Ivan Celjak, County Prefect of Sisak-Moslavina County, visited Novska with his associates in mid-March, where he toured the branch schools in Kozarice and Nova Subocka, both of which have recently undergone energy renovation works.
He also visited the construction site of the Gaming Industry Center in Novska, followed by a working meeting held at the premises of the City of Novska. In addition to County Prefect Ivan Celjak, the meeting was attended by Deputy County Prefect Mihael Jurić, Member of Parliament Marin Piletić, Mayor of Novska Marija Kušmiš, Head of the Administrative Department for Social Activities, Legal Affairs and Public Procurement of the City of Novska Sonja Marohnić-Horvat, and Head of the Administrative Department for Utilities, Spatial Planning and Environmental Protection of the City of Novska Mišo Tušek. Also attending were Head of the Sisak-Moslavina County Administrative Department for County Prefect Affairs Sanja Mioković, Head of the Administrative Department for Economy, Investments, Development Projects and EU Funds Darjan Vlahov, Head of the Administrative Department for Budget, Finance and Public Procurement Marijana Klobučar-Bobetko, Head of the Administrative Department for Assembly Affairs, Legal and General Affairs Branka Šimanović, Head of the Administrative Department for Education, Culture, Sports, Youth and Civil Society Robertina Štajdohar, Head of the Administrative Department for Health Care, Social Welfare and Croatian Veterans Marija Valešić, and Director of the Public Institution Regional Coordinator of Sisak-Moslavina County Andreja Šeperac.
He also expressed satisfaction with the pace of work at the construction site of the Gaming Industry Center. As a reminder, the first phase of construction is currently underway, with a value of €38,657,181.00, and it includes the construction of a faculty building, a student dormitory, an energy plant, roads, as well as sports facilities: a swimming pool, a sports hall, and outdoor sports fields. The second phase of the project, worth €37,738,646.07, foresees the construction of an accelerator with 220 work units and a VR studio, as well as an incubator with 108 work units and a large video game testing hall with a seating capacity of 2,500. Construction is currently ongoing on the fourth floor of the student dormitory and the faculty building. The shell structure of the swimming pool has been completed, as well as the main structural framework of the sports hall.
“I continue to invest in new technologies and modern industries, and we are basing the development of Sisak-Moslavina County on that foundation. We have connected the entire education system – from STEM activities in kindergartens, through schools – at the Novska Secondary School we have the ‘Video Game Development Technician’ programme, as well as at the Technical School in Sisak, along with the ‘Robotics Technician’ programme, all the way to the gaming campus in Novska and the business incubator. We want to enable young people to acquire specific skills and, after completing secondary and higher education, to work in our county. Alongside investments from cities, the county and the Government, we also expect major private investments in the area of SMŽ. We are gradually closing the chapter related to post-earthquake reconstruction, and we will now focus on the economic development of the entire county based on new industries,” said Ivan Celjak.
“The Gaming Industry Center is already influencing the development of Novska and its surroundings, as well as the entire Sisak-Moslavina County and Croatia as a whole. This is an innovative project, attractive to young people, and a strong foundation for the future development of the region and the gaming industry at both the national and global levels. I believe that with projects like this we can talk about keeping young people here and attracting them to our county and city, and that this should serve as an incentive for others to think in a similar way about development projects and move forward. I thank the County Prefect and the Government of the Republic of Croatia for their support for such projects, for the development of the local community, and for investments in spaces that represent a future for children and young people, which shows we are moving in the right direction,” emphasized Mayor of Novska Marija Kušmiš. Upon completion of the project, the Gaming Industry Center will be the most modern facility of its kind in Europe, enabling higher education, practical work and skills acquisition, access to equipment and training, mentorship, and project development. In this way, Sisak-Moslavina County will become a key destination for the gaming industry in Croatia and the region. The project is led by the Public Institution Regional Coordinator of Sisak-Moslavina County, in partnership with Sisak-Moslavina County, the development agency SIMORA, and the City of Novska.
