UNIVERZITET U BANJOJ LUCI

Their core work

The University of Banja Luka is the largest public university in Republika Srpska (Bosnia and Herzegovina), active in researcher mobility support, SME innovation management, open science infrastructure, and agricultural research. They serve as a regional hub connecting Western Balkan researchers to European networks through EURAXESS services, while building capacity for smart agriculture and water management. Their applied work spans from ecosystem services research in farming to promoting technology transfer and entrepreneurship among local SMEs.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2015-2018), the university focused heavily on researcher mobility, career development, and building basic research infrastructure — keywords like EURAXESS, scientific computing, data sharing, and capacity building dominated. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward innovation ecosystems, SME technology transfer, open science governance, and applied agricultural research. The emergence of SMARTWATER as their first coordinated project in 2021 signals a strategic move toward applied research leadership rather than purely capacity-building participation.

Moving from passive capacity-building toward active research leadership, particularly in smart agriculture and regional innovation ecosystems — expect them to coordinate more projects in these areas.

How they like to work

Predominantly a participant (10 of 11 projects), but their single coordination role in SMARTWATER shows growing ambition to lead. They work across large, diverse consortia — 119 unique partners across 44 countries indicates broad networking rather than deep repeated partnerships. This makes them a well-connected entry point into Western Balkan research networks, though partners should expect a contributor role rather than project leadership in most cases.

Remarkably wide network for a Western Balkan university: 119 unique partners across 44 countries, built primarily through pan-European coordination and support actions. Their geographic reach spans well beyond the region, with strong ties to EU member states through EURAXESS and open science networks.

What sets them apart

As the leading university in Republika Srpska, they are one of the few Bosnian institutions with consistent H2020 participation across multiple programme areas. Their combination of EURAXESS network membership, open science infrastructure experience, and emerging smart agriculture expertise makes them a natural bridge for any consortium needing a Western Balkan partner with real EU project experience. For Widening Participation calls targeting the region, they bring both institutional credibility and a proven track record.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SMARTWATER
  Their only coordinated project and largest single grant (EUR 288,138), signaling a strategic push into smart agricultural water management as a research leader.
• EcoStack
  Largest total funding (EUR 169,891) and their most research-intensive project, contributing to a major European study on sustainable crop protection and ecosystem services.
• NI4OS-Europe
  Positioned the university as Bosnia and Herzegovina's node in the European Open Science Cloud infrastructure, with significant funding (EUR 125,650).