RDA Podravje – Maribor, was the first such agency established in Slovenia (est. 1993). It is the key generator of development in Podravje region consisting of 41 municipalities. Due to the very important function it performs, it is crucial that it represents the best service to the municipalities in the field of regional development, project support, absorption of European funds, networking, attracting investors, tourism development, smart specialisation and support to the business environment.
The Regional Development Agency for the Podravje Region – Maribor is part of the KPD – Creative Park Drava. The entire KPD building was built around 1885 and has, in addition to the central wing, four other wings which are connected to the southern part of the central wing.
The KDP represents a regional hub for entrepreneurship, technology and creative industries, with a close involvement of the digitisation of the region and entrepreneurship training. By showcasing key regional projects and themes, the Creative Park will promote the development of the region and the role of knowledge in the social and economic environment. By focusing on interdisciplinarity, networking between regional institutions and cooperation, the Creative Park will integrate knowledge, technologies and competences in priority areas, foster the development of innovation, provide support to companies to develop, test and demonstrate innovations, and thus build a supportive environment for the commercialisation of the solutions developed.
Research, development and innovation
The RDI sector aims to foster technological development and technology transfer through international cooperation, as well as green transition. We carry out tasks in the framework of the Digital Information Hub and Smart Specialisation, as well as circular economy, which provides a platform for focusing development investments on areas where Podravje has a critical mass of knowledge, capacity and competences, as well as innovation potential for positioning itself in global markets. The focus is on the development of smart cities, the circular bioeconomy and Industry 4.0. Since 2022 RDA also features a research team.