The Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GZS) gave out a total of 40 awards on the occasion.

GZS conferred 14 Golden Awards altogether. Two of them were given to BSH Hišni aparati, one for an automatic coffee maker and the other for a food processor.

Pharma company Lek also received two awards for an effective method of producing the antacid drug omeprazole and for using the eco-friendly compound dicarbon in the anti-diabetic drug sitagliptin.

Ten more companies received Golden Awards, including Adria Mobil for a caravan with a convertible interior, Krka for a drug to be used for treating bipolar disorder and schizophrenia and to Gorenje for the Panasonic AutoCare washing machine.

Silver Awards were given to 21 companies, including Farma GRS, a part of the Krka drug company, crane maker Bijol, furnace and washing machine maker Bosio, the industrial conglomerate Kolektor

Glass maker Steklarna Hrastnik also received the Silver Award along with the audience choice award.

Bronze Awards were given to energy company Petrol, port operator Luka Koper and Metal Ravne, the steel division of SIJ, Slovenia's biggest steel producer.

GZS president Marjan Mačkošek expressed on the occasion his view that Slovenia is a country of innovators. "But we can't afford to rest on laurels, because there will be no progress without innovation."

Slovenia ranks 33th among 140 countries in innovation rankings and has been the fourth fastest climber in the last eight years.