Project name:
Strengthening research in the Croatian Geological Survey: Geoscience-Twinning to develop state-of-the-art subsurface modelling capability and scientific impact.

Project acronym: GeoTwinn

Specific Challenge: The specific challenge is to address networking gaps and deficiencies between the research institutions of the Widening countries and internationally-leading counterparts at EU level. 

Scope: Twinning aims at significantly strengthening a defined field of research in a university or research organisation from a Widening country by linking it with at least two internationally-leading research institutions in other Member States or Associated Countries.

Croatian Geological Survey (HGI-CGS) – COORDINATOR

Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS)– BENEFICIARY

British Geological Survey (BGS – UKRI) – BENEFICIARY

• Grant Agreement with: Research Executive Agency delegated by the European Commission
• Project Start Date: 01/10/2018
• Project End Date: 31/01/2022

The GeoTwinn project is one of the European Union’s Twinning  project funded under the Widespread programme of Horizon 2020.

The project aims to strengthen the research and science as well as technology capacity within the Croatian Geological Survey (HGI-CGS) by linking it with two-world leading geoscience surveys, the Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS) and the British Geological Survey (BGS).

Central to this project is the development of active collaborations and partnerships between scientists in all three institutions through working on a range of geoscience topics, including

• 3D geological surveying and modelling (WP1)
• groundwater flow and contaminant transport modelling (WP2)
• geological hazards (WP3)
• geothermal energy (WP4)

The selected topics present core geological areas and activities, which are intrinsically linked through the data that they require/ generate/ manipulate (Figure 1). Effective communication between the work packages is, therefore, a key element of this project.

Figure 1: Work package structure and interactions

Collaboration and training will be achieved  through a range of activities such as scientific workshops and exchanges as well as through delivery of bespoke training programmes. The main approach to achieving the project objectives is summarised in Figure 2.

Figure 2: Overall twinning approach, key twinning elements, activities
and interdependencies.

Whilst the project focuses on supporting HGI-CGS to achieve a step-change in its research capacity, it will also offer great benefits and learning to staff at GEUS and BGS staff; e.g. through exposure to the diverse range of geological settings within Croatia (for example their internationally important karst environment) and its particular environmental challenges. It will also offer them the opportunity to expand their professional networks by meeting new colleagues and stakeholders in Croatia and adjoining countries.