Construction of the new Faculty of Medicine in the final phase

The new building will provide new modern facilities for the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana, enabling the education of students and advanced research work.

Following the inspection, Minister Igor Papič expressed his satisfaction with the progress ahead of the finishing phase of the construction. “As we were able to see during today’s viewing, the construction of the new building of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana is going as planned. The construction is co-financed from the Recovery and Resilience Plan, and its timeline is important, as the project must be completed by summer 2026. The new construction is part of the large cycle of investments in higher education, scientific and research infrastructure that is currently underway across Slovenia. New buildings of the Veterinary Faculty, the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering are also being constructed in Ljubljana as part of Slovenia’s largest higher education, scientific and research infrastructure investment cycle of recent decades. The largest data centre in Slovenia, which will also house a supercomputer for the artificial intelligence factory, is currently under construction in Maribor. Moreover, the extension and renovation of the building of the Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Maribor is expected to begin this year and the renovation of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Maribor is also planned. The Faculty of Health Sciences of the University of Primorska, which is currently in the procedure of accreditation for a new study programme of medicine, will also obtain a new building. These investments will provide excellent conditions for future work with university students, including higher enrolment rates in the fields of health sciences and medicine, and optimum conditions for scientific and research work. We can expect significantly improved study and research conditions in Slovenia in the future,” underlined Minister Papič.

Gregor Majdič, Rector of the University of Ljubljana, stated, “The construction of a new sustainable campus at Vrazov trg is fully in line with the plans and is proceeding perfectly. And this guarantees that we will be able to welcome a larger number of medical students to modern and sustainably designed facilities in the 2026/2027 academic year that will provide excellent conditions for studying and research. On that note, we remain firmly committed to a comprehensive renovation of the Faculty of Medicine, including the construction of the Zaloška Campus with modern diagnostic laboratories to support the Slovenian healthcare system, thus ensuring continued high-quality healthcare for Slovenian patients. We look forward to further cooperating with all the stakeholders in order to jointly realise the vision of excellence in education and research in medicine.”

“The Vrazov trg Campus of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana is financially and symbolically one of the most important projects of the Recovery and Resilience Plan. The European funds, obtained from the NextGenerationEU instrument and used to implement the Plan, were earmarked to support the recovery after the COVID-19 health crisis, whicht had a great impact on our lives. The health professionals were the first to experience the relevance of the preparedness and resilience of our social systems. The provision of suitable conditions to educate new generations of medical students is thus crucial. I am pleased that we can see great progress in the implementation of this project, which will contribute to the joint objective of greening the educational infrastructure in Slovenia and the fulfilment of one of the many conditions for the inflow of resources available for recovery and resilience. Recently, the European Commission approved the fourth payment request, which Slovenia expects to receive this year. After the payment, we will record a 69-per cent inflow of available resources. The funds are channelled into various projects, i.e. the greening of educational infrastructure and flood protection projects. As well as the business and railway sectors, to mention but a few fields,” highlighted Josip Mihalic, Director of the Office of the Republic of Slovenia for Recovery and Resilience.

Jerneja Jug Jerše, Head of the European Commission’s Representation in Slovenia, expressed her satisfaction with the current progress of the project, which is instrumental for the Slovenian healthcare system. She thanked the participants for their outstanding commitment and professionalism in the management of such a significant investment. “With the European Union’s contribution totalling EUR 40 million, the project addresses one of the most important concerns of Slovenian residents: health and healthcare. This investment supports the key measures to enhance the healthcare system: it will increase the number of doctors and other health professionals in the country and enable modern conditions for their education. This will have a direct impact on the improved healthcare and health of all Slovenian residents.”

“The new campus is one of the three campuses planned by the Faculty of Medicine and comprises about one third of all anticipated capacities. The Faculty commenced an important investment cycle that will extend over the next ten years and include an overall renovation and construction of all faculty facilities. By doing so, we will provide conditions for education and research in medicine and dental medicine, comparable to those at esteemed European faculties. We further highlight that other construction and renovation projects, currently in the design and investment documentation preparation phases, are consistent with their respective timelines. The faculty is currently financing them entirely from its own resources,” said Ksenija Geršak, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana.

The first students and researchers will occupy the new facilities next year. The finishing reinforced concrete works, installation of façade elements and fittings, and the arrangement of interiors are currently underway. As per the timeline, the completion of main construction works is anticipated for the start of 2026.

The Vrazov trg Campus of the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana is a project co-financed for the most part by the European Union within the framework of the Recovery and Resilience Plan and the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation. With an estimated value of EUR 93.5 million, it is one of the most financially extensive projects that Slovenia will implement by 2026 with the aid of European funds under the Recovery and Resilience Plan.