FACULTY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING

Their core work

The Faculty of Civil Engineering in Belgrade is a Serbian university department specializing in water resources engineering, urban infrastructure planning, and environmental risk management. Their applied research focuses on nature-based solutions for flood and hydro-meteorological hazard reduction, urban green infrastructure for public health, and earth observation applications for agriculture. They bring strong civil engineering fundamentals — hydraulics, structural analysis, urban planning — to EU collaborative projects addressing climate adaptation and resilient infrastructure.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2014–2017), the faculty's H2020 involvement was broad and exploratory — transport infrastructure financing (BENEFIT), wind energy (AEOLUS4FUTURE), and agricultural earth observation (APOLLO), with no strong thematic thread. From 2018 onward, a clear pivot emerged toward environmental resilience and nature-based solutions: water quality, flood risk reduction through NBS, agricultural risk management, and urban green planning with citizen engagement tools. The recent projects are larger, more focused, and more closely aligned with the faculty's core civil engineering competencies.

Moving decisively toward nature-based solutions, climate adaptation, and smart urban infrastructure — expect continued focus on green-blue infrastructure and citizen-engaged planning.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is common for Western Balkan institutions joining established consortia. With 122 unique partners across 30 countries, they are well-networked integrators rather than project leaders. Their broad partner base suggests they are valued as reliable contributors who bring regional expertise and demonstration site access rather than driving project direction.

With 122 unique consortium partners spanning 30 countries, they have an unusually wide network for a Serbian institution with only 7 projects. This breadth reflects participation in large Innovation Action consortia (RECONECT, EuPOLIS) that typically involve 15–30 partners each.

What sets them apart

As a Serbian civil engineering faculty, they offer something EU consortia often need: demonstration sites and implementation capacity in the Western Balkans, a region underrepresented in H2020 but critical for pan-European climate adaptation. Their combination of water engineering fundamentals with modern NBS and ICT tools (serious games, augmented reality, smart contracts) makes them a practical bridge between traditional infrastructure engineering and digital-era environmental solutions. For consortia needing Widening Country participation with genuine technical depth, they are a credible choice.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EuPOLIS
  Their largest project (EUR 348,950) combining NBS urban planning with advanced ICT tools like serious games and augmented reality — shows their most ambitious and current capabilities.
• RECONECT
  Long-running project (2018-2024, EUR 267,114) on nature-based solutions for hydro-meteorological risk, representing their core environmental resilience expertise.
• BEACON
  Combines earth observation with blockchain smart contracts for agricultural insurance — an unusual intersection of civil engineering, remote sensing, and fintech.