HIGH DELEGATION VISIT

ENCOURAGING INNOVATION, ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND RESEARCH

In the presence of the President of the Republic of Serbia Aleksandar Vucic, European Council President Charles Michel, senior representatives of the Government of the Republic of Serbia, the European Union and the World Bank, an agreement was signed to provide incentives for the growth of research, innovation and entrepreneurship in Serbia totalling EUR 84.5 million.

The aim of joint investment by the European Union and the World Bank within the Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Growth Entrepreneurship Project (SAIGE) is to improve the relevance and excellence of scientific research, to increase the capacity of scientific research organizations, as well as to encourage innovative entrepreneurship and easier access to sources of financing, which contributes to the growth and competitiveness of the Serbian economy.

Activities on the Project are carried out by the Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development as the main coordinator of the SAIGE Project, the Innovation Fund and the Science Fund.

The Innovation Fund is responsible for implementing and executing business acceleration, which aims to increase the potential for enterprise growth. The Katapult acceleration programme is the first accelerator in Serbia to provide young businesses with intensive, three-month mentoring and connecting with investors.

As part of a visit to the Science and Technology Park "Belgrade", the distinguished delegation was accompanied by numerous media outlets to demonstrate innovative products of Anora, Pirate Art, Charge&GO and Desing, which are supported through the Fund's programmes thanks to EU funding.

Multifunctional glove for visually impaired persons, aesthetic blankets (skins) for prostheses for the lower extremities, a mobile application platform that connects all traffic participants in the process of charging electric vehicles and processing fruit in aseptic conditions to produce high-quality fruit products, are just some of the innovations that have found application in everyday life and have paved the way for the market.