The future knowledge park will be an epicentre of innovation and creativity!

Far from the eyes of the Split public, on the outskirts that took their name from the thorny bushes (drače), the city’s brain is growing.

Indeed, being far from the debates and the endless complaints that greet every project has probably helped the first phase of the Technology Park – the project with which Split is catching up with the modern world of high technology – draw to a close quickly and successfully. To say we were surprised by the impressive project we visited right at the beginning of the end is an understatement – it was the first day of pouring the last roof slab, completing the reinforced concrete structure of the central and most important building of the Technology Park, which was first conceived in 2018.

Creative industries

As a reminder, the state donated part of the former barracks at Dračevac to Split, which produced the design and technical documentation, while the development agency RaST, which will manage the knowledge park in the future, prepared the applications for co-financing from European Union funds. The first phase of the project costs €22 million, of which €14 million comes from EU funds, and the central building, designed by architect Dario Gabrić, should be completed by the end of this year.

Built on an area of 17,500 square metres, it comprises office space for micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, a coworking centre, three high-tech laboratories, meeting rooms and a large congress centre, as well as ancillary facilities such as a canteen with a kitchen, a childcare area, and a fitness and recreation zone. It is estimated that it could accommodate a total of 1,950 people (a coincidental bit of symbolism?).

The central building has been erected west of the temporarily relocated Municipal Court, and two more buildings will spring up next to it in the future. The young team that has been working on this project for several years guides us around the construction site, which opened in spring 2022.

Andrea Racetin Muše, who manages this EU project on behalf of the City, takes us floor by floor – there are six of them – explaining the structure of the building that will house companies working in IT, the creative industries and other modern technologies.

– The basement is intended for coworking, that is, shared workspaces where several companies will operate, with a kitchen, meeting rooms, a fitness area and a childcare area. The ground floor houses the reception and a canteen with a kitchen. The first floor is home to the management and the incubators – fourteen offices with a small kitchen and a meeting room – and this floor also has a large conference hall with 400 seats, one medium-sized hall and two smaller halls that can be combined as needed.

The second floor is particularly interesting because interested companies will be able to move into the premises at the shell-and-core stage and fit them out to their own requirements, with units of around a hundred square metres each, followed by three high-tech offices with 3D printers and scanners. The third and fourth floors also contain office space, but on two levels, which users will fit out themselves, while the fourth floor also has a café and a kitchen – project manager Racetin Muše shows us, noting that the construction works will be followed by the interior fit-out, for which a public procurement procedure has already been carried out.

– The manager of the Technology Park, the Split Development Agency, is preparing a second call for expressions of interest, in which it will invite IT companies from our area and familiarise them with the terms of use of the premises in the Technology Park. As this is a project co-financed by EU funds, prices must be at market rates, while for the shell-and-core premises, which are likely to attract strong interest, the pricing terms will be adjusted so that we make the most of the capacity – she says, adding that Split is among the last cities in Croatia to build a centre of this kind, but it will be the largest, and its facilities, such as the conference halls, will in fact be available to all organisers of professional events, since the city lacks suitable public conference halls.

As we wander through the endless office space in the large building at Dračevac, we are in the hands of the engineers from Strabag, the contractor, whose works – under the constant supervision of European monitors – are proceeding very quickly by our standards.

– What is specific about this construction is, above all, the fact that designer Gabrić preserved around 70 per cent of the old barracks built in the 1980s, and we practically enlarged it by “pulling” a new building over it, with structural reinforcements. In this way we achieved maximum use of the existing building and reduced the amount of construction waste, which will be used in the next phases of construction – explains Veljko Grbeša, project manager and chief site engineer, noting that in addition to the usual construction works, the contractor was also responsible for producing the complete design documentation and obtaining the building permit.

Also with us is Domagoj Ćapin, site engineer, who is in charge of the interesting figures:

– We have 175 workers on site, most of them Turkish – they are exceptionally good builders – and there are local people too, of course. The central building will feature seven kilometres of brise-soleils, three thousand square metres of glass, seven lifts… And countless kilometres of cable. Our engineering team also includes Inela Salkanović, Toma Gotovac, Marijana Vrdoljak, Ivan Bošnjak, Mateo Babić, Mislav Franić, Toni Veber, Bernard Perutina, Ivica Livajić and Ana Vukšić – these people deserve a mention, we are really doing our very best to ensure the works are carried out to the highest standard and on time – says Domagoj.

A young team

Professional supervision is carried out by engineers from Trames, led by FIDIC Engineer Zoran Ivanković, while the project manager under the Building Act is Marijana Zvonar of Extructa. A major role was played by the staff of the City’s Public Procurement Section, headed by Katarina Nataša Dumančić Merćep – without proper procedure in public administration, there is no quality project.

Antonija Eremut Erceg, Head of the City of Split Development Service, has been involved in the Technology Park project from day one, ever since she headed the Development Agency.

– Altogether it took somewhat longer than we expected. True, we will complete the building just as the whistle blows on this financial perspective, but we will manage to use the EU funds available to us for this project, the largest financed through the ITI mechanism of the Split Urban Agglomeration. The team that worked on preparing and implementing the project, together with our external associates, gave it their all. Equally – and perhaps more importantly – we have learned a great deal for future projects. We had no financial corrections on the procurement of works, and reporting is going to plan; for colleagues working on EU funds, nothing more needs to be said – emphasises Eremut Erceg, adding that the project aims to create better conditions in the Split area for further strengthening the IT sector, all so that we can achieve a better balance of economic activity in the city, which ultimately affects education and the quality of life of all citizens.

– The exchange of ideas and cooperation are what add value to any business, and this is fully enabled by the technology park concept that ours will follow. We will also contribute to strengthening conference tourism until better conditions for that activity are created in the city. I see the construction of this building, and all the life that will emerge here, as a boost to the development of this hitherto neglected area. All developed cities work on regenerating exactly these kinds of sites, even though it is by no means an easy task, nor, at first glance, a particularly attractive one. These are processes that take years and decades, so we must give it our all and arm ourselves with patience and strategy – concludes Eremut Erceg.

FIRST USERS BY SUMMER

Goran Batinić, Director of Split Development Agency – RaST:

– We have been working on developing the central building of Split Technology Park for more than five years, so we are now nearing the end of establishing the physical infrastructure and at the start of forming a larger team and defining the way we will manage it. The RaST team is well known to people in Split’s IT sector, and we will soon be expanding so that we can take on the responsibility ahead of us in the best possible way. At the end of September or the beginning of October we will publish a non-binding call for expressions of interest for future users, and by next summer the central building will welcome its first users and host its first events.

TONI TRIVKOVIĆ: MODERN AND PROGRESSIVE

Split Tech City has been working for years to strengthen Split’s IT scene and promote our city as a Mediterranean tech hub. Achieving this takes more than goodwill and a quality programme from initiatives such as ours, just as the concrete walls of modern buildings built for the sake of form, in which nothing happens, are not enough. That is why we hope that the Dračevac Technology Park will combine modern infrastructure with progressive ideas and activities for the benefit of the entire IT sector and the wider community – says Toni Trivković, President of Split Tech City – Startup Association for the Promotion and Development of the IT Sector of Split and the Region.

Source: Slobodna Dalmacija / Jutarnji list (author: Damir Šarac)

At the end of August, a contract was signed with Bonavia d.o.o., which, following a public procurement procedure, was contracted to supply, deliver and install furniture and equipment in the central building of Split Technology Park – Dračevac. The value of the signed contract is EUR 645,468.01 (excluding VAT). The supplier has been handed over the works, and the planned deadline for the delivery and installation of the furniture is 60 days.

The fit-out project covers specific zones within the building: the basement, which will house the future coworking space; the ground-floor entrance area; the management offices, incubator and four multi-purpose halls on the first floor; offices on the second floor; a two-storey showcase office on the third floor; shared social areas and a café bar (excluding the bar counter) with a terrace on the fourth floor; and kitchenettes on all floors of the building.

The interior design, by designer Zdenka Šarolić of Studio Nexar d.o.o., aims to create a business space that will provide the tenants of Split Technology Park with all the comfort and infrastructure expected of this kind of working environment.

The net usable area of the furnished premises will be 5,958.50 m2. The remaining space is shell-and-core and will be fitted out by the future office tenants of the central building of Split Technology Park.

The building is expected to be completed at the end of December this year, when the technical inspection is planned. In parallel with the works, other activities are being carried out so that the central building of Split Technology Park can welcome its users as soon as possible. Among other things, a public procurement procedure is under way for the purchase and installation of multimedia equipment and the equipping of a 3D laboratory, and a call for the lease of office space is being prepared.

As a reminder, the projects Construction and Equipping of the Central Building of Split Technology Park – Dračevac and Development of the Dračevac Zone – Split Technology Park – Dračevac are financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The project holder is the City of Split, and the project runs from December 2020/January 2021 to December 2023. The total value of the project is HRK 164,754,315.70 / €21,866,655.47, of which EU grants amount to HRK 105,074,234.69 / €13,945,747.52.

Today, Mayor Ivica Puljak and his associates toured the site of the future Split Technology Park – Dračevac building, where works on the reconstruction and extension of the central building are proceeding according to schedule.

The tour was led by representatives of the contractor, Strabag d.o.o.: chief site engineer and project manager Veljko Grbeša, and Marin Knežević, contractor’s representative and team leader. Earthworks, reinforced concrete works, masonry, tiling, plasterboard, insulation and installation works, as well as works on the aluminium and glass façade, are currently under way on the site.

The cumulative value of works completed up to and including June amounts to €6,722,742.50 excluding VAT, while the contracted value of the works is €16,602,910.61.

The building is expected to be completed at the end of December this year, when, according to the Works Schedule, the technical inspection is planned.

As a reminder, the projects Construction and Equipping of the Central Building of Split Technology Park – Dračevac and Development of the Dračevac Zone – Split Technology Park – Dračevac are financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The project holder is the City of Split, and the project runs from December 2020/January 2021 to December 2023. The total value of the project is HRK 164,754,315.70 / €21,866,655.47, of which EU grants amount to HRK 105,074,234.69 / €13,945,747.52.

Croatia produces around 6 million tonnes of waste a year, most of which comes from households and the construction sector. The Government of the Republic of Croatia has therefore selected the construction sector as a priority category for applying circular principles in waste management.

This is a model of production and consumption that involves sharing, lending, reusing, repairing, refurbishing and recycling existing products and materials for as long as possible in order to create additional, longer-lasting value from products. Circular waste management mimics natural ecosystems, which are also “circular” – nothing is lost, it merely changes form, and in the end the loop closes – waste becomes a raw material once again. The circular economy is one of the key components of the European Green Deal, which aims to prepare the economy for a green future, strengthen its competitiveness and protect the environment at the same time.

These values have been recognised by the City of Split, and an example of good practice in the circular economy comes from the construction site of the central building of Split Technology Park, a strategic project of the City Administration.

During the demolition of the existing building, the contractor Strabag d.o.o. carefully separated waste such as wooden windows, floor coverings and insulation, as well as construction materials – the reinforced concrete structure, brick masonry walls, screed… The waste was disposed of in accordance with all applicable laws and regulations, while the construction material was stockpiled on site and will soon be put to new use.

“The construction material will be crushed to the appropriate grading and used for the fill and load-bearing layers of the temporary car park and in the building’s foundation zone,” said Strabag d.o.o., which, as a major company in the construction sector, bears responsibility for environmental protection and pursues initiatives and strategies aimed at circular waste management.

The total value of the projects “Construction and Equipping of the Central Building of Split Technology Park” and “Development of the Dračevac Zone – Split Technology Park – Dračevac” is €21,866,655.47 / HRK 164,754,315.70, of which €13,945,747.52 / HRK 105,074,234.69 is co-financed by European Union grants from the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Programme “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014–2020”. The project holder is the City of Split, and the projects run from December 2020/January 2021 to December 2023.

Works on the reconstruction and extension of the central building of the future Split Technology Park are being carried out on the site of the former Dračevac barracks. Works are under way section by section across the expansion joints – earthworks, reinforced concrete works and installation works – alongside the preparation of the detailed design. By the end of January, certain insulation works had been completed, as well as electrical installation works, fire suppression installations, ventilation, heating and cooling installations, and water supply and drainage works.

The cumulative value of all works completed by the end of January 2023 amounts to €3,187,153.03 excluding VAT (HRK 24,013,604.50), and the building is scheduled for completion in December this year.

The removal of the existing building and the construction of the central building of the Technology Park are being carried out by Strabag d.o.o., and the value of the construction of the central building of Split Technology Park – Dračevac is HRK 124,498,144.27 / €16,523,743.35.

As a reminder, the projects Construction and Equipping of the Central Building of Split Technology Park – Dračevac and Development of the Dračevac Zone – Split Technology Park – Dračevac are financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The project holder is the City of Split, and the project runs from December 2020/January 2021 to December 2023.

The total value of the project is HRK 164,754,315.70 / €21,866,655.47, of which EU grants amount to HRK 105,074,234.69 / €13,945,747.52.

*The photo gallery shows the construction site before the demolition of part of the former Dračevac barracks began, as well as the current state of the works.

On Friday, 7 October 2022, a kick-off conference was held at which the project to build and equip Split Technology Park was presented. The first development phase of the Split Technology Park project represents an investment in the central building, co-financed by the European Regional Development Fund through the projects “Construction and Equipping of the Central Building of Split Technology Park – Dračevac” and “Development of the Dračevac Zone – Split Technology Park – Dračevac”, with a total value of HRK 164,754,315.70, of which HRK 105,074,234.69 is co-financed by European Union grants from the European Regional Development Fund under the Operational Programme “Competitiveness and Cohesion 2014–2020”.

Split Mayor Ivica Puljak outlined the chronology of events that led to this important moment, thanking everyone who has been involved from the very beginning in this complex project, one of the most important for the City of Split. “The central building of Split Technology Park is the first part of the project, to be followed by an even more ambitious second part which, I hope, we will deliver in cooperation with private partners. By implementing this project, we want to position Split as a leading centre of high and modern technologies, a centre of regional development, and the most modern city in Croatia and beyond,” said Mayor Puljak.

Marijana Zvonar, representative of Exstructa d.o.o. and project manager, presented the technical details of the future central building of Split Technology Park. Its net floor area of 17,500 m2 will accommodate 5,900 m2 of office space, 460 m2 of co-working space, 697 m2 of incubation offices and 858 m2 of conference space.

Ivan Bota, Director of the Directorate for Regional Development at the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds, emphasised that the central building of Split Technology Park is a very good example of integrated investment and the largest single project being implemented by the City of Split in this financial perspective. “Although a great deal of hard work still lies ahead in implementing the project activities, everyone involved in preparing this project knows best how much effort it takes to lay good foundations and to carry out the entire procedure through which the City of Split secured more than HRK 105 million in EU funds for the Technology Park. We believe that, with continued good cooperation between the national and local levels, all contracted projects will be jointly delivered, both those from the 2014–2020 perspective and projects from the upcoming financial perspective, which, in addition to regenerating brownfield sites, will also boost entrepreneurship and thus improve the quality of life of the people in this area,” stressed the Director of the Directorate for Regional Development at the kick-off conference held in the atrium of the City Administration building.

After the speeches, the conference participants went to the construction site, where they were welcomed by representatives of Strabag, the company carrying out the works worth HRK 124,498,144.27. The works began at the end of August this year and are scheduled for completion by the end of October 2023.

See the presentation of the future Technology Park in the attached document:

With the opening of the so-called ‘construction log’, works on the reconstruction and extension of the central building of the future Split Technology Park officially began today.

With the removal works on the site of the former Dračevac barracks building completed and the building plot registered in the cadastre, all conditions for the start of construction have been met. To mark the occasion, a meeting between representatives of the City, as the investor, and the contractor was held on the construction site today, followed by a site tour.

In addition to Mayor Ivica Puljak, the start of works was attended by members of the City’s project team, Acting Head of the City Development Service and project coordinator Vedrana Franić, project management assistant Andrea Racetin Muše, and Goran Batinić, Director of the Split Development Agency RaST.

As a reminder, the removal of the existing building and the construction of the central building of the Technology Park are being carried out by Strabag d.o.o., and the value of the construction of the central building of Split Technology Park – Dračevac is HRK 124,498,144.27.

The projects Construction and Equipping of the Central Building of Split Technology Park – Dračevac and Development of the Dračevac Zone – Split Technology Park – Dračevac are financed by the European Regional Development Fund. The project holder is the City of Split, and the project runs from December 2020/January 2021 to December 2023. The total value of the project is HRK 164,754,315.70, of which EU grants amount to HRK 105,074,234.69.