Forum discusses Slovenian-French cooperation in aerospace industry

Kranjska Gora, 8 March - A Slovenian-French business forum held in Kranjska Gora on Friday discussed possibilities for boosting cooperation between Slovenia and France in advanced technologies, including aerospace industry, and business opportunities related to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.

Kranjska Gora
French Ambassador to Slovenia Florence Levy speaks at Slovenian-French Business Forum discussing possibilities for boosting cooperation between Slovenia and France in advanced technologies, including aerospace industry, and business opportunities related to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA

Kranjska Gora
Economy Ministry State Secretary Matevž Frangež speaks at Slovenian-French Business Forum discussing possibilities for boosting cooperation between Slovenia and France in advanced technologies, including aerospace industry, and business opportunities related to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA

Kranjska Gora
Rok Capl, head of Spirit Slovenia, speaks at Slovenian-French Business Forum discussing possibilities for boosting cooperation between Slovenia and France in advanced technologies, including aerospace industry, and business opportunities related to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA

Kranjska Gora, Hotel Kompas.
Slovensko-francoski poslovni forum, ki ga je pripravila agencija Spirit skupaj s partnerji, namenjen je vesoljski industriji obeh dežel in poslovnim priložnostim ob prihajajočih olimpijskih in paraolimpijskih igrah v Parizu.
Direktor Javne agencije Spirit Slovenija Rok Capl.
Foto: Boštjan Podlogar/STA

Kranjska Gora
A Slovenian-French Business Forum discusses possibilities for boosting cooperation between Slovenia and France in advanced technologies, including aerospace industry, and business opportunities related to the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games in Paris.
Photo: Boštjan Podlogar/STA

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Slovenia and France have been cooperating excellently for years, said Economy Ministry State Secretary Matevž Frangež at the event. But the development of advanced technologies is opening new opportunities for cooperation, including in space technologies, where France is a leading country, he stressed.

"Cooperation between Slovenian and French companies in space technologies is all the more important as Slovenia hopes to be accepted as a full member of the European Space Agency this year," he said.

There are also many opportunities in digitisation and high-tech production, said Rok Capl, head of Spirit Slovenija, the national agency for the promotion of investments and exports. He pointed to the opportunities offered by the Olympic Games, which France will host this summer. "The Olympics are an excellent opportunity to strengthen our cooperation", he said.

French Ambassador Florence Levy agreed, describing the Slovenian-French relations as excellent. The two countries have excellent cooperation and their economies are complementary, so there are many opportunities in all areas, including high-tech, where Slovenia, despite its relatively small size, plays a major role, she said.

Levy stressed that Slovenia is a technologically developed country with a good infrastructure, so it can also be an excellent springboard for French companies to the region.

Bernard Luciani, assistant director for internationalisation at the French space agency CNES, who together with the head of the Slovenian Space Office, Tanja Permozer, signed a letter of intent to deepen bilateral cooperation in space technologies, said that the signing marked a new stage in cooperation between the countries in the space sector.

"For CNES, Slovenia's ambitions in this sector, supported by high-quality industry and research centres, are a guarantee of cooperation that will lead to a faster development of space activities in Europe," he said.

Permozer noted Slovenia and France cooperate in Earth observation, artificial intelligence, nano and small satellites, human and robotic research, and new materials. More than 40 companies and organisations are active in this field in Slovenia, she said, stressing that the Slovenian space strategy is based on the development and use of space technologies, participation in space research and the development and use of space applications.

The forum was organised by the Economy Ministry, Spirit, the French Embassy in Slovenia, the Slovenian-French Business Club and the French-Slovenian Business Club.

Trade between Slovenia and France topped three billion euros last year, with Slovenian exports reaching EUR 1.82 billion. Slovenia's main exports to France are various vehicles, electrical machinery and equipment and pharmaceuticals, while the situation is similar on the import side.