At the press conference, State Secretary at the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology Aleš Cantarutti said that the exhibition offers an excellent opportunity to present Slovenian products distinguished by their recognisable design, innovativeness and above average added value. “In this way, we would like to show that wood is a strategic raw material in Slovenia, which is perceived as a development opportunity. Slovenians boast a rich tradition in the knowledge of wood-processing industry as well as highly creative architects, professional structural engineers and constructors, and has companies that can easily compete with foreign providers regarding the quality of their service. The exhibition is definitely an opportunity for establishing new business relations. I am convinced that we will be successful in this regard.”
The State Secretary also pointed out that the internationalisation of the economy is one of the priorities for the Ministry of Economic Development and Technology. “In order to meet this objective, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia last year adopted the 2015–2020 Programme for Internationalisation. We are already implementing the measures included in this programme in cooperation with the SPIRIT Slovenia agency. This year, resources in the amount of €3.8 million will be allocated to the implementation of measures. Public tenders will be published soon, and I believe that the companies will successfully take advantage of these opportunities and incentives.”
Acting director of the SPIRIT Slovenia agency Gorazd Mihelič emphasized that the objective of hosting the exhibition on the demanding and promising Italian market is to present Slovenian products, which are distinguished by their recognisable design, innovativeness and above average added value. Drawing from the first one-month experience, the organisers will try to upgrade and expand the concept over the following years.
“The one-month joint presentation of Slovenian industrial design in a showroom, accompanied by a business programme, is aimed at helping Slovenian companies to recognize new business opportunities and increase their recognisability on the foreign markets. In order to succeed, a proactive engagement of every participating company will be required in the process of finding potential partners on this market,” concluded Mihelič.
The exhibition of Slovenian industrial design under the name of Slovenia Design Showroom 2016 will be held from 16th May to 17th June 2016 in the architectural studio Saffi 9 in Milan's historical city centre near the Triennale design and art museum. It will provide space for the presentation of products, but will also serve as a hub for meeting target groups, including Italian designers and architects as well as commercial agents and companies looking for superior products suitable for the Italian market.
During the exhibition, three other events will be organized. i.e. a business delegation with B2B meetings on 25th and 26th May 2016, the Design, Architecture and Industry round table on 8th June 2016 and the closing event on 9th June 2016.