Jana Kolar

Jana Kolar is Director of the National and University Library of Slovenia and an EIC Ambassador, promoting innovation and entrepreneurship across Europe. She serves on the UKRI Scienceand Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and is a member of the advisory boards of University of Helsinki and HUN-REN. With extensive experience in research and innovation policy, infrastructure, and science management, she held several prominent roles. These include Chair of the European Strategy Forum on Research Infrastructures (ESFRI), Executive Director of CERIC-ERIC, and Director-General for Science and Technology at the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. She also chaired the Boards of the Slovenian Technology Agency and Slovenian Research Agency and served on the Governing Board of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT).She was appointed to the European Innovation Council’s High-Level Group of Innovators and Austria’s ERA Council Forum, earning the Golden Badge of Honour for Services to the Republic of Austria. Trained as a chemist, Jana Kolar has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications, holds a European patent, and co-authored numerous expert reports for the European Commission. Her work has earned her Slovenia’s Zois Award, the Prometej Award for science communication, and inspired the film Letters from Egypt.