Research and development of innovative products, services and business models for sustainable tourism
Project description
Project code: NPOO.C1.6.R1-I2.01-V3.0014
Implementation period: 01.07.2023. – 30.06.2025.
Financing program: National Recovery and Resilience Plan 2021-2026 (NRRP)
Financing sub-program: Strengthening sustainability and encouraging the green and digital transition of entrepreneurs in the sector
tourism – GROUP 3
Total project amount: EUR 3,107,516.20
Project coordinator: Noa Group Ltd.
Partners: University of Zagreb: Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing
Head of the research team at the FSB: Assoc. Ph.D. Marko Švaco
Innovation and significance
The purpose of the project is to research and develop several innovative products, services and business models within different areas in the tourism value chain ecosystems that contribute to the green and digital transition and solving key challenges in the tourism sector. The project leader is the company NOA GRUPA doo, which, together with partners the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing (FER), the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture (FSB) and the companies ROBOTEH doo, Shift House doo and DCBike Thor doo, will develop a series of products, services and business models that are planned to be commercialized after the project implementation, which include: i) a digital service for physical protection and civil security, ii) a software solution for automating the design, production and assembly of ecological smart mobile homes, iii) a system for monitoring and managing ecological smart mobile homes and iv) a business model for electric mobility in tourist destinations.
The expected duration of the project is two years, which are divided into 18 months of industrial research and 6 months of experimental development. NOA Group, FER, Roboteh and Shift House will develop software solutions for design, display of designs through virtual and augmented reality, and green automated production of ecological smart mobile homes from natural materials. NOA Group and FSB will develop a security system for use in tourist complexes consisting of a mobile research robot platform (MIRP) for providing assistance and managing security situations, a software system for centralized management of digital
physical protection and civil security services and a real-time notification system.
NOA GROUP, FER, DCBike and Shift House will develop a remote control system for smart homes, sensor and control unit fusion technology, and a system for optimized use and storage of electricity. NOA Group, FER and DCBike will develop a system for checking availability and booking electric vehicles, a system for
monitoring the condition of batteries in electric bicycles, a system for tracking the position of electric bicycles, a system for managing electric energy chargers and integration into smart boxes for managing the energy of smart mobile homes, which all together form a system for managing electric micromobility in tourist locations.
The areas of research, development and innovation that are the subject of this project are circular tourism, measuring and reducing the ecological footprint, digital technologies and services, construction, mobility and transport, and physical protection, social economy and civil security. The specific challenges that the research and development activities contribute to as part of the project, as key challenges for Croatian tourism, are sustainable mobility, circularity
tourist services, the impact of tourism on the environment and nature, the interrelationship between tourism and climate change, adaptation to rapid changes in tourism, inadequate structure and quality of accommodation capacities.
The project will thus contribute to strengthening the resilience of tourism companies by encouraging research and development, addressing specific challenges of reducing the footprint of tourism activities and key challenges of Croatian tourism,
strengthening the multiplier effects of tourism on the overall economy by connecting stakeholders in the tourism value chain, strengthening sustainable tourism and the green and digital transition of tourism, developing sustainable tourism, and strengthening social sustainability by increasing employment in local communities.
Part of the project focuses on developing a search and rescue system for a campsite using an unmanned aerial vehicle (drone). The GPS locator in the safety bracelet allows the drone to be guided to the desired location. The Gazebo simulator allows us to test all functionalities in a virtual environment before testing with a real drone.
Team members
Assoc. Prof. Marko Švaco
Associate Professor, Head of CRTA
Filip Šuligoj, PhD
Assistant professor
Branimir Ćaran
Teaching assistant and PhD student
Danijela Mavrić Čeliković, PhD
Project administrator
The project was co-financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund
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