Archives: Novice

30 April 2024 – The construction of one of the country’s largest solar power plants, boasting a total capacity of 3.3 MW, has been successfully finalised by the Port of Koper. This solar installation is situated atop the warehouses of the general cargo terminal, forming a key component of the SOPOREM project.

The ceremony, held at the Port of Koper, commenced with an opening speech delivered by Nevenka Kržan, President of the Management Board of the Port of Koper. Following this, Jadranka Plut, Head of the Financial Mechanisms Sector at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, delivered a speech. Concluding the sequence, Her Excellency Trine Skymoen, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, presented her remarks.

Jadranka Plut, Head of the Financial Mechanisms Sector at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, said that Slovenia has set itself the objective of doubling its solar energy capacity in the next few years. “This type of solar power plant makes an important contribution to achieving this objective, as it allows for a significant increase in cumulative power in the entire Coastal-Karst region. In addition to their positive impact on the global and European environmental targets for reducing climate change, solar power plants also ensure higher energy self-sufficiency and less dependence on fluctuations in electricity prices on the market,” she pointed out in her speech.

“The promotion of green energy remains a priority for both financial mechanism programmes, as it is a key element in the fight against climate change and in promoting sustainable development across Europe. Green alternative energy sources have the potential to not only be sustainable but also to increase energy security, create jobs and reduce CO2 emissions,” said the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, H.E. Trine Skymoen.

Boštjan Pavlič, Head of Health Protection and Ecology at Port Koper, alongside dr. Boris Sučić from the Jožef Stefan Institute, outlined the energy and climate plan of the Port of Koper and explained its key strategic directions.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony took place with the participation of Nevenka Kržan, President of the Management Board of the Port of Koper, Her Excellency Trina Skymoen, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, Jadranka Plut, Head of the Financial Mechanisms Sector at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, and Janez Škrabec, CEO of Riko company. The new solar power plant, which covers approximately 15,000 square metres, was officially opened. The 3.3-megawatt solar power plant will contribute significantly to energy independence and a cleaner environment, and the energy produced will also reduce CO2 emissions by 1,500 tonnes per year.

The project promoter of the project SOPOREM is the Port of Koper, port and logistic system, Plc, and the project partners are the Municipality of Koper and Greenstat ASA from Norway.

SOURCE: Port of Koper

29 April 2024 – As part of the SOPOREM project, which is co-financed by the EEA Financial Mechanism, the inauguration of the solar power plant of the Municipality of Koper took place on the roof of the P+R Sonce parking house at the beginning of the previous week.

The two-year SOPOREM project, under which the Municipality of Koper built a solar power plant with almost 500 kilowatts of power on the roof of the P+R Sonce Parking House to increase the production of electricity from renewable sources, is coming to an end.

The inauguration of the solar power plant was also attended by the State Secretary at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, mag. Marko Koprivc. In the speech he pointed out that “the SOPOREM project, by building two solar power plants, contributes to the objective of strengthening the share of electricity production from renewable sources, as it allows for a 14% increase in the current cumulative power of solar power plants in the entire Coastal-Karst region.”

The project partners of the project SOPOREM – the Municipality of Koper, the Port of Koper as the project promoter and the Norwegian company Greenstat ASA – have established renewable electricity generation in the Port of Koper and the Municipality of Koper through the construction of two solar power plants.

The solar power plant on the roof of the P+R Sonce Parking House, with more than a thousand modules, has an installed capacity of 459 kilowatts. The plant will generate 505 megawatt hours of electricity per year, enough to supply 50 households annually. The electricity generated will benefit several public facilities in the municipality, such as the Arena Bonifika, the swimming pool of the Koper Olympic Centre, the Central Library Srečko Vilhar Koper and, finally, the municipal buildings on Verdijeva Street. In this way, the Municipality of Koper will reduce its carbon dioxide emissions by 186 tonnes annually.

SOURCE: Project SOPOREM

29 April 2024 – Last week, the final conference of the SCHOOL21 project took place at the Kovačnica – Business Incubator Kranj.

The SCHOOL21 project empowers young individuals within the formal education system by developing new teaching methods and tools. This initiative ensures the students acquire the essential 21st-century skills and knowledge needed for independent life and successful career. Moreover, it inspires and motivates educators to embrace innovative teaching methodologies.

The opening greetings were given by the Director of the BSC, Business Support Centre, Franja Gabrovšek Schmidt, Principal of the France Prešeren Gymnasium, Mirjam Bizjak, Vice-Mayor of the Municipality of Kranj, Janez Černe, Deputy Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, Herman Baskår, and Head of the Financial Mechanisms Sector of the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, Jadranka Plut.

Jadranka Plut, Head of the Financial Mechanisms Sector at the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, emphasised in her speech that “rapidly advancing technologies, changing society and labour market require different skills and competence today than ten years ago, and it is therefore essential that students prepare for lifelong learning and develop competencies for the 21st century.”

The main purpose of the project is to introduce Norwegian outdoor learning concepts in pilot schools in Kranj, namely the Elementary School France Prešeren Kranj and the France Prešeren Gymnasium, which have also acquired their first outdoor classrooms through the project. To share knowledge and promote innovative approaches in education, the project carried out several activities, which were presented at the final conference.

The event was continued with a lecture of dr. Øystein Winje, a renowned Norwegian expert in outdoor learning. He impressed the participants with his experience and research in the field of outdoor learning.

A panel with representatives of the project partners offered insights into the key findings of the project, highlighting their experiences, challenges, and achievements. The last part of the conference focused on specific examples of outdoor learning in pilot schools.

The SCHOOL21 project involves the project promoter, the France Prešeren Gymnasium, and project partners, the Elementary School France Prešeren Kranj, SOCIALNA AKADEMIJA – Institute for Education, Research and Culture, BSC, Business Support Centre, Ltd, and the Norwegian project partner, Møre and Romsdal County Council.

SOURCE: Project SCHOOL21

26 April 2024 – Earlier this week, a joint final conference of the project ReMOBIL and project SmartMOVE took place. The event focused on the challenges of sustainable mobility at regional level in high traffic areas and on innovative solutions and a new governance model for sustainable mobility.

The final conference Innovative solutions and a new management model of sustainable mobility took place in Koper at the St Francis of Assisi Ceremonial and Entertainment Hall in the framework of the ReMOBIL and SmartMOVE projects, which are co-financed by the EEA Financial Mechanism. Other projects co-financed by the EEA Financial Mechanism were also presented at the event. These are Predjama Sustainable, SALOMON and Trata 2.1.

The event was opened by the Vice-Mayor of the Municipality of Koper, Mateja Hrvatin Kozlovič, the Guest of Honour, the Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, Trine Skymoen, the Minister of Cohesion and Regional Development, dr. Aleksander Jevšek, the Director of the Soča Valley Development Centre, which is the project promotor of the ReMOBIL project, Simon Škvor, and the Director of the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region, Lilijana Madjar.

The Ambassador of the Kingdom of Norway, Trine Skymoen, in her speech emphasised the importance of promoting sustainable mobility, which is also promoted by the five projects whose results are applicable to new areas.

The Minister for Cohesion and Regional Development, Dr. Aleksander Jevšek, underlined the importance of sustainable mobility for the future of Slovenia and Europe, stressing that “our common goal is to promote sustainable mobility as a way of life and to contribute as individuals and as a community to preserving the environment. Whether we want it or not, the Green Transition is a reality.”

The presentation of the ReMOBIL project followed, which has transferred an effective model of sustainable mobility management to Slovenia through good practices from abroad. The project organised an international summer school on sustainable mobility and provided training for experts in the field. Six Regional Mobility Centres (RMCs) were established, namely the Istra Brkini Kras RMC, the Severna Primorska RMC, the Ljubljana Urban Region RMC, the Gorenjska RMC, the Podravje RMC and the Koroška RMC.

The SmartMOVE project, promoted by the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region, focused on sustainable mobility management in high-traffic locations in Ljubljana, mainly targeting employers. The project involved three large employers in Ljubljana, namely the University Medical Centre Ljubljana, BTC City Ljubljana and IKEA Slovenia. Mobility plans were prepared for these companies with the aim of assisting employees in commuting to work in a more sustainable manner.

Through a panel discussion, practical solutions to mobility challenges and mobility plans for institutions were presented by the SALOMON project, the Predjama Sustainable project and the Trata 2.1 project. The municipality of Postojna, through the Predjama Sustainable project, has developed sustainable transport solutions to connect Postojna or the Postojna Cave with the Predjama Castle. The General Hospital Novo mesto carried out a survey on the travel habits of their employees, patients, and visitors within the SALOMON project, and acquired a mobility plan, a GoNM bike rental system and charging stations for electric vehicles. The Trata 2.1 project was the first in Slovenia to address mobility in industrial zones. The project area was the industrial zone Trata in Škofja Loka.

Lastly, a panel discussion on the establishment of regional mobility centres was held, featuring stakeholders from the project partners, the Ministry of Environment, Climate, and Energy, local communities, and businesses.

The SmartMOVE project involves the Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region as the project promoter and project partners Jožef Stefan Institute, Institute for Spatial Policies, Urban Institute of Ljubljana, Association of Employers of Slovenia, GoOpti Ltd, Centre for Energy Efficient Solutions and Nordland Research Institute from Norway.

The ReMOBIL project involves the Soča Valley Development Centre as project promoter and project partners Regional Development Agency of the Ljubljana Urban Region, BSC, Business Support Centre, Ltd, Regional Development Centre Koper, Regional Development Agency for Podravje – Maribor, RDA Koroška, the Regional Development Agency for Koroška, AMZS, Urban Institute of Ljubljana and Norwegian partner Viken County Council.

SOURCE: Project ReMOBIL and project SmartMOVE

26 April 2024 – Yesterday, the closing event of the INFO-GEOTHERMAL project co-funded by the EEA Financial Mechanism was held.

The closing conference was attended by the State Secretary of the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development, mag. Marko Koprivc. In his speech he emphasised that “the increased and more energy-efficient use of thermal water for geothermal energy production can make an important contribution to achieving Slovenia’s climate and energy objectives. As a local renewable energy source, its use significantly reduces greenhouse gas emissions and can replace the use of fossil fuels in areas with the most potential, which are mainly located in the northeastern part of the country.”

Geothermal energy is stored as heat beneath the solid surface of the earth and is one of the key renewable energy sources for Slovenia’s energy restructuring. Its potential is greatest for the heating and cooling sector and the most easily accessible thermal water resources are in northeastern part of Slovenia. For the successful development of geothermal projects, public data on geothermal potential must be organised and accessible. Therefore, the project has developed a 3D geothermal model viewer for northeastern Slovenia, showing information on geological structure and temperatures down to 5 km below the surface, as well as the locations and metadata of more than 250 boreholes and 3,438 km of geophysical profiles. Priority areas for the construction of new geothermal boreholes and permanent industrial greenhouses have been identified in the municipalities of Beltinci, Turnišče and Dobrovnik.

In the guidelines for the development of geothermal projects, the project partners highlighted the differences in documentation and procedures of the three laws governing the use of deep geothermal energy in Slovenia. These are the Water Act, the Mining Act and, as of summer 2023, the Act on the Introduction of Installations for the Production of Electricity from Renewable Energy Sources (ZUNPEOVE). To facilitate and standardise procedures in the future, suggestions were made to eliminate the discrepancies.

The project succeeded in bringing together the main stakeholders in the geothermal development in Slovenia and in formulating common challenges for a new national geothermal association. More than 120 Slovenian experts and local community representatives, together with more than 30 colleagues from Europe and the USA, participated in tours of good practices in Iceland, Croatia, and Slovenia and in expert meetings. The International Summer School on thermogeology in Ljubljana educated 24 mostly PhD students from 15 countries, and workshops brought thermal waters closer to more than 500 primary school children.

INFO-GEOTHERMAL is the first project dedicated to innovative capacity building in the deep geothermal energy sector in Slovenia. The cooperation of the Geological Survey of Slovenia, the Ministry of Natural Resources and Spatial Planning, the Ministry of Environment, Climate and Energy, the Association of Municipalities and Towns of Slovenia and the Icelandic partner Reykjavik University, Iceland School of Energy has achieved both main objectives. The first is to improve the availability of information to support the development of projects with efficient cascade use of thermal water and the second is to increase knowledge and awareness of sustainable ways to use deep geothermal energy.

SOURCE: Project INFO-GEOTHERMAL

25 April 2024 – Two schools in Kranj are enriched by outdoor classrooms. Their installation was made possible within the project SCHOOL21 – Let’s go out! (SCHOOL21), which is co-financed by the Norway Grants under the programme Education, Scholarships, Apprenticeship and Youth Entrepreneurship.

At the opening of the outdoor classroom at the France Prešeren Gymnasium, the participants were addressed by Ms. Mirjam Bizjak, the Headmistress. She stressed the importance of the outdoor classroom for the school space and especially for the students. “Students, don’t learn just for grades and points, learn for yourself, for life,” she added.

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The opening ceremony and the cultural programme were organised by the students. Their speeches showed a great desire for freedom, which will be further facilitated by the new outdoor classroom. They will be able to taste freedom all the way to the sky, right up to the Sun and the stars.

© MKRR

© MKRR

A few days earlier, the outdoor classroom was opened also at the Elementary School France Prešeren. Pupils will be able to learn about different subjects, take care of plants and learn about the future in other ways.

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By developing new teaching methods and tools, the project SCHOOL21 equips young people in formal education with the 21st century skills and knowledge needed to live and work independently, and empowers and motivates teachers to use innovative teaching methods. Participants in the project are the France Prešeren Gymnasium, acting as the project promoeter, the Slovenian project partners the Elementary School France Prešeren Kranj, SOCIALNA AKADEMIJA – Institute for Education, Research and Culture and BSC Ltd, and the Norwegian project partner Møre and Romsdal County Council.

23 April 2024 – The national and final conference of the project Establishing New Education Modules in the Field of Augmented and Virtual Reality (Think XR) took place in Ljubljana. The project, which is co-financed by the Norway Grants under the programme Education, Scholarships, Apprenticeship and Youth Entrepreneurship, establishes innovative practices in the introduction of new educational programmes in the field of virtual or augmented reality, trains teachers and trainers, and develops new didactic tools.

The participants were first addressed by Mrs. Jasmina Mihelak Zupančič, M.A., Principal of the School Centre Slovenske Konjice – Zreče, acting as the project promoter. She summarised the results of the project, which exceeded expectations. She highlighted the XR (extended reality) partnership, which brought together education and industry, and stressed that the purchase of equipment under the project had enabled more interactive learning, visualisation and practice, which had been previously unfeasible. All this requires new skills, which is why training of educational staff is crucial. New professions are here, so it is important to think now about strategic measures and new paradigms for education.

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Opening speeches were given also by Mr. Urban Kodrič from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation and Mr. Aleksandar Sladojević from the Slovenian Centre for Vocational Education, who stressed the importance of the use of new technologies and digital education, as digitisation is an opportunity for the development of society.

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Mr. Aleš Pevc, representative of the project partner Technology Park Ljubljana, presented the results of the project in figures. More than 420 participants took part in the various activities, a 100-hour programme for mentors, a 40-hour XR Academy training programme, pilots of the XR Academy for teachers and mentors, students and staff, and high school students. A long-term plan for introducing XR content in education and training programmes, various e-materials, learning about good practices in Norway, establishing institutional cooperation and an XR partnership network, etc. have been developed.

The day-long event continued with a wide range of speakers presenting the use of XR technologies for various purposes (e.g. smart classroom design, foreign language learning, immersive e-textbooks, heritage education, architectural solutions, etc.) and highlighting the importance of participating in the XR partnership. They also presented the results of the XR Academy, digital tools for the development of innovative pedagogical approaches, such as working on a CNC machine in virtual reality, which was one of the results of the successful cooperation between teachers and students of the School Centre Slovenske Konjice – Zreče.

Mr. Gabriel Hanssen Kiss, representative of the Norwegian project partner Norwegian University of Science and Technology, presented the use of augmented reality (AR) technology in education at their university and the students’ experiences.

Various round tables provided reflections on strategies for introducing new technologies into educational programmes in Slovenia, challenges and opportunities for introducing new XR software modules and curricula into educational institutions, the development of digital competences and the education and industry working together, as well as on the future of XR technologies and the role of the teacher in the future.

Students Adam Macuh (School Centre Slovenske Konjice – Zreče), Timon Gorjan (School Centre Nova Gorica), Jaka Kordiš (Faculty of Electrical Engineering, UL) and Žiga Gobec (Faculty of Computer Science and Informatics, UL) reflected on the future of using new technologies in education and inspired the participants with their pragmatic and critical thinking. They agreed that new technologies are very useful, but their use requires prudence, moderation and safety. The training of teachers to deliver the knowledge is also very important. They are aware that young people grow up with short videos and social networks that require short attention spans and allow quick accessibility, so they still consider it is important to learn from books and write in notebooks that force them to longer concentration and attention. New technologies are the future, but they are not for always and everywhere.

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During the event, participants were also able to try out various virtual reality equipment to see for themselves its wide range of applications.

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© MKRR

The Think XR project is the result of cooperation between different institutions: the project promoter is School Centre Slovenske Konjice – Zreče, Slovenian project partners are Technology park Ljubljana Ltd, Faculty of Electrical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana, University of Primorska, Hashnet Ltd, Unior Forging Industry and the Norwegian project partner is the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

23 April 2024 – The Career Centre Posavje project, co-financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism, is carrying out several activities, one of which is the panel discussion entitled “Career Synergy”, where representatives of the Youth and employers came together to discuss career opportunities in Posavje.

The conference brought together the key players in the local area for career guidance of young people (economy, youth, education). The opening speech was given by the Director of the Regional Development Agency Posavje, Nataša Šerbec. The project and its achievements presented the Coordinator of the project Career Centre Posavje, Simona Hostar.

The panel discussion was attended by Nataša Unetič Tomše, Director of Kemokovina, d. o. o., Doroteja Volovec, Director of the company LUMIA, d. o. o., and the Employment Centre Lumis, Tina Živič, representative of the “Klub posavskih študentov”, Ana Kramperšek, Career Counsellor at the Institute of Adult Education Krško, Simona Hostar, Project Coordinator of the Career Centre Posavje, Regional Development Agency Posavje, and Andraž Dostal, freelancer and youth representative.

The event was moderated by Janja Starc, Director of the Regional Chamber of Craft and Small Business Krško.

The importance of micro and small enterprises at a local level

Nataša Unetič Tomše, Director of Kemokovina, d. o. o., highlighted the role of micro and small enterprises. “An event like this today from the perspective of micro and small enterprises is very appreciated, because it is difficult in general for these companies to present their activities in a different way to a broader public,” she underlined.

Career opportunities in local businesses

Janja Starc, Director of the Regional Chamber of Craft and Small Business Krško, explained the objectives of the conference and emphasised that “the purpose of today’s conference was to bring employers and educational institutions as well as the local community closer to the need to discuss the career future of young people“.

Participants expressed their hope for future initiatives. “I definitely welcome projects like this, and I hope that in the future there will be good cooperation in this field, more broad cooperation, and that we will be involved in this segment,” added Nataša Unetič Tomše.

Tina Živič from the “Klub posavskih študentov” emphasised the importance of the event for establishing contact between young individuals and employers, which is crucial for the successful integration of the youth in the labour market. “The most positive thing for me is that we met young people and the older generation representing employers, because I think this is what we are missing the most, i.e., contact between education and employers, especially in the local environment,” she explained.

Career synergy as a bridge between education and industry

Janja Starc, Director of the Regional Chamber of Craft and Small Business Krško, underlined at the conference that it is essential to bring the youth closer to various career opportunities, not only in large companies, but also in smaller local companies. The purpose of this event was also to give employers the opportunity to present what they can offer to young individuals.

Participants of the conference expressed their hope that cooperation between educational institutions and industry will continue to develop and that such projects will continue to bring together different sectors to better understand and utilise local potentials. The discussion at the conference was, according to the participants, fruitful and promising for the future.

The project partnership involves the Regional Development Agency Posavje (as project promoter), the Municipality of Krško, the Centre for Youth and Sport Krško, the Institute of Adult Education Krško, the Regional Chamber of Crafts and Small Business Krško and the Norwegian partner Collective Innovation AS.

SOURCE: Career Centre Posavje

23 April 2024 – The final conference of the project Recycling of Rapid Antigen LFIA Tests (COVID-19) – LFIA-REC, co-financed by the Norwegian Financial Mechanism in Slovenia, took place in April.

The welcome speech was given by the Headmaster of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at University of Maribor, Prof. Dr. Matej Vesenjak, who welcomed the participants at the conference.

The first lecture focused on the design of a process for recycling gold and thermoplastic nanoparticles from rapid test waste by the Project Promoter, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor. They carried out and coordinated the development activities of the LFIA-REC project, with the aim of designing a process for the separation of test strips from rapid test cassettes and the subsequent extraction and refining of gold nanoparticles.

In the second lecture, several project partners presented the experimental work they have carried out to investigate the possibility of using the milled material recovered from recycled rapid antigen tests for use in products in the electrical industry.

The third lecture shed light on the recycling of SARS-CoV-2 rapid antigen tests. The Faculty of Polymer Technology has been involved in the separation of rapid tests, plastic recycling, and characterisation as part of the LFIA-REC project. At the beginning of the project, the thermal properties and chemical composition of different rapid tests in circulation in Slovenia were characterised, which provided key information for the planning of other activities in the project.

The fourth lecture – by the project partner Institute of Metals and Technology – explained the characterisation of gold nanoparticles recycled from LFIA rapid antigen tests.

The fifth lecture focused on the refining of gold nanoparticles for re-use in USP synthesis. For the refining of gold nanoparticles, the components of the LFIA tests need to be chemically treated with acids to remove contaminants, residual organic and inorganic matter, and by-products. Based on the results of the gold nanoparticle characterisation and experimental refining during the project, a final protocol for the separation of the gold nanoparticles and the purification of the recovered gold for downstream production processes has been established.

The main part of the conference was dedicated to the presentation of the results, achievements, and indicators at the end of the LFIA-REC project. A protocol for the collection and handling of rapid antigen tests was introduced. The designed and developed protocol for collection of used rapid antigen tests has contributed significantly to the reduction of waste in the healthcare sector of the Republic of Slovenia.

The separation of LFIA rapid antigen tests was presented by the representative of the project partner Surovina, Waste processing company, Ltd. They set up and carried out the separation of the supplied rapid antigen LFIA tests to two separate fractions: plastic cases and gold nanoparticle test sticks.

The Project Promoter is the University of Maribor and Project Partners are Plastika Skaza Ltd, the Faculty of Polymer Technology, the Institute of Metals and Technology, Zlatarna Celje Ltd, the University Medical Centre Maribor and Surovina, Waste processing company, Ltd.

SOURCE: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maribor

17 April 2024 – The project partners of the LEAP project, supported by Norway Grants under the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation Programme, organised a public presentation of the project’s achievements at the Pulp and Paper Institute in Ljubljana earlier this month.

The project coordinator, Gregor Čepon from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, welcomed the attendees of the closing event and summarised the LEAP project, the roles of the participating project partners and announced the presentation of the results. He pointed out that the project “seeks to develop high-performance packaging solutions that are able to withstand the weight of different transport loads, while at the same time trying to address the problem of raw material through the use of invasive plants in the production of this solution”.

The project partners have focused on the production of durable protective packaging from invasive non-native plants such as Japanese knotweed, Giant goldenrod and Canadian goldenrod. They presented a collection point in Maribor, where they set up three different containers to collect the invasive plants that will be used in the packaging process. The idea to produce such packaging was born seven or eight years ago with the project partner – Gorenje. They wanted to produce a paper-based packaging solution. The process of producing an effective and robust protective packaging was full of attempts, even unsuccessful ones, to achieve results. The current results allow the production of protective packaging that can be recycled and reused several times. They also highlighted the product’s effectiveness and ability to absorb and absorb pressure and shock.

The closing event was joined virtually by the Norwegian project partner, dr. Jawad Elomari, SINTEF AS, who presented the biomass collection process and gave a sustainability assessment of the transition from EPS to paper-based packaging. He pointed out that “the biomass collection process has clearly been improved in the LEAP project, which is also evident from the sample comparison.”

Dr. Urška Kavčič from the Pulp and Paper Institute presented the development of molded pulp protective packaging made from lignocellulosic biomass. Cellulosic fibres were produced from locally sourced invasive plants. She further explained the process from the extraction of the invasive plants to fibres that are effective for use and their role in the development of protective packaging.

Gregor Čepon from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, University of Ljubljana, presented the e-info point platform and the open-source expert system for designing paper-based packaging. He emphasised that now “all the knowledge behind the development process has been gathered. All the data and research results can be downloaded from the platform to your computer and further refined.”

Representative of the project partner Gorenje Ltd, dr. Aleš Mihelič presented the challenges in designing sustainable paper packaging for household appliances. He pointed out that “Gorenje’s cooperation with other stakeholders has so far been unsuccessful, as companies have mainly developed smaller protective paper packaging, which is neither suitable nor efficient for the transport and delivery of the heavier electronic devices produced by Gorenje. The LEAP project has produced efficient and sustainable packaging, which has been tirelessly tested and refined with project partners until the current results”.

The LEAP project involves the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Ljubljana as the project promoter and project partners Pulp and Paper Institute, Gorenje Ltd, Surovina, Waste processing company Ltd, and SINTEF AS from Norway.

VIR: Projekt LEAP