Dozens of experts and leaders in politics and business convened in Bled on 19 May for an international conference on crisis management hosted by the IEDC Bled - School of Management and Bloomberg Adria. Setting priorities and focusing on implementation were highlighted as key to success.

Addressing nearly 400 participants from 27 countries, IEDC head Danica Purg said it was the job of schools and leaders to set the right course in addressing the many different and complex crises faced by organisations and society in general.

Former Finnish prime minister and manager at Nokia Esko Aho shared his experience, saying crises should not be feared but seen as opportunities for fast and great changes.

It is key that those in charge are aware that crises demand changes in existing strategies and concepts, which in turn are key to transformation of a business or a country, said Aho.

He added that short-term performance should not be in focus during a crisis, instead one must concentrate on long-term success. Moreover, one must not expect public support, he said, adding that change requires risk-taking and patience.

Aho underlined the importance of innovation. Europe has made mistakes in the past which made it incapable of competing with the US and China. But it does have great potential in the implementation of new technologies due to its highly educated population.

Video of the first part of the conference.

Mate Rimac, the Croatian founder of supercars maker Rimac Automobili, talked about his 15 years as entrepreneur, saying the first decade was a constant struggle for survival. He was young and had nothing to lose, which made things easier.

"We were driven and we wanted to prove that we can succeed even though we were inexperienced," Rimac said. He kept his company in Croatia despite not having access to capital, state support, suppliers or the market.

Therefore the company was forced to think globally, which Rimac sees as an advantage of a small economy. He believes it is important for countries to invest more in education and attract talent and work force from abroad.

Slovenian Prime Minister Robert Golob also attended the conference, saying he learnt only recently that it was not wise to announce changes in advance. "This creates excessive expectations in the public," said Golob.

One must take small steps and continue proving oneself, he said, adding it was very important to stay focused, which was much harder to do in politics than in business.

Golob believes it is a great advantage that he is a positive person and expects his positivity to spill over into the majority of the population.

Talking about the crisis faced by the world today, Golob said that alongside the crisis in Ukraine and the migration crisis, countries must still remain focused on the climate crisis.

"At the moment each country is trying to do something for themselves. But true crises cannot be overcome that way," said the prime minister.