Successful conclusion of the "Where Plastic Industry Meets the Future" event at the MIS 2025
On the last day of the MIS 2025 International Industrial Fair, April 11, 2025, our faculty, in cooperation with the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Chemical Industry Association – Plastics and Rubber Section, successfully held a major professional event under the slogan "Where Plastic Industry Meets the Future."
The event was attended by more than 50 representatives of companies, professional institutions, and other stakeholders in the field of polymers from Slovenia and the wider region. Participants gained valuable knowledge about the latest development trends, technologies, and sustainable approaches in the plastics industry, while the event also provided an excellent opportunity for networking and exploring opportunities for new regional cooperation.
The program opened with a welcome address by the organizers, Prof. Blaž Nardin, Dean of the Faculty of Polymer Technology, and Nuša Pavlinjek Slavinec, Director of the ROTO GROUP and Chair of the Plastics and Rubber Section of the Chemical Industry Association of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia. This was followed by presentations on the challenges facing the plastics industry in the region by representatives of the chambers of commerce from Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. This was followed by presentations on the challenges facing the plastics industry in the region by representatives of chambers of commerce from Slovenia, Croatia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The discussions highlighted the industry's need for greater competitiveness, sustainable practices, and more active knowledge transfer between the economy and research institutions.
This was followed by presentations on current topics such as materials of the future, with a focus on vitrimeric materials as a challenge and opportunity for sustainable product development. Special emphasis was also placed on additive technologies (3D printing), where experts presented examples of successful industrial applications and highlighted the importance of developing knowledge in this field.
The last thematic section presented the results in the field of composite recycling, including possibilities for their reuse in industrial practice.
The event concluded with a round table discussion featuring Nuša Pavlinjek Slavinec (ROTO GROUP, Chair of the Plastics and Rubber Section at ZKI GZS), Mario Tomljanović (HGK – Association of the Plastics Industry), Mirsad Jašarspahić (Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Prof. Blaž Nardin (Dean of the Faculty of Polymer Technology). The discussion was moderated by Danilo Ekar, the event moderator. The round table participants discussed common regional challenges, the importance of innovation, and the need for responsible use of polymer materials.
The round table participants discussed common regional challenges, the importance of innovation, and the need for responsible use of polymer materials. They agreed that cross-border cooperation between countries is essential to achieve the objectives of EU legislative requirements, such as the increasing content of recycled materials in products. Joint projects or the establishment of an online platform for the supply and demand of materials or services in the field of polymers also make sense. In conclusion, they emphasized that knowledge, cooperation, and sustainable approaches are key to ensuring that polymers remain an important part of the solution, not the problem, in the future.
The event confirmed that the plastics industry has great potential for transformation towards a circular economy – and that this transformation is only possible through joint action.