Connecting science and tourism

Opatija is a town surrounded by many scientific facilities, which provides an excellent basis for the organisation of specialist conferences and symposiums. The University of Rijeka, the central institution for education and research in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, is the area’s main research centre, and has implemented the Research Infrastructure for Campus-based Laboratories at the University of Rijeka project since 2015.

The project, whose goal is to improve the research infrastructure of centres and laboratories located within the campus, is the result of the University’s endeavours to actively participate in the community, all the while facilitating research that will involve the economic sector and its current surroundings at the local, national and international levels. Three university research centres have been developed as part of the project (the Centre for High Throughput Technology, the Centre for Micro and Nano Sciences and Technologies, and the Centre for Advanced Computing and Modelling), as well as several Faculty of Civil Engineering laboratories (the Hydraulic Laboratory, Geotechnical Laboratory, Laboratory for Transportation Engineering, Laboratory for Materials, and Construction Laboratory).

The state-of-the-art equipment installed in the research centres has resulted in the achievement of excellence in development, innovation and research at the national level. The practical research conducted here connects science with industry, which in the future should influence the development of the economy in general. Besides the University as a whole, the Faculty of Medicine in Rijeka is also significant when it comes to tourism. Through its educational programmes, it is a partner in the implementation of professional and scientific projects, particularly with regard to the development of health tourism.

We should also mention Thalassotherapia Opatija as one of the most respected health tourism institutions not only in Kvarner but in the wider area. This institution was established in 1958 and has been the Reference Centre for Health Tourism and Medically Programmed Holidays since 1998. The professional activities of the Reference Centre are carried out in accordance with modern standards in diagnostic and therapeutic procedures and are constantly intertwined with scientific research and educational activities.

When all these aspects are taken into account, Opatija is a destination with an exceptional background when it comes to connecting science and tourism.