Slovenian representative Marjan Osvald was elected Deputy Director General of the International Bureau of the Universal Postal Union (UPU) for the period 2022–2025 at today's elections within the framework of the 27th World Postal Congress in Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire.

In BTC City Ljubljana, the Slovenian Digital Center – Technology for the people, a juncture of Slovenian progress and economic advancement, officially opened its doors. By the end of this year, the broader public will be provided with access to the most advanced technologies, products, services and educational programmes from the field of new technologies. The central economic event of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU is a unique European example of encouraging economy during the entire period of the presidency.

Representatives of Member States of European union (EU) and European Space Agency (ESA), the European Commission (EC),the European External Action Service (EEAS) and the Executive of ESA met at the European Space Traffic Management Conference »Fostering a European approach on Space Traffic Management« on July 7, 2021.

Ms Ignacija Fridl Jarc, State Secretary at the Ministry of Culture, Mr Simon Zajc, State Secretary at Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, Mr Milan Krek, Director of the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ), and Ms Tjaša Žohar Čretnik, Director of the National Laboratory of Health, Environment and Food (NLZOH), participated in the press conference on the state of play of COVID-19.

Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek participated in an informal videoconference of EU ministers responsible for consumer protection. The first part of the meeting was devoted to political debate on consumer policy and an exchange of views and experiences. In the second part of the meeting, Minister Počivalšek, at the request of the Portuguese Presidency, presented the priorities of the Slovenian Presidency of the Council of the EU in the area of consumer protection.

Minister Zdravko Počivalšek attended a virtual meeting of EU ministers responsible for trade, where they discussed the new medium-term trade strategy, which was published on 18 February. It sets out the political direction of the EU trade and investment policy for the upcoming years in estimating the contribution of the trade policy to a fast and sustainable recovery and to open strategic autonomy.

Minister Zdravko Počivalšek attended a video session of the Informal Ministerial Conference on European Tourism, a top-level debate. The Portuguese EU Council presidency convened a meeting at the initiative of some Mediterranean countries whose economies depend on tourism to improve the free movement of people within the EU's internal and external borders, as well as possible additional EU tools to help launch the EU tourism industry in the short and medium term.

Minister of Economic Development and Technology Zdravko Počivalšek participated in an informal videoconference of ministers of EU Member States responsible for the internal market and industry. The morning session was dedicated to a political discussion of the European Semester in the context of the Union’s recovery process and national recovery and resilience plans as an instrument for the implementation of industrial strategy, strengthening the internal market, the twin transition and strategic autonomy, and a discussion of the new consumer agenda. The afternoon session featured a discussion of the draft directive on the public disclosure of certain tax information by undertakings (i.e. the Country-By-Country Reporting or CbCR Directive).

In scope of the HIA project, funded by the European Comission and coordinated by TECOS with the help of SRIP FoF and Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, we are launching the second call for expression of interest, where we invite interested companies with relevant Industry 4.0 references to apply. This is the second of the overall three open calls within this project.

Today, 26 October 2020, the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology published a public tender for the promotion of the re-establishment of Slovenia's air connectivity. The aim of the tender is to maintain existing international airlines, encourage the re-establishment of scheduled airlines that have already stopped flying to Slovenia due to the consequences of the pandemic, and encourage new airlines to fly in Slovenia.

In scope of the HIA project, funded by the European Comission and coordinated by TECOS with the help of SRIP FoF, SRIP FoF is launching an open call for the international expert group, where they invite Industry 4.0 experts to apply. This is the first of the overall three open calls within this project.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has issued a grant decision for the “Call for proposals for the financing of incentives for the start-up of businesses in disadvantaged border areas – COVID 1”. The total amount available under the call for proposals, which was published today by the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology, is EUR 5 million of which European Regional Development Fund contribution amounts to EUR 3.7 million.

Persons who are permanent residents of Slovenia and are over the age of 18 will receive EUR 200 in vouchers and those under the age of 18 will receive EUR 50. Vouchers can be used in Slovenia to purchase accommodation with breakfast or only accommodation.

THE EVENT IS POSTPONED

The Ministry of Economic Development and Technology was intensively working on facilitating the operation of Slovenian companies through the Amazon Europe online Stores platform. The final solution and launch of the business was announced for November last year, but the setups for the best possible costumer experience resulted in short delay. From this week on Slovenian companies are enabled to launch their business through Amazon Europe.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dr Miro Cerar, and the Minister of Economic Development and Technology, Zdravko Počivalšek, co-chaired the session of the Economic Internationalisation Council today. The Council acts as a link in the partnership between ministries and business representatives, contributing significantly to the shaping of policies for economic internationalisation and concerted efforts in third markets.

Based on the Association Agreement between Slovenia and the European Space Agency (ESA), which enables employment of Slovenian citizens in the ESA, three Slovenian experts will be seconded to the ESA centre in Noordwijk in the Netherlands for up to one year.

Today Slovenia launched national test blockchain infrastructure SI-Chain, which will enable testing of existing and new blockchain applications for public and private sector. Slovenia is first Member State of EU established blockchain test infrastructure, after last week's announcement of China on similar plans in the future. Within the EU framework, Slovenia will activelly participate in the development of use-cases, implemented on European Blockchain Services Infrastructure.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project ‘’Public utility development in industrial zone Beti’’. The overall project budget amounts to EUR 730,000, of which EUR 375,000 will come from the European Regional Development Fund.

Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, the Managing Authority for ERDF, ESF and Cohesion Fund, has issued a grant decision for the project ‘’New business incubator facility’’. The overall project budget amounts to over EUR 1.9 million, of which around EUR 1 million will come from the European Regional Development Fund.