On November 8-9, representatives from the Czech Regional Development Agency of the Moravian-Silesian Region (MSID) and the city of Karvina visited several cities in the Silesian Voivodeship. They were accompanied by a representative of the EU's Just Transition Platform.
The visit aimed to learn about Polish best practices and establish contacts for implementing "POHO 2030" - a masterplan for transforming post-mining areas in Karvina, Orlova, and Havířov. Dr. Marcin Baron from the Department of Strategic and Regional Studies, chosen as an expert for the Just Transition Platform, prepared the meeting's program and content. Baron currently leads the Polish part of the BOLSTER project at the University of Economics in Katowice. He also participates in other just transition projects and was a member of the "Just Transition" expert group at the Polish Ministry of Climate and Environment.
Each visit stop corresponded to the investment intentions of the "POHO 2030" concept, such as utilizing industrial heritage, comprehensive revitalization of mining cities, creating investment land offers, and supporting small and medium-sized enterprises. Visits were hosted by local authorities and municipal department heads responsible for development strategies, along with managers of key projects. The visits also provided a backdrop for sharing research findings from the BOLSTER project.
In Jastrzębie-Zdrój, the team visited the newly opened "Carbonarium" and discussed plans for the "Łaźnia Moszczenica" Heritage and Dialogue Institute, as well as investment area plans in the city.
In neighboring Żory, guests toured the Katowice Special Economic Zone and its business accelerator "KSSENON," and learned about the city's plan to create an educational and research center on the grounds of the decommissioned "Żory" mine and to revitalize the Gwarków Estate.
Representatives from Ruda Śląska presented a masterplan for redeveloping the "Pokój" mine area, linked to the "Trakt Rudzki" pedestrian-bicycle path project, and discussed a project to make the "Pokój" great blast furnace available for tourists and business.
In Dąbrowa Górnicza, guests learned about plans to continue revitalizing the "Factory Full of Life" area and saw sustainable urban mobility solutions, including the modernization of the railway station and expansion of bicycle paths, providing residents of the Katowice metropolitan area access to recreational zones around the Pogoria reservoirs, former sand extraction sites for mining.
The visit to Gliwice showcased the city as a case study of successful economic transition, including the development of the "New Gliwice" areas and the expansion concept of "Technopark Gliwice." The latter project, like those planned in Dąbrowa Górnicza, Ruda Śląska, Żory, and Jastrzębie-Zdrój, are expected to be funded by the Just Transition Fund.
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