The Faculty of Engineering, University of Rijeka organized the final meeting of the project “Renewable Energy Harvesting in Croatian Islands (CRECI)” funded by the call “Strengthening bilateral cooperation with Norway in the Green Transition” from the Financial Mechanisms of the Kingdom of Norway (EEA grants). The final meetings were held on May 6, 2024. in the city of Cres in the Moise Palace and on May 7, 2024. in the city of Krk in the city hall. Norwegian partners from the NORCE institute, Ph.D. Rune Schlanbusch and Ph.D. Surya Teja Kandukuri, were also present at the meetings.
Within the project, under the leadership of Prof. Ph.D. Zoran Čarija from the Faculty of Engineering, ways of harvesting renewable energy sources on Croatian islands were investigated, identification of associated challenges and the exchange of experiences with Norwegian partners. Special emphasis was placed on protected areas on the Croatian coast, as well as the importance of tourism in this context. At the gathering, presentations were made by representatives of the Faculty of Engineering, Ph.D. Ivana Lučin, Marta Alvir, and Stella Dumenčić and representative of the NORCE Institute Ph.D. Teja Surya Kandukuri. Among other things, the results of a survey conducted with local residents and tourists regarding their attitude towards renewable energy sources were presented.
At the final meeting on the island of Cres, the opening speech was given by the mayor Marin Gregorović, who presented the perspectives and projects of the island of Cres in the field of renewable energy sources. Representatives of the Island Development Agency (OTRA), Cres Lošinj Water Supply and Drainage (VIOCL), and the City of Cres took part in the meeting, among others. The Final Meeting on Krk was attended by representatives of the Energy Cooperative of the Island Krk, Eko Kvarner, and Ponikva EKO with other interested stakeholders who presented the experiences of the island Krk. These final gatherings enabled a dialogue between scientific institutions and representatives of local communities, associations, organizations, and companies operating in the field of renewable energy sources, as well as connecting them with Norwegian partners to define future opportunities for cooperation and bringing scientific institutions closer to the community needs.