The chairman of the Italian-Slovenian forum Jurij Giacomelli stressed the importance of innovation for growth, which makes it particularly important for countries staggering behind the EU average in economic indicators.

Jadran Lenarčič, the head of the Jožef Stefan institute, which hosts the event, agreed that there was close correlation between investment in R&D and growth of productivity, while a huge gap remains between different countries in the field.

Structural change is needed to improve the situation, and collaborations such as the business forum can contribute to this.

Meanwhile, Giuliano Poletti, the Italian minister of labour and social policies, pointed to the two aspects of technology - it is either hailed as the future or feared because of the potential danger and harmful effects.

He is certain that there is no need to fear technology if it is used in the right way: "Only the use of technology can be harmful, not technology in itself."

To ensure that it is used the right way, governments must address the challenges and act in time. Legislation in the field is mostly insufficient and even faulty because it cannot keep pace with technological change, the minister added.

Ageing workforce will be a major challenge for Slovenia due to the changing labour landscape, Labour Ministry State Secretary Peter Pogačar noted, while Tadej Slapnik, a state secretary at the prime minister's office, listed Slovenia's efforts to address these and other challenges in the field.