News

On 28 October 2025, the Gewerbehaus Hessen in Frankfurt am Main hosted GEO Forum 2025, an international event organized by the Croatian Business Association in Germany (KWVD) together with the Nextistence Institute – Institute for Future Applications from Žalec.

Under the theme “Green Energy Opportunities – Investing in Resilient, Smart and Net Zero Systems”, the forum brought together leading representatives of business, politics, science, and civil society from Germany, Slovenia, and Croatia.

At the center of the forum was the vision of creating the Zero Emission Corridor (ZEC) – a cross-border infrastructure project stretching from the Baltic to the Adriatic, designed to accelerate the transition to zero-emission energy systems.

Participants exchanged views on technological innovation, investment strategies, and political frameworks needed to realize such ambitious projects.

Many Slovenian companies and institutions presented technologies, solutions, and examples of good practice. Together with other stakeholders, they focused in round table discussions on exchanging experience, technology transfer and development, future strategic partnerships, and upcoming projects – particularly in the field of green hydrogen, from production to final use, with a special emphasis on industrialization and financing sources.

Opening Remarks and Key Messages
KWVD President Mario Šušak thanked the speakers and participants for the inspiring exchange of ideas and experience, emphasizing that GEO Forum 2025 confirmed that countries such as Croatia, Slovenia, and Germany possess the knowledge, technology, and willingness to cooperate.

“Our goal is to connect companies, people, and ideas in order to build a sustainable Europe together,” he said.

In her opening address, Dubravka Šuica, Vice-President of the European Commission, highlighted the importance of solidarity and balance in the Mediterranean region, as well as the need for a new partnership between northern and southern Europe based on trust, shared responsibility, and cooperation.

She also advocated the establishment of a Mediterranean University to encourage knowledge exchange and innovation among young people.

Jorgo Chatzimarkakis, CEO of Hydrogen Europe, underlined the strategic importance of hydrogen for the energy transition and called for clear policy frameworks that encourage investment and technology deployment.

Expert Contributions and Round Tables

Numerous experts shared their experience and visions through discussions and informal meetings.

During the first round table, German expert Prof. Dr. Christian Haas from the CoDiVe Institute emphasized the importance of resilient infrastructure and adaptable transformation processes, noting that continuous improvement processes are now essential for industry to succeed in uncertain conditions.

Prof. Dr. Birgit Scheppat from Hochschule RheinMain stated that the energy transition can only succeed if innovation, cooperation, and human knowledge are combined.

The transformation of the energy system toward CO₂-neutral technologies is only possible through joint European efforts, emphasized Prof. Dr. Peter Birkner, Director of House of Energy.

Ivan Dabo, Mayor of Novalja, presented the pilot project in the Port of Žigljen, which will generate energy from sea waves and green hydrogen. He stressed that Novalja aims to become an energy-independent city by 2030.

Uroš Salobir from ELES continued by highlighting that cooperation between the public and private sectors is crucial for the development of hydrogen technologies and expressed enthusiasm for the concrete solutions already emerging.

Dr. Thomas Neuenhahn from Siemens Energy pointed to the inspiring exchange of ideas at GEO Forum and said he looks forward to the next steps.

Sustainability and economic growth must go hand in hand. Only a strong and competitive economy can finance the technologies, infrastructure, and innovation needed to achieve climate neutrality, emphasized Marius Schäfer from Vereinigung der hessischen Unternehmerverbände (VhU).

Zero Emission Corridor (ZEC)

The second part of the forum featured the presentation of the Zero Emission Corridor (ZEC) project – a cross-border infrastructure initiative aimed at accelerating the transition to zero-emission energy systems.

Moderator Robin Weninger led a discussion with Simon Ferjuc and Matjaž Logar from the Nextistence Institute, who highlighted readiness for the next steps – preparing a timeline and developing financeable projects.

Simon Ferjuc added that he was proud of all participants from Slovenia, Croatia, and Germany who had already expressed interest in joining the ZEC project.

Matjaž Logar emphasized the importance of linking green hydrogen production with its final use.

Technologies Ready to Scale

The second round table, titled “Technologies That Work – and How to Scale Them”, focused on solutions ready for implementation in the production, storage, and management of green energy.

Among the participants was Dr. Mario Perić from Končar Elektroindustrija, who presented portfolios already integrated into green technologies.

Filip Stojmenović from DOK-ING ENERGO expressed satisfaction with his participation:
“Meeting new technologies and experts was inspiring. Europe is clearly moving toward a green future.”

Dinko Đurđević, founder and director of Green Sustainable Solutions, emphasized that Southeastern Europe must fully engage in Europe’s sustainable transformation.

He believes that countries such as Croatia and Slovenia have strong innovation capacity and renewable energy potential that can directly contribute to EU goals.

The second round table was followed by remarks from Elias Spreitner, representative of the Ministry of Economy of Hessen, who also called for cooperation and the implementation of shared projects and goals discussed at GEO Forum.

Financing Innovation

The closing panel discussion focused on financing innovation – from EU funds to private capital.

Dr. Alexander Labermeier from the federal state of Hessen presented an example of a EUR 1.5 billion regional green bond, adding that they aim to serve as an example of how municipalities can lead sustainable financial transformation.

New Partnerships Established

Through personal meetings and networking sessions, new partnerships were established between German, Croatian, and Slovenian companies and institutions that will cooperate in the future implementation of the energy transition.