Slovenian university combining renewable wood materials research, citizen science, responsible innovation governance, and SME innovation support across Europe.
The University of Primorska (UP) is a Slovenian public university based in Koper, operating at the intersection of renewable materials research, responsible research governance, and SME innovation support. Through its flagship InnoRenew Centre of Excellence, it conducts applied research on wood-based building materials, bio-based products, and healthy built environments. The university also serves as a key node in Slovenia's Enterprise Europe Network, coaching SMEs on innovation management and helping them access EU funding instruments. Beyond its technical work, UP is increasingly active in citizen science, open science policy, and public engagement with research.
Two phases of InnoRenew CoE (2015-2023, coordinated) plus MAXIWOOD (2022-2028, coordinated) focus on renewable building materials, wood products, and carbon accounting in the forest-based industry.
Five consecutive We4SMESLO projects (2014-2021) delivering Enterprise Europe Network coaching, IMP3rove assessments, and SME Instrument support across Slovenia.
STARBIOS 2, RESBIOS, and STEP CHANGE (coordinated) address institutional change in biosciences governance, open science, and citizen participation in health, conservation, and energy research.
SciFe, SAWE, and ZATE all focus on raising public awareness of research careers, engaging young people with science, and promoting the researcher profession.
Participation in OLEUM (olive oil authenticity) and third-party role in Pro-Enrich (functional proteins from rapeseed, olive, and tomato) signal growing interest in food chain integrity and bio-based valorization.
PHArA-ON (largest single grant, EUR 3.5M) deploys AI-driven smart wearables for older adults, while SMARTDEST addresses social exclusion and urban mobility through citizen engagement.
In the early H2020 period (2014-2018), UP's work centred on two tracks: delivering Enterprise Europe Network services to Slovenian SMEs and launching the InnoRenew Centre of Excellence for renewable building materials. From 2019 onward, the university pivoted toward citizen science, responsible research governance, and large-scale digital health pilots — while maintaining its EEN activities and deepening its wood/bioeconomy research through MAXIWOOD. The shift reflects a move from pure innovation support and materials science toward socially engaged research with participatory methods.
UP is evolving from a technical materials and SME support university into one that integrates citizen engagement, open science, and bioeconomy — making it a strong partner for mission-oriented projects requiring societal impact.
UP operates as both a consortium leader and a reliable partner — coordinating 5 of its 20 projects, including its largest research infrastructure (InnoRenew CoE) and its citizen science flagship (STEP CHANGE). With 175 unique consortium partners across 32 countries, the university maintains a broad and diverse network rather than relying on repeat partnerships. This breadth, combined with its coordinator experience, makes it a well-connected partner that can anchor consortia or contribute specialized expertise in renewable materials, RRI, or innovation support.
UP has collaborated with 175 distinct partners across 32 countries, giving it one of the wider networks for a mid-sized Slovenian university. The geographic spread is pan-European with no single dominant partner country, reflecting its diverse thematic portfolio from EEN services to large research consortia.
UP occupies a rare niche as a Slovenian university that combines deep expertise in renewable wood-based materials (through InnoRenew CoE) with strong capabilities in responsible research governance and citizen science. Few universities can offer both technical materials research AND experience designing participatory engagement frameworks — a combination increasingly required by Horizon Europe missions. Its sustained EEN involvement also means it understands the SME perspective, making it an effective bridge between research outputs and business uptake.
