MESTNA OBCINA VELENJE

Their core work

Municipality of Velenje is a Slovenian local government that serves as a real-world testing ground for clean energy and sustainability projects across Europe. The city participates in EU-funded demonstrations covering hydrogen transport, building energy renovation, and circular economy for plastics. Their role is to provide urban infrastructure, local policy coordination, and pilot deployment sites where research results are validated in actual municipal operations. Velenje brings the perspective of a mid-sized European city transitioning away from its coal-mining heritage toward decarbonization.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Velenje's H2020 involvement began in 2017 with circular economy (PlastiCircle) and progressively shifted toward clean energy — first hydrogen buses (JIVE 2, 2018) then building renovation data tools (EERAdata, 2019). The early projects had no strong keyword identity, while the later ones explicitly target zero-emission transport and energy efficiency. This suggests the municipality moved from general sustainability participation toward a more defined role in urban decarbonization.

Velenje is positioning itself as a post-coal city focused on hydrogen mobility and energy-efficient buildings — a relevant partner for urban decarbonization demonstrations.

How they like to work

Velenje participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator, which is typical for municipalities in EU projects — they contribute infrastructure and local governance rather than research leadership. With 65 unique partners across just 3 projects, they join large consortia (averaging 20+ partners), suggesting comfort operating in complex multi-country collaborations. Their value lies in providing a real municipal deployment context rather than technical research capacity.

Despite only 3 projects, Velenje has built connections with 65 partners across 18 countries, reflecting the large-consortium nature of Innovation Actions and demonstration projects. Their network spans broadly across Western and Central Europe with no single dominant geographic cluster.

What sets them apart

Velenje is a former coal-mining town in Slovenia actively transitioning to clean energy — a story that resonates strongly with EU Just Transition priorities. As a municipality rather than a research lab, they offer something most consortium partners cannot: a real city with real citizens, infrastructure, and local policies to test solutions against. For projects needing a Central European pilot site with political commitment to decarbonization, Velenje is a credible and experienced partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• JIVE 2
  Large-scale European hydrogen bus deployment initiative running until 2025, directly tied to zero-emission urban transport — Velenje's most strategically significant project.
• PlastiCircle
  Their largest funded project (EUR 103,781), addressing plastic packaging waste through circular economy approaches across the full value chain.
• EERAdata
  Focused on data-driven tools for building renovation decisions — bridges energy efficiency with smart city data infrastructure.