View of the port of Koper, Slovenia, on April 23, 2024. RAIMUND FRANKEN/IMAGEBROKER
When he settled in Koper, a small Slovenian town on the Adriatic coast, 15 years ago, Ivan Loizeau counted four unloading cranes in the container port. “Now there are eight,” said the Frenchman, who works in logistics and is a foreign trade consultant. “The dock has been extended once, and a further extension is planned. As for the ships coming here, their size has tripled.”
Gateway to countries such as Hungary, Austria and much of Central Europe, the rapid growth of the port of Koper reflects the region’s impressive economic catch-up over the last two decades. Factories, especially German ones, which opened in large numbers in these countries, needed to be supplied with components and to export their products.
By the same token, the recession in Germany over the last two years has also had a negative impact on the region. Volumes at the port of Koper are set to stagnate in 2024, following a decline in 2023. Slovenia is no exception. The shock is particularly visible in the automotive sector, which accounts for 10% of the economy, 40,000 direct jobs and 25% of national exports.
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