As part of the two-day event, the Stratbase Institute with the Embassy of the Republic of Slovenia in the Philippines, in partnership with the International Center for Promotion and Enterprises (ICPE), the Slovenian Energy and Environment Partnership in Defense (SiENE), and the Ministry of Education, Science, and Sport, and the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, held the business-to-business conference entitled, “Science2Business: Energy Resilience for Enhanced Security,” at the Manila Polo Club, Makati City. The second day successfully convened Slovenian and Philippine business environment and research institutions, particularly in energy resilience, critical infrastructure, water and environmental technologies, digital security, autonomous systems, and applied industrial innovation.  

Key stakeholders included Slovenian companies namely: ARGOxr, PeK Automotive, Robotina, Smartis, and Waboost. Present in the forum were also Slovenian research organizations Elektroinstitut Milan Vidmar (EIMV) and the National Institute of Chemistry. Local participation mainly comprised of companies in the renewable energy, electric power systems, infrastructure, chemicals, and digital services sectors, as well as representatives from different government agencies and private sector organizations.  

In his keynote remarks, Stratbase Group Chief Operating Officer Mr. RP Manhit underscored the importance of dialogue to action-oriented solutions. He noted that partnerships with countries such as Slovenia lay the foundation for a longstanding partnership—one that goes beyond one-time transactions and instead builds reliability, trust, and sustained cooperation over time.  

Meanwhile, Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia in the Philippines, Her Excellency Dr. Smiljana Knez encouraged stronger innovation and economic ties between the Philippines and Slovenia. Echoing this message, Deputy Head of Mission Mr. Dragan Barbutovski led the presentation of the business conference where he highlighted Slovenia as a strategic gateway to Europe. He also added that Slovenia is one of Europe’s most export-oriented economies, reflecting the strong international integration and competitiveness of Slovenian companies.  

Furthermore, the keynote message of Department of Trade and Industry Secretary Cristina Roque—delivered by Executive Director Atty. Bobby Fondevilla of the Board of Investments’ Investment Assistance Center—emphasized that, in the Philippines, energy resilience is both a national security imperative and a cornerstone of economic stability. The Department reaffirmed the presence of a strong alignment between Slovenia’s capabilities and the Philippines’ development priorities, sharing that the BOI stands ready to facilitate partnerships that generate mutual and long-term value.  

Stratbase reinforces the significance of sustained collaboration and knowledge exchange through action-oriented and scalable solutions between the private sector and government with like-minded partners such as Slovenia.