Research Group for Trace Elements Speciation

What Research Group for Trace Elements Speciation does

The Research Group for Trace Elements Speciation is a constituent unit of the Department of Environmental Sciences (O2) at the Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia's leading public scientific research institute, headquartered in Ljubljana with a secondary facility at the Reactor Centre in Dol pri Ljubljana. The group specialises in trace element speciation analysis using advanced mass spectrometry and nuclear analytical techniques, including ICP-MS, k0-neutron activation analysis (k0-INAA) performed at the TRIGA Mark II reactor, cold vapor atomic absorption spectrometry (CV-AAS) for mercury, stable isotope analysis, and ion chromatography. Its analytical work supports environmental monitoring, food authenticity and traceability, radiological safety around nuclear facilities, and emergency response via the ELME Mobile Unit.

The group is a Designated Institute (DI) under the Metrology Institute of the Republic of Slovenia (MIRS/IJS/F-2,O-2) and holds 32 published Calibration and Measurement Capabilities in the BIPM KCDB, with ISO/IEC 17025 accreditation covering radiochemical and stable isotope methods. It operates primarily through EU-funded research consortia (Horizon 2020, ERA Chair), bilateral service contracts with government agencies (Krško Nuclear Power Plant, the Administration of Slovenia for Civil Protection and Disaster Relief, the Port of Koper), and international training programmes for organisations including the IAEA, UNEP/WHO, and national authorities such as the Saudi Food and Drug Authority. Ancillary revenue streams include commissioned analytical services, accreditation support, and academic training; the group does not disclose revenue and functions as a non-profit state-funded entity.

Name

Research Group for Trace Elements Speciation

Legal name

Department of Environmental Sciences (O2) - Jožef Stefan Institute

Website

https://environment.si

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Research Group for Trace Elements Speciation, part of the Jožef Stefan Institute's Department of Environmental Sciences in Ljubljana, Slovenia, delivers accredited trace element speciation, isotope, and radiochemical analyses for government agencies, nuclear operators, EU research consortia, and international bodies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Analytical Laboratory Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYHLAGADAJ

Elemental Impurities & Trace Metals (ICP-MS)

Healthcare & Life Sciences/Life Science Tools & Services (CRO/CDMO/Lab Services)/Laboratory Testing & Analytical Services

SECONDARYEUAKAIAL

Nuclear Materials Testing, Assay & Characterization Services (NDA/NDE, radiochemistry, materials analysis)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Nuclear Energy/Nuclear Materials, Radiation Services & Isotopes (Medical/Industrial)

SECONDARYAFALAFAD

Heavy Metals & Trace Elements Testing (Pb, Cd, As, Hg)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Residue & Contaminant Testing (Pesticides, Veterinary Drugs, Mycotoxins, Heavy Metals)

SECONDARYEUAHACAJ

Radiological & Hazardous Materials Monitoring (Radiation, Asbestos, Lead)

Energy, Utilities & Environment/Environmental Compliance, Monitoring & Consulting/Environmental Monitoring & Sampling (Air/Water/Soil/Noise)

SECONDARYAFALAJAE

Chemical & Metals Water Testing (Nitrates, Lead, Copper, Heavy Metals)

Agriculture & Food Production/Food Safety, Testing & Certification/Water & Ice Testing for Food Operations (Potability, Process Water)

Keywords

• Analytical chemistry services
• Trace element analysis
• Environmental monitoring
• Food safety testing
• Radiological monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Ljubljana

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations

Revenue model

1. EU Research Project Funding: Primary funding from Horizon 2020, ERA Chair programs, and other EU research initiatives including MASSTWIN, ISO-FOOD, MEET-CINCH, GLOBAQUA, and other collaborative projects
2. Research Services and Consultancy: Radiological monitoring services for nuclear facilities (e.g., Krško NPP), accreditation services, and consultancy in environmental analysis
3. Training and Education: Summer schools, workshops, and training courses for international organizations including IAEA and national authorities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Research Group for Trace Elements Speciation is part of the Department of Environmental Sciences (O2) at the Jožef Stefan Institute, a public research institute in Slovenia. It provides analytical chemistry services focused on trace element speciation, environmental monitoring, food quality and safety testing, and radiological monitoring, alongside accredited analytical services, consulting, and training for industrial and research clients.

Product overview

The Research Group for Trace Elements Speciation (Department of Environmental Sciences O2) at Jožef Stefan Institute operates as a multidisciplinary research institution offering analytical chemistry, biogeochemistry, and radiochemistry services. The department comprises multiple specialized laboratories including the Laboratory for Analytical Chemistry, Laboratory for Biogeochemistry, Laboratory for Radiochemistry, Center for Mass Spectrometry, and Center for Radon. The department also operates the ELME (Ecological Laboratory with Mobile Unit) for rapid field response to environmental incidents. Research activities span environmental monitoring, food quality and safety, trace element speciation, mercury research, and stable isotope analysis. The department is a Designated Institute for amount of substance/chemical composition in organic and inorganic matrices and holds 32 Calibration and Measurement Capabilities (CMCs) approved by BIPM KCDB. The department also coordinates EU-funded projects including ISO-FOOD ERA Chair, MASSTWIN, and participates in the CROME network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MASSTWIN: H2020 Twinning Project focused on mass spectrometry expertise spreading in health, environment, and food analysis
• ISO-FOOD
• CROME
• ELME
• O2 Designated Institute

Products and services

• Trace Element Speciation Analysis
• Environmental Monitoring
• Food Quality and Safety Testing
• Radiological Monitoring
• Accredited Analytical Services
• Consulting and Training

Quantifiable outcome

• Radiological impact of Krško NPP assessed at less than 0.14 µSv per year, representing 0.8% of authorized dose limit
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Helmholtz-Zentrum fuer Umweltforschung GmbH – UFZcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MASSTWIN H2020 Twinning Project for spreading excellence in mass spectrometry. Contact: Kay Knöller. UFZ is a leading German environmental research center.
• Fondazione Edmund Mach di San Michele all'Adige (FEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian research foundation collaborating in MASSTWIN project. Contact: Federica Camin. Specialized in food quality and traceability research.
• University of Antwerp (UA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in MASSTWIN project through toxicology research group. Contact: Adrian Covaci. Contributes to health-related research activities.
• IPREM/UPPA (Institut des Sciences Analytiques et de Physico-chimie pour l'Environnement et les Matériaux)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench research institute providing LA-ICP-MS training and isotope ratio measurement expertise in MASSTWIN project. Contact: Olivier Donard.
• INIA (National Institute for Agricultural and Food Research and Technology, Spain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish agricultural research institute participating in MASSTWIN. Contact: María Dolores Hernando.
• Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Universität HannovercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator of MEET-CINCH project (2.1 MEUR) for nuclear and radiochemistry education and training. Leading 12 European partners.
• National Nuclear Laboratory Limited (UK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK nuclear laboratory partner in MEET-CINCH consortium representing industry perspective in nuclear education.
• CROME Partners NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCross-Mediterranean Environment and Health Network (CROME) running 2013-2016 under Milena Horvat's coordination.
• City of LjubljanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead partner in APPLAUSE project (5.2 MEUR) for invasive alien plant species management. O2 contributes microbial technologies and mass spectrometry.
• Commissariat à l'Énergie Atomique et aux Énergies Alternatives (CEA, France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission participating in MEET-CINCH for nuclear education expertise.
• Jožef Stefan InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Department of Environmental Sciences (O2) is a constituent part of the broader Jožef Stefan Institute, Slovenia's leading scientific research institute.
• Meteorological Synthesizing Centre – East (MSC-E)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-hosted the 27th Task Force on Measurements and Modelling annual meeting with MSC-E in Bled, Slovenia, April 2026.
• Brazilian Embassy in LjubljanaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrengthening Slovenia-Brazil scientific cooperation in nuclear applications. Meeting held with Ambassador Ms. Maria Izabel Vieira in June 2026.
• METROFOOD-RI ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartment contributes to METROFOOD-RI, successfully included in ESFRI Roadmap 2018 for European research infrastructure for food quality and safety.
• Barcelona Institute for Global Health (ISGlobal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinator of CitieS-Health Horizon 2020 project. O2 conducts Ljubljana pilot study on traffic noise in schools.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IRMM (JRC, European Commission): Institute for Reference Materials and Measurements of the European Commission Joint Research Centre. Strongly comparable in certified reference materials, trace element measurements, and food/environmental metrology anchored in CMCs and ISO 17025.
• LGC Group: UK-based measurement science and reference materials company with designated-institute and metrology heritage. Strongly comparable in trace element measurement, food authenticity (LGC Genomics/Authenticity), and reference-material services underpinned by CIPM-traceable capabilities.
• BAM (Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung): German federal institute for materials research and testing with designated-institute status, reference materials production, and trace element measurement capabilities. Closest analogue in the public-institute, metrology-anchored, trace-element measurement space.
• METROFOOD-RI Consortium Partners: European research infrastructure consortium for food quality and safety on the ESFRI Roadmap 2018. O2 is a partner; comparable member institutions (e.g., ENEA, FEM, INIA) operate metrology-anchored food-authenticity and traceability laboratories with similar isotope/elemental analysis capabilities.

Broad incumbents

• SGS Société Générale de Surveillance: World's largest testing, inspection and certification company with comparable environmental, food-safety, and radiological service lines. Overlaps directly in trace element speciation, food authentication, and water testing capabilities.
• Eurofins Scientific: Global leader in food, environmental, and pharmaceutical testing services. Highly comparable to O2 in trace-element, food authenticity, and environmental analytical offerings, but operates at vastly greater commercial scale with a private-sector testing model.
• National Physical Laboratory (NPL): UK's National Measurement Institute with deep trace element, isotope, and environmental measurement capabilities. Comparable Designated Institute status, CMC portfolio, and metrology-anchored services spanning food and environmental sectors.
• Bureau Veritas: Global TIC (testing, inspection, certification) provider with overlapping environmental testing, food safety, and laboratory services. Comparable commercial breadth though much larger scale.
• ALS Limited: Major international testing services network with strong environmental, food, and life-sciences divisions. Overlaps with O2 in ICP-MS-based trace metal testing and environmental water analysis, but commercial rather than public-research in nature.
• Mérieux NutriSciences (bioMérieux): Global food testing and authentication services network. Comparable in food authenticity, contaminant testing, and analytical chemistry services though operating commercially rather than as a public research institute.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/research-group-for-trace-elements-speciation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Research Group for Trace Elements Speciation