Slovenia: PonteSud – News Desk
More than a dozen Slovenian business are showcased at the Transport Logistic expo in Munich, one of the leading global events in logistics and mobility which focuses on services in cargo transport, logistics, information technology and intralogistics.
Intermodal operator Adria Kombi, logistics company Intereuropa, port operator Luka Koper, and the Transport Association at the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) are among the companies with presentations in the country’s 250 m2 exhibition space.
Slovenia has a strategic position at the crossroads of key European corridors, and the country has leveraged this to develop a thriving logistics industry.
Transport and logistics no longer just support services for the economy, “they are an important part of the economy,” economy Minister Matjaž Han said at a business forum on 2 June titled: Slovenia Moves Your World – Bridging Continents with Smart Logistics.
Smart solutions such as AI and blockchain technologies are becoming increasingly important in logistics. “In Slovenia we are aware of this as well so we are following those trends,” he said.
He invited German and other businesses to work with Slovenian firms as the fastest route from Asia to Central Europe is through the port of Koper.
“Cargo transported from or to Asia through the port of Koper arrives on average seven days earlier than cargo transported through ports in the North Sea, which is why Koper is planning investments to further increase capacities,” the minister said.
In the next ten years Luka Koper will spend EUR 900 million on investment. A new rail track is currently being built between the inland hub of Divača and Koper, and once it is completed “Slovenia will be ready,” Han said.
The Slovenian showcase is coordinated by the trade and investment promotion agency Spirit Slovenia, whose director Tamara Zajec Balažič said the close ties between Slovenia and Germany were especially important in the light of the uncertain geopolitical situation.
She highlighted the cooperation with Bavaria, which accounts for a third of the trade between the two countries. “Slovenia is maintaining special relations with Bavaria,” Zajec Balažič said.
The business forum also featured a presentation of Slovenian customs procedures and a panel on Slovenian transport and logistics, which focused on opportunities for cooperation with Luka Koper and the Slovenian Railways.
