The Koper Science and Research Centre (ZRS) has broken ground on the Competence Centre for Olives and other Mediterranean Crops, a €4.5 million project that is to be completed in two years.

Located in the village of Plavje, a few kilometres northeast of Koper, the centre will house the Oliveculture Institute Laboratory, as well as the Institute of Viticulture and Wine Production.

Occupying the site of a former military outpost just south of the border with Italy, the centre will support the development of biotechnologies, climate change adaptation and circular economy practices, according to ZRS Koper.

ZRS Koper is comprised of ten institutes and infrastructure units, employing nearly 150 researchers and other experts.

Before the groundbreaking ceremony on 22 November, ZRS Koper director Rado Pišot said the investment would allow the institute to contribute to economic growth and sustainable development in the region.

The bulk of the funds for the new centre has been provided by the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation.

There are about 2,600 hectares of olive groves in Slovenia, according to official data. Most can be found in the Slovenian part of the Istrian peninsula (96%), while olives are also grown in the areas of Goriško, Goriška Brda, Vipava and Kras.

Reliable data on the amount of olive oil produced are not available because there is no register of producers, according to Maja Podgornik, the head of the Institute for Oliveculture at ZRS Koper.

Data from the national Statistical Office show Slovenia produces between 400 and 900 tonnes of olive oil a year, with estimates from various sources ranging from 500 to 1,500 tonnes. At least 2,200 tonnes of olive oil are imported a year.

Although Slovenia is a small player in olive production, Slovenian olive growers regularly win awards at international competitions.

The acclaimed Italian guide to the world of extra virgin olive oil, Flos Olei included 15 oils from Slovenia among 500 oils from 56 countries in its 2025 edition, of which 14 from Slovenian Istria. Flos Olei 2024 featured 18 producers from Slovenian Istria.