Ljubljana, 4 May 2021 – Government Office for Development and European Cohesion Policy has approved EU funding for the project Centre for Innovative Technologies (ApiLab) - House of the Carniolan Bee. The nearly 3.5 million project that will be implemented by Municipality Ivančna Gorica under the Agreement on the development of the Osrednjeslovenska region will be supported by the EU, with the contribution from the European Regional Development Fund standing at almost EUR 2 million.
As part of the project, municipal authorities plan to renovate the old primary school in Višnja Gora and turn it into a modern centre for innovative technologies that will serve as a place where historic and cultural heritage of the Carniolan honey bee (Apis mellifera carnica) meet and interact with high-tech innovative solutions.
Centre for Innovative Technologies ApiLab will support building of competences of small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) in the local community, region and across the country. The centre will provide access to modern technology-enabled solutions in various phases of product lifecycle, i.e. inception, design, development, promotion and marketing and will be a place where business owners seeking solutions meet institutions offering solutions. A dedicated digital lab boasting advanced 3D technology and equipment will be available to SMEs that otherwise cannot access or have difficulties accessing such technology. Additionally, a modern, fully equipped on-site conference room hosting different types of events, i.e. training and education sessions, presentations or meetings will be set up. The Centre for Innovative Technologies will address the emerging fields of digital transformation, circular economy and creativity in connection with green technologies. The mission of the Centre for Innovative Technologies ApiLab will be to encourage SMEs to embrace innovation and innovative approaches by using modern technologies.
House of the Carniolan Bee will be a place offering interactive experience to its visitors as they will get to learn about the bees and their importance to nature and human life. Virtual family Rotschitz will guide the visitors through the life and work of the Carniolan honey bee and through its habitat, acquainting them with the positive effects of various bee products. A coffee shop and a honey shop located on the ground floor will invite guests to taste various honey-based products and drinks, along with a store offering dozens of honey and other bee products as well as beekeeping products. In addition, an educational beehive will be set up next to the main building in a park full of honey plants and a sculpture dedicated to the Carniolan honey bee that was put up to mark the First World Bee Day. The House of the Carniolan Bee will also host various workshops and education activities aiming to raise awareness of the importance of bees. The mission of the House will be to preserve the history and cultural heritage of the Carniolan honey bee, promote the importance of bees to our life and find ways to preserve the traditional knowledge and skills of beekeeping while supporting the development of new beekeeping knowledge, practices and technologies, including the development of new innovative products, services and business initiatives and ideas.
In order to make multi-day training courses and workshops, including the Beekeeping Academy, participant-friendly, innovative honeycomb-shaped structures used by visitors for overnight stays will be placed on top of the building. The innovative honeycomb-like design will boast glass roof allowing the guest to soak in remarkable 360-degree views, giving them a feeling of living in an actual beehive.
The official opening of the House of the Carniolan Bee is scheduled for September 2021.