The Plavje Competence Centre for Oliveculture and Other Mediterranean Cultures is included in the Republic of Slovenia’s Development Programmes Plan

Yesterday, the Government of the Republic of Slovenia decided to include the project to build the Plavje Competence Centre for Oliveculture and Other Mediterranean Cultures in the 2024–2027 Development Programmes Plan. Located on the brownfield site of a former military border post in Plavje near Koper, the centre will provide the Institute of Oliveculture at ZRS Koper, its laboratory, and its accredited activities with modern premises and research infrastructure to advance research in olive growing and other Mediterranean cultures.

The project, worth just over €4.6 million, will be funded mainly from the state budget. The centre will be equipped with state-of-the-art research equipment to support the acquisition of new knowledge and the development of technologies in olive growing. It will also enable in-depth research into Mediterranean agricultural culturres with a focus on sustainable agriculture and organic practices.

As the representatives of ZRS Koper emphasised at a meeting with Plavje residents in September, the centre will contribute significantly to the revitalisation of the area and the enhancement of knowledge regarding local agricultural cultures. The project will provide a space for research, education and professional meetings for olive growers, researchers and the wider public, helping to raise the region’s profile in the field of Mediterranean cultures.

Next week, ZRS Koper will lay the foundation stone, officially marking the start of construction. This important milestone symbolises a new beginning for olive growing and other Mediterranean cultures, as well as for research in these sectors across the Mediterranean region.