JAVNI ZAVOD REPUBLIKE SLOVENIJE ZA VARSTVO KULTURNE DEDISCINE

Their core work

ZVKDS is Slovenia's national institute responsible for the protection and conservation of cultural heritage, including historic buildings, monuments, and archaeological sites. Within H2020, they contribute domain expertise on built heritage environments, participating in major European research infrastructures for heritage science. They bridge conservation practice with scientific research, particularly around sustainable building materials and the interaction between historic environments and human well-being. Their involvement in renewable materials research reflects a practical focus on finding sustainable solutions for heritage building maintenance and restoration.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early H2020 involvement (2015-2016) began with an initial scoping participation in the InnoRenew Centre of Excellence, focused broadly on widening participation in Slovenian research capacity. From 2017 onward, their profile sharpened considerably: they engaged simultaneously in heritage science infrastructure (E-RIHS PP, IPERION HS) and deepened their work on renewable building materials, healthy environments, and living laboratory approaches. The recent keyword set — spanning renewable resources, ergonomic design, and research infrastructure — shows a clear convergence of heritage conservation with sustainability science.

Moving toward integrating sustainability science (renewable materials, healthy environments) with heritage conservation practice, positioned at the intersection of two growing EU funding priorities.

How they like to work

ZVKDS operates exclusively as a participant, never as a coordinator — consistent with a national heritage institution contributing specialist domain knowledge rather than leading research agendas. With 81 unique partners across 24 countries from just 4 projects, they work in large, pan-European consortia typical of research infrastructure and widening participation actions. This broad network suggests they are well-connected across the European heritage science community and comfortable operating in large multi-partner frameworks.

Despite only four projects, ZVKDS has built connections with 81 partners across 24 countries — a remarkably wide network driven by participation in large pan-European heritage science consortia. Their geographic reach spans most of the EU, with no narrow regional concentration.

What sets them apart

ZVKDS brings something rare to consortia: they are not a university lab or private company, but a national government institution with direct responsibility for protecting Slovenia's built heritage. This means they can offer real-world heritage sites as living laboratories and provide regulatory and conservation practice perspectives that academic partners cannot. For any project needing end-user validation in cultural heritage contexts, they are a credible and authoritative partner.

Highlights from their portfolio

• InnoRenew CoE
  Their largest funded project (EUR 343,750), running six years, combining renewable materials research with built environment well-being — an unusual bridge between sustainability and heritage science.
• IPERION HS
  Part of the flagship European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science, signaling ZVKDS is recognized at the top tier of European heritage conservation networks.
• E-RIHS PP
  Participation in the preparatory phase of the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science shows early strategic positioning in a field that became a major EU infrastructure investment.