A new phase of the EDISON eCity project launched by Summit100

Just before the start of European Mobility Week, a new phase of the EDISON eCity project – one of the most significant regional projects in the field of ecological transport – was launched this weekend in Celje. The event, attended by numerous representatives from the economy in the region, along with state representatives from the government of Slovenia and the European Union, was organized by the regional business initiative Summit100, in partnership with the local authorities of Celje and Rotary districts from the region.

The EDISON platform was created in Slovenia in 2015 as a result of a humanitarian initiative when electric vehicles, model BMWi13, were introduced into rent-a-car services for children with disabilities, establishing the first ecological sharing economy – one of the fastest-growing global economic trends. After installing ten charging stations for electric vehicles in Slovenia, this initiative was presented at the Summit in Sarajevo, with plans to introduce electrification of a route spanning 2400 km, connecting all major regional cities from Ljubljana through Zagreb and Belgrade to Skopje, Tirana, Pristina, and then Dubrovnik, Split, Zadar, and Koper. Additionally, this year, the eBelgrade project was promoted. Last weekend, the first results of the platform were presented, and the eCelje phase was launched, through which the EDISON project continues to connect within the Southeast European region. The promotion of the new phase in Celje was also attended by the European Commissioner for Transport, Violeta Bulc.

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One of the creators and main drivers of the EDISON project is Dr. Iztok Seljak, Chairman of the Board of the Slovenian company Hidria, one of the leading European companies in the automotive technology industry, and Vice Chairman of the Board of Summit100.

“We are in an epochal period of great societal transformation that will be based on renewable energy sources and the sharing economy, and we in the region see this as a phenomenal opportunity to leverage the connected region for rapid growth. The EDISON project is today recognized as one of the strategically most important ecological transport projects in Europe, as confirmed by the presence of Violeta Bulc today,” stated Iztok Seljak. “Edison turns the region into a laboratory for green mobility, and we can export successful solutions to the global market.”

The event in Celje is one of the activities within the regional initiative Summit100, in anticipation of its sixth regional annual gathering, which will be held in Skopje on October 16 and 17.

Summit100 of business leaders from Southeast Europe represents a unique business initiative that brings together the most prominent business leaders from Slovenia, Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Kosovo, and Albania, aiming to establish regional cooperation as a priority task on the agenda of every government in the region, which will enhance the competitiveness of national economies and strengthen the potentials of Southeast Europe. This year in Skopje, the event will gather more than 150 business and political leaders from the region, along with special guests from the European Commission, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Investment Bank (EIB), Norden, the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and many others, with the aim of identifying key projects and new agreements for a new era, in line with the slogan of Summit100.