German-Slovenian trade conference urges restoring partnership with US

Ljubljana – Digitalisation and cross-Atlantic trade relations headlined discussions at the Digital German-Slovenian Economic Day on Thursday amid calls for a restoration and renewal of the relationship with the US.

The event, hosted annually by the German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce to promote trade ties in cooperation with the IEDC Bled – School of Management, was held in virtual format this year with a focus on boosting resilience in the digital world.

The participants, including representatives of Siemens Slovenija, Bayer Slovenija, Schenker, BSH Hišni Aparati and Riko, spoke of the important role digitalisation played in the companies’ response to the situation changed by the Covid crisis.

The pandemic sped up application of digital solutions at Slovenian and German companies with a recent survey among Slovenian businesses showing the question is no longer why but how to digitalise quick enough and how best to manage changes.

The chamber’s head Gertrud Rantzen spoke of the need for a new approach to think and act differently; looking for new opportunities for a different but a shared path forward was important in particular in the Covid times.

Slovenia’s Ambassador to Germany Franc But underscored the need for innovation and Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek talked about the digital working hand in hand with the green for better sustainability and social responsibility.

Digitalisation makes life easier for everyone, easing business and boosting productivity. The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology has invested considerable effort into stimulating business digitalisation, but much still needs to be done to join the most advanced countries, the minister said.

Meanwhile, German Ambassador to Slovenia Adrian Pollmann called for “turning the page” for a “new beginning in the trans-Atlantic relations” to restore trust. He was happy to note the new partner on the other side of the Atlantic “sees the EU as a partner and ally, rather than as an enemy”.

“It’s time to heal the partnership,” said Ajša Vodnik, executive director at AmCham Slovenia and vice-chair at AmChams in Europe, noting the many jobs at stake but also that the EU should have a vision and should not see the US as a big brother.

Former Slovenian President Danilo Türk agreed with that, calling for a New Deal in the relationship with the US and the need for the EU to focus on its definition of the future and strategic autonomy.

He warned of the risk of renewed protectionism, customs duties and sanctions brought on by the crisis, despite history showing those were not the solution.

The general belief prevailing at the event and in the survey among Slovenian companies was that of optimism for the future of Slovenia’s economy, a view also shared by Boštjan Gorjup, the chairman of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

Pollmann noted that a time of crisis exposed weaknesses and was thus an opportunity to become more innovative and flexible, and Türk maintained that the current recovery fever should lead to long-term resilience, which called for right policies and reforms.

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