Development study for the Central Sava Valley (Zasavje) region

Thanks to coal deposits Zasavje – the Central Sava Valley – was the first region of Slovenia to be industrialised. Mining has been in decline since the 1990s, and the EU funded a development concept. Work was carried out with support of the Zasavje Regional Development Center (RCR Zasavje); inputs included assessment of tourism and entrepreneurship potentials, training in SWOT analysis techniques. A business incubator and a (successful) SME credit guarantee scheme were suggested. In order to see reconversion practice at first hand, a study tour to the declining mining regions of the Saar and Lorraine was organised.
However, there was no chance of all jobs lost in mining and heavy industry being fully replaced locally; and the fate for many denizens is the 50km road or rail commute to thriving Ljubljana.