Empowering Cities: Dubrovnik in URBACT's Remote-IT Project for Future Work Challenges and Digital Nomad Opportunities

The Dubrovnik Development Agency DURA, as the main partner in the Remote-IT projectfrom the URBACT IV program, organized the second meeting of the URBACT local
group on November 30th. At the meeting, project leader Nataša Mirić presented
the project, planned activities, and goals to the stakeholders.

The Remote-IT network of cities aims to identify new challenges facing cities related to the future of work and, accordingly, provide cities with tools to address potential
issues arising from new and popular forms of work. These forms of work are
adopted as standard practices by large employers across Europe (both private
and public) and create a new business culture. In addition, the rise of the
phenomenon of so-called digital nomads, experts who can work remotely from any
location, has created new challenges and opportunities for cities that digital
nomads see as ideal places for living and remote work.

Local Group with Key Stakeholders

One of the main activities of each partner city at the local level is to form the
URBACT Local Group (ULG) composed of key stakeholders who will participate
collaboratively in the development of the URBACT Action Plan or the so-called
IAP – a strategic document that will assess the current situation and offer
guidelines. The head of the ULG group, Luna Polić Barović, presented the
methodology that the group will use in all future meetings. In the practical
part of the meeting, participants collectively created a problem tree by
answering questions such as: What is the current situation and what are the
reasons for this situation? What problems need to be solved? What is the vision
of stakeholders and potential ways to achieve that vision?

A Top Destination for Digital Nomads

The participation of key stakeholders defined the causes, problems, and
consequences, as well as the goal that Dubrovnik wants to achieve – becoming a
top destination for digital nomads. The meeting was attended by Jelka Tepšić(Deputy Mayor), Mark Thomas (Dubrovnik Long Stay), Nikolina Farčić (TUP d.d.),Tanja Polegubic (Digital Nomad Association Croatia), Ana Hrnić (Dubrovnik
Tourist Board), Vlaho Margaretić (City Office for Tourism, Economy and the
Sea), Mara Knežević (Croatian Chamber of Economy), Marija Todorovski (Dubrovnik
Heritage Ltd.), Iva Svetac (Dubrovnik Sun Gardens). During the duration of the
Remote-IT project, a series of ULG meetings will be held, and the Action Plan
will be presented at the final one.

Project duration: June 1, 2023, – December 31, 2025

All photos - DURA