Recipients of awards

Dr. Lucija Kolar –s svojim delom in pridobljenim znanjem pogosto odpira nova področja, jih poglobljeno razvija ter jih nato povezuje v širšo celoto. Doktorirala je na Univerzi v Ljubljani na področju ekotoksikologije v okviru programa Biomedicina na podiplomskem študiju Veterinarske medicine. Med podiplomskim študijem je bila gostujoča študentka na Vrije University v Amsterdamu na Nizozemskem pod mentorstvom enega najpomembnejših evropskih ekotoksikologov, dr. Keesa van Gestela. Bila je prva oseba, ki je svojo doktorsko disertacijo zagovarjala v angleščini, saj je temeljila na petih izvirnih znanstvenih člankih, s čimer je postavila pomemben mejnik na Veterinarski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani. Za svojo doktorsko nalogo je prejela Krkino nacionalno nagrado.
Kasneje se je iz raziskovalne sfere premaknila v podjetniške vode in ustanovila zasebni inštitut Complementarium (www.complementarium.si), kjer s svojo akademsko raziskovalno podlago ustvarja nove poslovne modele, dostopne širši javnosti. 

Od aprila dalje bo svoje znanje prispevala v panevropskem projektu MAG-NET (EU Urban Initiative), katerega glavni cilj je ustvariti trajnostni, participativni okvir in podporna orodja za mestne oblasti, s poudarkom na spodbujanju inovacij v urbanih območjih, krepitvi povpraševanja in ponudbe talentov ter vzpostavljanju vključujočega lokalnega razvoja.

Dr. Lucija Kolar – through her work and acquired knowledge, she often opens new fields of research, develops them in depth, and then connects them into a broader, interdisciplinary whole.

She earned her PhD at the University of Ljubljana in the field of ecotoxicology within the Biomedicine doctoral program at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine. During her doctoral studies, she was a visiting student at Vrije University in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, under the mentorship of one of Europe’s leading ecotoxicologists, Dr. Kees van Gestel.

She was the first person to defend a doctoral dissertation in English at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, setting an important milestone. Her dissertation was based on five original scientific articles. For her exceptional doctoral work, she received the national Krka Award.

Later, she transitioned from academic research into entrepreneurship by founding the Complementarium Institute (www.complementarium.si), where she uses her academic research background to create innovative business models accessible to a broader public.

Starting in April, she will contribute her expertise to the pan-European MAG-NET project (EU Urban Initiative). The main goal of this initiative is to create a sustainable, participatory framework and support tools for urban authorities, with a strong focus on fostering urban innovation, strengthening the demand and supply of talent, and enabling inclusive local development.