SPLIT, 19 Sept (Hina) - Science and Education Minister Radovan Fuchs visited the construction site next to the Institute for Adriatic Crops and Karst Reclamation in Duilovo, Split, where a new Centre for Advanced Analytics and Support for the Development of Mediterranean Agricultural Products, is being built.

This is the Institute's largest infrastructure project to date, marking a significant step forward for an institution of strategic importance for Split and Dalmatia. The €18.5 million project is financed through non-refundable funds from the Recovery and Resilience Facility and the Digital, Innovative and Green Technologies (DIGIT) project.

Construction works on the Centre began in late July, with the demolition of parts of three existing buildings, followed by foundation excavations and the laying of concrete footings. The project is scheduled for completion by June next year.

Split Mayor Tomislav Šuta stated that the €18.5 million investment in development, innovation and green technologies is proof that Croatia is progressing towards meeting European goals, stressing the importance of making full use of the available funding.

Katja Žanić, Director of the Institute, said the institution is now recognised as a reference point for scientific and professional work in the fields of olive growing, viticulture, and Mediterranean agriculture.

She announced that the Centre will house a multifunctional analytical laboratory with three specialised units - for metabolomics, functional genomics, and elemental ecosystem composition - marking a major step forward for olive and wine production in Dalmatia.