The project implementation will undoubtedly provide for normalization of the working conditions at both faculties; until the they will solve their problem individually. By moving their activities to the new location, other faculties will also obtain possibilities of other spatial problems.

Idea

The University of Ljubljana Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology has developed from a department, established in 1950/51 with altogether 420 students, to a large University Member in terms of student numbers in all study programmes and in terms of research excellence of the academic and the research staff. The facilities were built decades ago and are long insufficient and safe as working and learning environment. Today 233 staff work with more than 1.600 students and provide education on 24 different locations owned by the University and rented (more than 4.995 m2). This situation provides very poor conditions for establishment and development of competitive research groups, for acquiring superb equipment and for education and transfer of knowledge. Such efforts in these conditions are on the edge of mission impossible. The situation in the present UL FKKT building, located at Aškerčeva cesta (laboratories) has become critical, barely fit for purpose and does not meet safety at work regulation, which is crucial in the area of chemistry.

This situation led to the UL FKKT decision to search for new premises, already 20 years ago. The reconstruction was too expensive, the expansion was not possible. Already in 1997, the ministry of higher education became involved in searching for the best solution.

Fast, almost explosive development of computer and information science and technologies in the world was a real challenge for this professional area. The University of Ljubljana offered study in computers and informatics already in 1973, at first as a study orientation in the second year of the electrical engineering study. Since 1982 it is an independent study programme. Gradually the developers became researchers and the interest for this education increased also due to high demands by economy and by public sector for the computer and informatics professionals. These were the key factors for the separation from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and for establishment of the Faculty of Computer and Information Science in 1996. The number of students and staff almost doubled since then; there are now 1512 students in all the study programmes and 179 staff.
The UL FRI remained in the same building and is now occupying less than 20% of the common facilities on Tržaška 25, shared with the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, which manages and maintains the building. The study programmes in computer and information science required certain adaptations of the building, which are barely sufficient for provision of good education. The UL FRI has to hire additional premises (at present 3.883 m2) due to lack of suitable facilities from the very beginning of its existence, therefore a comprehensive needs analysis was commissioned in 2004 to find possible long-term solutions. Building of new facilities was assessed as the best option.