Text and photo: Erik Blatnik
In July, the i- and e-Motion investments, worth more than €60 million and partly supported by the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sport, were completed. The investments significantly improve modern electric motor systems and their manufacturing methods. Thirteen companies and a development center were involved in the projects, jointly developing more than 150 technical and technological solutions.
Increasing challenges in the automotive industry, vehicle electrification, and the European Union’s announcement that it will ban the sale of internal combustion engine vehicles by 2035 are forcing companies to adapt to the current situation. That is why 13 companies and a development center (C3M, Domel, Elaphe, Hidria, Iskra Mehanizmi IM, Kolektor KFH, Kolektor Mobility, Kolektor ATP, Kolektor Sikom, Lotrič Meroslovje, Magneti Ljubljana, Mahle Electric Drives Slovenia, SIJ Acroni, and the Novo Mesto Development Center) decided three years ago to establish two consortia for investment: i-Motion and e-Motion. With i-Motion, they conducted industrial research into the electric motor systems of the future, focusing on market opportunities that are just emerging. With e-Motion, they focused on the experimental development of electric motor drives and solutions for their rapid market penetration.
Under the coordination of SRIP ACS+, 14 partners developed more than 150 technical and technological solutions in both areas, which they also presented at the final event. At the event, company representatives emphasized that both investments had led to significant mutual cooperation and the establishment of long-term partnerships and important competencies. They also developed solutions that contribute to environmental protection and CO2 emission reduction. The project partners have filed patent applications for some of the products.
The partners also listed suggestions for improvements. These mainly concerned the slowness of decision-making processes on the part of the state and the current excessive amount of administrative work. They proposed the digitization of procedures and the introduction of a special portal for submitting and monitoring documentation. This would reduce the environmental and administrative burden and increase transparency regarding the status of procedures.
The investment, worth a total of €60 million, was partially supported by the Ministry of Economy, Tourism, and Sport, which allocated around €30 million to the companies. This has significantly strengthened the activities of the Gremo Mission, which is contributing greatly to the planned growth in sales in the automotive industry, from EUR 5 billion in 2023 to more than EUR 7 billion by 2030. Thanks to Mission Gremo, which includes i- and e-Motion, the number and structure of employees will also increase in favor of higher and highly educated staff, and the added value per employee will rise, thereby increasing the competitiveness of the Slovenian economy.
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Additional information: SRIP ACS+, Erik Blatnik, +386 1 236 17 35, erik.blatnik@acs-giz.si
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The automotive industry in Slovenia generates approximately 10% of gross domestic product and nearly 25% of Slovenian exports (source: SPIRIT Slovenia). All members of SRIP ACS+, including all areas of mobility, contribute more than 17% to Slovenia’s GDP. Our members generate more than €8 billion in annual revenue, with most of them operating as Tier 1 and Tier 2 suppliers to global vehicle manufacturers. Each year, SRIP ACS+ members receive more than 25% of all innovation awards from the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry in the automotive industry.