HRVATSKI ZAVOD ZA JAVNO ZDRAVSTVO

Their core work

The Croatian Institute of Public Health is Croatia's national public health authority, responsible for population-level health monitoring, disease surveillance, and evidence-based health policy. In EU research, they contribute national health survey data, biomonitoring samples, and epidemiological expertise to large pan-European studies. Their practical value lies in providing access to Croatian population health datasets and serving as the national node in European health data infrastructures.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 participation (2015–2018), the institute focused on classical public health surveillance — vaccine effectiveness monitoring, human biomonitoring for chemical exposures, and health survey coordination. From 2020 onward, their work shifted sharply toward health data infrastructure and COVID-19 response, emphasizing data standardization, cross-country comparisons, and rapid evidence generation from real-world data. This reflects a broader move from collecting health data to building the digital infrastructure that makes health data interoperable and actionable across borders.

Moving toward European health data interoperability and rapid-response research infrastructure — well-positioned for European Health Data Space initiatives.

How they like to work

Exclusively a participant, never a coordinator — they join large consortia as a national data contributor rather than leading projects. With 200 unique partners across 42 countries, they operate as a well-connected national node in broad European networks. This makes them a reliable, low-friction partner for anyone needing Croatian population health data or a national public health authority in their consortium.

Remarkably wide network for a modest portfolio: 200 unique partners across 42 countries, driven by participation in very large pan-European health consortia like HBM4EU. Their connections span virtually all EU and associated countries.

What sets them apart

As Croatia's national public health institute, they offer something most research partners cannot: official access to national population health datasets, biomonitoring samples, and health survey infrastructure. For any consortium needing Croatian data or geographic coverage in Southeast Europe, they are effectively the only credible partner. Their dual experience in chemical biomonitoring and health data standardization makes them particularly useful for projects bridging environmental and population health.

Highlights from their portfolio

• HBM4EU
  Flagship European biomonitoring initiative — their largest funded project (EUR 163K) and the one generating the richest keyword footprint in chemical exposure science.
• PHIRI
  Population Health Information Research Infrastructure — positions them at the center of Europe's post-COVID push for interoperable health data systems.
• I-MOVE-plus
  Their highest single-project funding (EUR 217K) and earliest H2020 involvement, focused on vaccine effectiveness — relevant expertise given ongoing pandemic preparedness efforts.