European Recovery and Resilience Funds - Together towards the goal: the greening of public education infrastructure

Investing in public education and research infrastructure through comprehensive renovation and new builds promotes the reduction of energy consumption and maintenance costs. This contributes to reducing greenhouse gas emissions, increasing the use of renewable materials and promoting a sustainable approach. 

At the time of the preparation of the Recovery and Resilience Plan (RRP), energy efficiency in education and research facilities was poor. Educational facilities were mainly built around 1963. The 2021 analysis of the state of public education and research infrastructure showed that increased investment and the correct methodological approach to investment represented a great potential for achieving the greening effects and sustainable development.

Slovenia's measures for the greening of public education infrastructure are also addressed by the RRP. The responsibility for implementing the reform and investments lies with the Ministry of Education, Science and Youth in cooperation with educational institutions.

Strategy for greening the education and research infrastructure in Slovenia – reform

The purpose of the reform is to upgrade the educational and research infrastructure in Slovenia with ta view to providing an energy-efficient and development-oriented infrastructure that will meet the needs of modern educational and research processes.

A Strategy and Action Plan for Greening the Education and Research Infrastructure in Slovenia to 2030 were adopted as part of the reform and constitute the basis for a systematic and development-oriented system of investment in education and research infrastructure in Slovenia. 

The milestone in the implementation of the reform was successfully achieved and included in Slovenia's second request for payment, which was disbursed by the European Commission in December 2023.

Greening the education infrastructure in Slovenia – investment

The purpose of the investment is to contribute to the provision of a more advanced and environmentally friendly education infrastructure. 

The investment includes the construction or renovation of educational institutions' buildings in line with the aforementioned and Action Plan for Greening the Education and Research Infrastructure.

A total of EUR 138.63 million from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (Facility) has been allocated for the implementation of the investment under the RRP, including EUR 67.93 million in grants and EUR 70.7 million in loans. This is one of the financially largest investments envisaged by the RRP.

As part of the investment, nine facilities were newly built or renovated, under the following projects:

• Vrazov trg Campus, Faculty of Medicine of the University of Ljubljana – EUR 52.65 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 94.6 million;
• new construction of the Veterinary Faculty of the University of Ljubljana – EUR 52.58 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 81.67 million;
• construction of an extension to the CIRIUS, Kamnik, building  – EUR 2.79 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 4.05 million;
• Construction of the gymnasium of the Gimnazija Šiška general upper secondary school  – EUR 2.02 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 2.82 million;
• new construction of the Postojna Forestry, Woodworking and Healthcare Secondary School (SGLZŠ) – EUR 2.5 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 6.88 million;
• New construction of the gymnasium of the Secondary School for Media and Graphic Arts (SMGŠ)  – EUR 2.4 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 4.36 million;
• renovation and extension of the building of the Institute for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Ljubljana  – EUR 3.18 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 4.24 million;
• renovation of the facilities of the Jesenice Secondary School  – EUR 8.76 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 30.07 million;
• Reconstruction and energy renovation of the Šiška Secondary Technical School  – EUR 2.37 million has been allocated under the Facility for a project worth EUR 4.39 million;

The milestones in the process of selecting and completing investment projects were included in the third request for payment that took place in October 2024. The two targets will form part of the seventh and final request for payment of funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility, which Slovenia will submit to Brussels by no later than 30 September 2026. 

Reforms and investment in public education and research infrastructure build the foundation for further action and incentives to create and transfer knowledge and increase innovation activity by investing in human resources. The result is the strengthening of competencies necessary for the green and digital transition.