Heritage Science Laboratory Ljubljana

Research & Projects

Research

Our research ranges from fundamental research into the behaviour of materials and environments, development of methods and instruments, data science and visualisation, to development and policy support.

We have led EU collaborative projects focussed on the development of non-destructive characterisation of cultural heritage (SurveNIR, PAPYLUM), and collaborated in projects on the development and evaluation of new conservation interventions (InkCor, Laclepa) and preventive conservation strategies (APACHE, PaperVOC).

Recently, our work has focused on the development of heritage science infrastructure (E-RIHS PP, Iperion HS, E-RIHS.si) and new methods to be be offered to users in the future European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science, including its Slovenian node.

Our research has been continuously supported by Research Programme funding of the Slovenian Research Agency.

We have taken part in strategy development and advised various national and international bodies accordingly. Our early efforts resulted in co-coordination of the prestigious 8th EC Conference on Cultural Heritage Research in Ljubljana in 2008.

GREENART

Green Restoration
Trajnostno restavriranje

See the Project website GREENART.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: Horizon Europe Framework Programme

Duration: 1. 10. 2023 – 1. 10. 2026

STUCCO MARBLE

Collection of information on the composition, technique, state of preservation and appropriate treatments of baroque stucco marble on Slovene territory
Zbiranje podatkov o sestavi, tehniki, ohranjenosti in ustreznih obdelavah baročnega štukaturnega marmorja na slovenskem ozemlju

See the Project website STUCCO MARBLE.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: J7-50093

Duration: 1. 10. 2023 – 30. 9. 2026

E-RIHS IP

European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science Implementation Phase
Izvedbena faza Evropske raziskovalne infrastrukture za dediščinsko znanost

See the Project website E-RIHS IP.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: Horizon Europe Framework Programme

Duration: 1. 7. 2022 – 30. 6. 2025

ARCHE

Alliance for Research on Cultural Heritage in Europe
Zveza za raziskovanje kulturne dediščine v Evropi

See the Project website ARCHE.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: Horizon Europe Framework Programme

Duration: 1. 7. 2022 – 30. 6. 2025

ABC

Ancient Book Crafts
Materiali knjižne dediščine

See the Project website ABC.

Role in the project: Co-coordination

Funding: N1-0271, WEAVE programme in collaboration between FWF (The Science Fund – Austria) and ARRS (Slovenian Research Agency) – €300k

Duration: 1. 7. 2022 – 30. 6. 2025

SAFESILK

Metal salt-induced silk degradation in heritage collections
Razumevanje in preprečevanje razgradnje s predhodnimi kovinami obdelane svile v zbirkah kulturne dediščine

See the Project website SAFESILK.

Role in the project: Co-coordination

Funding: N1-250, WEAVE programme in collaboration between FWO (The Research Foundation – Flanders) and ARRS (Slovenian Research Agency) – €800k

Duration: 1. 1. 2022 – 31. 12. 2024

PVCare

Preventive Conservation Strategies for Poly(vinyl chloride) Objects
Strategije za preventivno konserviranje dediščine iz poli(vinil klorida)

See the Project website PVCare.

Role in the project: Co-coordination

Funding: N1-0241, CEUS scheme in collaboration between NCN (Narodowe Centrum Nauki) and ARRS (Slovenian Research Agency) – €300k

Duration: 1. 1. 2022 – 31. 12. 2024

ODOTHEKA

International archive of smells of heritage objects
Mednarodni arhiv vonjav predmetov kulturne dediščine

See the Project website ODOTHEKA.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: CEUS scheme in collaboration between NCN (Narodowe Centrum Nauki) and ARRS (Slovenian Research Agency) – €800k

Duration: 1. 12. 2021 – 1. 12. 2024

LIGNIN

Effects of lignin degradation on paper-based materials in extreme conditions
Vplivi razgradnje lignina na materiale na papirni osnovi v skrajnih pogojih

See the Project website LIGNIN.

Role in the project: Coordination

Funding: Slovenian Research Agency (€300k)

Duration: 1. 10. 2021 – 30. 9. 2024

ISLAPAP

Understanding the material culture of Islamic paper and inks
Razumevanje materialne kulture islamskega papirja in črnil

See the Project website ISLAPAP.

Role in the project: Coordination

Funding: Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellowship project

Duration: 1. 10. 2021 – 30. 9. 2023

UNCERTIR

Uncertainty of lifetime modelling based on quantitative IR spectroscopy
Negotovost modeliranja življenjske dobe na podlagi kvantitativne IR spektroskopije

See the Project website UNCERTIR.

Role in the project: Coordination

Funding: Marie Skłodowska Curie Fellowship project

Duration: 1. 10. 2021 – 30. 9. 2023

IPERION HS

Integrating Platforms for the European Research Infrastructure ON Heritage Science
Integrirane platforme za evropsko raziskovalno infrastrukturo dediščinske znanosti

See the Project website and the Cordis website.

Role in the project: Partner (3rd Party)

Funding: European Commission Horizon 2020 Programme (€6.5M)

Duration: 1. 4. 2020 – 31. 3. 2023

SMACH

Sustainable Management of Cultural Heritage in the Balkans in Response to Climate Change
Trajnostno upravljanje kulturne dediščine na Balkanu kot odziv na podnebne spremembe

See the Project website SMACH.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: CEI Know-how Exchange Programme supported by the CEI Fund at the EBRD

Duration: 15. 3. 2021 – 28. 2. 2022

APACHE

APACHE – Active & intelligent PAckaging materials and display cases as a tool for preventive conservation of Cultural Heritage
Aktivni in inteligentni materiali za transport, shranjevanje in razstavljanje predmetov kulturne dediščine kot orodje za preventivno konserviranje

See the Project website and the Cordis website.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: European Commission Horizon 2020 Programme (€7.8M)

Duration: 1. 1. 2019 – 30. 6. 2022

E - RIHS PP

The European Research Infrastructure for Heritage Science Preparatory Phase
Evropska raziskovalna infrastruktura za dediščinsko znanost Pripravljalna faza

See the Project website and the Cordis website.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: European Commission Horizon 2020 Programme (€4M)

Duration: 1. 2. 2017 – 30. 9. 2020

CHRESP

Cultural heritage reserch meets practice
Raziskave kulturne dediščine v praksi

See the Cordis website and Book of Abstracts.

Role in the project: Partner

Funding: European Commission 6th Framework Programme (€0.36M)

Duration: 1. 4. 2008 – 31. 7. 2009

PaperVOC

VOCs in paper-based cultural heritage collections -source of information or risk?
PaperVOC: Hlapne organske snovi v zbirkah kulturne dediščine na papirju – vir informacij ali zdravstveno tveganje?

See the Project website and SICRIS website.

Role in the project: Coordination

Funding: Slovenian Research Agency (SIT 8M) and Nationaal Archief

Duration: 1. 1. 2007 – 31. 12. 2009