Team

Dr. Ales Hančič is the Managing Director of TECOS Slovenian Tool and Die Development Centre. He has more than 20 years of experience in research, management of R&D projects and the management of the organization. His professional career began as an assistant at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana. In 2005 he joined TECOS, initially as a young researcher, then as Director of Research and Development.

Since 2013 he is Managing Director of TECOS. Since his first employment at TECOS, he has also remained active in the academic sphere; he worked as a teaching assistant at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, lectured as a research associate at the Faculty of Polymer Technology in Slovenj Gradec, and today he lectures at the College of Industrial Engineering in Celje.

He is an expert in the field of management of work processes, processing of polymer materials and the development of bio-composite materials. In particular he has in recent years focused on enterprise management, human resources and production processes. He has authored or co-authored more than 70 scientific and expert papers and has so far led over 20 international R&D projects (FP7, H2020, ERA-Net, EUREKA, Interreg, etc.).

Field of work: Technical Associate in the Prototype Workshop

Since 2006, Zoran has been a driving force at TECOS in projects involving product injection molding as well as material and tool testing. During this time, he has gained invaluable experience in processing a very wide range of materials, primarily thermoplastics, but also thermosets and MIM processes.

His expertise makes him a key member of the team in the areas of research, implementation, and validation of R&D projects related to materials, tools, and plastic injection technologies. From his time working at Siliko, he also brings extensive experience in rubber processing, and he is actively involved in project management and communication within the industrial laboratory.

Field of work: Technical Associate in the Prototype Workshop

Branka graduated in 2007 from the Faculty of Public Administration in Ljubljana, earning the title of Graduate Public Work Organizer. She has been employed at TECOS since 2019 as an assistant worker in the prototype workshop.

Field of work: Administration

Špela Bordon is a business secretary and has been working for TECOS since 2001. Her main tasks are addressing communication with consumers, business partners, managing personnel records, organizational support of seminars and conferences, preparation of different documentation, accounting, organizing meetings, training courses, business trips and other secretarial work, which is critical for uninterrupted functioning of TECOS.

Field of work: Manufacturing Technologies and Systems

Luka Botolin je produktni vodja oddelka za 3D-optično skeniranje, GD&T meritve in vzvratni inženiring – digiCEN, ki deluje znotraj TECOS-a. Na TECOS-je zaposlen od leta 2000.

V digiCEN oddelku je dejaven od leta 2003, ko je TECOS kot prvi v Sloveniji predstavil 3D-optični skener GOM ATOS (trenutno operiramo že s četrto generacijo). Je velik poznavalec tehnik zahtevnega 3D-modeliranja in obvladuje različna programska orodja za vzvratno inženirstvo CopyCAD, TEBIS, Geomagic, GD&T meritve v GOM Inspectu ter modeliranje s Simens NX in Ideas. Je AUKOM certificiran merilec za GD&T.

Vzporedno z industrijskimi projekti deluje tudi kot predavatelj in nosilec predmeta Vzvratno inženirstvo in hitra izdelava prototipov na Visoki šoli za proizvodno inženirstvo! Pred tem je bil predavatelj na Visoki šoli za tehnologijo polimerov, občasno pa deluje tudi na ACADEMI.

Sodeloval je tudi v številnih mednarodnih in nacionalnih RR projektih in bil v začetku profesionalne kariere dejaven na področju masivnega preoblikovanja in simuliranja litja Al in Mg zlitin.ijo polimerov, Visoki šoli za proizvodno inženirstvo in občasno tudi na ACADEMI. Sodeloval je tudi v številnih mednarodnih in nacionalnih RR projektih in bil v začetku profesionalne kariere dejaven na področju masivnega preoblikovanja in simuliranja litja Al in Mg zlitin.

Field of work: Laboratory for Applied Materials & Digitalisation Departmento

Peter Fajs graduated from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (University of Maribor) in 2016, specialising in Production Technologies and Systems. He continued his postgraduate studies at the same faculty in the field of Computational Engineering Modelling and completed his Master’s degree in 2019.

At TECOS, he is employed as a researcher in the field of plastics within the Laboratory for Applied Materials, where he leads research and development activities in international and national projects. His research primarily focuses on bio-based and biodegradable plastics and composites, recycling, and the circular economy. He is also actively involved in the Digitalisation Department, covering the areas of 3D optical scanning, GD&T measurements, and reverse engineering.

Field of work: Production Technologies and Systems

After graduating in 2020 from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Maribor with a degree in Mechatronics, he continued his Master’s studies in the same field and successfully completed them in 2023 at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science.

He began his professional career as a design engineer in industry, where he gained experience in product development and product design. In 2024, he joined TECOS as a Development Engineer. Today, his main responsibilities include CNC programming and CNC machining of prototype tools and prototype parts. He is also involved in the design and development of new products and tooling.

Field of work: Production Technologies and Systems

Andrej Glojek is the Product Manager for Plastics and Simulations. He has been employed at TECOS for more than 30 years. He is responsible for plastic injection moulding simulations (Moldflow), mechanical and thermal analyses (Abaqus), as well as the development of plastic products and tooling. He also conducts training courses in the field of plastic processing technologies (preparation for injection moulding, machine setup, etc.), manufacturing of injection moulding tools, material testing, and injection moulding simulations.

He has participated in numerous national and international research and development projects across various fields. During his career at TECOS, in addition to plastics processing, he has also worked in bulk metal forming, forging tool development, CNC programming, and tooling and simulations for sheet metal forming.

Since 2007, he has collaborated with the Faculty of Polymer Technology in Slovenj Gradec as a senior lecturer, and since 2011 he has also been a senior lecturer at the College of Industrial Engineering in Celje. He additionally lectures at the Higher Vocational College in Velenje. He is also the author of numerous scientific and professional publications.

Področje: Proizvodne tehnologije in sistemi

V pripravi.

Field of work: EU Projects / Head of Industrial Association

Simona is an experienced project manager and expert in EU funding mechanisms. She began her career in consulting, where she worked for 12 years. She specialised in diverse national and international projects and also served as the director of a company in Croatia.
She continued her career in a business support organisation, where she became Head of the Entrepreneurship Department.

She joined TECOS in 2019 as the Head of the Industrial Association. In her work, she uses various European projects and funding mechanisms focused on establishing green and smart value chains, thereby supporting companies in their green and digital transition. She is also actively involved in the implementation of the Smart Specialisation Strategy and participates in several expert groups and institutions supporting green and smart transitions.

Simona has more than twenty years of experience in international initiatives. She holds a university degree in political science, with additional education in the field.

Field of work: Mechanics / Numerical Modelling

Anton Kočar is a development engineer responsible for injection moulding process simulations and structural analyses. He has several years of professional experience in this field and gains valuable expertise through solving everyday real industrial challenges.

His professional expertise includes plastic injection moulding processes, advanced numerical simulations of injection moulding using Moldflow Insight, and structural analyses using Abaqus CAE. Through this work, he contributes to the development of new products and tooling, as well as production optimisation. He also has experience in product design and development. His references and expertise are demonstrated through numerous successfully completed industrial projects.

Field of work: Production Technologies and Systems

Sebastjan Kotnik, a specialist in mechanical engineering, began his career in 1998 at one of Slovenia’s largest toolmaking companies, Gorenje Orodjarna d.o.o. He started in the production sector by implementing the Tool Brain system in CNC machining departments and later continued in the Design Department, where he designed complex tools for injection moulding and sheet metal forming.

In 2004, he moved to the Plastics Processing Technology Department at Gorenje MEKOM Plastika, where he worked for several years as Lead Technologist for injection moulding of synthetic materials. He later continued his career as Head of the Built-in Ovens Development Team in the Cooking Appliances Programme, helping pave the way for premium products on demanding global markets.

Since 2022, he has been employed at TECOS as a lecturer, where he enthusiastically and innovatively addresses technological and design challenges. He is also the Vice-Dean for Research Activities at the College of Industrial Engineering in Celje.

Field of work: Systems and Cybernetics / Systems and Control Engineering / Head of the Mechatronics Department

Dr. Dragan Kusić is Head of the Mechatronics Department and a member of the British Institute of Measurement and Control. Since 2009, he has been active in managing and implementing international and national research and development projects. He focuses on the development of innovative control and monitoring solutions for the plastics processing industry in accordance with Industry 4.0 principles.

He possesses extensive practical experience in injection moulding machine control, smart tooling, industrial manipulators, optimisation of injection moulding processes, polymer testing (thermoplastics, thermosets, MIM, etc.), non-destructive testing, embedded systems development, sensorics and actuators, as well as the design, implementation, and management of automated industrial systems.

Since 2015, he has also served as an assistant professor and lecturer in electrical engineering and mechatronics at the Faculty of Polymer Technology. He is the author of more than 70 scientific and professional publications and the holder of one patent.

Field of work: Preparation and Implementation of EU-Funded Projects / Head of Manufacturing Technologies Department

Dr. Matjaž Milfelner is the Head of the Manufacturing Technologies Department and an expert in the fields of manufacturing technologies and systems, Industry 4.0, management of research and development projects and project teams, as well as the preparation of business and technological concepts for the integration of advanced technologies into industrial production environments.

Before joining TECOS, he worked as a researcher and assistant at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor, as head of development and European projects at EMO-Orodjarna, and as director of TIC-LENS, where he was involved in the development of advanced laser and additive manufacturing technologies, including laser cladding, laser hardening, and 3D metal printing.

His research and development activities are focused on advanced manufacturing technologies, additive manufacturing, laser technologies, automation of manufacturing systems, and digital solutions for monitoring and optimization of manufacturing processes. He has more than twenty years of experience in managing Slovenian and international research and development projects, preparing technological strategies, and implementing advanced manufacturing solutions in industrial environments.

Field of work: Economics

Natalija Potočnik has been working in the administrative and financial management of projects for 20 years. Her work includes analysing calls for proposals, providing administrative support to project partners, administrative and financial project implementation, coordination and management with other project partners, and financial reporting to project funding bodies.

She works on both national and international projects, and her role also requires coordination with the substantive implementation of project activities. She is employed as a researcher in the field of economics.

In addition, she prepares and processes data for company management and accounting purposes. She also prepares, collects, and processes data for banks, ministries, and other institutions with which TECOS actively cooperates.

Field of work: Economics

Since 2006, she has worked in the field of public tenders, verification of reimbursement claims for co-financed costs from Slovenian and European public funds related to public infrastructure projects, substantive and financial monitoring of investment projects, management of procedures for preparing investment and project documentation, preparation and management of public procurement procedures, and financial project management, including preparation of reporting documentation, reimbursement claims, contract administration, and similar tasks.

Her work also includes communication with banks, ministries, business partners, and other institutions to which reporting obligations apply.

Field of work: Head of Marketing

Matjaž Rot is the Head of Marketing and is responsible for partner relations. He has been involved in the company’s work since its establishment in 1996. He was the first person in Slovenia to graduate from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Ljubljana in the field of injection moulding simulations using the MoldFlow software package.

At the beginning of his career, he also gained practical experience by working in the injection moulding department of the company Liv Postojna. At TECOS, he spent more than 15 years carrying out injection moulding simulations and working on numerous development projects in which the ideas of TECOS partners evolved into final mass-produced products. He also collaborates with partners on numerous national and international projects.

In recent years, he has shifted his focus toward marketing, where he maintains partner relations and seeks new challenges on the Slovenian and international markets.

Throughout this period, he has also been employed at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Ljubljana, at the Laboratory for Forming Technologies, where, in addition to polymer-related technologies, he also works with metallic materials and their processing technologies. He assists students with laboratory exercises and numerous bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral theses.

He is also the editor of the IRT3000 magazine in the field of non-metallic materials for Slovenia, Croatia, and Serbia. He edited and published the book The Art of Injection Moulding, which is considered the most widely read professional literature among injection moulding specialists. He is also one of the organisers of the Industrial Forum held annually in Portorož.

Field of work: Product and Tool Design Engineering

Polonca Šparaš Pajk is a development engineer in the Development Department. She began her career in product and tool design in 2001. Her professional experience includes one year performing various design tasks in the development department of BSH Hišni aparati d.o.o. Nazarje, four years at Siliko d.o.o. as a designer of rubber injection moulding tools, and since 2006 she has worked as a development engineer in TECOS’s Development Department.

She also gained international experience at SKF Engineering & Research Centre in Nieuwegein, the Netherlands, where she completed practical training in the Test Technology Centre.

Her expertise covers the development of plastic, rubber, and sheet metal products, as well as the design of tools for plastic and rubber injection moulding. During her career, she has repeatedly worked as an external designer in the development departments of several Slovenian companies, including Gorenje Orodjarna, Gorenje, LTH Casting, and BSH Hišni aparati Nazarje.

Field of work: Numerical Modelling

Nataša Zupanc graduated from the Faculty of Polymer Technology (FTPO) in 2023 and finished her master’s studies in 2026.

As a researcher at TECOS, she is responsible for numerical simulations of plastic injection moulding using Moldflow. Her work also occasionally includes 3D optical scanning and plastic injection moulding technologies.

Field of work: Head of the Laboratory for Applied Materials

Dr. Vesna Žepič Bogataj completed her doctoral studies in Biosciences in 2015 at the Biotechnical Faculty of the University of Ljubljana. She currently works as an independent researcher at TECOS in the field of biopolymer materials and technological processes for their processing.

Her scientific and professional expertise is based on the chemical functionalisation of lignocellulosic materials (wood, cellulose fibres, cellulose nanofibrils and nanocrystals, hemp fibres, hop fibres, cotton, banana fibres, citrus fibres, regenerated cellulose fibres from waste paper, etc.), investigation of interfacial interactions between (bio)polymer matrices and natural fibres in composite systems, preparation and optimisation of technological processes for producing and processing (bio-)nanocomposite materials used in packaging, construction, cosmetics, automotive, and pharmaceutical industries, as well as characterisation of developed materials using analytical methods such as FT-IR, 13C CP-MAS NMR, FE-SEM microscopy, TG, DSC, FBRM, DLS, XRD, rheometric analysis, and mechanical testing for determining tensile and flexural properties of polymer composites.

She successfully complements knowledge transfer in these research areas through applied industrial projects financed by national and international funding schemes. She currently holds the position of Head of the Laboratory for Applied Materials at TECOS and has additionally been employed at CAP – Centre for Applied Polymers since 2019.

She is the first author of nine original scientific articles published in international journals with impact factors. Her key research achievements have also been presented in three original scientific papers, ten professional articles, three popular science articles, two independent chapters in monographic publications, one research study, and more than 30 conference papers presented at international and national conferences.

Field of work: Mechanics / Numerical Modelling

Matej Žnidaršič is a development engineer responsible for structural FEM analyses. As one of newest members of the TECOS team, he is gaining experience by solving everyday industrial challenges.

He has more than six years of professional experience as a graduate civil engineer, including five years in road design engineering.

His area of expertise includes structural analyses using the Abaqus CAE software package.