INSTITUT ZA IHTIOLOSKE IN EKOLOSKE RAZISKAVE ZAVOD REVIVO DOB

Their core work

REVIVO is a small Slovenian specialist institute dedicated to ichthyological (fish science) and freshwater ecological research. Their core work involves studying how river ecosystems function, how biodiversity underpins ecosystem services, and how environmental stressors — particularly climate-driven river drying — disrupt freshwater habitats. In practice, they contribute field-based ecological knowledge and biodiversity assessments to large pan-European research consortia, translating biological data into insights relevant to conservation planning and natural resource management. Their dual focus on fish ecology and broader ecosystem dynamics gives them a grounded, species-level perspective on questions that matter to water managers, conservation agencies, and climate adaptation planners.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (NAIAD, 2016-2020), REVIVO operated in the broad terrain of nature-based solutions and ecosystem insurance value — a field concerned with how intact ecosystems reduce risks for human societies. Their second project (DRYvER, 2020-2025) marked a sharp narrowing: the focus moved squarely to drying river networks, metaecosystems, and the biodiversity crisis unfolding in intermittent streams under climate pressure. This trajectory suggests REVIVO has moved from ecosystem services as a general framework toward a highly specific ecological problem — the collapse of freshwater habitats during droughts — where their ichthyological field expertise is directly applicable.

REVIVO is deepening into the intersection of climate hydrology and freshwater biodiversity, positioning them well for future consortia addressing water scarcity, river restoration, and biodiversity targets under EU nature restoration law.

How they like to work

REVIVO has participated in both of their projects as a consortium partner rather than a lead, indicating they function as domain specialists embedded within larger teams. Despite only two projects, they have accumulated 46 unique consortium partners across 20 countries — a sign that both consortia were large and geographically ambitious, not small bilateral collaborations. This pattern suggests they are sought after for their specific ecological field expertise and are comfortable operating within complex, multi-institution research structures without needing to take a coordinating role.

REVIVO has built a surprisingly broad network for their size — 46 unique partners across 20 countries from just two projects, both of which were large RIA-type consortia. Their connections span Central and Western Europe, reflecting the pan-European nature of river ecosystem research under Horizon 2020.

What sets them apart

REVIVO occupies a rare niche: a small, SME-scale research institute combining ichthyological field expertise with ecosystem-level ecological analysis, based in Slovenia — a country with high freshwater biodiversity and significant river network complexity. Most freshwater ecology groups in H2020 sit within universities; REVIVO's independent institute structure makes them a more agile, focused partner for consortia that need specialist ecological input without the overhead of a large academic institution. Their participation in DRYvER — one of the few EU projects dedicated specifically to drying rivers — marks them as one of a small number of European groups with hands-on expertise in this increasingly urgent problem.

Highlights from their portfolio

• DRYvER
  One of the first large-scale EU research projects dedicated to drying river networks, placing REVIVO at the frontier of a topic that will become central to EU water and biodiversity policy as climate impacts intensify.
• NAIAD
  REVIVO's entry into H2020 was through a project that directly linked ecological expertise to economic risk reduction, demonstrating their ability to contribute to applied, policy-relevant science beyond pure ecology.