Slovenia
Aleksander Saša Arsenovič
110,513 (2018)
Save costs and improve efficiency within the public sector
Improve service delivery
Anticipate and manage future challenges
Dedicated funding
Dedicated innovation team
Human resource support
Leadership from Mayor
As part of an EU-funded project, Urban Soil 4 Food aims to turn waste into safe and certified soil that could be used to increase food self-sufficiency and reduce negative environmental impacts in Maribor. The project is built around four aspects: material circle (soil production from waste), food circle, open innovation circle, and knowledge circle. The open innovation circle seeks to set up an agri-living lab for testing and piloting innovative concepts such as micro urban gardening and urban soil rehabilitation, as well as helping start-ups with a focus on circular economy.
Along with 50% of cities surveyed, Maribor does not have an explicit innovation strategy. Similar to 24% of cities surveyed, Maribor approaches innovation capacity in specific policy areas/domains.
Maribor is conducting various EU founded project on Innovation such as the UIA Urban soil 4 food, H2020 Ciderela, Interreg Winpol and CWC. The city has developed Wa web site for citizens called "izboljšajmo Maribor" (Let's improve Maribor). The public water company has water invoices also in Brile writing for blind citizens, public buses are equipped with devices for wheelchairs, etc.
Maribor does not have a formal department dedicated to innovation. However, innovation works are sprinkled throughout the municipality with staff members from different departments working on innovation in various areas such as health, mobility, circular economy.
Taking risks or testing new ideas
Data-driven analytics/public data management
Engaging residents in new ways
Developing new solutions based on digital technologies
Organizational change within the municipality
Human-centered design
Rethinking your city’s approach to financing partnerships
Like 81% of cities surveyed, Maribor has dedicated funding to support innovation capacity.
Similar to 61% of participating cities in the 2020 survey, Maribor's funding for innovation capacity is also directed towards training staff and building capacity*.
*"Training staff and building capacity" is not an option in the 2018 survey, while "Launching or sustaining a project" is not an option in the 2020 survey.
Maribor has developed partnerships to promote innovation capacity with other public agencies, private firms, not-for-profit organizations, and city residents/resident associations.
To improve data use, the city has also developed data partnerships with academia and think tanks to collect and analyze data, as well as with other cities.