Austrian efforts directed toward the eastern Adriatic were concentrated on strengthening Trieste as the main maritime and trading centre and consequently the establishment of nautical schools along the Adriatic was aimed actually to provide adequately qualified personnel for Austrian merchant shipping and navy. The premises of the present Nautical School was built at Lapad in the period 1952-1954. The Nautical Educational Centre was the result of the merger between the Merchant Marine College and the Nautical School of Dubrovnik in 1969. The Faculty of Maritime Studies of Dubrovnik was established in 1984. and the Polytechnic of Dubrovnik late in 1996 and early in 1997, later to develop into the University of Dubrovnik late in 2003. Under the sponsorship of the local shipping company "Atlantska plovidba", Nautical School was recently equipped by simulators and similar equipment, as a contribution to mutual respect for the continued tradition of nautical education in Dubrovnik and the RC to be carried on.