PLAVI SVIJET INSTITUT ZA ISTRAZIVANJE I ZASTITU MORA

Their core work

The Blue World Institute of Marine Research and Conservation is a Croatian research centre based on the island of Veli Lošinj, combining marine science with an active science-society engagement mission. In H2020, their documented role was as a local implementation node in pan-European science communication networks — hosting exhibitions, science cafés, and public events that brought EU research closer to local and regional communities. Through the SALL project they extended this into formal education, embedding open schooling and living lab approaches in school environments. Their value in consortia is as a credible, place-based actor that bridges scientific institutions and citizens, particularly in coastal and island communities.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (SPARKS, 2015–2018), the focus was broad and event-driven: pan-European exhibitions, science cafés, science shops, and science centres, covering diverse themes from frugal innovation to health technology shifts. By 2020, the focus tightened considerably toward structured educational environments — SALL brought them into open schooling and living lab territory, which is methodologically more systematic and school-embedded. The shift suggests a movement from one-off public events toward sustained, institutionalised engagement with young audiences.

They are moving from broad civic science communication (exhibitions, cafés) toward embedded educational methodologies — a direction that aligns with current EU priorities around science literacy and participatory research in schools.

How they like to work

The institute has participated exclusively as a third party in both projects, meaning they were brought in as a local implementing partner rather than driving the agenda. Both projects were large CSA consortia, which explains their unexpectedly wide network (40 partners, 30 countries) relative to only two project participations. They function as a trusted regional node — a place where pan-European initiatives touch down on the ground — rather than a consortium architect.

Despite only two project participations, they have connections to 40 unique partners across 30 countries — a footprint entirely explained by the large pan-European CSA consortia they joined. Their network is wide but structurally shallow; relationships were likely formed through shared activities rather than repeated bilateral collaboration.

What sets them apart

The Blue World Institute occupies an unusual position as a marine research centre that doubles as a science communication hub on a Croatian island — a geography that gives them authentic access to coastal and rural communities underrepresented in mainstream EU research engagement. For a consortium that needs credible local presence in the Adriatic or South-East European region, they offer something most urban research institutes cannot: a non-capital, community-embedded base with established public trust. Their combination of natural science identity and science-society expertise makes them a distinctive fit for projects needing both disciplinary credibility and grassroots reach.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SPARKS
  A flagship pan-European science engagement initiative spanning science cafés, exhibitions, and science shops across multiple countries — their entry point into large-scale EU science-society networks.
• SALL
  Schools as Living Labs represents a methodological step up from events-based engagement to sustained school-embedded participatory science, signalling a more structured and scalable approach.