On 18 January 2018, the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel, together with the Slovene Minister of Public Administration, Boris Koprivnikar, paid a visit to BTC City Ljubljana during her working visit to Slovenia. In order to get familiar with Slovene practices in the field of digital economy and society, she met representatives of the BTC company and was acquainted with its strategic pillar of digitalization of operations, “BTC Digit”, with its smart city of the future, “BTC City”, and with the activities of its innovative intergenerational centre, “Simbioza BTC City Lab”.

The aim of the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society Mariya Gabriel’s visit was to meet representatives of the government of the Republic of Slovenia and to get acquainted with best practices in the field of digitalization of Slovene economy. She concluded her visit in BTC City Ljubljana, where the BTC company representatives presented her the digital transformation of their company. In order to realize its 2020 strategy, the company embarked on a number of projects, including Living Lab (a testing environment), Smart City, etc., with the aim of enhancing the experience of BTC City visitors, consumers and business partners.

The BTC Chief Innovation and Digital Officer Julij Božič said: “Digitalization has been changing the world around us incredibly rapidly. The key challenges are no longer technologies, but the competence of understanding, continuous innovation and the implementation of concepts that tecnologies and digitalization brought us. Yet they all need to serve man and his world. With its wide range of activities, numerous business partners, advanced infrastructure and 21 million visitors per year, BTC City Ljubljana is able to create a cooperative environment for anyone who would like to work in an ecosystem created by an open company. Our innovative and smart city, BTC City Ljubljana, is a unique phenomenon in the world as it enables rapid testing of individual solutions and provides immediate feedback on their applicability and acceptability.”

As emphasised by the European Commissioner for Digital Economy and Society, Mariya Gabriel: “Digitalization is a huge opportunity for our citizens, enterprises, and for us as a community. BTC City shows very clearly how putting citizens in the centre of our policies and our ideas can help us succeed, adapt and transform. We need to use digitalization and make it useful and respectful for the environment and us.”

The BTC company introduced the new strategic pillar of innovation and digitalization of operations in 2016. BTC Digit is focused on the integration of advanced and innovative systems that not only facilitate the digitalization of the BTC company operations, but also enable the company to collaborate with its strategic partners and to embark on new strategic and innovative projects.

With data being unique treasure, the BTC company has been developing a number of platforms based on efficient data management in order to facilitate the functioning of a smart city of the future, BTC City. The concept of smart city enables the optimization of operations and the development of new business activities, and enhances visitors’ shopping experience. One of its key platforms is the Smart City Platform, ensuring sustainable city development and management.

The BTC company has also been developing an innovative platform Eliminatum in collaboration with the ABC Accelerator. Based on blockchain technology, it will provide a link between the physical and digital worlds through the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Rapid development in the field of digitalization increases the gap between various age groups and consequently the risk of social exclusion. In order to address the challenges of digital education of seniors, the BTC company opened the innovative centre “Simbioza BTC City Lab”. The first of its kind in Slovenia, the centre is intended for visitors older than 50 years. As a venue for education, socializing and development of new (business) idea, the centre gives its users the opportunity of getting acquainted with advanced and smart technologies, solutions, gadgets and products for daily life. It was a great honour for the company to have the opportunity to show it to the Commissioner Gabriel.

More information on the pillar “BTC Digit”

More information on the centre “Simbioza BTC City Lab”

Further information

BTC d.d., Maja Oven, Marketing Communications and Public Relations Director;

• T: 01/585 13 15
• E: maja.oven@btc.si