Seize the Opportunity: Competing on Complex Global Markets with High Technology
At a time when the world is going through yet another period of uncertainty—one of many in recent years—Slovenian companies should ask themselves what sets us apart from our competitors. Is it our traditional dedication to hard work? Could it be our close integration into global value chains, since as a small country we are virtually destined for export? Is it our relatively advanced technological development? Or perhaps, compared to others, it is our ingenuity and persistence as entrepreneurs and managers? The answer to all of these questions is “yes.” After all, thanks to these very qualities, we have weathered every crisis since becoming an independent country, including the financial crisis of 2007–2012—though in that case we first had to find our footing and, after many hurdles, roll up our sleeves wisely.
Today’s global uncertainty, mainly political in nature, is another opportunity to reflect on our weaknesses and our strengths. Yes, we are hard-working, but that alone has never been enough. With stronger technology, we can be a country that is not the stereotypically sleepy Europe. With a small boost of common sense—say, in the area of taxation and R&D incentives—we can overcome our shortcomings in the technological field. One such weakness is our reliance on traditional markets, particularly Western and Central Europe, especially Germany, as well as the Balkans. Our goal should be for more of us—the technologically astute—to break into many other markets.
A considerable number of Slovenian companies are already moving boldly in this direction.
At the conference, we will ask: Why does Europe need China? How can we connect European know-how with Chinese industrial power? What role does India play in the technological ecosystem? And what has Trump already brought—and will continue to bring—to the global economy?
Global conditions, which are becoming more unpredictable by the day, affect nearly every business event and decision. How are banks and insurance companies adapting to these realities? What do the finances of tomorrow look like—those that not only drive economic growth and ensure security but also withstand political tensions, climate change, and general economic instability?
At the Portorož Business Conference, we will learn from our own companies and listen to international experts on how to move beyond the relatively European-local mindset and step more successfully into the global world, one filled with obstacles. We already have the technological foundation to build on our skills, as well as the boldness and persistence—even if, from time to time, we are still a little too modest and reserved. But Slovenian self-confidence is on the rise, just like the number of companies that are Slovenian and European, yet increasingly global.
The Portorož Business Conference, to be held on 18 and 19 November, will be a springboard for reflecting on new paradigms in an exceptionally complex local and global environment—and an opportunity to look beyond our traditional horizons. For beyond them lies a constantly changing world that looks brighter for entrepreneurship.
