Technical university in Zvolen

The Technical University in Zvolen is a Slovak university with a strong research and education profile in forestry, ecology, environmental sciences, wood sciences, technology and sustainable use of natural resources. The university covers the full knowledge chain from forest ecosystems, landscape and biodiversity through wood as a renewable material to environmental technologies and bio-based products.

TUZVO offers multidisciplinary expertise through its Faculty of Forestry, Faculty of Ecology and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Wood Sciences and Technology and Faculty of Technology. The university is especially well positioned for Horizon Europe Mission-oriented projects addressing climate adaptation, soil and forest ecosystem health, biodiversity monitoring, green infrastructure, sustainable land use, nature-based solutions, ecosystem services, forest-based bioeconomy, wood-based construction and environmental technologies.

Relevant expertise offered:
TUZVO can contribute scientific, methodological and applied expertise in:

• forest ecology, adaptive forest management, silviculture, forest protection and forest ecosystem modelling;

• biodiversity monitoring, wildlife management, applied zoology, forest vertebrates and nature conservation;

• landscape ecology, landscape planning, green infrastructure, ecosystem services and sustainable land-use management;

• soil–water–plant–atmosphere interactions, forest soils, soil carbon, soil microbiology, soil moisture and retention capacity;

• climate change impacts on forests and landscapes, natural hazards, ecosystem resilience and adaptation measures;

• remote sensing, GIS, geoinformation and mapping technologies for forest and landscape monitoring;

• freshwater ecology and environmental impacts of pollutants on aquatic ecosystems;

• wood sciences, lignocellulosic materials, wood modification, wood-based products and zero-carbon wood-based constructions;

• environmental and forestry machinery, renewable energy sources, biomass, energy efficiency and environmentally acceptable technologies.

TUZVO has research teams and facilities relevant to Horizon Europe Missions, including research teams in forest biodiversity, forest ecosystem analysis and modelling, ecology of forest ecosystem disturbances, ecology of forest vertebrates, climate change and natural hazards, soil–water–plant–atmosphere studies, ecosystem services and green infrastructure, freshwater ecology, aquatic pollutants, wood-based zero-carbon constructions and forest/wood-sector bioeconomy. The university also has centres and laboratory capacities related to adaptive forest ecosystems, decision support in forest and landscape management, remote sensing, precision forestry, forest soils and ecophysiology.

Potential project contribution:
TUZVO is interested in joining consortia as a scientific and implementation partner. The university can contribute to work packages focused on field research, ecosystem and biodiversity monitoring, GIS and remote sensing, landscape assessment, modelling, demonstration of nature-based solutions, stakeholder engagement with forest and land managers, evaluation of ecosystem services, climate adaptation strategies, soil health assessment, sustainable forest management, wood-based bioeconomy and dissemination/training activities.

Preferred role in projects:
Research partner; task leader or work package contributor in ecological, forestry, landscape, soil, biodiversity, GIS/remote sensing, green infrastructure, wood-based bioeconomy or environmental technology tasks.