BIN@NOVO MESTO 2025 (10 – 11 November)

BIN@NOVO MESTO 2025 ‘The Future of Jobs: What Do Sustainability, Resilience, and AI Have to Do with It?’

10 – 11 November 
At Hotel Šport, Otočec, Slovenia
Address:
Grajska cesta 2
SI-8222 Otočec, Slovenia

The 2025 annual event of BIN@ was organised and funded by Faculty of Information Studies in Novo Mesto (FIS), a public Higher Education Institution from the Southeast region of Slovenia, and by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation of Slovenia.

This event also counted with the support of the national science month initiative of Slovenia and Knowledge Transfer Slovenia (KTS). The organisation of BIN@NOVO MESTO was additionally supported by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP) in Portugal and was organised under the auspices of BIN@ – Business & Innovation Network.

The underlying theme of the conference was ‘The Future of Jobs: What Do Sustainability, Resilience, and AI Have to Do with It?’, delving into various topics that explored how technology and sustainability are shaping tomorrow’s world of work. The subjects that were addressed – all related to the new skills expected of employees across different sectors and walks of life – ranged from the AI revolution, changes in the way we handle sustainability issues and the impact of rapid technological disruptions, to the future of education systems and the transfer of technology from academia to society, among many others.

To have a better overview, you can consult here below the presentations made, the speakers and panellists involved as well as the overall programme.

To summarise, BIN@NOVO MESTO was a true success – two exciting days of keynotes, panels and action tank sessions that brought us together to jointly envision and discuss the above-mentioned topics, all at the very centre of our shared future!

PRESENTATIONS (updates provided in due course)

KEYNOTES

Navigating the AI Revolution – Luís Paulo Reis, FEUP

PANEL DISCUSSION #1: NEW SKILLS FOR FUTURE JOBS

From coding assistance to full coding automation – Dušan Omerčević, Codeplain

The Banking Industry Landscape is Fast Changing – Primož Karpe, NLB

PANEL DISCUSSION #2: TECH TRANSFER BEST PRACTICES: FROM ACADEMIA TO SOCIETY

FEUP Academic Spin-Offs – Pedro Coelho, FEUP

ACTION TANK #2: EDUCATION SYSTEMS FOR THE FUTURE OF JOBS

Beyond AI Literacy: Integrating Remote & Immersive Technologies into the Foundations of Engineering Education – Teresa Restivo, IGIP | FEUP | A3ES

ACTION TANK #3: AI AND THE FUTURE OF JOBS

AI and the Future of Jobs – Luís Paulo Reis, FEUP

PROGRAMME

10 NOVEMBER

08:15 Event Check-In

09:00  Welcome Session

• Welcome Speech by the Dean of FIS – Matej Makarovič
• Speech by the Mayor of Novo Mesto – Gregor Macedoni
• Speech by the State Secretary, the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation – Urban Kodrič
• Speech by the Dean of FEUP – Rui Calçada

Keynotes

• 9:30 What Do Sustainability, Resilience, and AI Have to Do with the Future of Jobs – Violeta Bulc, Ecocivilisation
• 10:10 Future of Jobs and Work in Slovenia – Miro Smrekar, ZDS

10:50 Coffee Break

• 11:10 Shaping the Next Generation of Manufacturing Professionals – Gil Gonçalves, FEUP
• 11:50 Navigating the AI Revolution – Luís Paulo Reis, FEUP
• 12:30 Q&A and Discussion

12:45  Lunch Break

• 14:00  Panel Discussion #1: New Skills for Future Jobs 
  Moderator: Bret Demant, FEUP
  Panel:
  Mitja Jermol, IJS
  Dušan Omerčević, Codeplain
  Primož Karpe, NLB

• 15:30  Panel Discussion #2: TechTransfer Best Practices: from Academia to Society

Moderator: João Transmontano, Neovictus
Panel:
Collaborative Labs – Filipa Figueiredo, CECOLAB
Academic Spinoffs – Pedro Coelho, FEUP
Industry Innovation Support – Kaido Kokk, TTK UAS
TTO Office – Katarina Krapež, FIS

18:30  Networking Dinner (*by invitation only)

11 NOVEMBER

08:15 Event Check-In

• 9:00 Action Tank #1: Competences & Skills for Green and Smart Societies

Moderator: Violeta Bulc, Ecocivilisation
Panel:
Ladeja Godina Košir, Circular Change
Jan Peloza, Impact HUB
João Nunes, BLC3/CECOLAB

10:30 Coffee Break

• 11:00  Action Tank #2: Education Systems for the Future of Jobs
  Moderator: Gil Gonçalves, FEUP
  Panel:
  Teresa Restivo, IGIP | FEUP | A3ES
  Katarina Rojko, Nuša Erman, FIS
  Margareth Gfrerer, MaDE-UASs Project

12:30  Lunch Break

• 14:00  Action Tank #3: AI and the Future of Jobs 
  Moderator Pedro Coelho, FEUP
  Panel:
  Luís Paulo Reis, FEUP
  Elizabeta Zirnstein, University of Primorska
  Tamara Besednjak Valič, Rudolfovo

15:30 Closing Session