With the kick-off meeting of the MODEL2 project partners and representatives of the contracting authority – the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia (Si MoD) and the Slovenian Armed Forces – held at TECES Ljubljana, the MODEL2 project was officially launched.

The project, focused on the development of an energy self-sufficient, resilient and multifunctional modular building for dual use, is coordinated by TECES, with REM acting as the technological integrator. The solution is designed to ensure energy self-sufficiency, a high level of living comfort, and interoperability with other smart, deployable camps for dual use.

The event significantly contributed to effective partner collaboration, alignment with the contracting authority’s requirements, and the establishment of solid foundations for a coordinated and successful start of project implementation.

18 final products, 4 laboratory prototypes and a technological demonstrator as the key outcomes of the MODEL2 project

The MODEL2 project addresses key challenges related to ensuring comprehensive energy supply for working and living units, as well as their connectivity and interoperability with other smart camp systems. Within the project, 18 final products will be developed and integrated into a comprehensive technological demonstrator. In addition, 4 laboratory prototypes will be established to support the development and validation of advanced future technologies, alongside a system for testing the connectivity and interoperability of modular buildings.

At the kick-off meeting, the integrated MODEL2 solution – the technological demonstrator – was presented, together with individual technological solutions developed by the project partners: REM d.o.o., Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute, University of Ljubljana – Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, SMARTIS d.o.o., ALPLES d.d., KRONOTERM d.o.o., DANFOSS Trata d.o.o. and DOMEL d.o.o.

From development to market: focus on industrialisation and competitive dual-use solutions

At the opening, the participants were addressed by mag. Matej Gajzer, Director of TECES, in his role as project coordinator, emphasised the importance of translating Slovenian knowledge into concrete solutions: “In the field of energy solutions, Slovenia has repeatedly demonstrated that it ranks among the leading countries in terms of efficiency, flexibility and innovation. The MODEL2 project builds on the results of the MODEL+ project, where we established key foundations for the development of modular energy solutions. The continuation of development projects brings significantly higher expectations, as industry is required, with the support of the research environment, to bring developed solutions to the market – through militarisation, certification, validation and industrialisation. It is now crucial that we translate this knowledge into concrete products,” emphasised Mr Gajzer.

The broad application potential of the project’s solutions was also highlighted by Colonel Robert Šipec, Head of the Energy Efficiency and Green Transition Division at the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia: “Energy-efficient and modular solutions such as those we are developing are needed worldwide and can address a wide range of users both domestically and internationally. Our goal is to bring these solutions to the market as soon as possible and ultimately lead them to successful industrialisation and production,” stressed Colonel Šipec.

Strategic role of the MODEL2 project in the national and European context

The MODEL2 project plays an important strategic role within the National Strategic Programme PamPIK (Smart Energy Resilient Camp), implemented under the Slovenian Partnership for Energy and Environment in Defence (SiEnE). The objective of PamPIK is to establish a smart, energy-resilient camp that can directly integrate solutions developed within the MODEL2 project. In this way, MODEL2 represents one of the key building blocks of the future camp, contributing through its modular, energy self-sufficient solutions to the overall system's functionality and to strengthening Slovenia’s defence capabilities.

By advancing technologies and knowledge, the project is also meaningfully linked to ongoing national and international RDI projects, creating opportunities for further development and future integration into broader initiatives.