About Spectra CE EU

Spectra Centre of Excellence EU

Spectra, Centre of Excellence was founded in 1999 at the Faculty of Architecture of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava as a joint workplace of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Université Pierre Mendés France Grenoble, ARL Hannover and the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. The Spectra, Centre of Excellence grew and developed its research activities, based on interdisciplinary research of the issues of complex spatial development. Its optimisation and ensuring its sustaiability are basic preconditions for balanced, environmentally viable social and economic development.

Spectra, the Centre of Excellence, is a scientific research and training centre, whose task is the creation, transfer of know-how and education of experts in the field of spatial planning. The Centre strives to contribute with its activities to the processes of economic, social and cultural integration of Europe. Research and proposals aimed at solving the optimization of spatial structures of settlements also help to meet the criteria of sustainability of spatial development, balance regional disparities and contribute to improving the quality of life and strengthening social balance in Europe (Spectra, Charter of the Centre). The fundamental values of Spectra were defined as

  • innovation,
  • flexibility,
  • responsibility,
  • partnership,
  • tradition and continuity,
  • transparency and openness (Spectra, Ethical code).

During the previous decades, Spectra, Centre of Excellence contributed to redefinition of the role and societal impact of spatial planner profession. One of the key scopes of scientific discussion initiated and led by Spectra is  Central European planning culture.

Faculty of Management, Comenius University Bratislava hosting the SPECTRA Centre of Excellence is the leading school that educates spatial planers as well as the leading research institution in the field of spatial planning in Slovakia.

Institutional History

The SPECTRA Centre:

  • 1999: established international interdisciplinary research and training unit in collaboration with the ARL Hannover, IUG Grenoble, UNC Newcastle.
  • 2002: appointed as the Centre of Excellence in the framework of the 5th Framework Program of the EU.
  • 2003: Spectra is the founding member of Spa.ce-net, a network of Central and Eastern European research bodies and institutions in the field of spatial planning.
  • 2008: Spectra has been operating at the Institute of Management of the STU.
  • 2009: appointed as the Centre of Excellence for the research on infrastructure of knowledge-based society in the framework of EFRD Structural Funds – enlargement = joint working place of the STU, the Comenius University Bratislava and Slovak Academy of Sciences.
  • 2011: member of the CESTA Centre of Excellence of the Slovak Academy of Sciences – Centre for Strategic Analyses.
  • 2025: Spectra is an integral part of the Faculty of Management, Comenius University.

SPECTRA Subcentres

Centre for Smart Structural Development

The Centre concentrates the capacities working on the topic of smart urban development with a special focus on smart land-use and smart structures for urban development, reflecting spatial development strategies of knowledge-based society development, spatial innovations in the dynamics of territorial cohesion.

director: Maros Finka

Urban Safety Centre

The centre focuses on urban safety as an environmental quality – addresses not only physical, but also psychological importance of safety for humans in the urban environment. Activities of the centre are dealing with the practical implementation of urban safety topic within urban development covering the whole complexity.

director: Vladimir Ondrejička

Centre for Strategic Planning

The main objective of the centre is to concentrate on novel approaches to strategic planning in all relevant levels of decision-making respecting challenges streaming from the complexity and uncertainty in global environmental challenges and urban governance and on trans-disciplinary research in the field of institutional, behavioural and ecological economics.

director: Ľubomír Jamečný

Centre for Projects, Programme & Portfolio Management

The main objective is to strengthen project delivery capacity within SPECTRA by developing and applying Project, Programme and Portfolio Management (P3M) approaches across research, education and innovation initiatives. It supports the full lifecycle from concept and proposal development to implementation, monitoring, reporting and impact evaluation, ensuring robust governance, quality assurance and audit readiness in complex, multi-stakeholder projects.

director: Nataliia Yehorchenkova

Centre for Urban Intelligence

The main objective of the Centre is to advance data-driven decision-making within urban planning by exploring and operationalising the concept of "intelligence" in territorial systems. It focuses on the integration of spatial analytics, big data, AI and digital modelling to enhance the precision, efficiency, and responsiveness of urban governance.

director: Oleksii Yehorchenkov

SPECTRA CE - LIVING LAB

The Territorial Planning Living Lab is a living laboratory for smart approaches for urban and regional development dealing with a variety of current challenges in the cities and regions. Living Lab is also managing the Carpathian Countries Integrated Biodiversity Information System collecting the data from Carpathian countries under the Secretariat of the Carpathian Convention.

director: Milan Husár

SPECTRA CE - CHINA

SPECTRA Centre of Excellence – China focuses on the advancement of knowledge, capacity building and promotion of sustainable cities in China, framing scientific, technical, financial and institutional collaboration in relevant areas of knowledge and sustainable planning and development management.

honorary director: Khalid Z. el Adli

executive director: Li Xiang

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