On Tuesday, 12 May 2026, a ceremonial event marking the 30th anniversary of the founding of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association (ZAS) was held at Kazina Hall on Kongresni trg in Ljubljana. More than 200 ZAS members and guests from business, government institutions, academia, and partner organisations from Slovenia and abroad attended the anniversary event. Among the guests were the presidents and directors of associations from North Macedonia, Prof. Goran Mijoski; Croatia, Mag. Miroslav Keller; the Czech Republic, Mr Petr Svoboda; Hungary, Mr Tibor Veress; Spain, Dr Juan Jose Potti; Austria, Dr Markus Spiegel; and Brussels, Dr Carsten Karcher.
The event represented an important milestone in the association’s activities and provided an opportunity to review the achievements of the past three decades and reflect on the future development of the asphalt industry and transport infrastructure in Slovenia.
Figure 1: Participants of ceremonial event
Ceremonial Speeches
In his opening address, ZAS President Slovenko Henigman highlighted the importance of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association’s 30 years of activity as a key connecting and professional pillar of the development of the asphalt industry in the country. He outlined its historical development from its establishment in 1996, during the period of intensive construction of the motorway network, to the association’s present role in developing technical guidelines and standards and fostering international cooperation.
He emphasised that the association had made an important contribution to the construction of more than 500 km of motorways, as well as to maintaining and improving the quality of road infrastructure during periods of economic crisis, when its professional work and dialogue helped stabilise the sector.
He went on to highlight the current professional and development challenges facing the asphalt industry, including increasing productivity despite limited human resources, improving working conditions, constructing more durable and resilient roads, and achieving climate neutrality. He also stressed the importance of transferring knowledge to younger generations of engineers and actively involving them in the further development of the profession.
He identified cooperation between companies, institutions and the research community as a key value of the association’s work, as collaboration is what enables professional progress and higher quality. He concluded his address by thanking all stakeholders and reaffirming the association’s commitment to continued professional, open and responsible development.
A special welcome was extended to Prof. Dr Janez Žmavc, who educated the last generation of asphalt professionals and through whose hands all ZAS materials passed during the association’s early years. Recognition was also given to Metod Di Batista, the first Technical Director of DARS and, for ten years, Managing Director of DDC (now DRI), whose work helped establish ZAS within formal institutions at a time when the association had not yet assumed a significant role in the sector.
Figure 2: ZAS President, Mag. Slovenko Henigman
Figure 3: Dr Carsten Karcher, EAPA Secretary General
Dr Carsten Karcher emphasised the importance of the long-standing cooperation between ZAS and the European Asphalt Pavement Association (EAPA). Over the years, ZAS has been recognised as an active and influential member, making an important contribution to professional work at European level and to the development of initiatives such as sustainable solutions in the asphalt industry and the Asphalt 4.0 project.
He particularly highlighted the new challenges facing the sector, especially reducing CO₂ emissions, developing a circular economy, introducing warm-mix asphalt, and improving public procurement so that it is based on quality and environmental criteria. These objectives will be crucial for the future development of the industry and for joint activities within EAPA.
An important part of the speech was dedicated to ZAS founder and President Slovenko Henigman, who laid the foundations of the association in 1996 with his vision of bringing experts together and promoting knowledge exchange. His work now extends beyond national borders, as, in his capacity as President of EAPA, he represents the European asphalt sector as a whole and promotes the values of cooperation, professionalism and connectedness.
The event was not only a celebration of the anniversary, but also a recognition of all ZAS members and Slovenian experts for their contribution to the development of the industry in Slovenia and across Europe. The speaker concluded by expressing his wish for continued successful cooperation and for jointly addressing the challenges of the future.
Figure 4: Doc. Dr Aleš Žnidarič, Director of the National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG)
Dr Aleš Žnidarič highlighted the role and importance of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association over the past 30 years. The work of the association and asphalt professionals can be seen throughout our transport infrastructure. He particularly welcomed the fact that ZAS and ZAG had travelled this entire journey together, with ZAG, as the national institute, also having a special role and responsibility for high-quality transport infrastructure. He congratulated all participants on the journey completed and on the significant anniversary.
Figure 5: Doc. Dr Peter Lipar, Head of the Transport Technical Institute at the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, University of Ljubljana, and President of DRC – the Slovenian Association for Transport and Transport Infrastructure
Dr Peter Lipar, Head of the Transport Technical Institute at the Faculty of Civil and Geodetic Engineering, highlighted the complexity of the modern transport system and the need for professionally grounded and balanced infrastructure development. He critically addressed simplified interpretations of sustainable mobility and the concept of induced traffic, which are often used in public discourse as arguments against the development of transport infrastructure, although from a professional perspective they do not justify passivity.
He particularly emphasised the key development pressures: growing transport demand, the ageing of existing infrastructure, and increasing societal requirements regarding capacity, safety and sustainability. In his view, ignoring these factors does not lead to sustainable solutions, but rather to systemically inadequate decisions.
In his speech, he emphasised the distinction between technology and engineering. Technology defines the optimal laboratory conditions for asphalt mixtures, whereas engineering involves decision-making under real, non-ideal conditions of infrastructure construction and management, where environmental impacts, investor pressures and the long-term behaviour of structures must be considered. It is precisely under these conditions that the professional responsibility of an engineer in ensuring the quality and durability of pavement structures becomes evident.
He also pointed out that asphalt as a structural layer is not merely a technical element but carries a broader engineering responsibility: it affects user safety, the efficient use of public funds and the sustainability of the transport system. In the future, key challenges will include reducing the carbon footprint, introducing advanced technologies and digital quality control, with the role of the profession becoming even more important.
The concluding message emphasised that the quality of road infrastructure is not a matter of chance, but the result of integrating knowledge, experience, and ethical and professional decision-making – values that the association has embodied for three decades.
Figure 6: Vesna Nahtigal, Director General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia (GZS)
In her address marking the 30th anniversary of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association, the Director General of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Slovenia highlighted the exceptional importance of the industry for the development of the Slovenian economy and infrastructure. She pointed out that asphalt paving is a key part of the construction sector, providing high-quality, safe and modern transport connections without which everyday life today would be difficult to imagine.
She also highlighted the high level of expertise, digitalisation and innovation that place the industry among the more advanced segments of the construction sector. Over three decades, the association has made an important contribution to the development of the profession by organising numerous events, training programmes and international cooperation activities.
The address also highlighted the industry’s future role in increasing productivity and creating higher added value for the Slovenian economy. She concluded by noting that roads are not merely infrastructure, but connections between people, regions and opportunities, and stressed the importance of knowledge, cooperation and a long-term vision for future success.
She congratulated ZAS President Slovenko Henigman on his recent election as President of EAPA, which also represents recognition of him and of the Slovenian profession.
Achievements of the Association over Three Decades
The anniversary event presented the extensive activities of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association over the past thirty years. During this period, ZAS organised as many as 168 professional events, attended by more than 18,000 participants from Slovenia and abroad. The events featured 580 presentations by Slovenian experts and more than 250 presentations by international experts, confirming the association’s important role in knowledge transfer, professional networking, and the development of the asphalt and transport infrastructure professions. All these activities are presented in a special brochure published by ZAS for the anniversary event.
Awards Presented to ZAS Member Companies
An important part of the event was the presentation of awards to all ZAS members – legal entities – in recognition of their contribution to the development of the asphalt industry and transport infrastructure in Slovenia. The awards represent a thank-you for their long-standing professional work, cooperation and support for the development of the association and the profession.
Figure 7: Award recipients
Tribute to President Slovenko Henigman for 30 Years of Leading ZAS
Following the award ceremony, a special ceremonial moment took place when Kristjan Mugerli, Vice-President of ZAS, on behalf of all members, presented ZAS President Slovenko Henigman with a commemorative picture as a tribute and thank-you for 30 years of successful leadership of the association. Through this symbolic gesture, the members expressed their gratitude for his dedicated work, vision and significant contribution to the development and recognition of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association.
Figure 8: Presentation of the award to the ZAS President
At the conclusion Henigman thanked the members for their attention and remembered all those who helped shape the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association but are no longer with us. He particularly mentioned Aleksander Kerstein, Marjan Makovec and Mag. Jožica Cezar, who made an important contribution to the development of the asphalt profession and to the successful work of the association through their professional work and dedication.
ZAS Activities on Film
As part of the programme, participants also watched two films prepared especially for the association’s anniversary. The film “Looking Back” presented the key milestones, projects and achievements of ZAS over the past thirty years, while the film “Looking Ahead” presented development directions, future challenges and the vision for the further development of the asphalt industry and transport infrastructure in Slovenia.
The cultural programme was enriched by Nuša Derenda, while the evening was hosted by Bernarda Žarn and Tilen Artač, who created a pleasant atmosphere throughout the event with their relaxed yet ceremonial presentation. The highlight of the closing programme was a joint performance of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association anthem by Nuša Derenda and Tilen Artač, creating a special sense of connection and ceremony among all those present.
Figure 9: Tilen Artač, Nuša Derenda and Bernarda Žarn
The official programme was followed by a social gathering, providing an opportunity to exchange professional views, strengthen business and personal ties, and mark the important anniversary in an informal setting.
The ceremonial event marking the 30th anniversary of the Slovenian Asphalt Pavement Association successfully connected the association’s past, present and future, once again confirming the important role of ZAS in the development of the Slovenian road construction profession, in bringing the professional community together, and in promoting high-quality and sustainable development of transport infrastructure.
