UP FTPO receives two gold and one silver award for innovations in the Koroška region
At this year’s Awards Ceremony for the Best Innovations of the Koroška Region, organised for the 26th consecutive year by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – Koroška Regional Chamber, the Faculty of Polymer Technology (UP FTPO), together with its industrial partners, received two gold and one silver award for innovation.
The awards ceremony took place on 28 May 2026 at the Skrivnosti udobja furniture showroom in Slovenj Gradec. This year’s hosts of the event were the companies KO-SI, KO-SC and Purotehnika. A total of 22 innovation proposals involving more than 135 innovators were submitted to the 2026 competition for the best innovations in the Koroška region.
UP FTPO participated with three innovations developed together with industrial partners and received one silver and two gold awards. With the innovation “Innovative hot-runner system with needle shut-off and integrated gas injection”, UP FTPO also qualified for the national level competition and will compete for awards within the “Innovation Day” event at Brdo pri Kranju.
An important contribution to the development of the innovation “Innovative hot-runner system with needle shut-off and integrated gas injection” was made by UP FTPO graduate Aljaž Kolar, also a representative of O.P.S. Breznik d.o.o., who carried out research work in the field of innovation as part of his master’s thesis.
For more information about the event and other award-winning innovations, please visit the website of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia – Koroška Regional Chamber: GZS – Koroška Regional Chamber.
Silver Award
Applicant: KOPUR d.o.o. and Faculty of Polymer Technology
Innovation: Processing thermoset composite waste into sustainable urban furniture
A bench and raised garden bed made from recycled thermoset composite waste were developed within the DeremCo project. The products demonstrate that difficult-to-recycle waste materials can be successfully transformed into functional, value-added products through advanced grinding and modelling processes, thus contributing to the transition towards a circular economy.
Gold Award
Applicant: KO-SI d.o.o. and Faculty of Polymer Technology
Innovation: Waste coconut fibres as reinforcement for biocomposites
The innovation is the result of cooperation between KO-SI and UP FTPO. The biocomposites are made from 100% biodegradable materials, with part of the material consisting of industrial waste coconut fibres from KO-SI. The solution enables the development of sustainable thermoplastic composites for applications in fruit growing and horticulture.
Gold Award and qualification for the national level
Innovation: Innovative hot-runner system with needle shut-off and integrated gas injection
The innovation was developed in cooperation with O.P.S. Breznik d.o.o. It represents a hybrid plastic injection moulding system with gas injection directly through the needle shut-off nozzle of the hot-runner system. The key element of the innovation is the integration of a porous insert with a gas channel for gas injection directly into the shut-off needle of the system.
The innovation ranked among the highest-rated projects and will compete for national-level awards at the GZS Innovation Day event at Brdo pri Kranju.