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OIKON Ltd. – Institute of Applied Ecology is a leading licensed and accredited consulting company / research institute in the field of applied ecology in Croatia and the region. In 27 years of experience, we have successfully completed more than 1,650 contracts for over 550 satisfied clients.
We offer services in the fields of nature and environmental protection, industrial ecology, renewable energy, sustainable development, natural resource management, ecological modelling, landscape analysis and design, geographic information systems (GIS), remote sensing and ICT, environmental law, policy and economics, feasibility studies, as well as program and project management.
OIKON is independently operated and privately owned. In Croatia, it is officially licensed for activities in the fields of environmental and nature protection, geodesy, protection and conservation of cultural heritage, and development of forest management plans.
Our firm belief in ethical corporate management, continuous training of our talented staff, leadership and innovation, quality management, social responsibility, customer focus, and quality service have resulted in an image of competence and reliability.
OUR MISSION
We design practical, pragmatic, feasible and cost-effective development solutions that meet our clients’ needs while protecting the public interest. We develop and maintain an excellent business and research system that enables the creation of knowledge necessary for environmental protection, sustainable natural resource management, and the preservation of natural and cultural heritage
OUR VISION
Always one step ahead in the development of human society in harmony with nature
INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
Our business activities are based on an integrated management system for quality, environment, health and safety at work, information technology, and information security that adheres to the highest international ISO standards. We are also proud holders of the Platinum AAA Creditworthiness Certificate
OUR SERVICES
Organization
OIKON is organized into 5 departments: the Department of Environmental Engineering and Landscape Architecture, the Department of Nature Protection, the Department of Natural Resources Management, the Department of Environmental Law, Policy, and Economics, and the Department of Sustainability and Climate Resilience. Complementing these, we house 5 specialized laboratories: the Laboratory for Remote Sensing and GIS – LaDIGIS, the Laboratory for Research and Monitoring of Large Carnivores and Ecology of Vertebrates, the Laboratory for Fish and Aquatic Ecosystems, the Laboratory for Data Science, and the Laboratory for Biodiversity and Population Genetics.
Our team comprises professionals spanning diverse disciplines such as ecology, economics, environmental management, nature protection, agronomy, biology, chemistry, civil engineering, forestry, geodesy, geoinformatics, geological engineering, IT, landscape architecture, meteorology, physics, geography, public relations, journalism, and law.
They all have access to cutting-edge professional equipment, hardware, and software, which ensures professional assessments and research.
Of our dedicated professionals, 13 hold doctoral degrees, 13 are accredited researchers by the Ministry of Science and Education, seven engineers are accredited by the Croatian Chamber of Architects and Engineers, the Croatian Chamber of Forest and Wood Technology, and the Croatian Chamber of Engineers of Geodesy. Additionally, three of our experts are certified Project Management Professionals by the Project Management Institute, USA.
CORE BUSINESS
At OIKON, our core business revolves around providing sustainable development support services, and we proudly declare that “WITH US, DEVELOPMENT IS NATURAL” – our guiding motto. Within our service portfolio, we prioritize pragmatic, practical, implementable, affordable, and tidy solutions. These solutions are crafted to best serve our clients’ needs while simultaneously upholding the public interest in protected environments and surrounding nature.
OIKON stands out as a major provider of environmental impact assessments (EIA), environmental management plans (EMP) and appropriate assessments in regard to the ecological network NATURA 2000 in Croatia, for all kinds of developments in both terrestrial and marine environments, including projects related to water protection, e.g. wastewater treatment plants and sewerage systems, large dams, accumulations and retentions, irrigation projects, multipurpose channel Danube-Sava, protection of wetlands as well as projects related to waste management e.g. waste management centres, transfer stations, landfills, investigations work for waste management centres, remediation procedure etc.
We are working on several projects financed by the European Space Agency (ESA): “Human-Induced Coastal Change Monitoring”, “Development of detection method for invasive plant species using Sentinel data”, and “Sentinel-based infralittoral sea habitat type mapping”. In addition to contributing to the conservation of ecosystems and biodiversity, these projects also contribute to the development of space technology in Croatia.
Moreover, we boast substantial experience in collaborating with leading development agencies and international financing institutions (IFIs) such as EU/EuropeAid (utilizing pre-accession and community funds), WB, EBRD, EIB, KfW, UNDP, WWF, GEF, and NATO. In the implementation of projects funded by these agencies and IFIs, we have successfully collaborated with prominent European environmental consultancies and scientific institutions.
REGIONAL EXPERIENCE
OIKON takes pride in its extensive regional experience, particularly in spearheading various environmental initiatives. Our portfolio includes the development of management plans for national parks, nature parks, and special forest reserves in Bosnia and Herzegovina (B&H) and Albania. Our expertise extends to conducting feasibility studies for expanding protected areas in B&H and undertaking environmental impact assessments for diverse infrastructures such as highways and gas pipelines in B&H, Montenegro, and Albania. Additionally, we actively participate in Coastal zoning management planning in Montenegro and Albania.
Our services cover a wide range of activities, including baseline studies of flora, fauna, habitat mapping, ecological networks (Natura 2000), and training and education programs for experts utilizing GIS and satellite images. These initiatives span across Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, and Turkey.
OIKON has played a pivotal role in shaping the wind and solar energy landscape in our region by offering scientific expertise and informed insights. We are the trusted choice for many investors in the SEE region, addressing environmental, nature, and sustainability challenges. Notable renewable energy projects outside of Croatia include wind farms such as Bitovnja, Podveležje, and Mesihovina in B&H, and Senožeška brda and Zajčica in Slovenia.
Our involvement extends to projects like the Copernicus Land Monitoring Service CLC+ Backbone Production for the European Environment Agency. This initiative includes Raster and Vector Products based on Satellite Input Data from 2017/2018/2019, focusing on Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo, and Albania.
Since 2019, we have proudly served as a UNIGIS Study Centre, acting as a focal point for students from nine Southeast European countries (Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Montenegro, Croatia, Kosovo, Northern Macedonia, Slovenia, and Serbia) enrolled in online academic programs in Geoinformatics with degrees awarded by the University of Salzburg.
In 2020, we expanded our operations to Slovenia with the establishment of OIKON SI, Institute for Sustainable Development Ltd., headquartered in Ljubljana. This move allowed us to offer an extensive range of services and specialties in sustainable development, solidifying our unique presence in the region. Our journey continued in 2023 with the expansion of services to the Middle East and Africa region, leading to the establishment of OIKON MEA Ltd., with an office in Dubai, UAE. This office specializes in providing sustainable development services and environmentally friendly solutions related to renewable energy.