Regional economic development agency for Sumadija and Pomoravlje

REDASP is a regional development agency coordinating sustainable territorial development processes in Central Serbia through long-term cooperation between municipalities, public institutions, universities, businesses and civil society organisations. The agency operates across the Šumadija and Pomoravlje region, covering 11 municipalities and the cities of Kragujevac and Jagodina, with a population of more than 500,000 inhabitants. The region represents historical center of Serbian industrial development and today hosts Stellantis' Balkan automotive hub, the University of Kragujevac with 12 faculties, the National Data Centre, MIND Park – one of Southeast Europe’s leading industrial and innovation hubs – and approximately 20,000 active businesses. Over 24 years of operation, REDASP has supported over 25,000 clients, contributed to the creation of more than 1,500 companies and over 3,000 jobs, delivered more than 600 training programmes to over 7,000 participants, coordinated the development of 45 local, regional and sectoral strategies, and participated in more than 75 projects with a total value exceeding EUR 80 million. The agency currently employs 23 staff members and cooperates with a broad network of external experts and service providers across multiple thematic fields.

REDASP plays a leading role in the implementation of the Integrated Territorial Investment (ITI) instrument for the wider urban area of Kragujevac, becoming the first organization in Serbia to apply this advanced territorial development tool of EU Cohesion Policy. Through the ITI framework, REDASP coordinates integrated interventions connecting urban regeneration, cultural heritage, innovation, education, sustainability and economic development through a place-based and multi-stakeholder approach.

One of the flagship initiatives emerging from this process is the regeneration of the Military-Technical Institute (VTZ) complex in Kragujevac, one of the oldest industrial heritage sites in Southeast Europe. The protected complex covers approximately 52 hectares in the city center and contains numerous vacant and underutilized industrial buildings. REDASP is currently involved in the revitalization of one of these buildings, which will become the new home of the Faculty of Philology and Arts of the University of Kragujevac. The project follows key New European Bauhaus principles by combining adaptive reuse of industrial heritage, culture, education, sustainability, stakeholder participation and the creation of new social and creative functions within a historic urban environment.

REDASP is particularly interested in cooperation related to adaptive reuse of industrial heritage, sustainable urban regeneration, New European Bauhaus initiatives, participatory territorial governance, culture-led development, creative industries, innovation ecosystems and integrated approaches to place-based transformation.