Minister addresses business conference Texas Feels Slovenia
Dallas - Public Administration Minister Boštjan Koritnik on Friday addressed the opening of a business and investment conference Texas Feels Slovenia as part of his visit to the US. According to the ministry, a number of potential US business partners and investors attended the conference.
"In a rapidly changing world the public sector must change rapidly as well, as citizens and companies expect services that will be client-oriented, efficient, innovative, adjusted and backed by technology," Koritnik said.
He stressed the Slovenian government was focussing on digital transformation and striving for as much progress as possible as soon as possible. "Our goal is to have our country rank among the top five digitally most advanced European countries by the end of this decade," he said.
The minister presented a few key government measures promoting digital transformation and economic development, including simplified company reporting to the state, an e-point for subsides, e-notary services and virtual administration point.
He also highlighted electronic medical certificates for sick leave, introduced at the start of 2020, noting they had made life easier for businesses, the public administration and entire population, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.
The minister said open data was a strategic commodity of the 21st century and a key means for transition to a digital society. "We are very proud of our national open data portal OPSI with more than 4,000 published datasets, which encourages the use of open data to create innovative products, services and jobs in the private sector."
Finally, he stressed Slovenia's excellent geostrategic position with the EU regulative framework that can quickly adjust to changes and new challenges.
The minister also held several bilateral meetings with representatives of US companies and chambers of commerce to continue the talks started by Digital Transformation Minister Mark Boris Andrijanič during a visit in March, especially in light of the planned opening of Slovenia's representation office in the Silicon Valley.
The business and investment conference was organised by the SPIRIT agency and partners. Dallas was picked because Slovenian basketball star Luka Dončič plays there and because Texas is the second largest US economy and a serious rival to California in high-tech, according to SPIRIT.
The conference attended by potential US business partners and investors, representatives of the NBA team Dallas Mavericks and Slovenian business executives and entrepreneurs.
The Slovenian business and development delegation is also visiting Houston and Austin on the sidelines of the conference. The Slovenian Tourist Board organised a workshop presenting Slovenian tourism.