On 25 May 2026, the Heritage Science Laboratory Ljubljana (HSLL) participated in the 26th International Meeting of Conservators-Restorers, organised by the Conservator-Restorers’ Society of Slovenia (DRS) at the Posavje Museum in Brežice, Slovenia.

Ibrahim Elrefaey presented a poster and a talk titled “E-RIHS.si at Work at the Heritage Science Lab Ljubljana (HSLL)” on behalf of the collaborative team. The presentation highlighted how the Slovenian node of the European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science (E-RIHS) supports network building and collaborative research between Slovenian academic and heritage institutions.

A wide variety of heritage objects and materials were showcased through case studies from multiple museums and institutions, including textiles, manuscripts, painted surfaces, furniture, metal artefacts, and historical objects from the Slovene Ethnographic Museum, the Maribor Regional Museum, the National Museum of Slovenia, the National and University Library, the Posavje Museum Brežice, and the Academy of Fine Arts and Design. These studies employed non-destructive, in-situ multi-analytical surveys using technical imaging, FTIR spectroscopy, microscopy, and XRF analysis.

A central element of the work is producing and managing high-quality imaging and analytical data as the foundation for research, documentation, and long-term Heritage preservation. Datasets are compiled into digital corpora and delivered to institutions as technical reports, enhancing inventory entries of objects, contributing to scientific publications, and supporting dissemination and public engagement.

This collaborative effort demonstrates how E-RIHS.si’s coordinated national infrastructure supports academic research, cross-institutional collaboration, and evidence-based heritage conservation.

Authors: Ibrahim Elrefaey, Hend Mahgoub, Matija Strlič (University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Chemistry and Chemical Technology); Alban Paskoff (Chimie ParisTech – PSL); Irena Porekar Kacafura (Maribor Regional Museum); Ana Motnikar (Slovene Ethnographic Museum); Magdalena Mezeg (The National Museum of Slovenia); Pika Škerlj, Nives Slemenšek (Posavje Museum Brežice); Manca Boh (Želimlje High School); Lucija Močnik Ramovš, Martina Vuga (University of Ljubljana, Academy of Fine Arts and Design); Jana Kolar (National and University Library).