Generator/Tehnopark: a science and city’s heritage adventure for everyone

In accordance with the Sustainable Urban Strategy of the Municipality of Celje (2015-2030) and the Strategy for the Development of Tourism in the Municipality of Celje 2024-2029, the Municipality of Celje has been striving to revive the city centre through various activities. Tehnopark is now an anchor, providing constant flow of visitors and providing multiplication effects for the local businesses. The main objectives of the project were revival of the city centre, offering interesting educational content to also increase interest in science and technology, improving tourist offer intended for families and groups, and strengthening local identity through historical themes and motifs.

The strong points were creating a holistic project with multiple positive effects: addressed at all generations, knowledge oriented. The investment is unique in its approach of addressing local cultural heritage. There are multiplication effects for the local business with a large number of visitors drawn into the city- centre. Technopark has also contributed to the vitality of the city centre, where numerous events and programmes take place throughout the year. Technopark is largely increasing the number of visitors in the city centre. In 2024 there were 55,401 visitors, 30% more than in 2023, with school groups contributing a third of the visits.

The main goal of the project, namely the renovation of the building and experiment artifacts, was completed within the planned period and with the planned financial resources. The project directly contributed to the reduction of the degradation of the urban area. The urban environment was improved, social degradation was decreased, there was a major contribution to revitalizing the old city centre, external area was utilized and reactivated, there is contribution to youth deciding for technical and science jobs, social inclusion, and promoting economic growth and development of the municipality.

The results exceeded our expectations. The newly introduced integrated territorial instruments for implementation of SUD strategies in the 2014-2020 programming period have arisen as the solution to bringing back the glory of the early years of the department store. The multi-level governance of the ITI gave rise to an environment for implementation of some magnificent projects.

With the goal of revitalising the old city centre, aiming to attract all generations with the challenge of fun learning the idea of a fun science park was born. Rounds of workshops with schools’ staff were organised to develop a programme that would also be supporting teaching programme with the experimental part.

There were challenges in the implementation of the project, as these are almost inevitable in the renovation of a cultural heritage building but were addressed in a way to find solutions. A big challenge was creating innovative, state-of-the art the content and we had to learn a lot through learning by doing.

ITI Slovenia co-financed 91 projects. Generator was recognised as a good practice and it was as such selected to represent ITI in the publication European Cohesion Policy in Slovenia in 2014-2020 (https://www.dlib.si/details/URN:NBN:SI:DOC-OFMKLN96, page 18). It is promoted through a TV broadcast of the Slovenia bike race. The concrete results of the project in 2024 are 55,401 total visitors, of which 16,772 schoolchildren, 1,734 workshops/events, and 1,898 people who rented dedicated spaces.

Use of logic that a building renovation is only the first stepping stone, but the renovation should have the focus on the long-term programme. Empowerment of the team established under the unique Celje ESIF project implementation model. The use of Integrated Territorial Instruments (ITI) with understanding for urban development through multi-level governance achieving integrated, place-based development. For reviving a city centre a bald approach attractive to all generations is needed - it was a brave endeavour of a city of 50.000 inhabitants. Broad but focused participation approach combined with best practices of other science parks gave us a great buy in and support – political, by stakeholders and the community- and we are creating a long- term impact. This was an innovative approach of bringing of city’s heritage identity into a fun science-park. Promotion of technical and science jobs for the future. Support of school programmes.

https://www.tehnopark.si/