30 May 2023
Share
EIT Manufacturing Collaborates with Start:up Slovenia on Fostering Innovation
In December 2022, EIT Manufacturing and Start:up Slovenia established a collaborative alliance aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship within the manufacturing industry. This partnership goes beyond a mere memorandum of understanding (MoU) and focuses on actively promoting joint initiatives, such as organizing shared events, workshops, and knowledge-sharing activities. By working together, these organizations aim to enhance the Slovenian startup ecosystem by providing opportunities for skill-building, networking, and the exchange of ideas. As a testament to their previous cooperation, EIT Manufacturing and Start:up Slovenia successfully organized the Startup Lunch during the Innovation Day Ljubljana in December 2022. This event brought together five Slovenian and Austrian corporates to encourage open innovation and collaboration, addressing crucial industrial challenges through the involvement of startups.
Jasmina Popovska, Senior Investment Manager, EIT Manufacturing“We believe there is an enormous innovation potential in the Slovenian manufacturing ecosystem, especially based on the existing manufacturing tradition in the country and great talents coming from the universities and research institutes, such as our partners Jozef Stefan Institute and University of Ljubljana. Our very first investment in the CEE region is precisely in Slovenia, with Salesqueze becoming part of our startup portfolio in 2021 and currently receiving internationalization support. Also, we are quite active in the Slovenian startup community with the support provided in the creation of 3 new industrial startups through our innovation activities that will further grow with the business development support provided by our Business Creation team. In collaboration with Startup Slovenia we plan to increase even more our involvement in the Slovenian startup ecosystem, to promote the industrial startup creation and to raise the awareness in the Slovenian corporates regarding the benefits of open innovation.”
As another example of the ongoing collaboration with Start:up Slovenia, EIT Manufacturing participated in the Podim Conference 2023 and was granted a speaker slot to present insights and expertise. Mr. Andreas Gams, EIT Manufacturing East Business Creation Manager joined a panel discussion – “Best strategies to cooperate with start-ups”
EIT Manufacturing engaged in comprehensive scouting for start-ups offering industry solutions, fostered relationships with manufacturing corporations, and established connections with investors specializing in the investment of industrial start-ups.
The Podim Conference is a renowned event that brings together entrepreneurs, investors, and industry experts from across Europe to promote innovation and entrepreneurship. Start:up Slovenia, being one of the organizers of the conference, collaborated closely with EIT Manufacturing to enhance the event’s impact and facilitate valuable interactions within the manufacturing industry.
Andreas Gams, Business Creation Manager, EIT Manufacturing East“Podim is recognized as a leading platform for engaging with the innovation community in the CEE region. It gives us great pleasure, on behalf of EIT Manufacturing, to participate in this event and strengthen our collaboration with the local ecosystem. We are committed to addressing challenges and expanding our network through this opportunity.”
EIT Manufacturing East is a leading innovation hub that aims to strengthen Europe’s manufacturing industry by supporting research and development, education and training, and entrepreneurship. Start:up Slovenia, on the other hand, is a non-profit organization that promotes the growth of the Slovenian startup ecosystem by providing mentorship, funding, and networking opportunities to early-stage ventures. By joining forces, these two organizations will be able to leverage each other’s strengths and resources to drive innovation and create economic growth in the manufacturing sector.