In May 2025, Opatija hosted the landmark 50th edition of the MIPRO Conference, a longstanding regional platform for innovation in technology, economy, and society. For the first time in its history, the conference featured a dedicated Economic Forum on the Future, co-organized by the Industry 5.0 Institute, placing the spotlight firmly on a new industrial paradigm: Industry 5.0.
Unlike traditional conferences, this Forum didn’t just present theories. It showcased real-world implementations, funding instruments, and cross-sector collaboration already shaping the way industries think, act and evolve. As one of the key organizers, the Industry 5.0 Institute brought together stakeholders from the public sector, academia, technology, heavy industry, and tourism.
All with a shared belief that the future is already under construction.
Tadej Slapnik, Director of the Industry 5.0 Institute, opened the Forum with a bold reflection: “This year’s forum focused on Industry 5.0, addressing the most current opportunities and development potential in this emerging field. We hosted leading experts and companies who shared insights into trends, technologies, and use cases that are already shaping the future of industry in Croatia, Slovenia and the broader region.”
His message was simple but powerful: Industry 5.0 is no longer just a concept, it’s a collaborative shift already happening, fueled by technologies like Web 4.0, immersive environments, and human-machine integration.
A Regional Milestone, Not Just Another Panel
For the Industry 5.0 Institute, the Forum was more than just an event, it was part of a broader strategy that includes regional development, communication transformation, and new institutional infrastructure. Just weeks earlier, the Institute had announced its new headquarters in Slovenske Konjice, Slovenia, housed in a symbolic repurposed building that once aimed to be a center of industrial research.
As Slapnik noted: “Through the activities of the Institute we are actively building bridges between stakeholders in Croatia, Slovenia, and the region. We will return to MIPRO next year with even greater regional engagement.”
Turning Policy into Power: EU Instruments and Regional Cooperation
Kicking off the Forum’s first panel, Tomislav Pinter, representative of the European Commission (DG REGIO), laid the foundation by presenting the I3 Instrument, a funding tool designed to support cross-border investment in innovation. “Transition to Industry 5.0 means more than integrating new technologies, it means reshaping how regions collaborate, invest, and grow together,” said Pinter.
His keynote emphasized how European funding is not theoretical but a practical and scalable support system for building next-generation value chains rooted in regional strengths. The message resonated: while the tools exist, they must be activated through collaboration and strategic engagement..
Funding Is Available. But Capacity Is Scarce
Bringing a grounded and urgent tone to the conversation, Mario Čelan, director of Educatorium, zoomed in on the current state of investment readiness in Croatia.
“Croatia today offers one of the most favorable environments for entrepreneurs investing in modernization, digital transformation, and the green transition,” he explained. Through programs like those offered by HBOR, companies can access up to 50% in non-refundable grants with the remaining amount secured through favorable loans. However, Čelan cautioned that financial opportunity is only one piece of the puzzle.
“There is no shortage of money. What’s missing are skills, workers and proper preparation. The time to invest is now and that process starts with financial reports, property documentation and early project scoping.”
His intervention reminded the audience that Industrial 5.0 transformation is not just a policy conversation, it’s a project management reality.
From Concept to Action: Hiproject’s Industrial Implementation
One of the most practical voices at the Forum was Urban Pevnik, CEO of Hiproject and co-founder of the Industry 5.0 Institute. He illustrated how Industry 5.0 principles are already operational in sectors like metallurgy, energy and automation. “Industry 5.0 is not something we wait for, it’s something we already build. In ports. In steel plants. In real factorie, with real people,” said Pevnik.
He shared how his team implemented AI-based optimization systems, hydrogen-compatible furnaces, and real-time data monitoring using the iba system, proving that the 5.0 shift is not speculative. It’s scalable. “We’re not just building systems. We’re establishing a culture where human creativity and machine intelligence work side by side.”
Pevnik’s message resonated as proof that Industry 5.0 is no longer limited to pilot projects. It is delivering measurable results in the field.
The Missing Link: Communication as Infrastructure
But what good is innovation if people fear it, misunderstand it or resist it? This was the core question raised by Lea Škrubej, head of communications at the Institute.
“Industry still accounts for a quarter of all jobs in Europe. If it modernizes, society follows. But if we lose the human aspect in that process, we risk fear and confusion,” Škrubej warned.
Her talk reframed communication not as a PR tool, but as a strategic necessity, a thread that must run through every phase of innovation, from R&D to rollout. “Communication is not something that comes at the end, it’s part of every step, every decision, every strategy. Without it, we remain stuck in the previous industrial age, no matter how advanced our tools are.”
The Tourism Industry: A Surprising 5.0 Case Study
In a thought-provoking shift from heavy industry to experience design, Dr. Aleksandra Prodanović Stamenović explained how Industry 5.0 tools are being applied to reimagine tourism. “Tourism represents over 20% of GDP in some countries. Travelers today expect personalization, immersion, and sustainability. Industry 5.0 makes that possible through AI-human collaboration, carbon tracking and hybrid experiences.”
She showcased use cases such as robotic assistance in hospitality, AI-generated personalized travel itineraries, and the integration of Metaverse elements into real-world tourism. Her central message was clear: “It’s not about replacing the real world, it’s about enhancing it.”
Sustainability and Resilience Must Stay at the Core
While technology and funding dominated many sessions Dr. Ernest Vlačić reminded participants that long-term relevance requires ecological and social depth. “In these times of green transition, further complicated by geopolitical challenges, it is clear that innovation must be both technological and social, rooted in resilience, human-centricity, and planetary care.”
He praised MIPRO and the Institute for curating a forum where ethics and action coexist, and urged that the ideas developed here be expanded across the Adria region and beyond.
Strategic Call to Action
Concluding the Forum, Dr. Karolj Skala, Member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, provided a structured summary of both the process and the purpose behind the event.
“The Forum brought together stakeholders from industry, academia, public institutions, and research. It showcased examples of good practice and made clear that a human-oriented, sustainable and resilient transformation is not only necessary, it’s already underway.”
He concluded with a call to further strengthen cross-sector collaboration, expand competencies and embrace disruptive technologies as a shared regional responsibility.
The Future Isn’t Predicted, It’s Built
The Economic Forum on the Future, held at MIPRO 2025, was not a ceremonial gathering. It was a strategic checkpoint in a much larger movement. Movement toward an industrial paradigm that is bold, collaborative and deeply human.
As Urban Pevnik put it:“We didn’t just buy a building. We bought into a legacy. This will be a home for people who are not jut talking about but building Industry 5.0.”
The work has already begun.
