment, or favourable conditions in specific sectors? What are the differences between higher- and lower-performing industries and companies, and are these gaps widening or narrowing? What is happening in the labour market, and how important are foreign workers, and in which sectors?

Encouraging macroeconomic indicators also conceal significant disparities between companies and industries. Extensive survey data from WBES/B-READY show that differences between companies and between countries (Slovenia and better-performing EU member states) cannot be explained solely by differences in investment patterns or innovation performance, areas in which Slovenia does not systematically lag behind and, in some respects, even outperforms more developed countries. The quality of management, particularly the ability to translate knowledge effectively into business results, also plays an exceptionally important role.