UNIVERSITY OF BELGRADE-FACULTY OF FORESTRY

Their core work

The Faculty of Forestry at the University of Belgrade is Serbia's primary academic institution for forest science, combining field-based ecological research with policy-relevant forest management expertise. Their work spans forest inventory and monitoring, biodiversity assessment, and the development of close-to-nature silvicultural practices that balance timber production with ecosystem conservation. In EU projects, they contribute on-the-ground data collection, national forest inventory expertise for Southeast Europe, and practical knowledge on forest resilience and restoration. They serve as a regional bridge between Western European forest science networks and the Western Balkans.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first EU project (DIABOLO, 2015-2019), the Faculty focused on the data infrastructure side of forestry — harmonising national forest inventories, tracking disturbances via earth observation, and feeding data into bioeconomy policy frameworks. By 2021, with SUPERB, the focus shifted decisively toward applied ecology: forest biodiversity, ecosystem resilience, restoration, and the human dimension of forest governance through knowledge transfer and engagement. The trajectory moves from data collection and harmonisation toward applied restoration science with a stronger emphasis on biodiversity outcomes and real-world implementation.

This organisation is moving toward applied forest ecosystem restoration and biodiversity monitoring — making them a relevant partner for future EU Nature Restoration Law implementation projects and Biodiversity Strategy 2030 initiatives.

How they like to work

The Faculty of Forestry Belgrade has participated exclusively as a consortium partner, never as project coordinator, across both of its H2020 projects. Despite a small project count, their consortium footprint is surprisingly wide — 63 unique partners across 27 countries — suggesting they operate as specialist contributors within large, pan-European research networks rather than leading tightly-knit collaborations. This profile indicates they are well-networked and experienced in large consortium dynamics, but bring domain expertise rather than project management leadership.

With 63 unique consortium partners spread across 27 countries, the Faculty has built a broad European network despite only two projects — reflecting that both DIABOLO and SUPERB are large, multi-partner pan-European consortia. Their network is European in scope with likely particular depth in Southeast European forest science communities.

What sets them apart

The Faculty of Forestry Belgrade is the primary gateway into Serbia's forestry sector for European research consortia — a country with extensive and relatively understudied Balkan forest ecosystems, including old-growth beech and mixed forests that are increasingly relevant to EU biodiversity and restoration policy. Their dual grounding in quantitative forest data (inventories, earth observation) and applied silviculture (close-to-nature management, restoration) makes them a rare partner who can connect field reality with policy-relevant metrics. For consortia targeting geographic diversity across the Western Balkans, they are a natural and well-connected entry point.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SUPERB
  The largest investment in the faculty's EU portfolio (€639,438), addressing forest ecosystem restoration at European scale — directly aligned with EU Biodiversity Strategy 2030 and Nature Restoration Law priorities.
• DIABOLO
  An early, policy-critical project linking national forest inventories across Europe for bioeconomy planning, demonstrating the faculty's ability to contribute to continental data harmonisation efforts.