Vestager, the executive vice president for a Europe fit for the digital age, noted how quickly the Slovenian education system had adapted to digital remote learning process, which is according to her worthy of every praise.

She added she hoped that some of that experience could be used as a new basis while continuing to communicate in person, not only by means of digital tools, as sometimes it was good to get assembled together.

As the debate was entitled "Europe - Fit for the Digital Age", Vestager said the digital age was not something new, as Europe and the world had been in it for some time. What needs to be assured is that digital technology fits humans' needs the best possible way.

The European Commission representative also stressed that, in order to utilise digital technologies in industry and entrepreneurship even better, Europe needed reliable infrastructure which would support the development of AI and blockchain technology.

What also needs to be ensured, though, is that digital technology, which already consumes a lot of energy and its energy consumption is increasing very fast, leaves the smallest possible carbon footprint, Vestager added.

Slovenian Economy Minister Zdravko Počivalšek said that changes and fast response to change were a part of everyday life of startup companies. The entire world has been facing a great challenge in recent months and has acted as a startup company.

He added that the ministry fully supported startup initiatives, including by means of a special action plan, as well as funds from the Slovenian Enterprise Fund.

Director Maja Tomanič Vidovič said that the fund's five-year programme, worth EUR 30 million, would support a total of 400 innovative startup companies, which was a large number for a small market like Slovenia.

The fields covered range from biopharmacy and medical equipment to all possible types of information and communication technology, with digitalisation playing the decisive role in which projects will be supported, she added.

US Ambassador to Slovenia Lynda Blanchard said that cooperation of all in new ways was very important, and that new technologies enabled more people, who otherwise would not be able to come to one place, to participate in various projects.

The Podim DX conference, running between Monday and Wednesday, has gone digital this year, featuring more than a thousand representatives of startups, investors, corporations and other stakeholders from the support environment.