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Faculty of Polymer Technology is the only one in South East Europe offering holistic study programs in polymer technology, covering all aspects: Chemistry and Materials Science, Design and Simulation, Processing, Characterization of polymer materials and Applications.

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Wednesday, September 16, 2026

UP Faculty of Polymer Technology Received the Bronze National GZS Award for Innovation

The innovation "Innovative hot-runner system with needle valve gate and integrated gas injection," developed by O.P.S. Breznik d.o.o. and UP Faculty of Polymer Technology, received the bronze national award from the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS).

On Innovation Day 2026, which took place on September 15, 2026, at the Brdo Congress Centre near Kranj, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia presented national awards for the twenty-fourth time to the most innovative companies and innovators in companies and other organizations.

Among this year's recipients of national awards are O.P.S. Breznik d.o.o. and UP Faculty of Polymer Technology, which received the bronze national GZS award for the innovation "Innovative hot-runner system with needle valve gate and integrated gas injection."

An Innovative Solution in the Field of Plastic Injection Molding

The innovation represents a hybrid plastic injection molding system with gas-assisted injection (GIT) directly through the needle valve 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 hot-runner system.

The innovation is the result of cooperation between our faculty and the company O.P.S. Breznik d.o.o. The development team included Assoc. Prof. Dr. Blaž Nardin, Silvester Bolka, M.Sc., Aljaž Kolar, M.Sc., Bojan Breznik, and Primož Haberman.

An Important Contribution by an UP FTPO Graduate

A special place in the development of the innovation goes to Aljaž Kolar, a graduate of the Faculty of Polymer Technology and representative of the company O.P.S. Breznik d.o.o. As written at FTPO, he made a significant contribution to the development of the innovation, and he conducted research work in this field as part of his master's thesis.

The example beautifully illustrates the integration of study, research work, and the economy, as well as the transfer of knowledge into the development of a concrete technological solution.

From Regional to National Recognition

Before being placed at the national level, the innovation was also awarded at the regional selection of the best innovations of the Koroška region for 2026. O.P.S. Breznik d.o.o. and the Faculty of Polymer Technology received a gold award for it and thus qualified for the national level.

In the regional call for the best innovations of Koroška for 2026, 22 innovation proposals were submitted, involving more than 135 innovators.

At the national level, 8 gold, 27 silver, and 13 bronze awards were presented this year, as well as a special award for the innovation challenge. This year's Innovation Day was held under the slogan "Innovations Create a Safe Future."

The bronze national award represents an important recognition of the joint work of the faculty and the company O.P.S. Breznik d.o.o., as well as the successful integration of knowledge, research, and the economy.

We are proud that our research and development work was recognized at the national level as well, and we are particularly pleased with the case in which the research work of our graduate connected with the development of an innovation in the economy.

Sincere congratulations to the entire team on the achieved award!

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Faculty of Polymer Technology is a private non-profit higher education and research institution based in Slovenj Gradec

Faculty of Polymer Technology is a private non-profit higher education and research institution based in Slovenj Gradec. It was founded in 2006 as Polymer Technology College and was promoted to Faculty by the Slovenian Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education in February 2017.

Its founders are companies from Slovene plastics industry (Adient Slovenj Gradec d.o.o., Grammer Automotive Slovenija d.o.o., Plastika Skaza d.o.o., Kopur d.o.o., BSH Hišni aparati d.o.o. Nazarje), Regional institutions (Municipality of Slovenj Gradec, RRA Koroška d.o.o) and Industry associations/Research organisations (GIZ Grozd Plasttehnika, TECOS - Razvojni center orodjarstva Slovenije).

Others about us

Boris Maroh, inž. tehnol. pol.
Researcher - Polymer competence center Leoben GmbH

I will always remember countless debates from all the lectures that our group of eight students attended. We were the first generation of MA students of Polymer Technology. My Master’s degree enabled me to continue my career path in polymer materials abroad, as well as to continue my studies at University of Leoben.

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Igor Skaza,, Owner and Managing Director of
Plastika Skaza d.o.o.

The services that the Faculty of Polymer Technology offers help solve the problems that we encounter in our production and development of products. They help us reach our company goals. We have been successfully cooperating for many years; they offer quality solutions and are a responsive and a reliable partner that helps us grow and fulfil our mission – to create high quality products from Eco-friendly Plastics.

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Tadeja Rožanc,
Graduate

The faculty organises meetings with foreign experts and professionals, company visits, use of laboratory, and a whole list of practically oriented skills which definitely play a much more decisive role when talking to employers than the actual evaluation grades in the grade book.

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Žan Skodlar,
BA Student of Polymer Technology

The studies at FTPO are practically oriented and offer lectures from a range of professionals connected to the business sector as well, which quarantines high quality education for the students and enables them to have excellent employment opportunities.

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Education, Research and Industry cooperation

As the only academic institution focusing on polymer technology in Slovenia, Faculty of Polymer Technology bases its activities on three pillars: Education, Research and Industry cooperation. We provide our students with the necessary knowledge and skills to become innovative and competent engineers that are fit for responsible tasks in their future assignments. We support society and industry in Slovenia and beyond to cope with the increasingly competitive economic and rapidly changing technological environment by knowledge creation through innovative application oriented research on polymer materials and technologies, Know-How transfer and opportunities for life long learning. We live by our values – Responsiveness, Continuous improvement, Practical Attitude and Personal Approach – to achieve these goals.