Addressing reporters in Ljubljana on Monday, Hidria chief executive Iztok Seljak compared the achievement for the Hidria Optymus Pressure Sensing diesel engine cold-start system with winning the Champions' League.

The breakthrough innovation was developed by the Sieva development centre, co-founded by Hidria, in cooperation with many companies from the Slovenian automotive cluster and several laboratories, institutes and universities at home and abroad.

A day after the CLEPA awards ceremony on Thursday, Hidria's solution was presented to the European Commission. Presentations to the automotive industry across the globe will follow in the coming months in what Seljak sees as an opportunity for new contracts.

Hidria closed EUR 110m worth of deals for the supply of the innovative solution for 2017-2021 with several car manufacturers last year. Seljak said that talks with several other prospective partners were ongoing.

Production will be launched in 2018 at a fully automated plant in Tolmin in western Slovenia. The patented solution is to contribute to lower emissions and sustainable mobility, as well as lower fuel consumption and more stable engine operation.

Hidria believes the Volkswagen emissions scandal is an opportunity for the company because its award-winning solution improves combustion and reduces nitrogen oxide output, which substantially exceeded prescribed levels at Volkswagen.

Although the solution is intended for cars in principle, Hidria is also in talks with manufacturers of engines for lorries, with development projects under way with ship diesel engine manufacturers. The company also sees major potential for use in petrol engines.

The company expects electric vehicles to become the prevalent type beyond 2025, so Seljak says they work on two fronts: improving the efficiency of diesel technologies and development of electric engines. "We currently cover a third of the European market in electric engines and are leaders in the segment."