An important year for Slovenian science. Slovenia has become a full member of the European Space Agency and the European Organisation for Nuclear Research (CERN). The country also joined CERIC – a European research infrastructure consortium in the fields of materials, biomaterials and nanotechnology, with a focus on energy materials and life sciences.

In September, Slovenia hosted AI for Science, a large conference with over 200 participants from all over the world. Slovenian researchers played a pioneering role in the development of AI back in the eighties. This year Slovenia also got its own large language model called GaMS (Generative Model for Slovenian) trained with Slovenian-language datasets.

2025 is the International Year of Quantum Sciences and Technology – an important field for Slovenian scientists. The researchers from the Jožef Stefan Institute and the University of Ljubljana have developed the world's first microscale photonic circuits using liquid crystals. These circuits, built from biodegradable organic materials, are exceptionally energy-efficient, operating exclusively with light. The Institute Jožef Stefan also continues its cooperation with the Google Quantum AI Lab in developing more stable quantum chips. The IJS researchers are among the first in the world using thin layers of tantalum disulphide – the material allows for better stability and coherence of the qubits, characteristics crucial for the development of future quantum computers. Important progress was also made in the areas of fusion research, life sciences, advanced materials development, and astrophysics. All in all, a good year. And the future seems bright as many Slovenian students are winning awards in international contests – including three gold medals for the world’s best young astronomers and astrophysics.