Climate change poses unprecedented challenges, threatening ecosystems, economies, and human health worldwide. The urgent need for effective solutions highlights the disconnect between scientific research and real-world application. Many researchers struggle to translate their findings into practices that address pressing environmental issues. Bridging this gap is essential for fostering sustainable change and empowering future leaders in climate science. Funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions programme, the GAIA COFUND project will support promising young scientists in developing practical solutions for climate mitigation and adaptation. Emphasising collaboration with industry, the programme equips fellows with the skills to navigate both academia and the industrial landscape. With 24 partners, GAIA fosters a network that promotes open science and innovation.

Coordinator: University of Southern Denmark, SDU (Denmark)

Partner: University of Rijeka, Faculty of Civil Engineering (Asocc. Prof. Nino Krvavica)

Duration: 2025-2029

Budget: 1.432.800,00 EUR

Web page: https://www.thegaiaproject.eu/about

ACROSS RISK

Adriatic Cross-border Smart System for Multi-risk Identification and Shared Knowledge

A shared system for assessing and managing natural risks and enhancing the safety of communities along the Adriatic coast. The project received funding from the EU and the Interreg Italy–Croatia programme.

• Duration: 30 months (01/10/2026 – 31/03/2029)
• Total budget: €1,487,803.44
• ERDF: €1,190,242.74
• Programme: Interreg Italy–Croatia 2021–2027 | Standard Project
• Partnership: 6 partners (3 from Italy and 3 from Croatia)

About the project

Earthquakes, floods and landslides pose growing threats to communities, infrastructure and the natural and built heritage of the Adriatic region. Although Italy and Croatia are both exposed to these phenomena, differences in risk assessment methodologies, monitoring systems and emergency planning and management procedures make it more difficult to adopt common strategies and coordinated responses.

ACROSS RISK addresses these challenges by strengthening cross-border cooperation and bringing together scientific knowledge, innovative technologies and the expertise of institutions responsible for civil protection.

The project aims to develop and test a shared smart system for identifying, assessing and managing natural hazards, helping territories anticipate emergencies and better protect their communities.

Main objectives and activities

ACROSS RISK aims to strengthen cooperation between Italy and Croatia in the assessment and management of natural hazards through the development of methodologies, digital tools and shared operational procedures.

The main activities include:

• Integrated risk assessment: development of shared methodologies and models to analyse risks associated with earthquakes, floods and landslides, including through simulations of complex scenarios.
• Digital tools and early warning: development of a shared digital platform to integrate and share data, simulate risk scenarios and support monitoring and decision-making processes.
• Pilot projects in the field: testing the tools and methodologies developed in two pilot areas, the Gargano National Park in Italy and the Vinodol area in Croatia.
• Shared planning and operational procedures: development of common guidelines and tools to improve emergency planning and coordination between civil protection authorities and operators.
• Training and awareness-raising: organisation of joint training activities aimed at civil protection operators, volunteers and institutions, alongside initiatives dedicated to young people and local communities.

Expected results

ACROSS RISK will help make the Adriatic region better prepared and more resilient in the face of natural hazards, by promoting the shift from a predominantly emergency-based management approach to a more integrated and proactive one, based on an understanding of risks and emergency preparedness.

Through shared methodologies and tools, coordinated operational procedures and greater collaboration between institutions, the project aims to strengthen emergency response capacity, facilitate the exchange of knowledge and best practice, and promote solutions that can also be applied in other European regions.

The role of the University of Rijeka, Faculty of Civil Engineering

The University of Rijeka, Faculty of Civil Engineering participates in the project as a Croatian scientific partner, contributing its research expertise in floods, landslides and earthquakes to the integrated assessment of natural hazards.

In particular, the Faculty develops and applies models for flood, landslide and seismic hazard and risk assessment, combining hydrological and hydraulic modelling, rainfall thresholds for landslide initiation, high resolution terrain analysis and machine learning methods for susceptibility and exposure mapping. The Faculty is responsible for applying these models in the Croatian pilot area of Vinodol.

The Faculty also contributes to joint training and capacity building activities, transferring scientific knowledge to civil protection operators, institutions and local communities.

Project partnership

ACROSS RISK brings together six organisations from Italy and Croatia, combining complementary expertise in scientific research, territorial development, environmental protection and innovation.

• Lead Partner: University of Padua – Department of Geosciences (Italy)
• Venetian Cluster S.r.l. (Italy)
• University of Rijeka – Faculty of Civil Engineering (Croatia)
• DUNEA – Regional Development Agency of Dubrovnik-Neretva County (Croatia)
• RERA S.D. – Public Institution for Coordination and Development of Split-Dalmatia County (Croatia)
• Gargano National Park (Italy)
• Associated Partner: Dubrovnik-Neretva County (Croatia)

Official project website

ACROSS RISK – Interreg Italy–Croatia

AI RESONANCE

Natural risk prevention and management through physics based methods and AI

A cross-border project that builds on the Interreg Italy–Croatia RESONANCE project. It combines coastal monitoring, physical and numerical modelling and artificial intelligence to support climate change adaptation and the management of coastal hazards in the Adriatic area. The project received funding from the EU and the Interreg Italy–Croatia programme.

• Project ID: ITHR0600881
• Duration: 30 months (01/09/2026 to 28/02/2029)
• Total budget: €1,310,242.50
• Programme: Interreg Italy–Croatia 2021–2027 | Standard Project
• Priority: 2, Green and resilient shared environment | Specific objective 2.1, Climate change adaptation
• Lead Partner: University of Urbino “Carlo Bo”, Department of Pure and Applied Sciences (Italy)
• Partnership: 5 partners (2 from Italy and 3 from Croatia)

Official project website

RESONANCE AI – Interreg Italy–Croatia

The project “Extended Reality for Training Green Skills in the Construction Sector” has been approved under Key Action 2: Vocational Education and Training.

XRGREEN.CON aims to promote circular economy topics in construction, showcasing examples, best practices, and learning experiences through educational AR/VR gamified simulations. The project will enable employees, employers, and industry stakeholders to gain experience and practice real-life situations within a virtual simulation.

The project will implement the following key activities:

1. Defining the necessary skills required by construction trainers in relation to extended reality and environmental protection in the construction sector.
2. Developing online and interactive learning resources.
3. Creating virtual and augmented reality scenarios for trainees in the sector, focusing on green topics.
4. Promoting green and digital transition in construction through XR tools.

Project Coordinator:

Liepajas Valsts Tehnikums (Latvia)

Partner:

Faculty of Civil Engineering, University of Rijeka (Assoc. Prof. Neira Torić Malić, PhD)

The project has been awarded a budget of €250,000 for a 24-month duration.

Project Duration:

October 1, 2024 – July 31, 2026

Website: https://xrgreencon.eu/

The Faculty of Civil Engineering is a partner in the Erasmus+ KA2 project “Open GLASSroom.”

The University of Rijeka (which has authorized the Faculty of Civil Engineering to implement this project), together with five European universities, has received €400,000 in support from Erasmus+ Cooperation Partnerships for the Open GLASSroom project. This funding will enable us to establish and launch an online platform for education on glass design and engineering, accessible to everyone.

Despite its popularity, glass is still considered a highly specialized material, rarely taught at technical universities and certainly not at the same level as more commonly used materials such as steel, concrete, and wood. By developing a future-oriented joint curriculum for glass based on contributions from a diverse international community of glass experts, this Erasmus+ project will consolidate existing knowledge and create synergy among students, lecturers, researchers, and industry professionals across Europe.

The project consortium includes six European universities: Technische Universität Dresden, Delft University of Technology, Czech Technical University in Prague, University of Rijeka, Universitat de Girona, and Politecnico di Bari, with support from industry partners: Arup, Permasteelisa Group, Octatube, Bellapart Group, ABT bv, Eckersley O’Callaghan, and the International Year of Glass 2022. The proposal was developed with financial support from the TU Dresden Internationalization Funding Program.

Together, we will produce high-quality educational materials on glass design and engineering, digitize them, and share them as Open Educational Resources (OER) on the Open GLASSroom open-access online platform. The project will address both fundamental and emerging topics in research and innovation, including the sustainability of glass in construction. The project results will be shared beyond our consortium, encouraging active participation from students, lecturers, researchers, and industry professionals.

The project started on November 1, 2022, and will run for three years.

Website: http://openglassroom.eu/

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@openglassroom/videos

Project flyer

Open GLASSroom Team

Adriana Bjelanović | University of Rijeka (Faculty of Civil Engineering)

Francesco Fiorito | Politecnico di Bari

Faidra Oikonomopoulou, Christian Louter, Mauro Overend | TU Delft

Jagoda Cupać, Aline Bergert | TU Dresden

Daniel Trias | Universitat de Girona

Martina Eliášová | CTU Prague

Funding Source: Scientific and Technological Cooperation Croatia – PR China 2025-2026
Project Leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nina Čeh
Project Implementation Period: 2025-2026

Funding Source: Scientific and Technological Cooperation Croatia – PR China 2025-2026
Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Leo Škec
Project Implementation Period: 2025-2026

Funding Source: Scientific and Technological Cooperation Croatia – PR China 2025-2026
Project Leader: Assoc. Prof. Dr. Martina Vivoda Prodan
Project Implementation Period: 2025-2026

The aim of this project is to investigate numerical methods for the time integration of non-smooth contact dynamics problems with unilateral contacts and impacts. In general, this will involve implementing common so-called “event-capturing” schemes for time integration and applying them to an engineering mechanics problem, specifically, the rocking of a rigid block on an elastic beam.

More precisely, the project will focus on analyzing the convergence, stability, and accuracy of these schemes, followed by an investigation of their applicability in predicting the dynamic behavior of the studied problem. The latter will be carried out through validation of numerical results with experimental measurements.

Funding Source: Ministry of Science and Education (MZO), Croatia – DAAD, Germany
Project Leader: Assist. Prof. Dr. Teo Mudrić
Project Implementation Period: 2024-2025

COST Action CA24144 ANTICIPATE is supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).

Description: ANTICIPATE is a European research network that improves early warning systems by combining multi-hazard approaches with extended range forecasts, i.e. lead times of several weeks. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent, more intense and more interconnected, while forecasts still focus mainly on single hazards and short timeframes. The Action investigates interactions between hazards (from heatwaves and droughts to floods and storms), including cascading and compound events, links them with extended range predictions, and works with stakeholders to design clearer and more actionable early warning systems that support timely decisions and anticipatory action. Activities are organised in five working groups: sources of multi-hazard predictability, linking multi-hazards with extended range predictions, multi-hazard impacts and databases, early warning products for anticipatory actions, and cross-cutting co-design, stakeholder engagement and dissemination.

Faculty lead and Management Committee (MC) member for Croatia: Assoc. Prof. Nino Krvavica, PhD

Action code: CA24144

Duration: 29 October 2025 to 28 October 2029

Website: https://cost-anticipate.eu/

Funding Source: International Programme on Landslides, International Consortium on Landslides

Project Leader: Prof. Dr. Željko Arbanas

Collaborators:

• Assist. Prof. Dr. Josip Peranić
• Prof. Dr. Sabatino Cuomo
• Dr. Angela Di Perna, Postdoctoral Researcher, Salerno University, Italy

Project Implementation Period: 2023-2027

Budget: The project provides funding for the dissemination of results.

Funding Source: International Programme on Landslides, International Consortium on Landslides

Project Leader: Dr. Josip Peranić

Collaborators:

• Dr. Željko Arbanas
• Dr. Vedran Jagodnik
• Dr. Martina Vivoda Prodan
• Faculty of Mining, Geology and Petroleum Engineering, University of Zagreb – Dr. Sanja Bernat Gazibara

Project Implementation Period: 2022-2026

Budget: The project provides funding for the dissemination of results.

Funding	Title	PI	Duration
Erasmus KA2	The Career Garden – Building bridges between educational institutions and companies via remote and hybrid internships	Sanja Dugonjić Jovančević	2021-2024
Bilateral	Development of prediction model of pedestrian children behavior in the urban transport network	Aleksandra Deluka-Tibljaš	2020-2022
Bilateral	Experimental study of bridge structures considering the asymmetric effect under multiple support excitation	Nina Čeh	2020-2022
Bilateral	Development of a Shell Finite Element Based on the Tied Interpolation Concept and Its Application to Layered Structures	Dragan Ribarić	2020-2021
COST	Optimising Design for Inspection	Leo Škec	2019-2024
Horizon Europe	Joint Training on Numerical Modelling of Highly-flexible Structures for Industrial Applications	Gordan Jelenić	2019-2023
Bilateral	Rocking of a Rigid Block on an Elastic Structure – Approach Using the Non-Smooth Contact Dynamics Method and Experimental Validation	Gordan Jelenić	2019-2020
Erasmus KA2	Strengthening of master curricula in water resources management for the Western Balkans HEIs and stakeholders	Barbara Karleuša	2018-2020
Bilateral	Experimental Testing of Large-Span Structures Under Multiple Support Excitations	Gordan Jelenić	2018-2020
Other	Rockfall hazard identification and rockfall protection in the coastal zone of Croatia	Željko Arbanas	2017-2021
Interreg	Accessibility, usability and safety for a sustainable tourism in the transnational coastal zone	Igor Ružić	2016-2019
Horizon Europe	Modelling mixed-mode rate-dependent delamination in layered structures using geometrically nonlinear beam finite elements	Giulio Alfano (Brunel University)	2016-2018
Bilateral	Laboratory Testing and Numerical Modeling of Landslide Behavior in the Flysch of Croatia and Slovenia	Željko Arbanas	2016-2018
Bilateral	Reduction in Bending and Buckling Strength of Carbon Multi-Walled Nanotubes Due to Interlayer Bond Flexibility	Gordan Jelenić	2016-2018
Bilateral	Defining Trends and Assessing the Condition of Groundwater in the Karst Areas of Croatia	Josip Rubinić	2015-2016
Bilateral	Study of Landslides in Flysch Deposits: Sliding Mechanism and Geotechnical Characteristics for Landslide Modeling and Disaster Mitigation	Željko Arbanas	2014-2015
COST	Basis of structural timber design – from research to standards	Adriana Bjelanović	2014-2018
Interreg	Networking for Drinking Water Supply in Adriatic Region	Barbara Karleuša	2013-2016
Bilateral	Evidence Based Characterisation of Dynamic Sensitivity for Multiblock Structures – Computational Simulation and Experimental Validation	Nenad Bićanić	2013-2015
Bilateral	Study of landslides in flysch deposits of North Istria,Croatia: sliding mechanisms, geotechnical properties, landslide modelling and landslide susceptibility	Željko Arbanas	2012-2017
COST	Enhance mechanical properties of timber, engineered wood products and timber structures	Adriana Bjelanović	2011-2015
Bilateral	Risk identification and land-use planning for disaster mitigation of landslides and floods in Croatia	Nevenka Ožanić	2009-2014
Bilateral	Non-linear numerical modelling of 3D reinforced concrete frame stuctures subject to reinforcement corrosion	Gordan Jelenić	2009-2010
Other	Long-term correlations in complex systems	Boris Podobnik	2007-2010
COST	Modelling of the performance of timber structures	Adriana Bjelanović	2006-2010