The finalists for this year's German Economy Award, presented by the German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, are Bayer, Medis, Mikro+Polo and BSH Hišni Aparati Nazarje. The winner will be announced on 12 February.

The German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry has been presenting the award since 2014 in cooperation with the German Embassy and the IEDC Bled School of Management to recognise best business results.

This year the award will recognise a commitment to creating a respectable, inclusive and sustainable working environment. "The German Economy Award is not only a recognition of outstanding achievements, but also a platform for inspiration and exchange of best practice in business," the chamber said.

Based on the applications received, the judging panel short-listed four companies. One of them is Bayer, a subsidiary of the German pharmaceutical company of the same name, which has been operating in Slovenia since 1971. Headquartered in Ljubljana, it employs around 100 people.

Medis is a Slovenian company marketing innovative medicines, medical devices and over-the-counter products for more than 60 pharmaceutical and biotech companies. Founded in 1989, it employs almost 400 people, including abroad.

Mikro+Polo is the largest lab equipment supplier in the country and its lab furniture is also used by some of the world's largest pharmaceutical companies. The company, which employs around 150 people, also supplies turnkey lab solutions, including design, manufacturing and installation of all the equipment.

BSH Hišni Aparati Nazarje specialises in the development and production of small kitchen appliances and is Europe's biggest manufacturer in the segment. As part of the international BSH Home Appliances Group, it is also responsible for the sale of household appliances in South East Europe through their sales office in Ljubljana. At the end of 2023, the company employed around 1,400 people.

The winner will be announced at a high-profile ceremony at Ljubljana Castle on 12 February. The nominees will take part in a panel debate to discuss how to create employee-attractive companies.

Meanwhile, Volker Leinweber, head of the economics and foreign trade department at the Bavarian Business Association, will talk about the state of play and outlook for the Bavarian metal and electrical industry and the impact on Slovenian suppliers.

Dagmar von Bohnstein, president of the German-Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, noted that the most important customers of Slovenian companies come from Germany. "The current weakness of Europe's largest economy raises doubt among Slovenian companies whether they can continue to count on orders from Germany," she said.

She also noted that integrating best human resources practices into the workplace is a central pillar of the strategic orientation of modern companies. "Strategies and initiatives to recruit and retain employees have become a key issue for all successful companies in a time of skilled labour shortages," she said.

Last year, the award panel focused on the green transformation of industry. The award went to Hidria, a car industry supplier, with rotational moulding group Roto and MAN Truck & Bus Slovenija as the other finalists.