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PROFILE: Slovenia

Tips for Doing Business in Solvenia

  • Most significant decisions made by upper management.

  • Slovenians are punctual and expect others to be the same.

  • Large percentage of population are college graduates.

  • Slovenia has high degree of computer usage in normal workplace.

  • Subjects to be avoided include comparison of Slovenia with other former Yugoslavia members and World War II.

  • They like to be referred to as Central Europeans.

  • Nothing negative should be said about competitors.

  • Do not ask personal questions.

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Brief Profile 

Slovenia is a small country both in size and population. Over 80% of the population belong to the Slovene ethnic group. The remainder is made up primarily of Serbs, Croats and Bosnians.  

 

Recent History

Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire (1857-1918) until the end of World War I. In 1918, they, along with Croats and Serbs, became part of a union of countries which became Yugoslavia in 1929. After World War II, it was controlled by the USSR.  It later became part of a new Yugoslavia. In 1991, the Slovenes established their own country. In 2004, they became part of the EuroZone.

 

Location

South Central Europe in the Julian Alps between Austria and Croatia

 

General Information

  • Government: Parliamentary republic

  • Capital City: Ljubljana

  • Literacy Rate: 97%

  • Size: Slightly smaller than New Jersey

  • Population: 2.1 million (July 2021 est.)

  • Population Growth: 0.03% (2021 est.)

  • Population Distribution: Fairly even but mountainous areas in the northwest are less densely populated

 

Economy

Slovenia has an excellent infrastructure, well trained workforce and is strategically located between the Balkans and Western Europe.  It has one of the highest GDP`s in Central Europe.  They also have a diverse agricultural industry and industrial base. 

  • Unemployment Rate: 6.7% (December 2021)

  • Currency Exchange Rate: 1 US Dollar = 0.90 EUROS

  • GDP: $54.6 B (2019 est.)

  • GDP Growth Rate: 2.4% (2018 est.)

  • Labor Force Breakdown: Agriculture - 1.8%, Industry - 32.2%, Services - 65.9% (2017)

  • Major Industries: Processed food, beverages, pharmaceuticals, chemicals, automotive parts, glass, cement, ceramics, lime production, iron and steel, electrical appliances

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International Trade

Total Product Exports: $44.8B (2020)

 

Major Product Exports:

  • Pharmaceuticals: 17.8%

  • Vehicles: 16.5%

  • Electrical Machinery/Equipment: 10.1%

  • Machinery, including computers: 9.8%

  • Plastics, plastic articles: 3.9%

  • Mineral fuels, including oil: 3.4%

  • Iron & steel: 3%

  • Aluminum: 2.7%

  • Furniture, bedding, lighting, signs, pre-fab buildings: 2.6%

  • Wood: 2.3%

 

Major Export Partners

  • Germany - 16.6%; Switzerland - 10.3%; Italy - 9.1%; Croatia - 7%; Austria - 6.1%; Hungary - 4.7%

  • France - 4.5%; Poland - 4.5%; Serbia - 3.9%; Slovakia - 2.6%; Czech Republic - 2.6%;

  • Bosnia Herzegovina - 2.5%  

 

Total Product Imports:

$36B (2020)

 

Major Product Imports

  • Pharmaceutical products - 16.1%

  • Vehicles & parts (not including railway trams, rolling stock and parts) - 10.3%

  • Electrical machinery & equipment - 9.26%

  • Nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances, parts - 9.23%

  • Mineral fuels etc. - 5.63%

  • Plastics and articles thereof - 4.61%

  • Organic chemicals - 3.75%

  • Iron & steel- 3.69%

  • Aluminum and articles thereof - 2.73%

  • Instrumentation - 2.29%

 

Major Import Partners

  • Germany - 14%; Switzerland - 12.6%; Italy - 10.8%; Austria - 7.49%; China - 7.32%

  • Croatia - 3.79%; France - 3.04%; Turkey - 2.65%; Poland - 2.6%; Hungary - 2.36%

 

English language Online News Sites

 

Sampling of Companies

  • Academia – software - www.academia.si - Ljubljana

  • Zootfly - video games - www.zootfly.com - Ljubljana

  • Adria Mobil - caravans and motorhomes -www.adria-mobil.com - Novo Mesto

  • XLAB - software & consulting - www.xlab.si - Ljubljana

  • Akrapovic - car & motorcycle exhaust systems - www.akrapovic.com - Ziri

  • Litostroj - mainly water turbines for hydroelectric power - www.litostroj.com – Ljubljana

  • Alpina - large manufacturer of footwear - www.alpina.si - Ziri

  • KRKA - large pharmaceutical manufacturer - www.krka.biz/en - Novo Mesto

  • Elan - sporting goods - best known for skis and snowboards - www.elan.si - Begunje na Gorenjskem

  • Istrabenz - large holding company - energy, food, financial and tourism - www.istrabenz.si - Koper 

  • Hidria - automotive parts - www.hidria.com - Ljubljana

  • Gorenje - household appliances, furniture, services in energy, ecology and trade - www.gorenje.com - Velenje

  • Amebis - language software - www.amebis.si - Kamnik

  • Store Steel - steel products - www.store-steel.si - Store

  • SIJ Steel Group - stainless and specialty steel & steel production - www.sij.si/en - Ljubljana

  • Lek - large pharmaceutical manufacturer - www.lek.si - Ljubljana

  • REVOZ – automobiles - www.revoz.si/en - Novo Mesto  (Note: Only auto manufacturer in country; subsidiary of Renault)

  • Carthago – motorhomes - www.carthago.com - Odrandi          

 

National Holidays - 2022

  • January 1- New Year’s Day

  • January 2 - New Years

  • February 8 - Preseren Day

  • April 17 - Easter

  • April 18 - Easter

  • April 27 - Resistance Day

  • May 1 - May Day

  • May 2 - May Day

  • June 5 - Whit Sunday

  • June 25 - Statehood Day

  • August 15 - Assumption Day

  • October 31 - Reformation Day

  • November 1 - Day of Remembrance of the Dead

  • December 25 - Christmas Day

  • December 26 - Independence and Unity Day

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By: Paul Mastilak

InterMark3, Inc.

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