The international business meeting Connect2Slovenia 2026: Metal & Plastic, which took place on April 15 as part of the International Industrial Fair MIS in Celje, successfully connected companies from the metal and plastics industries this year and created numerous opportunities for new collaborations.
The event was organized in cooperation with partners: SPIRIT Slovenia, public agency, Ministry of the Economy, Tourism and Sport, ADVANTAGE AUSTRIA Slovenia, TECOS, Chamber of Craft and Small Business of Slovenia, Celje Fair, Enterprise Europe Network and NAAN – New Alpe Adria Network.
Strong international participation and concrete results
100 companies from various countries (Austria, Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Hungary…) participated in the event, and more than 100 pre-organized B2B meetings were held. Participants had the opportunity to present their activities, explore possibilities for cooperation, and establish new business contacts.
The event was also visited by a delegation from the Enterprise Europe Network from Bosnia and Herzegovina (BITNET consortium), which further confirms the importance of the event for strengthening international cooperation.
Substantive highlights of the event
An important part of the event was also the professional program, within which a panel was held: Slovenia as a strategic partner: from top development solutions to reliable supply in the metal and plastics industry, where the ADDCIRCLES project was presented as a successful practice of cooperation between Slovenia and Austria.
Participants in the panel were:
- Dr. Blaž Nardin, Dean of the Faculty of Polymer Technology Slovenj Gradec
- Dr. Igor Kovač, Jožef Stefan Institute – Director of SRIP Factories of the Future and long-time lecturer at the University of Graz
- Dr. Aleš Hančič, Director of TECOS
- Domen Strenčan, Leanstr
The panel highlighted examples of good cooperation practices as well as key challenges and opportunities for companies in cross-border networking and the transition to modern industrial models.
Tour of industry good practice
As part of the event, participants also visited the company Container d.o.o., where they were introduced to concrete examples of good practices and innovative approaches in the industry.
B2B meetings as the central part of the event
The central part of the event consisted of pre-organized B2B meetings, which enabled participants to engage in targeted and efficient networking. Even before the event, companies were able to select their interlocutors via the b2match platform based on their interests and needs, which facilitated high-quality and content-rich conversations.
Such a structured approach to networking allows participants to establish relevant contacts in a short period of time, explore possibilities for cooperation, and take concrete steps towards new business partnerships.
Supportive environment for companies
Information points from key support institutions were also available to participants at the event:
- Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)
- SPIRIT Slovenia
- Slovenski center za krožno gospodarstvo (SCKG)
- Obrtno-podjetniška zbornica Slovenije (OZS)
This provided participants with direct access to information on support services, internationalization, development, and innovation.
Looking ahead
Connect2Slovenia ostaja pomembna platforma za povezovanje podjetij, izmenjavo znanja in spodbujanje mednarodnega sodelovanja. Tudi letos je dogodek potrdil, da so tovrstna srečanja ključna za razvoj novih poslovnih priložnosti in krepitev konkurenčnosti podjetij.
See you next year at Connect2Slovenia, where we will once again connect companies, open new opportunities, and build international partnerships.
Photo author: Andraž Purg