The European Commission selects Gorenjska as a case study for the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change
The European Commission has chosen the Gorenjska region as a case study for implementing transformative innovations in the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. The region was the first in Slovenia to join the mission in November 2022. In collaboration with the Directorate-General for Climate Action and the Joint Research Centre of the European Union, Gorenjska was selected as the first of five regions in Europe for an area analysis.
Recently, Gorenjska was visited by Claire Nauwelaers, an expert in science, technology, and innovation policy, and Richard Harding, an expert in sustainable urban development. Their task is to conduct interviews with regional and national decision-makers. The study will then analyze the current patterns of collaboration among stakeholders in the field of research and innovation. They will identify barriers, best practices, and solutions for climate adaptation through smart specialization.
The interviews began in Kranj, where the Mayor of the City of Kranj and the President of the Council of the Gorenjska region, Matjaž Rakovec, presented the region's progress and areas for potential improvement. He expressed satisfaction that Gorenjska was involved in two missions: the regional Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and the Mission 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030, in which Kranj collaborates with Ljubljana and Velenje among Slovenian cities.
Tomaž Lanišek, the head of the Office for Development, Smart Community, and Projects at the municipality, presented the activities of the City of Kranj in the field of smart specialization. He provided more details about the Smart Settlement Mlaka project, recognized as one of the four examples of good practice in the area of smart cities in the European context. The experts were also informed about other projects, such as the preparation for establishing a smart city card, energy renovations of buildings, electrification of municipal vehicles, procurement of eight electric buses, expansion of the cycling network, installation of a green roof on the Staneta Žagar Elementary School, and more.
Črtomir Kurnik, the director of the Local Energy Agency of Gorenjska, which coordinates the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change for the Gorenjska region, presented the collaboration among stakeholders in the region and the implementation of activities from the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plan.
Claire Nauwelaers and Richard Harding will continue the interviews both in Gorenjska and with representatives of ministries and scientific research institutions. The study's results will be published in autumn and will aid in the development of all European regions facing similar challenges.