dr. Kolar is executive director of CERIC-ERIC. She has a broad range of expertise, ranging from policy development and implementation, research and innovation to entrepreneurship. Among others, she was Director-General of Science in Technology at the Ministry in Slovenia, chairman of the Board of Slovenian Technology Agency, a member of the Governing Boards of Slovenian Research Agency and European Institute of Innovation and Technology and a member of the High-Level Group of Innovators for a European Innovation Council, that advised the Commission on how to strengthen support for breakthrough, market-creating innovation.
She is currently a member of the ERA Council Forum Austria - a high-level expert body advising the Austrian Minister responsible for Science and Research.
She has authored/co-authored several expert reports contracted by the European Commission. Trained as a chemist, she had published more than 60 peer-reviewed papers and a European patent.