Every September, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia recognizes and honors the top innovations from Slovenian companies. Of this year’s ten Golden Awards, five were awarded to pharmaceutical and biotech-related solutions:

• Iskra PIO received the top award for its unique aseptic powder filling isolator system. 
• Slovenian pharma company Krka won the gold for its new medicine for severe chronic pain treatment. 
• Its arch-rival Lek – a part of Sandoz group, was awarded for its dispersion used to treat anaemia. 
• Slovenian subsidiary of pharma giant Novartis won the award for its ABPP (activity-based protein profiling) technology used in the development of biologics. 
• Another recipient of the highest award was biotech company Sartorius Bia Separations: the company developed a technology for the isolation of plasmid DNA, a key molecule in the biotech industry.

A regular winner of the top innovation awards is Slovenian Steel Group (SIJ). In 2024 SIJ received two golds: for the breakthrough superalloy UTOPTI by Steel Ravne, a material used in extreme conditions such as nuclear reactor cores, and for the stainless ferritic steel specially developed by SIJ Acroni for the next generation of hydrogen fuel cells.

Mahle’s SCT drive motor already received last year’s Top Innovation Award from the European Automotive Suppliers Association. The solution developed by the Slovenian subsidy of Mahle is also among the best national innovations. Proga Rollerski won the gold for its roller skis with the first truly effective and functional braking system. EMA’s BlueSenz is a system of wireless sensors used to provide data on fishing.

The silver and bronze awards include solutions like:

• the ecological modular living unit (Arcont), 
• smart heating panel (Elgoline), 
• a filter for removing microplastics from drinking water (Aqua Lab), 
• an automatic universal packaging cell (Hidria), 
• an information system for hybrid additive manufacturing (Stroka produkt), 
• a chemical recycling process of polyurethan foams (National Institute of Chemistry), 
• kitchen robots and coffee machines (BSH), 
• bio-based coatings (Kansai Helios Slovenija), 
• aluminium alloys created by AI (Impol 2000), 
• a wheel brake disk for high-speed trains (Kovis), 
• and even a smart electric wheelbarrow – already protected by European patent (Blockhapp). 

This is only a narrow selection of over 240 solutions competing for this year’s innovation awards: still it should serve as proof of how difficult the task was that the chamber’s jury had to face.