Ljubljana - Metronik, a Ljubljana-based company specialising in automation and digitalisation of production, critical infrastructure and smart buildings, was declared the 2020 Delo Business Star by the newspaper publisher on Thursday. The company convinced the jury with its business results, success on foreign markets and sustainability.

Metronik saw a rapid growth in revenue recently. In 2015, its revenue topped EUR 8 million, while last year it stood at more more than EUR 24 million.

The company, which doubled its staff number to more than 150 in the last four years, is highly profitable, Delo said.

According to the publisher, Metronic works in the industry of the future. Outside Slovenia, most projects are currently being carried out in digitalisation of production, especially in the pharmaceutical industry, where the concepts of the 4.0. industry are being introduced through own development solutions.

Developing solutions aimed at optimising production processes, boosting energy efficiency and reducing energy consumption, Metronik promotes sustainability.

The company also generates a high value added per employee, amounting to EUR 89,689, which is almost double the country's average. It also invests about 15% of its annual revenue in research and development.

Metronik's employees receive above-average monthly pay and the company promotes their education and training, and career development.

The other companies in the running for this year's Business Star title were Cleangrad, iSystem labs, Kovinski Izdelki Hrast, Lotrič Meroslovje, Marles Hiše Maribor, Podkrižnik, Rem, Tehnos and Zemanta.

The Delo Business Star for 2019 went to Intra Lighting, a family-run business providing architectural luminaires and smart lighting solutions. In 2018 Polycom from Škofja Loka won the ward and in 2017 Dewesoft.

The readership choice award went to prefabricated house maker Marles Hiše Maribor, while last year Inea, the Ljubljana-based provider of smart factory and energy of the future solutions, won in this category. In 2018, the award went to Vasco from Šenčur and in 2017 to I.H.S. from Krško.