Periodic Reporting for period 2 - FRISSBE (Fire-safe Sustainable Built Environment)
Berichtszeitraum: 2022-07-01 bis 2024-09-30
The FRISSBE project is implementing new practices at the Slovenian National Building and Civil Engineering Institute (ZAG) by attracting and maintaining high quality human resources under the direction of the ERA Chair holder, Prof. Grunde Jomaas.
The project is leading to lasting, sustainable structural changes with the aim to achieve excellence in the field of fire-safe sustainable built environments – at ZAG, in Slovenia and beyond. In addition, the project should positively influence ZAG’s research and innovation landscape by intensifying an already strong collaboration with industry and result in enhanced competitiveness in attaining national and European research projects. The changes are being tested in a new, autonomous unit – the Department for Research of Fire-safe and Sustainable Built Environment (FRISSBE department) – and should be transferable to all departments at ZAG. 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 R&D collaboration with industry. The concept is tested on a few levels, namely (1) testing the research enhancement process, (2) capacity building in applying for competitive funds, and (3) building lasting relationships with relevant stakeholders. Dissemination activities focusing on two-way communication with identified stakeholders and will thus enhance ZAG’s network and contribute positively to its status. The FRISSBE project is also having regional impacts in terms of research, education, and engineering practice. The team is building a strong interactive ecosystem with the InnoRenew CoE and the University of Primorska, as well as other institutions, organizations and universities. The added value of the project is amplifying the capacities of ZAG’s new, state-of-the-art Fire laboratory in Logatec, which was co-financed with ERDF funds and thereby ensuring conditions to foster excellent research. The long-term sustainability of the ERA Chair project will be achieved by combining national and EU research and innovation funding with industry funded R&D.
The project is leading to lasting, sustainable structural changes with the aim to achieve excellence in the field of fire-safe sustainable built environments – at ZAG, in Slovenia and beyond. In addition, the project should positively influence ZAG’s research and innovation landscape by intensifying an already strong collaboration with industry and result in enhanced competitiveness in attaining national and European research projects. The changes are being tested in a new, autonomous unit – the Department for Research of Fire-safe and Sustainable Built Environment (FRISSBE department) – and should be transferable to all departments at ZAG. 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 R&D collaboration with industry. The concept is tested on a few levels, namely (1) testing the research enhancement process, (2) capacity building in applying for competitive funds, and (3) building lasting relationships with relevant stakeholders. Dissemination activities focusing on two-way communication with identified stakeholders and will thus enhance ZAG’s network and contribute positively to its status. The FRISSBE project is also having regional impacts in terms of research, education, and engineering practice. The team is building a strong interactive ecosystem with the InnoRenew CoE and the University of Primorska, as well as other institutions, organizations and universities. The added value of the project is amplifying the capacities of ZAG’s new, state-of-the-art Fire laboratory in Logatec, which was co-financed with ERDF funds and thereby ensuring conditions to foster excellent research. The long-term sustainability of the ERA Chair project will be achieved by combining national and EU research and innovation funding with industry funded R&D.
ZAG established the ERA Chair as a new department and completely independent unit (Department for Fire-Safe and Sustainable Built Environment) in 2021. In 2022, ZAG completed the construction of a cutting-edge research infrastructure for fire testing and research laboratory in Logatec, Slovenia. This new facility is creating the appropriate conditions for high-quality outstanding researchers and research managers to move and engage with the beneficiary, aiming to achieve excellence in the scientific field of fire-safe sustainable built environments and modify their research and innovation landscape. ZAG attracted an internationally leading and highly recognized researcher with great project management skills, Prof. Grunde Jomaas, to the ERA Chair holder position. The ERA Chair holder started his position on October 1, 2021. Based on a SWOT analysis, he suggested institutional changes and prepared an employment plan to establish the FRISSBE research team which was corrected during the RP2. By the end of RP2, four senior researchers, three PhD students, and two other staff members had been employed. In addition, one post-doctoral researcher was employed for a short period in 2023. Efforts to engage additional post-doctoral researchers have shown to be very challenging, which is in line with what other researchers in the field of fire safety experience throughout Europe. All the envisaged support personnel have been employed by month 18, and all the new employees are fluent in English. ZAG established a bilingual working environment and offers additional daily support during and after the employment process to all international employees if needed. The capacity building programme is underway for all FRISSBE researchers and for some support personnel as well (for 20 people altogether). Trainings for FRISSBE researchers, as well as for support staff are being organized regularly covering project management, proposal writing, IP management & technology transfer, Slovene lessons, and many other topics. A plan for research activities including a plan for gathering additional research funds was prepared in 2023. Altogether, 20 research project applications to national and Horizon calls were submitted, 9 of them included industrial partners and 17 included research organizations and universities. The FRISSBE Team gained 5 new research projects and 8 other grants (e.g. purchase of research equipment, fellowship). So far, ZAG has funded 14 internal research projects connecting the new unit with other ZAG research units. In this way, good practices and knowledge on project management and literature search, review and referencing, project planning and risk assessment, research execution, data analysis, and technical writing are transferred from the new unit to the preexisting ones, thereby leading to the increased scientific excellence of the whole organization. The ERA Chair holder with his team established wide cooperation with research and/or education organizations in Slovenia and abroad. Until now, 5 workshops for industry and one well-intended international conference were organized. In addition, several contacts with business organizations were established and two important contracts with international companies were signed.
Gender equality aspects are considered continuously.
From the project start onward, FRISSBE was heavily promoted using different channels. In total, the FRISSBE project had 413 dissemination activities, 403 communication activities, and currently has 4,676 followers on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/frissbe/) and 325 on X (https://x.com/FRISSBEproject(öffnet in neuem Fenster)).
Gender equality aspects are considered continuously.
From the project start onward, FRISSBE was heavily promoted using different channels. In total, the FRISSBE project had 413 dissemination activities, 403 communication activities, and currently has 4,676 followers on LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/company/frissbe/) and 325 on X (https://x.com/FRISSBEproject(öffnet in neuem Fenster)).
The FRISSBE project will have the following results by its end date in December 2026:
- 1 conceptually new, independent unit established – the Department for Research of Fire-Safe and Sustainable Built Environment
- new skilled personnel involved in fire research at ZAG: ERA Chair holder, 2 senior researchers, 6 post-doctoral researchers and 3 PhD students,
- 5 completed trainings on project proposal writing and management,
- 5 trainings on intellectual property rights and IP management,
- 3 new guidelines valid for all of ZAG: intellectual property (IP) management, technology transfer, and human resources management,
- 10 meetings with management to present and transfer results from FRISSBE department to other ZAG research units,
- 4 well-attended international conferences organized,
- 5 new cooperations established between ZAG and universities, and research organizations (signed agreements for long-term cooperation),
- 5 project proposals submitted that include universities and other research organizations,
- 10 project proposals submitted that include business organizations,
- 3 contracts with industry from abroad.
The project will have the following impacts:
1. Institutional changes within ZAG to implement the European Research Area’s priorities and to improve research organization and management at ZAG,
2. Increased attractiveness of ZAG, the region, and the country (Slovenia) for internationally excellent and mobile researchers,
3. Increased research excellence of the institution,
4. Improved capability to compete successfully for internationally competitive research funding.
- 1 conceptually new, independent unit established – the Department for Research of Fire-Safe and Sustainable Built Environment
- new skilled personnel involved in fire research at ZAG: ERA Chair holder, 2 senior researchers, 6 post-doctoral researchers and 3 PhD students,
- 5 completed trainings on project proposal writing and management,
- 5 trainings on intellectual property rights and IP management,
- 3 new guidelines valid for all of ZAG: intellectual property (IP) management, technology transfer, and human resources management,
- 10 meetings with management to present and transfer results from FRISSBE department to other ZAG research units,
- 4 well-attended international conferences organized,
- 5 new cooperations established between ZAG and universities, and research organizations (signed agreements for long-term cooperation),
- 5 project proposals submitted that include universities and other research organizations,
- 10 project proposals submitted that include business organizations,
- 3 contracts with industry from abroad.
The project will have the following impacts:
1. Institutional changes within ZAG to implement the European Research Area’s priorities and to improve research organization and management at ZAG,
2. Increased attractiveness of ZAG, the region, and the country (Slovenia) for internationally excellent and mobile researchers,
3. Increased research excellence of the institution,
4. Improved capability to compete successfully for internationally competitive research funding.