Small country thinks big and bright

The recent visit of the Slovenian Prime Minister Borut Pahor attracted interest among Indian businessmen, mainly because of the open invitation for Indian investment in Slovenia, which is facing a cash crunch due to heavy fiscal deficits and the Euro crisis. But few may have realised that Slovenia also presents immense opportunities thanks to its highly innovative industries and R&D infrastructure.

On my recent visit to Slovenia, Natasha Turk, regional director of the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industries, showed me a comprehensive handbook she had written on Indian industry that had on its cover a photo of the Tata Nano representing Indian manufacturing innovation. I soon discovered that there are many such “Nanos” to be found in the compact and efficient factories of Slovenia.

With a little more than 22 lakh people, the country relied on its companies to be innovative, exported-oriented and internationally competitive. For instance, its home appliances manufacturer, Gorenje, is famous for offbeat product design. It works with world-famous designers such as Swarovski, Pininfarina, Karim Rashid and Ora-Ïto — which accounts for some of its great-looking products such as the smart fridge that connects with the Internet. Today, Gorenje products are sold in 70 countries.

Slovenia is marching ahead in electronics, biotechnology and pharmaceutical R&D. In the highly-competitive telecommunication technology market, Iskratel stood firm with solutions based on its own R&D. Even today, its products and solutions for telecom, mobile and digital broadband sectors are doing well in East European markets, including Russia, and is competing head-on with much bigger American and European players.

Globally competitive

The focus on export also kept Slovenian companies on their toes and competitive. Krka Pharmaceutical is an internationally recognised company with sales of €951 million, 89 per cent of which comes from outside Slovenia. Litostoj, a turbine manufacturer for small hydroelectric power projects, is equally successful in Europe and elsewhere in the world, including India. Elan Skupkina, world-famous ski manufacturer, comes up with championship winning ski designs almost every year.

In recent years, Slovenian transport companies have been in focus. Two years ago, the Greenline Boat manufacturer launched the solar-power assisted Greenline Hybrid boats, which have proven to be both reliable and cost-effective. The patented super-displacement low-drag hull uses much less energy to move through water at speeds of up to 15 knots. Besides reducing fuel consumption, it allows efficient electric propulsion through power supplied by battery and solar energy.

The success story of the Akrapovic Exhaust Systems rests on a racer. Slovenian racer Igor Akrapovic established the “Skorpion in Scorpion” in 1990 after he noticed during his racing career the absence of high-quality exhaust systems in the market. Those available either fell short on quality or were prohibitively expensive. Drawing from his experience in motorcycle tuning, he developed a relatively lower-cost, high-performance exhaust system, which fetched him many international awards. Today his exhausts power many leading racing motorcycle brands and win hundreds of races worldwide. There is scope for adapting and mass producing the Akrapovic exhaust design in India.

Flying high

But in terms of sheer creativity and commercial success, it is the Pipistrel that flies high. Using path-breaking concepts in aircraft design, the company's light airplane has catapulted it to dizzying heights of success. The aircraft was the brainchild of Ivo Boscarol, who integrated the principles of glider and micro-light aircraft to design fliers that consume nearly 40 per cent less fuel, take-off and land at very short grassy runways, fly non-stop for 1,000 km and are quite easy to maintain. These planes use sophisticated electronic control systems and provide unprecedented levels of safety including manoeuvring at slow speed, gliding long distances without engine power and, in case of an accident, a parachute operated through a hand lever that allows both the passenger and plane to land safely. The ex-factory cost of this two-seater light aircraft starts from €55,000 and is comparable to the price of a decent high-end car. The company won two NASA Centennial Challenge Awards in 2007 and 2008 respectively for innovative aircraft design. Hundreds of its planes have been sold worldwide. Pipistrel is now readying for the commercial launch of its four-seater light aircraft, Pipistrel Panthera, this October.

A visit to its factory was a refreshing lesson in modern and efficient management. Completely green and self-sufficient in energy, each of its employees including Boscarol is either a specialist or a multi-tasker. The Chairman also carries the card of the General Manager — Marketing and he himself brought coffee for the visiting Indian delegates. During his India visit, the Slovenian Prime Minister was keen on initially sales of the Pipistrel light aircraft to the Indian Air Force and other Defence and civilian establishments.

With its high literacy levels and impeccable R&D infrastructure, Slovenia promises to deliver to those seeking path-breaking solutions.

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