Luxembourg-Slovenian Business Club Discusses Potential Investment Opportunities

The Luxembourg - Slovenian Business Club (LSBC) held its first "Invest in Slovenia" event on 28 September 2018 at the Chamber of Commerce in Luxembourg.

The LSBC in collaboration with Maribor Development Agency and with the support of the Embassy of Slovenia in Brussels, the Honorary Consulate and the Chamber of Commerce, hosted representatives of Slovenian investment projects, investors and their representatives from Luxembourg and Belgium to discuss the potential of investment opportunities. Key aspects were the presentations of projects that are ready for new investors and the discussion on what Slovenia as an attractive market can offer.

According to recent successful FDIs in Slovenia, also GDP growth at its highest since 2008 and still growing, Slovenia is an excellent starting point for doing business in the Region. At €1.5 billion, Luxembourg is already the second biggest investor to Slovenia, after Austria at €3 billion.

In his opening speech, the Honorary Consul of Slovenia in Luxembourg, Roland Streber, marked the importance of collaboration and exchanging information between both countries. He sees his role of the Honorary Consul as a door-opener in Luxembourg and mediator among different parties and interests. He has been for the last 5 years extensively working in close collaboration with LSBC and Slovenian companies which enables him to understand both business environments. Especially he emphasised the importance of strategic thinking when preparing investment project as there are better possibilities for project based on the circular economy. He also welcomed the participation of representatives of Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg, European Investment Bank, and European Investment Fund at the event which gives international aspect to the event and opens opportunities outside Luxembourg.

The Slovenian delegation was led by Božidar Pučnik from Maribor Regional Agency who sees this event as an ice-breaker since Slovenia is not that well-known among Luxembourg investors. He congratulated the LSBC for the initiative and would like to see more events of this kind. The next opportunity for Luxembourg to get better insights of Slovenian investment projects will be already in October 2018 at the East Slovenian Investment Compass ESIC and he hopes to see some of today's participants there.

When asked what was the impact of the event, Ms. Edith Stein, Adviser for International Affairs at the Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg, commented "I really appreciated this event and I see a lot of similarities between Slovenia and Luxembourg. We are both small countries, we like to go abroad and build bridges with our neighbours and we both need to export. In addition, we could be partners in the sectors of ICT, Eco technology, Construction, and Engineering. This is why all the relationships two countries have abroad are important. Being part of the EU zone the access for doing business is smooth and people in both countries are very open which makes it even easier."