INNORENEW COE CENTER ODLICNOSTI ZA RAZISKAVE IN INOVACIJE NA PODROCJU OBNOVLJIVIH MATERIALOV IN ZDRAVEGA BIVANJSKEGA OKOLJA

Their core work

InnoRenew CoE is a Slovenian research centre focused on renewable materials — particularly wood and bio-based resources — and their application in construction, packaging, and healthy living environments. They develop bio-based coatings, lignin nanoparticles, and biodegradable composites that replace synthetic materials in buildings and food packaging. Their work spans from fundamental materials science (lignin modification, nanoparticle synthesis) to applied product development (UV-protective façade coatings, antimicrobial food packaging, bio-based skincare ingredients). They operate as a Centre of Excellence funded through the EU Widening programme, bridging Slovenian research capacity with European innovation networks.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2015-2018, InnoRenew CoE was establishing itself as a Centre of Excellence, with projects focused broadly on renewable building materials, healthy built environments, ergonomic design, and living laboratories — essentially institution-building and capacity development. From 2020 onward, the focus sharpened dramatically toward specific materials science: lignin nanoparticles, biodegradable composites, bio-based UV coatings, and functional ingredients from agricultural side streams. This shift from broad institutional framing to concrete nanomaterial and biorefinery applications signals a maturing research centre now producing applied, commercially relevant outputs.

InnoRenew is moving toward commercializable lignin-based nanomaterials with cross-sector applications in packaging, construction, and personal care — expect them to seek industrial partners for scale-up.

How they like to work

InnoRenew operates in a dual mode: they join larger consortia as a participant (5 projects) for broad thematic work, while coordinating smaller MSCA Individual Fellowships (3 projects) to build in-house specialist expertise. With 56 unique partners across 14 countries, they maintain a wide but not deeply repeated network, typical of a growing centre actively expanding its European connections. This makes them accessible for new partnerships — they are not locked into exclusive clusters.

InnoRenew has built a network of 56 partners across 14 countries, indicating broad European reach for a relatively young institution. Their partnerships span from Widening-programme peers to established bio-economy and forestry research groups.

What sets them apart

InnoRenew is one of very few EU Centres of Excellence that combines renewable construction materials with nanoscale bio-based material engineering — most labs do one or the other. Their location in Slovenia (a Widening country) makes them an attractive consortium partner for proposals requiring geographic diversity and Widening participation criteria. Their ability to bridge wood science, lignin chemistry, and food/cosmetics applications gives them unusual cross-sector flexibility for a single research centre.

Highlights from their portfolio

• InnoRenew CoE
  EUR 10.1M Teaming/Widening grant — by far their largest project and the institutional foundation that enabled all subsequent research.
• PACK-NIN
  Coordinated MSCA fellowship combining lignin nanoparticles with copper antimicrobials for biodegradable food packaging — a clear commercially relevant output.
• OLEAF4VALUE
  Multi-product biorefinery from olive leaf waste — connects InnoRenew to the Mediterranean agricultural economy and circular bioeconomy value chains.