Archives: Novice

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National Focal Point

9 January 2023 – The pre-holiday season of December 2022 at the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy was marked by the the opening and handover ceremony of the reuse showroom that was created as part of the co-financed project StudioKroG – Studio of Circular Economy.

The event was opened by State Secretary at the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy, Mr. Marko Koprivc. It brought together, among other guests, the project promoter – Scientific Research Centre Bistra Ptuj, and project partners of the project StudioKroG – Studio of Circular Economy, Reuse Center (CPU), OKP Public utility company Rogaška Slatina, Development Research Center Ormož and Fonix AS from Norway.

“The newly acquired area featuring repaired and refurbished equipment that has been repurposed and given new life is a piece of the mosaic of the circular economy. It is our responsibility and a part of our path to a zero-waste planet,” said State Secretary, Mr. Marko Koprivc, who expressed his satisfaction that the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy sets an example of a responsible attitude towards the environment.

The project StudiKroG is implemented under the programme Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation.

5 January 2023 – At the end of 2022, Slovenian project partners participated in a study visit to Stavanger, Norway, in the framework of the project Empowerment and Integration of NEETs into the Labour Market and Development of a Comprehensive Program of Support Services for NEETs, Including the Solutions on Systemic Level (PreseNEETi se).

The Norwegian project partner, Veiledernettverket NOSCO/Norwegian Organisation for Supervision and Co-Operation, prepared a varied programme for the participants, which gave them an insight into good practices in working with young school dropouts and prisoners (The Ullandhaug Organic Farm Foundation, NAV Eiganes and Tasta, TAFU Rogaland, UngInvest Rogaland, Metropolis, Fellesverket/Red Cross, Fra offer til kriger, IPS – Ung). Programmes and methods for working with these target groups were presented, and the importance of the trust that needs to be established between clients and counsellors in order to be successful. The individual orientation of the programme for each participant, based on his/her wishes, goals and abilities, and leading to employment as the final goal, were repeatedly highlighted.

The NEET research was presented via video by Tonje Fyhn, Director of Worklife and Inclusion, NORCE Research and a report on the analysis of the current situation in Slovenia and Norway was presented at the press conference.

The study visit to Norway and learning about good practices further strengthened the bilateral cooperation between the Norwegian and Slovenian project partners.

Find out more about the project PreseNEETi se, implemented under the programme Education, Scholarships, Apprenticeship and Youth Entrepreneurship, at this link.

15 December 2022 – A press conference and a round table were held in the Praetorian Palace in Koper to present the project Solar Energy for Emissions Reduction (SOPOREM), co-financed under the Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation programme.

The project brings together the Port of Koper as project promoter and project partners the Municipality of Koper and Greenstat ASA from Norway.

The SOPOREM project aims to promote the production of electricity from renewable sources in the port of Koper and in the Municipality of Koper through the construction of two solar power plants that will help reduce the carbon footprint and contribute to the reduction of emissions and greenhouse gases. The general goal of the project is thus to increase the production of renewable energy.

14 December 2022 – The fifth meeting of the Cooperation Committee for the programme Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation took place in Ljubljana.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Programme Operator and the Donor Programme Partner (NEA – Norwegian Environment Agency), as well as representatives – observers from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Budapest, the Financial Mechanism Office and the National Focal Point.

Participants discussed the programme’s progress, in particular the implementation of projects selected under the call for proposals, proposal of the bilateral initiative and financial resources allocated to the programme under the Fund for Bilateral Relations.

The participants also listened to the project promoters of the projects StudiKROG and SmartMOVE, who presented the progress in their implementation.

More about the programme Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation is available at this link.

13 December 2022 – The fourth meeting of the Cooperation Committee for the programme Education, Scholarships, Apprenticeship and Youth Entrepreneurship took place in Ljubljana.

The meeting was attended by representatives of the Programme Operator and the Donor Programme Partners (HK-dir – Norwegian Directorate for Higher Education and Skills and AIBA – National Agency for International Education Affairs), as well as representatives – observers from the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Budapest, the Financial Mechanism Office and the National Focal Point.

Participants discussed the programme’s progress, in particular the implementation of projects selected under the call for proposals, proposal of the bilateral initiative and financial resources allocated to the programme under the Fund for Bilateral Relations.

The participants of the meeting also visited the premises of the Children’s House (a pre-defined project Children’s House/Barnahus) and listened to a comprehensive presentation of the implementation of this project by the Project Promoter. The participants also listened to the Project Promoter of the pre-defined project Blended Learning in Vocational Education and Training (BlendVET), who also presented the project’s implementarion.

More about the programme Education, Scholarships, Apprenticeship and Youth Entrepreneurship is available at this link.

9 December 2022 – The cooperation agreement between the stakeholders for one of the largest mobility projects in Slovenia, SmartMOVE, co-financed under the programme Climate Change Mitigation and Adaptation, was signed by the representatives of Regional Development Agency of Ljubljana Urban Region (RRA LUR) in the role of the project promoter, and the participating organisations University Medical Centre Ljubljana, BTC Ljubljana, IKEA Slovenia, Studio Moderna and the Ljubljana Marshes Landscape Park.

The ceremony took place on the premises of Urban Municipality of Ljubljana. The signing of the agreement is one of the first key steps in enhancing sustainable mobility in the Ljubljana urban region, which faces heavy traffic and negative environmental impacts.

Realising that changes should be introduced, the above mentioned organisations joined the SmartMOVE project to develop effective measures for promoting the use of sustainable modes of transportation by their employees and visitors of the Ljubljana Marshes Landscape Park, an area of particular natural interest.

One of the most important solutions tested in the frame of the SmartMOVE project is an entirely new form of a sustainable and alternative mode of transportation to work. Marko Guček, CEO of the project partner GoOpti, which developed a dynamic platform for booking transportation to work, says that if the pilot project is well received by its users, it could grow into a commercial variety and the price of using such mode of transportation could be similar to the price of using public transportation.

25 November 2022 – An expert meeting ”Activating community to implement circular economy principles in Slovenia” took place at the Trebnik Mansion in Slovenske Konjice last Friday. Introductory remarks were delivered by dr Franc Trček, Secretary at the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy who took part in the discussion together with his colleagues at the Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy. Dr Trček said: ”We’re excited about the StudioKroG project because it shows the right path and approach. This pilot project is implemented in the local/regional community and for its benefit and will continue to be implemented once the co-funding finishes. Sharing of expertise between the Slovenian and Norwegian partners makes such projects really important, also for the legislative and executive branch, as they provide an important insight and information on the necessary legislative changes needed to mainstream and upscale the results of pilot projects in different local environments.” 

The discussion revolved around the Circular Economy Action Plan that focuses on waste reduction, circular design and announces initiatives along the entire life cycle of products. The new action plan is one of the main building blocks of the European Green Deal, EU’s ambitious plan to make Europe a carbon-neutral economy by 2050 where resources are used efficiently and where economic growth is decoupled from the resource use.

The participants also took stock of the project’s progress made in implementing circular economy in practice through the reuse of discarded shipping containers for educational, tourism, business and other purposes. In order to establish partnerships between private and public stakeholders to increase circular use of resources, all key partners that were present at the meeting committed themselves to working together after the project completion. They signed an informal agreement to collaborate as a community on the basis of jointly identified challenges with the aim to ensure the durability and sustainability of the project and advance circular economy in Slovenia.

The expert meeting was held as part of the co-financed project StudioKroG. Its aim was to activate the wider community to advance circular economy principles. The meeting was attended by Mr Primož Poklič, Vice-Mayor of Municipality of Slovenske Konjice, mag. Aleš Brglez, Director of Slovenske Konjice Public Utility Company, Mr Jan Evensen, representative of project partner Fonix AS from Norway, mag. Zala Božič Strojin, circular economy manager for the City of Ljubljana, dr. Jure Kotnik, internationally renowned architect in the area of container architecture, associate professor dr Katja Pogačar, University of Maribor, Faculty of  Civil Engineering, Transportation Engineering and Architecture, and many other guests.

A study visit to Norway was held for project partners of the StudioKroG project in September. The partners got to see first hand what organisations do to encourage local communities to implement the circular economy principles in everyday life, and how reuse centres work together with local authorities.

In addition, the project partners learned more about an innovative project which involves the setting up of portable low-cost student housing structures using (discarded) shipping containers, and a university renovation project in which only old furniture was used. The project partners also visited a second-hand store which sells two-to-three year old mobile phones which are currently in demand. These project all testify that awareness is growing among people that the environment, and not the consumers, pays the highest price in the entire supply chain. Reuse as part of circular economy has been gaining ground and has become part of everyday life in Norway. It is almost a tradition, as the first circular economy models emerged already back in the early 1970s. The StudioKroG project adresses the issue of circular use of resources which puts at the forefront designing with waste and creative reuse to contribute to pollution reduction and climate change management.

As part of the Prometheus project, which is co-financed by the Norway Grants under the programme Education – Enhancing human capital and represents Norway’s contribution to a green, competitive and inclusive Europe, the project partners paid a visit to Norway last week to learn about good practices in balancing professional and personal life, get to know the different approaches to training employees and managers, and get an insight in the organizational cultures promoting gender equality.

The Norwegian partner in the Prometheus project, Norges Automobil-Forbund (NAF), prepared a rich programme that allowed project partners to gain valuable in-depth insight into the areas of work of five Norwegian organizations: NAF, Great Place to Work, Abelia, Innovation Norway and Geta.

The visit also focused on the legislative framework and legal guidelines that the Norwegian organizations follow in managing all aspects of employee relations, with an emphasis on the topics addressed by the Prometheus project. In addition, the participants were acquainted with the findings of a comparative analysis of the situation in Slovenia and Norway and discussed in detail the concept of remote work. The Norwegian organizations outlined the key areas of the so-called Scandinavian or Nordic model, giving concrete examples of individual organizations. The discussion also revolved around the Norwegian collective consciousness and culture, both largely based on trust, which manifests in every fabric of society.

This study visit and the good practices that were presented reaffirmed the strong bilateral ties between the Norwegian partner and the rest of the consortium, and was an excellent opportunity for partners to further strengthen their relations and cooperation.