AmCham Slovenia wraps up 4th cycle of Partnership for Change

The cycle, launched in September last year, brought progress in three selected challenges, which dealt with the promotion of engineering and innovation, the transition from paper to digital invoices, and the development of a talent-friendly environment.

The first challenge was entitled Slovenia, a Green Reference Country in Digital Europe. It connected more than 100 organisations, events and initiatives, reaching around half a million people with the idea that Slovenians are a nation of engineers, pioneers and innovators.

The Manager Association meanwhile took on the EUR 7m spent annually on paper invoices in kindergartens and schools. The number of e-invoice recipients was increased by 38% during the project.

The issue of Slovenia failing to hold on to the talent that it is excellent at producing was addressed via conversations with talented young people, who highlighted the education and tax system, the rigidity of the state and of the labour market as key problems.

The exchange of workers between the private and public sector had initially been met with scepticism anc concerns about the potential for abuse of trust, but AmCham representatives say the project has really become an "all-Slovenia platform of cooperation".

Outgoing Prime Minister Miro Cerar stressed the importance of cooperation and said that "especially during my years as the prime minister I've learned a lot about how Slovenians are not cooperating enough".

He said Slovenia could only take on the future by opening to the world, not fearing it. "The braver and innovation-oriented we are, the better off we'll be," Cerar said, although noting that "our citizens, the people who live here need to come first" at the same time "in a way".

AmCham Slovenian is already focusing on the fifth cycle of the project and announced a call for applications in September.