Strategic planning
Istrian Development Agency has been carrying out strategic planning activities for many years as the basis of sustainable socio-economic development of the Istrian County and as a lever for faster growth and development. The key results of this activity includes consulting in the preparation of umbrella strategic documents and the preparation and implementation of projects of strategic interest for the County of Istria.
IDA coordinated the preparation of the first Regional Operational Program of the County of Istria for the period from 2006 to 2010 and the preparation of county development strategies until 2020, and also prepared the Strategy for the Development of the Urban Area of Pula until 2020, which was the basis for the withdrawal of decentralized EU funds through the ITU mechanism for the urban area of Pula (integrated territorial investments).
The long-term vision sees the County of Istria as an autonomous, modern, open and economically competitive region with recognizable cultural and natural heritage, high quality of life within the framework of balanced and sustainable development, and the most developed EU regions as a relevant parameter for comparison.
In order to achieve the above, the focus is on:
- Investing in the economy with an emphasis on digitization, innovation and application of new technologies;
- Investment in human resources in accordance with the trends and needs of the labor market (emphasis on STEM education, medical studies, specialized education in the field of tourism and hospitality (competency centers, development of new skills), modernization of vocational education; popularization of science and innovation among younger generations; targeted management of migration for the purpose of employment, attraction of the targeted labor force;
- Strengthening of infrastructure, environmental protection and sustainable management of space and resources; efficient administration and management of regional development (financial and administrative decentralization and preservation of regional specificities), security and stability;
- Development, preservation and promotion of the Istrian identity - a link to the valorization and protection of cultural heritage, ecological food production, related certification and protection of origin and branding of the county through the quality mark (IQ - Istrian Quality), where the emphasis is on quality and the creation of a 'bioregion' and smart management and quality of life.
