According to the head of programme, Urban Lapajne, this year's conference has the best programme so far, as the three-day event will host over a hundred speakers covering topics that interest both start-ups and big, established companies that want to be innovative.

Among the participants is also Margrethe Vestager, executive vice president of the European Commission for a Europe fit for the digital age. She will take part in a debate on Tuesday, discussing the future and opportunities of Europe through the perspective of technology and competition.

A debate on business opportunities will feature Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek, the head of the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, Maja Vidovič Tomanič; Maribor Mayor Saša Arsenovič and US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard.

According to the Chancellor of the University of Maribor, Zdravko Kačič, the Podim conference is particularly important for networking and this year when the world is struggling with Covid-19 it is even more important to create an opportunity for companies to reach out to each other and find joint business opportunities.

Vidovič Tomanič from the Slovenian Enterprise Fund, one of the organisers of Podim, believes start-ups are the most agile and flexible segment of the economy, which is crucial in the current situation.

Podim was founded as a non-profit platform in 1980, and has been striving to connect innovation with business opportunities, capital, know-how and experience ever since. It has evolved into one of the leading start up and technology events in central and eastern Europe.