The 19^th Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation* took place in Belgrade on September 27, 2017 within the framework of the European Commission’s Support for the Steering Platform (SP) on Research and Innovation for the Western Balkan countries (WBC). The meeting was co-chaired by the Estonian EU Council Presidency (represented by the trio-partner Austria), the Serbian Ministry of Education, Science and Technological Development which hosted the event, and the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation, Directorate for International Cooperation).

This year, the Steering Platform on Research and Innovation was held together with the meeting of the 6^th Ministerial Western Balkans Platform on Education and Training. The Ministers met in the mornings of September 28 and 29 to discuss the education and training part of the agenda, and in the afternoon of 28 September to discuss research and innovation topics. The Serbian Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Mladen Sarcevic, the Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sports Tibor Navracsics, and the Head of the EU Delegation to Serbia Sem Fabrizi opened the Ministerial meeting, which also celebrated the 30^th anniversary of the Erasmus+ programme.