Research Areas:

• Plant production and processing
• Chemistry and analytics of Olive and other vegetable oils
• Sensorial analysis
• Evaluation of oliveculture by-products (leaves, pomace, …)
• Minor compounds in oils
• Metrology
• Organic pollutants

Biografija:

Milena Bučar-Miklavčič was born in 1957 in Koper. She was a chemistry teacher at Gimnazija Koper, and after graduating in chemistry in 1985 at UL-FNT, she was employed at the IPLAS Koper factory. In 1995, with the analytical equipment of the private laboratory LABS, she laid the foundations of olive research at ZRS Koper. Milena Bučar-Miklavčič contributed to the inclusion of Extra Virgin Olive Oil of Slovenian Istria, the first Slovenian food with a protected designation of origin (PDO, 2004), in Europe.

In 2004 she obtained accreditation for the Laboratory of the Institute for Oliveculture of ZRS Koper (Laboratory). She sought to move and include the activities of the Laboratory from the field of measuring and testing to metrology (MIRS 2009), to appoint the Laboratory for the inspection type of testing of olive oils, to include the Laboratory in the governmental acclaimed research in the field of olive growing (2017), to include the Laboratory in the list of chemical and sensory laboratories recognized and authorized by the International Olive Council (IOC 2005), to place the Laboratory among European metrology laboratories (Euramet 2011), to include the Laboratory in the International Research Infrastructure Network (Metrofood 2018), to designate the Laboratory as a National Reference Laboratory (2019 ).

In 2019, she received her PhD from Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana with her doctoral dissertation The Influence of Selected Technological Procedures on the Chemical and Sensory Characteristics of Slovenian Virgin Olive Oils.
Milena Bučar-Miklavčič is a former President of the Olive Growing Council at the MAFF (2011-2020), a member of the Group of Chemical Experts for the Study of Olive Oils at the European Commission (2011-), Head of the National Panel for Sensory Evaluation of Olive Oils (2004-) and a member of the Expert Group for Sensory Evaluation of virgin olive oils at the International Olive Council (2001-). Milena Bučar-Miklavčič led two 5-day trainings in Montenegro (2014 and 2018) within TAIEX (EU Technical Assistance to Third Countries) and in 2019 within IOC trainings in Italy (Palermo 2016) and in Palestine and Israel.

She was very successful in creating new research areas in oliveculture in the academic environment (the result of her unique concept are four PhDs - Dunja Bandelj, Erika Bešter, Vasilij Valenčič and Bojan Butinar) and with candidates from other Slovenian universities or higher education institutions: Vesna Filipovič, Kristina Marinič and Vasilij Valenčič (co-mentor).
Milena Bučar-Miklavčič actively participated in the pedagogical process of the University of Primorska, as she is a co-author of the application for the university study program at University of Primorska, Faculty of Health Sciences (UP FVZ) - Nutrition Counseling - Dietetics, where she mentored Kristjan Božič's diploma work. Milena Bučar-Miklavčič is the author of the curricula of two courses - Quality and quality control and Sensorial analysis, which she lectured at UP FVZ in the period 2005-2017.

Until November 2021 her bibliography counts 282 units, of which 30 original scientific articles, 69 professional articles, 2 scientific monographs and 7 professional monographs.

Milena Bučar-Miklavčič received the ZRS Koper Honorary Plaque for top research and professional achievements, which were an important contribution to the establishment of ZRS Koper in the domestic and international scientific research space, and for an important contribution to the development and reputation of ZRS Koper and its activities. Milena Bučar-Miklavčič is the recipient of the Award with a large plaque for 2020 of the Municipality of Koper for outstanding scientific research and contribution to the knowledge of oliveculture, economic inventiveness and quality recognition of Slovenian olive oil and for successfully promoting the (Slovenian) olive industry in the international arena.