At the invitation of the President of the Republic of Slovenia, Dr. Nataša Pirc Musar, the President of the Portuguese Republic, Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, paid an official visit to Slovenia on 18 and 19 March 2025. The visit, accompanied by a prominent Portuguese business delegation, aimed to strengthen bilateral relations in various strategic sectors, one of which is science.

As part of the official visit, both presidents visited the National Institute of Biology (NIB) on 18 March 2025.

NIB Director Dr. Maja Ravnikar presented some of the institute’s research areas, including marine biology, cancer research, the development of resilient crops, and biotechnology. These fields were highlighted as key opportunities for knowledge exchange and collaborative research between Slovenian and Portuguese institutions.

The visit also included a guided tour of NIB’s newly established Biotechnological Hub, a state-of-the-art facility supporting interdisciplinary innovation. NIB researchers presented their ongoing projects, and the research work as part of the CutCancer project was also briefly introduced to both presidents and the business delegation, who visited NIB the following day. Members of the Portuguese delegation received additional insights into the institute’s scientific achievements and explored future possibilities for cooperation.