Where wine once matured, ideas mature today. Ideas that will lead the world into a new industrial era, into a time when technology will not replace the person but give back their dignity, their time and the chance to create.
The start of construction was far more than a symbolic event. It was a historic moment, and not only for Slovenske Konjice but for the whole region. A town known for its culture, its soul and its wine is from now on among the places that help shape the global industrial future.
The state recognised the project too.
The Minister of Digital Transformation, Ksenija Klampfer, MSc, emphasised:
»We live in a time of exceptionally fast technological development, a time of artificial intelligence and supercomputers. That is why Industry 5.0 matters so much: it brings balance. It is a new paradigm in which technology does not push the person aside but works with them, in which technology does not replace people but helps them be even more creative, more effective, more human.
At the ministry we are developing national projects such as the supercomputer with an AI factory, which will be the heart of digital development in Slovenia. But today we are here because of a story growing right here in Slovenske Konjice: a technology institute carrying this vision of Industry 5.0 into practice, here, at home.
And as a local I am truly proud that this future is being built precisely here, in a place that has the knowledge, the heart and the courage to think ahead. I believe Slovenske Konjice will know how to make something of this opportunity that reaches far beyond the borders of our town, and that serves people.”
The project is led by HIPROJECT, which together with the newly founded Institute for Industry 5.0 has already brought together many companies, experts and visionaries from Slovenia and the wider region. The director of HIPROJECT and co-founder of the institute, Urban Pevnik, said at the event:
“Our goal is the transformation of industry, with people and for people. Industry 5.0 is not only a technological leap; it is a return to the person. In Konjice we are building a place where smart technology and human creativity will work together for a more inclusive and sustainable future. The new building is more than infrastructure. It is a sign that technology can become an ally of human potential.”
Pevnik added that the building carries a story of its own:
“This building was built for knowledge and for the future. It was conceived as a place of innovation, but its dreams were never fully realised. To me it is not merely a block of concrete. It is a symbol of the courage, the ambition and the vision that are still alive in Konjice.
I am glad we can give it a new chance and write a new chapter together, with respect for the past and a clear view of the future.”
The vision of the new HIPROHUB is clear: an open place for cooperation, research, connection and breakthroughs. A place that will build bridges between the person, the machine and nature.
Optimism and enthusiasm accompanied the event. Tadej Slapnik, director of Hashnet and co-founder of the Institute for Industry 5.0, pointed out:
“Today we are not only building walls; we are building a story. Slovenske Konjice will be the place where Industry 5.0 is not only taught but lived. The person will be at the centre and technology their partner, not their replacement. It will be a symbiosis that raises productivity and, at the same time, the satisfaction of the people who work.”
Industry 5.0 is not a passing fashion. It is an answer to the key challenges of our time: the climate, social and economic ones.
The new building will house the headquarters of HIPROJECT, the Institute for Industry 5.0 and advanced companies that want to be part of this story.
The future is no longer written in capital cities alone. It is written where we dare to think boldly. And one of those places today is Slovenske Konjice.