Croatian Researcher Receives the Danubius Young Scientist Award 2025

Croatian scientist Barbara Arbanas Ferreira, a researcher at the Centre of Excellence for Marine Robotics and Technologies for a Sustainable Blue Economy (CoE MARBLE), has been awarded the prestigious Danubius Young Scientist Award (DYSA) 2025.

Arbanas Ferreira completed her master’s and doctoral studies at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb. The award ceremony took place on 13 November during the annual Danube Rectors’ Conference, organised by the Austrian Federal Ministry for Women, Science and Research.

The DYSA prize, jointly presented by the Ministry and the Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe (IDM), recognises scientific excellence, cross-border cooperation, and innovative contributions to research and development in the Danube Region.

“Addressing the complex challenges of the Danube Region requires interdisciplinary solutions and international cooperation. These awards highlight the breadth and outstanding quality of scientific work in the region and foster dialogue across borders. I am particularly pleased to see such strong representation of exceptional women researchers — in 2025, two-thirds of the awards go to women,” noted Federal Minister Eva-Maria Holzleitner.

Representing Croatia, Barbara Arbanas Ferreira is among 14 young researchers from 14 Danube Region countries who received the award. The DYSA prize amounts to EUR 1,350, and laureates are selected based on institutional nomination and evaluation by an international jury.

IDR Comment

The Institute of Danube Research welcomes the announcement of the Danubius Young Scientist Award and emphasises the importance of supporting emerging scholars contributing to the sustainable development of the Danube macro-region.

The DYSA award is a key instrument for strengthening scientific cooperation among Danube countries, expanding research networks, and fostering a new generation of scientists. It aligns with the objectives of the EU Strategy for the Danube Region (EUSDR), particularly those related to human capital development, innovation, and knowledge transfer.

For Ukraine, such initiatives are crucial because they:

-       accelerate integration into the European Research Area;

-       enhance applied research and technological development;

-       open new opportunities for international cooperation;

-       strengthen the capacity of young scientists to contribute to regional innovation ecosystems.

IDR underlines that supporting young researchers is an investment in long-term sustainability, competitiveness, and the security of the Danube macro-region as a whole.