The company Plastika Skaza d.o.o. received the German Economy Award 2019, which was awarded by the German-Slovene Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK) in collaboration with the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Slovenia, as well as the WISE Institute. The World Institute for Sustainability and Ethics in Rising Economies (WISE) was founded by IEDC – Bled School of Management together with four internationally renowned business schools, including the Cologne Business School.
Skaza has convinced the expert jury with its innovative attitude, whilst creating synergies with sustainable development and a socially responsible business model. Among the finalists were also the companies Henkel Maribor d.o.o. and Mikrocop d.o.o.
Last week the German-Slovene Chamber of Commerce and Industry (AHK) has awarded the German Economy Award for the 7th time in a row. The expert jury consisting of Prof. Dr. René Schmidpeter, President of the WISE Institute and Lecturer at the Cologne Business School, Dr. Bernhard Hauer, Deputy Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany to Slovenia, Claus Wallenstein, CEO of MAN Truck & Bus Slovenija, representative of last year´s award-winning company Uzin Utz, Uwe Miess, Procurator of the company and Head of Sales for Central and Southern Europe, and Gertrud Rantzen, Chairwoman of the German-Slovene Chamber of Commerce and Industry, decided among the selection of strong competitors from large and recognizable companies to award the prize to Skaza. The winning company showed the strongest strive for technological advancement, while considering social and environmental needs, and promoting sustainable business strategies with added value for businesses and society.
Prof. Dr. René Schmidpeter presented the evaluation criteria while emphasizing on the following: “In terms of sustainability, we have to think in the present for the future. It is very important for us to understand, how the sustainable economy will look like in the future, and in this regard, what we must do from today onwards in order to make that happen. Sustainability is not a state, it is a dynamic process, and that is why we have most importantly characterized how the durability in the work and business of the company are demonstrated, and what companies are already doing in order to make sustainability a new norm. We chose the prize winner unanimously and did not prioritize any industry sectors.”
Tea Podlipnik, Head of Corporate Communications at Skaza, exclaimed upon receiving the award: “It is a great honor for us to receive this German Economy Award 2019. To us, this means that we are no longer working in a world of hierarchy but in a world of sustainability. In a world of economic justice or rights and in a world, where every individual counts, and each one takes over the responsibility for economic growth and the environment.”
Among the finalists of the German Economy Award 2019, the jury also nominated the companies Henkel Maribor and Mikrocop, because they have also shown developmental orientation, entrepreneurial organization, and achievement of ambitious goals. Many companies ran and applied for the competition to receive the German Economy Award, covering not only Slovene companies of small, as well as medium and large size but also international foreign-owned companies such as based in Germany or other European countries.
When applying, companies submitted a tripartite application form in which they had to state their export share and describe their product innovations or achievements in their internal organization. They were required to present innovative HR or marketing projects and CSR initiatives at the highest level, or merely show their comparative advantage over other competitors.
The German Economy Award is the first bilateral award to reward innovations among companies in Slovenia. It rewards the most important technical, entrepreneurial and intellectual innovations of companies in Slovenia.