Brussels, September 29-30, 2025

We are proud that Mateja Softić, a Founder and Co-Creator at Zavod Iskriva, together with the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem, is currently part of a delegation invited by the European Commission to present the renovation project of the Stara Železarna museum complex at the New European Bauhaus (NEB) in Regions and Cities event in Brussels, designed in accordance with NEB principles.

Janja Širnik, a representative of the mayor’s office of the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem, presented a unique example of a community development space at the Testimonies and Reflections from the Field panel. This space preserves the invaluable traces of over four centuries of steelmaking tradition, featuring an original production hall with preserved authentic machinery. It is also a hub that connects more than 40 stakeholders and will officially open its doors on October 7, 2025. The presentation, delivered to 500 international participants, highlighted how the project embodies sustainability, innovation, and community engagement, delivering tangible benefits for people and the environment. The Old Ironworks was also included as a best practice in the European Commission’s NEB handbook, where it was showcased as the only Slovenian project alongside 19 others from across Europe.

The event, held as part of NextGenerationEU, continued with workshops, panels, and the presentation of NEB awards in the European Parliament, fostering dialogue on sustainable urban development across Europe.

About the delegation:

The Iskriva Institute was part of a diverse delegation organized by the Center for Creativity (CzK) and MAO, which, under the auspices of the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, serves as the national NEB contact point. The delegation was invited by the European Commission to the NEB stakeholders’ meeting in Brussels. It included representatives from the City Municipality of Celje with Mayor Matija Kovač, the Municipality of Ravne na Koroškem, the Zasavje Regional Development Agency, the Savinjska Regional Development Agency, the Ministry of Cohesion and Regional Development (MKRR), the Ministry of Environment, Spatial Planning and Energy (MOPE), the Iskriva Institute, the Slovenian Regional Development Fund, the Center for Development, Demonstration, and Training for Carbon-Free Technologies, the Preplet – Zasavje Learning Hub project, as well as CzK and MAO. The Slovenian delegation brought together stakeholders in an intersectoral and interregional development community, transcending institutional and geographical divisions while pursuing a shared vision of Slovenia’s regenerative development based on NEB principles.