WHO WE ARE
Regional development agency Gorenjska, BSC, Business support centre, l.t.d., Kranj, founded in 1995, is regional support institution for entrepreneurial and socio-economic development of the Gorenjska region, which is spread out in north-west Slovenia. Its mission is to carry out, together with local, regional, national and international partners, development activities that take into account the needs of the region and the opportunities it offers, thus contributing towards the creation of favourable development conditions in Gorenjska and the establishment of a regional environment favourable to economic growth. Together with partners shapes the region’s development strategy and implements programmes and integral projects that strengthen the economy by linking the needs of companies and local communities with national and European development policies. It is also the key player in the establishment of cross-border cooperation with regions abroad.

Key services of Regional development agency  Gorenjska – BSC Kranj: preparation, implementation  and management of regional and local development programmes, development, preparation, implementation and project management of local, regional, national, EU funded and international funded development projects from all fields of development (technology and SME development, innovations, rural development, urban development, tourism, human resource development, renewable energy sources and energy efficiency systems, ICT development, technology parks, technology centres, Business incubators, environmental topics, e-learning, employment projects, etc.) It is especially strong in project partnership building, with the wide experience from EU funded projects (more than 100, different programmes: Interreg, Phare, Leonardo da Vinci, 5^th FP, 6^th FP, 7^th FP, AAL, Erasmus, Equal, etc). It is also institution which has developed and now manage a significant number of support institutions or schemes  within the region, like: Business Incubator, Guaranty Scheme, Microcredit Scheme, Labour Fund, Rural Development Centre, One-Stop-Shop, Scholarship Grant Scheme, LEADER Scheme, Voucher Consulting Scheme. It is dealing investment promotion, business consultancy and promotion of links between small and medium-sized enterprises, institutions and cross-border and international cooperation.

WHAT WE DO IN THE PROJECT
Regional Development Agency - Business support centre Kranj (RDA-BSC) closely works together with project partner, which is distribution company for electricity in the Gorenjska region  - Elektro Gorenjska (ELGO). It closely works also with Smart Meters production company Iskraemeco, and other companies from Energy and ICT sector. RDA-BSC made regional partnership for implementation of project activities, together with project and international partners. These regional partners will act as a national project group whenever appropriate.

RDA-BSC also together with other regional development institutions developed and manage regional stakeholder and advisory committees and organize study trips to Allgäu or other partner’s regions-depends of the needs of the project. RDA-BSC, together with ELGO organized Summer School about VPS systems in March 2009. It is involved in regional and national surveys and analysis, and support ELGO and Iskraemeco by design, development and implementation of VPS Pilot project within the region, by development of Smart Meters of 2^nd generations, anticipating  interoperability and other new ICT standards. RDA-BSC is supporting ELGO in development a VPS master plan for the Gorenjska region in WP4 (Analysis and Modelling). In WP5 (Design and Development) is supporting ELGO by adaptation and exchange hardware and software for data logging, energy data management, forecasting and VPS control and also motivate technology providers, eco-SMEs and R&D companies to provide their elements for the VPS. It is involved in preparation (with ELGO) a large-scaled load management for small consumers by covering a region with new type of smart meters. It is involved also in development of guidelines for national and regional political decision makers on how to foster renewable energies by promoting VPS model. Also contributes by preparation of  other guidelines, reports and gives input to the web system. It has significant role by promotion and dissemination of project activities and results.

Regional Development Agency of Gorenjska
BSC, Business Support Centre, Kranj
Cesta Staneta Zagarja 37
4000 Kranj, Slovenija
Tel. +386 (0) 42817230
Fax +386 (0) 42817249
E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: www.bsc-kranj.si