A Japanese cherry tree and a Slovenian lime tree were planted in the abandoned section of the industrial zone in Logatec, a city 30 kilometres south-west of Ljubljana.

Sumitomo Rubber Industries CEO Ikuji Ikeda was also on hand. He said he was proud that this will be the first new investment in such an industrial area in Slovenia.

He added today was an important milestone for the investment, which had required the bridging of a number of challenges up to this point.

Outgoing Prime Minister Miro Cerar spoke of an important new asset for Logatec and the whole of Slovenia.

High-tech investments, which have also included Hitachi's as part of the Nedo project and Yaskawa's in Kočevje, bring a high added value and have many multiplicative effects, he said.

While also noting the significance of reviving an abandoned industrial zone, Cerar is convinced the Swiss-Japanese-Slovenian partnership is a guarantee for success on the global market.

The environmental permit for the investment, which is a condition for a building permit, is still pending. Lonstroff has had to supplement its permit application, it however expects both permits will be issued by the end of the month.

The investment is estimated at EUR 48m and is expected to secure 180 jobs. Lonstroff plans to produce around 6bn units a year and generate EUR 40m in revenue. The government has backed it with a EUR 4.8m state incentive.