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In February 2012 JAPTI held a seminar for Slovenian companies under the banner 'Exporting to China - Challenges and Opportunities'. This was followed at the beginning of a March 2012 by another seminar on the theme of 'Business Customs in China'. At the end of March 2012 JAPTI organised a delegation of Slovenian businesses to China to attend the high-tech business conference 'International Technology Transfer Beijing Conference 2012' (ITTC 2012). The business delegation's visit to China was designed to increase international recognition of Slovenian innovations and to raise Slovenia's profile as a technologically advanced country. The slogan of the delegation was 'Meet Slovenian Innovativeness'. Through this participation in ITTC Beijing 2012, JAPTI began to realise the mission of Slovenia's most important event in the field of innovation - the Slovenian Innovation Forum (SFI) - which helps the best Slovenian innovations gain the best possible international exposure and market realisation opportunities by facilitating the transfer of knowledge and technology to industry. At the end of April Slovenia also took part in the Central Europe-China Economic Forum in Warsaw.

These activities continue with the Slovenia-China Investment and Business Conference, which JAPTI plans to hold in Portorož between 18 and 20 June 2012.

The common thread of June's Slovenia-China Investment and Business Conference will be the transfer of knowledge and technologies into industry, in accordance with the activities that JAPTI carries out in the context of the SFI, Slovenia's most important event in the field of innovations. During the Slovenia-China Investment and Business Conference, bilateral meetings will also take place between members of the Slovenian and Chinese business communities, and Chinese business delegates will visit innovation-oriented and technologically innovative Slovenian companies.

The first day of the event will begin with an investment conference, at which Chinese participants will have the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the business environment and investment opportunities in Slovenia. There will also be a presentation of Slovenia's industrial and business zones, as a way of stimulating the economy in Slovenia. Finally, Slovenia and South-East Europe will be presented as a stable destination for economic activities for Chinese investors. The day will also feature the official announcement of the creation of a Slovenia-China Innovation and Investment Centre, under the aegis of JAPTI.

Later in the day, Slovenian participants will have a chance to learn about China's strategy for investment in SE Europe, the extent of Chinese economic expansion in Europe, possible forms of mutual cooperation, principal sectors, and the measures needed in order to activate potential for economic cooperation between Slovenia and China. There will also be presentations of concrete opportunities for Chinese investors in Slovenia, which plays an important role in SE Europe. China has been selected as a priority market within the EU's growth strategy 'Europe 2020'. The number of Slovenian exporters to the third largest country in the world has been growing for a number of years, as has the volume of exports from Slovenia to this market. In 2011 Slovenian exports to China were worth €88.7 million, while Slovenian direct investments in China totalled €14.5 million. At the same time, Chinese exports to Slovenia were worth €590 million. In 2011 216 Slovenian companies exported to China, while 19 Slovenian companies are currently operating in the Chinese market. Their sales are predominantly oriented towards the Chinese and South Asian markets. Numerous Slovenian companies would like to enter this market, something also confirmed by the fact that in recent years more than 100 companies have applied to JAPTI for information in connection with China.

The second day of the event will begin with a business conference that will present the high-tech services and needs of Chinese companies in the following areas: environmental construction and technologies, agro-biotechnological/organic food, digital content and 4G technology, pharmaceuticals and high-tech advanced finished equipment.The day will continue with an opportunity for B2B discussions between Slovenian and Chinese businesses. On the last day Chinese delegates will visit Slovenian businesses.

Opportunities for Slovenian companies are above all in the following sectors: chemical industry, food industry, automotive industry, environment and energy, pharmaceuticals, light aircraft, the marine industry and elsewhere. As part of the EU economy, Slovenia's economy is attractive to large, state-owned Chinese companies, and even more so to small, privately owned companies, which have similar business goals to Slovenian companies.

Slovenia is a country with an outstanding range of high-tech achievements, while the high level of innovation of Slovenian companies is also confirmed by the European Commission's Innovation Union cup scoreboard. Further proof comes from the record number of innovations registered at last year's 6th SFI - 235 of them, including some innovations representing new developments at the global level - Domel d.o.o. (innovative, user-friendly electronics to control EC motors); MESI d.o.o. (automated ankle brachial pressure measuring device); Marko Čenčur (method for dimming energy-saving light bulbs), Pipistrel d.o.o. (gold award for the Panthera, a four-seater light aircraft designed for cruising), the Jožef Stefan Institute (silver award for the Pedius system for computer-aided reconstruction of fragments of wall paintings) and V Navtik d.o.o. (bronze award for the innovative wFoil concept) and others. An increasing number of innovators are aware that taking part in the Slovenian Innovation Forum means greater recognition for an innovation and promotion of a product, service or model, while at the same time facilitating networking and contributing to recognition of the importance of entering foreign markets.