INSTITUT ZA CELULOZO IN PAPIR

Their core work

The Pulp and Paper Institute (ICP) in Ljubljana is Slovenia's specialized research centre for cellulose, paper, and bio-based materials. Their H2020 involvement centres on renewable materials for the built environment — particularly wood-based and bio-based building materials, healthy indoor environments, and circular bioeconomy applications. They contributed to the InnoRenew Centre of Excellence, a flagship Slovenian initiative linking renewable material science with ergonomic design and human well-being in buildings. They also engaged in Central and Eastern European bioeconomy strategy development through the BIOEASTsUP initiative.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

ICP's H2020 trajectory shows a clear broadening from traditional materials science toward applied building and well-being research. The early entry (2015) into InnoRenew CoE was a capacity-building step under Widening Participation, establishing their role in renewable materials R&I. By 2017-2019, their keyword footprint expanded significantly into building systems, living laboratories, ergonomic design, and circular bioeconomy — indicating a shift from pure materials research toward integrated applications in sustainable construction and human-centred design.

ICP is moving from traditional pulp and paper science toward renewable building materials and circular bioeconomy applications — positioning them at the intersection of construction, sustainability, and human well-being.

How they like to work

ICP operates as a supporting partner rather than a project leader — zero coordinations across all three projects, and one involvement as a third party. Their participation in InnoRenew CoE (both phases) suggests a loyal, anchor-partnership model with the InnoRenew ecosystem rather than broad project-hopping. With 35 unique partners across 13 countries from just 3 projects, they benefit from large consortium exposure but are not themselves a network hub.

Through InnoRenew CoE and BIOEASTsUP, ICP has touched 35 partners across 13 countries — a broad European footprint driven by the large consortia they joined rather than independent network-building. Their geographic connections likely lean toward Central and Eastern Europe given the BIOEASTsUP focus and Slovenia's Widening country status.

What sets them apart

ICP brings niche cellulose and paper science expertise to the renewable building materials space — a combination few institutes offer. Their deep involvement in InnoRenew CoE gives them direct connections to Slovenia's flagship renewable materials research infrastructure. For consortium builders, they offer specialist bio-based materials knowledge from a Widening country, which can strengthen both the technical and geographic balance of proposals.

Highlights from their portfolio

• InnoRenew CoE
  Slovenia's flagship Centre of Excellence for renewable materials and healthy environments — ICP participated in both the Teaming Phase 1 and the full Phase 2 implementation (EUR 325,875), making it their anchor project.
• BIOEASTsUP
  Strategic bioeconomy initiative for Central and Eastern Europe — ICP's third-party role signals recognition of their bioeconomy relevance beyond their core materials work.