GreenHer goes live

The GreenHer Centre of Excellence for Green Heritage Science, unique among European Centres of Excellence, reinforces Slovenia's leadership in the sustainable management of cultural heritage.

The GreenHer Centre of Excellence for Green Heritage Science has today started its operational phase, marking an important milestone in the development of the first interdisciplinary centre in Slovenia dedicated to sustainable research and innovation in the field of cultural heritage. This is a major step forward in Europe's efforts to put cultural heritage at the heart of the Green Transition.

With €13.4 million in European funding and a national matching contribution, the Centre focuses on transforming heritage science and promoting sustainable development through the conservation, management and use of heritage.

»The launch of the Centre represents the transition from vision to action - to the phase of concrete research and development,« said Professor Matija Strlič, Head of the Centre.

»We will soon be equipped to carry out cutting-edge interdisciplinary research. We will develop environmentally friendly and technologically advanced solutions for the conservation and restoration of cultural heritage, working closely with museums, conservators and other heritage professionals, industry and local communities. Our aim is to contribute to more sustainable and digitally-enabled management and conservation of cultural heritage.«

The start of the operational phase means that investments in new laboratories, research equipment and jobs are already being translated into active research and innovation.

Over the next six years, the Centre will implement a comprehensive research and innovation programme focusing on environmentally responsible conservation methods, sustainable management of the built heritage environment, landscapes and archaeological sites, inclusive approaches to heritage and tourism management, and the development of a cultural heritage data cloud.

The Centre's importance goes beyond national contexts and is embedded in a broader European strategy to strengthen research excellence.

The EU's ‘Widening Collaboration and Fostering Excellence’ projects are one of the key actions to build research infrastructures and foster international cooperation, based on European and national funding, according to Francesca Cervelli from the European Executive Agency. They help to create and sustain strong research and innovation ecosystems that can tackle current and future challenges and opportunities. »In this context, we strongly welcome the interdisciplinary nature of the GreenHer project, its contribution to important EU policies such as the Green Deal, and its great potential to become a driver of change in the region and beyond,« added Ms. Ms Cervelli.

»The start of operations marks the transition to the implementation phase of Horizon Europe. From the Agency's point of view, this is the moment when governance structures, work plans and implementation mechanisms become central. The European Research Executive Agency will monitor the progress of the project and follow the consortium through the implementation of this long-term action,« added Raquel Fernández Horcajada, Head of the Agency's Research Programme.

Professor May Cassar, from the UCL Institute for Sustainable Heritage and Chair of the Centre's Board of Directors, said: »The launch of the GreenHer Centre of Excellence demonstrates the EU's long-term commitment to strengthening research excellence and international cooperation. The Centre strengthens Slovenia's position in the European Research Area and contributes directly to the sustainable management of cultural heritage. I am confident that GreenHer will create a lasting scientific, social and economic impact.«

The Centre also plays an important role in strengthening Slovenia's research and innovation environment. Dr Jure Gašparič, State Secretary at the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, stressed at the launch of the Centre that »investments such as GreenHer aim to reduce the differences in research and innovation performance between European Union countries and strengthen Slovenian research institutions and their governance. We are confident that with centres of excellence, Slovenia will be able to compete more successfully for EU research funding and reduce innovation gaps and brain drain.«

In cooperation with foreign partners, the GreenHer Centre was established as an autonomous unit within the University of Ljubljana and brings together a number of renowned Slovenian researchers in this field. It works in close partnership with the National and University Library, the Building Research Institute of Slovenia, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia, the University of Maribor, the University of Primorska, as well as the National Research Council of Italy and University College London (UK). The University of Ljubljana is actively involved in the establishment of the Centre, as are the Faculty of Biotechnology (UL BF), the Faculty of Arts (UL FF) and the Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology (UL FKKT), as well as the Academy of Fine Arts and Design (UL ALUO) and the Faculty of Economics (UL EF).The University of Ljubljana is also actively involved in the establishment of the Centre, as well as the University of Ljubljana, the Faculty of Arts and Design (UL ALUO) and the University of Ljubljana, the University of Ljubljana, the University of Ljubljana, the University of Ljubljana, the University of Ljubljana, the University of Ljubljana, the University of Ljubljana, the University of Ljubljana.

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