Fire resilience is a crucial element of building sustainability, especially with the increasing use of new construction materials and technologies. Slovenia’s National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) will boost its practice in this field. 

The EU-funded FRISSBE project will attract and maintain high-quality human resources under the direction of the ERA Chair holder. The project will lead to lasting, sustainable structural changes to achieve excellence in the field of fire-safe sustainable built environments and modify the institute’s research and innovation landscape. 

Moreover, the project will have regional impacts in terms of research, education, and engineering. The long-term sustainability of the ERA Chair will be achieved by combining national and EU research and innovation funding with industry funded research and development.

Attracting high quality human resources

Designed structural changes aim to achieve excellence in the field of fire-safe sustainable built environments, modify ZAG’s research and innovation landscape, intensify strong cooperation with industry and result in enhanced competitiveness in attaining projects.

Changes will be tested in a new autonomous unit, the FRISSBE ERA Chair, and transferable to ZAG as a whole. Structural and dissemination measures are balanced with testing and improving the concept. Structural measures involve improving the workflow, focusing on project preparation and quality management, building a network with stakeholders, and intensifying cooperation with industry. 

The concept will be tested on a few levels: testing the research enhancement process, building capacity in applying for competitive funds, and building sustainable relationships with industry. Dissemination activities focusing on two-way cooperation with identified stakeholders will enhance ZAGs network and positively contribute to its attractiveness. 

FRISSBE will have regional impacts in terms of research, education, and engineering. The team will build a strong interactive ecosystem with the InnoRenew CoE and the University of Primorska, as well as other supporters of the project. Added value of the project is amplifying the capacities of the Fire laboratory co-financed with ERDF funds, ensuring conditions to foster excellent research. 

The project will yield 3 PhD students and 6 post-doctoral researchers. The long-term sustainability of the ERA Chair will be achieved by combining national and EU research and innovation funding with industry funded research and development.

Coordinator

• ZAVOD ZA GRADBENISTVO SLOVENIJE

Start date: 1 January 2021 - End date: 31 December 2026

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 952395.