The Torpedo Production Park is new business infrastructure in the city of Rijeka, realised following a successful application for EU funding of the project titled the Reconstruction and Transformation of “Facilities 14” into the “Torpedo Production Park”, a technological and educational incubator for entrepreneurs. A grant in the amount of HRK 19,293,474.63 has been approved in favour of the City of Rijeka under the European Regional Development Fund.
The total project value amounts to HRK 22,691,480.39 and Porin, city development agency is a project partner.
The mayor of Rijeka, Vojko Obersnel, expressed his conviction that the inauguration of the incubator would contribute significantly to further entrepreneurial development and the competitiveness of entrepreneurs in Rijeka. The mayor reminded the attendees that the City of Rijeka had been implementing the business incubator programme since 1996, among the first in Croatia, a couple of years before a start up incubator had been inaugurated and a grant agreement had been signed recently in order to put in place Energana (power plant) – Incubator for creative technologies and the IT industry. “A significant part of this entrepreneurial infrastructure is funded by EU funds, approved owing to projects prepared in a quality manner. Over the last two years, for projects intended for entrepreneurs, the amount of almost HRK 152 million has been provided and the total value of the projects amounts to about HRK 221 million,“ said mayor Obersnel.
Within the EU project “Torpedo Production Park” the premises of the former Torpedo factory were used, of an area of 1,557.34 square meters which were converted and refurbished in 16 business offices, co-working premises on the ground floor of the building for entrepreneurial activities, the use of services provided by the Technological Laboratory equipped with specialised industrial equipment for 3D scanning and 3D printing and meeting and conference rooms. Entrepreneurs have an attractive and quality workspace at their disposal, but the project’s greatest value is the modern specialised equipment for additive manufacturing in metal, sand and polymer and optical measuring equipment, with accompanying software.
The Torpedo Production Park is among the first in the region, offering technology to produce prototypes, semi-finished products and products of various industries. In the technological laboratory, any model can be scanned with a 3D scanner and then produced with 3D printing or modelled in plastic, metal or sand. Next year educational programmes will be implemented, where entrepreneurs will have a possibility to become better acquainted with the functioning of each machine and keep up with the latest technologies.
Entrepreneurs can become incubator users following a competition. Thus, nine entrepreneurs joined the Torpedo production park after the first competition for premises, in a few weeks, a new public invitation will be published for additional seven business premises. Regarding the services provided by the Technological Laboratory, all interested entrepreneurs and craftsmen can contact Porin, Rijeka Development Agency every day, the prices are more favourable than market prices and find the best way how to produce what they have imagined with engineers who work there.
With this project, Porin, Rijeka Development Agency responds in an optimum manner to business requests of entrepreneurs from various business segments and offers support in the development of new / improved products, in the optimisation of production processes and enhanced competitive ability.
For the functioning of the Torpedo Production Park, programme and staff preconditions have been put in place.
The educational programme included training for CNC machine operators, training for AutoCAD operators, training in CNC programming, a basic course in 3D design, modelling, printing and an advanced course – 3D scanning process, work with 3D polygon models, reverse engineering and 3D printing.
Two engineers are employed who are competent to offer the necessary services.
Project monitoring and implementation were enabled by the Central Finance and Contracting Agency, the Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development and the Ministry of Regional Development and EU Funds.