Institute for Development of Local Potentials is a private non-profit organisation working in the field of balanced and sustainable regional development, from local to international level. It operates as a thinkand-do-tank, developing and implementing projects, developed following the principles of sustainability.

Iskriva focuses on projects in the field of energy efficiency and efficient use of cultural and natural resources, sustainable tourism, environmental economics and spatial planning and green finance.

Iskriva is the Associated with document Ref. Ares(2023)4014434 - 09/06/2023 LIFE-RECET (101120588) – Annex 1 Part B – Page 53 member of Tourism 4.0, Global Water Partnership and EIC Water networks.

Iskriva key competence are summed in three pillars:

1. Business development and sustainable economy: main reference form this field represents the Amazon of Europe project where together with UNESCO, WWF, EURONATUR Iskriva was at the forefront of establishment of the world first 5 Country Biosphere Reserve Mura-Drava-Danube (declared at global level in 2021). Iskriva focus was especially on the challenge of demonstrating viable green and sustainable business opportunities, to which Iskriva already contributed Europe longest bookable cycling route (https://aoebiketrail.com). With it further development, this cycling route is intended to be a demonstration of what sustainable economy can be in the case of cycling tourism,

2. Energy projects: Iskriva is a consultant to Borzen, national power market operator for the purpose of establishment of Competence center to support energy transition efforts of Borzen (www.borzen.si). Complementary to this, Iskriva has developed three consecutive (approved and implemented) projects for EU Transnational cooperation Mediterranean programme building the COMPOSE Tool, (https://reselplantoolbox.eu/) together with Technical University of Crete and partnership of over 10 partners. The tool is intended to support local communities develop RES and EE projects as drivers of local development, supporting both energy transition and sustainable business development.

3. Sustainable management of natural resources: where Iskriva has been partner for economics and stakeholder participation in two major EU Horizon projects: a) Minatura2020, which supported EU Commission with country specifics on development of MDoPI = Mineral Deposits of Public Importance. Iskriva oversaw and planned the organisation of national workshop for stakeholders in 11 EU countries, b) NAIAD, which elaborated implementation guidelines and tools, supported with economical models for introduction of NBS = Nature Based Solutions as major policy response to increasing water relater risks and disaster risk management in general.

In all three pillars Iskriva principle of work is based on stakeholder participatory methods to work in different roles: as moderator, facilitators or mediators and has reference in development or co-development of several guidelines, methodologies and training materials from fields of: RES and EE project development, sustainable management of mineral resources, sustainable management of river corridors.

Additionally, Iskriva is currently leading preparation of two Operational programmes for Slovenian crossborder cooperation: Slovenia – Croatia and Slovenia – Hungary, where energy transition and transitioning to circular economy is one of key pillars of the programme.