Institute for Pesticides and Environmental Protection

What Institute for Pesticides and Environmental Protection does

The Institute for Pesticides and Environmental Protection (Институт за пестициде и заштиту животне средине), operating under the trade name 'Pesting', is a state-owned scientific research institute domiciled in Belgrade-Zemun, Republic of Serbia, at Banatska 31b. It was formally established in 1996 following the 1992 separation of the Center for Pesticides and Environmental Protection from the Institute for Application of Nuclear Energy in Agriculture (INEP); its building (1378 m2) and adjoining six hectares of land are owned by the Republic of Serbia. The Institute delivers applied and fundamental research across plant protection, pesticide registration, plant disease diagnostics, phytosanitary control, toxicology, ecotoxicology, and food safety, organized through five specialized laboratories: Phytopathology, Applied Entomology, Weed Research (Herbology), Applied Zoology, and Chemistry and Ecotoxicology. The research team numbers 33 researchers, including 29 PhD holders, with leadership distributed among 8 principal research fellows and 15 senior research associates; the organization is headed by Director Emil Rekanović, PhD (appointed 2015).

The Institute monetizes through two principal streams. First, it sells testing services on a published unit-price basis for chemical and physical property assessments of plant protection products, mineral fertilizers, and soil conditioners (price list dated 14-06-2024 for pesticides, 22-09-2022 for fertilizers), serving pesticide registrants and regulatory bodies. Second, it receives institutional funding from the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia through its IDEA, PROMIS, and Green Program instruments, from the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, and through bilateral scientific-technological cooperation programs with France, Italy, Austria, Croatia, Germany, and Belarus. It also engages with EU-level research via Horizon 2020 (BEST4Soil project, 2018-2021) and a 2025-2026 collaboration with Florimond Desprez International (Belgium).

The Institute's principal customer-facing deliverables are official laboratory testing and the peer-reviewed scientific journal 'Pesticides and Phytomedicine', published continuously since 1986 (now triannual, Open Access, indexed in Chemical Abstracts, CAB International, DOAJ, EBSCO, AGRIS, Scindeks). Its laboratories hold accreditation under SRPS ISO/IEC 17025:2017, valid 2023-2027. The organization has no venture capital, private equity, or external investor ownership, operates from a single location, and does not disclose revenue.

Name

Institute for Pesticides and Environmental Protection

Legal name

Institute of Pesticides and Environmental Protection

Website

https://pesting.org.rs

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Institute for Pesticides and Environmental Protection ('Pesting') is a state-owned Serbian scientific research institute in Belgrade-Zemun, delivering ISO/IEC 17025-accredited pesticide registration testing, plant disease diagnostics, and ecotoxicology research through five specialized laboratories for the Serbian government, agricultural sector, and academic partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research and Pesticide Testing Services

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138), Testing Laboratories and Services (541380)

SIC

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

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFACAKAF

Pesticide Residue & Agrochemical Screening Services (Soil/Plant/Water)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Agricultural Testing & Diagnostics Services (Soil, Plant Tissue, Water)

SECONDARYAFALAFAA

Pesticide Residue Testing (MRLs, Multi-Residue Methods)

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

SECONDARYAFACAKAN

Environmental & Regulatory Compliance Testing for Farms (Runoff, Nutrient Management, Wastewater)

Agriculture & Food Production/Agricultural Services (Custom Farming, Agronomy, Veterinary)/Agricultural Testing & Diagnostics Services (Soil, Plant Tissue, Water)

Keywords

• Pesticide testing services
• Plant protection research
• Ecotoxicological testing
• Phytopathology diagnostics
• Agricultural research services

Headquarters

HQ city

Belgrade-Zemun

HQ country

Serbia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Research services and testing: The Institute provides paid testing services for chemical and physical properties of plant protection products (pesticides), mineral fertilizers, and soil conditioners. They also conduct biological efficacy testing for registration purposes.
2. Government and institutional research funding: Funding from the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia (IDEA, PROMIS, Green Program), Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, and bilateral international scientific cooperation projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Institute delivers fee-based laboratory testing of chemical, physical and biological properties of plant protection products (pesticides), mineral fertilizers, and soil conditioners for registration and quality-control purposes. It also conducts plant disease diagnostics, phytosanitary control, ecotoxicological assessment, rodenticide efficacy testing, and applied research in plant protection, toxicology and environmental safety through five accredited laboratories. Supporting the scientific program, it publishes the 'Pesticides and Phytomedicine' peer-reviewed journal.

Product overview

The Institute operates as a unified research organization offering scientific and testing services through five specialized laboratories. The core offering consists of the Laboratory of Phytopathology (diagnostics and research on plant pathogens), Laboratory of Applied Entomology (insect and mite research), Laboratory of Weed Research/Herbology (weed management), Laboratory of Applied Zoology (rodent and mollusk control), and Laboratory of Chemistry and Ecotoxicology (pesticide analysis and ecotoxicology testing). Supporting these is the Pesticides and Phytomedicine scientific journal (published since 1986) and commercial testing services for plant protection products and fertilizers. The organization does not offer a unified software platform but provides laboratory services, research, and publication.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Laboratory of Phytopathology Specialized laboratory conducting research and diagnostics on phytopathogenic fungi, pseudofungi, bacteria, and phytoplasmas affecting fruits, vegetables, field crops, and ornamentals, performing molecular detection, identification, and characterization of plant pathogens for agricultural producers and regulatory bodies.
• Laboratory of Applied Entomology Laboratory focused on the study of insects and mites as harmful organisms in agriculture, including their biology, ecology, and control methods for agricultural producers and researchers.
• Laboratory of Weed Research (Herbology) Laboratory conducting research on weed biology and ecology, and development of weed management strategies in agricultural crops for farmers, agronomists and regulators.
• Laboratory of Applied Zoology Laboratory focused on harmful rodents, snails, and slugs in agriculture and forestry, including their biology, ecology, and control methods, including testing of rodenticide susceptibility and anticoagulant resistance monitoring.
• Laboratory of Chemistry and Ecotoxicology Laboratory conducting pesticide residue analysis, ecotoxicological testing, and assessment of chemical and physical properties of plant protection products and fertilizers for registration and quality-control purposes.
• Plant Protection Products Testing Services Commercial testing service covering chemical and physical properties of plant protection products (pesticides) for registration purposes, including assessment of pesticide residues, consumer exposure, and environmental behavior, offered to agrochemical registrants and regulators.
• Fertilizer and Soil Conditioner Testing Services Commercial testing service for chemical and physical properties of mineral fertilizers and soil conditioners, used for quality assessment and registration purposes by fertilizer producers and regulators.
• Pesticides and Phytomedicine Journal Peer-reviewed open-access scientific journal published triannually covering chemistry, toxicology and ecotoxicology of pesticides, phytopathology, entomology, zoology, weed science, and plant protection, indexed in Chemical Abstracts, CAB International, DOAJ, EBSCO, AGRIS, and Scindeks.

Quantifiable outcome

• The journal 'Pesticides and Phytomedicine' has been continuously published since 1986, indexed in major databases including Chemical Abstracts, CAB International, DOAJ, EBSCO

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Florimond Desprez International (Research Unit-A&BS), Group United Beet Seeds, BelgiumminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborative research project on comprehensive assessment of the vectoring potential of the planthopper Reptalus quinquecostatus, a vector of 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani'. Project timeframe: 01.07.2025 – 30.06.2026.
• Republic of France (Pavle Savić Program)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Bilateral scientific and technological cooperation project between Republic of Serbia and Republic of France on sugar beet varieties and planthopper vector research.
• Republic of Croatia (Bilateral Cooperation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Bilateral scientific-technological cooperation project between Republic of Serbia and Republic of Croatia.
• Horizon 2020 - Best4Soil ProjectminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018European thematic network creating a community of practice in Europe, connecting producers, advisors, educators and researchers. The project promotes knowledge about 4 best practices (compost, green manure, anaerobic disinfestation, and (bio)solarization) for controlling soil-borne pathogens.
• Republic of Austria (Bilateral Cooperation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Bilateral scientific-technological cooperation project between Republic of Serbia and Republic of Austria.
• Republic of Italy (Bilateral Cooperation)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Smart monitoring of pesticides in farming areas - bilateral scientific-technological cooperation project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Bureau Veritas operates agricultural and food testing laboratories including pesticide residue and contaminant analysis. Comparable as a globally scaled commercial testing provider that competes with state research institutes for pesticide registration and food safety testing contracts.
• SGS Société Générale de Surveillance: SGS provides agricultural and pesticide-related testing, inspection and certification services globally. Comparable to the Institute as a commercial testing services provider focused on pesticide and agricultural inputs, though operating with a much broader portfolio and international footprint.
• Eurofins Scientific: Eurofins is the world's largest food and agrochemical testing services network, providing pesticide residue, registration efficacy and ecotoxicology testing. Comparable to the Institute in offering laboratory-based pesticide and plant protection testing, though at vastly broader geographic and commercial scale.
• Intertek Group: Intertek provides agricultural product and pesticide testing services alongside its broader quality-assurance portfolio. Comparable as a commercial laboratory offering pesticide residue and registration-support testing, competing with national institutes like the subject company for international registration and agrochemical client work.
• Mérieux NutriSciences (now part of Institut Mérieux): Mérieux NutriSciences provides food and agrochemical testing including pesticide residue and contaminant analysis for regulatory compliance. Comparable in offering commercial laboratory services overlapping with the Institute's pesticide and food safety testing capabilities.

Direct peers

• Wessling Group: Wessling is a European analytical laboratory network offering environmental, agrochemical and food testing including pesticide residue analysis. Comparable as a mid-sized commercial testing laboratory providing pesticide and ecotoxicology services with similar ISO 17025 accredited capabilities.
• Phytocontrol: Phytocontrol is a French laboratory specialized in pesticide residue, contaminant, and food safety testing for agrochemical and food industry clients. Comparable as a focused pesticide and contaminant testing laboratory competing for similar registration and residue testing mandates as the Institute.

Regional players

• Agricultural Institute of Slovenia (KIS): Agricultural Institute of Slovenia performs applied agricultural and plant protection research with diagnostic and analytical services similar to the Institute's remit. Comparable as a regional public-sector agricultural research institution offering complementary pesticide-related testing and diagnostics.
• Scientific Veterinary Institute "Novi Sad": Scientific Veterinary Institute Novi Sad is another Serbian state-owned research institute performing food and animal health testing including residue analysis. Comparable as a domestic Serbian public research laboratory operating in the adjacent food and residue testing domain.

Emerging players

• Anadiag (Eurofins France): Anadiag was a French laboratory specializing in pesticide residue and regulatory testing prior to acquisition by Eurofins. Comparable as a now-rolled-up specialty pesticide testing laboratory that exemplifies the regional consolidation trajectory facing smaller standalone testing institutes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institute-for-pesticides-and-environmental-protection

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Institute for Pesticides and Environmental Protection