Opportunities for innovation cooperation were discussed on 27 January by representatives of the Western Balkans. The two-day meeting was organized by the Agency for the Promotion of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (BSMEPA) and was attended by EU Commissioner Maria Gabriel as well as by leaders of innovation structures from Bulgaria, Serbia, Northern Macedonia, Montenegro and Albania. Bulgarian Commissioner Maria Gabriel has noted the progress of the Western Balkans in terms of innovation and technological development, adding that the region is doing well within the framework of the Horizon 2020 program. The European Commissioner expressed her joy that the topic of the Western Balkans remains high on the agenda after it was raised by Bulgaria two years ago during our Presidency of the Council of the European Union. According to her, the countries of the region are doing well so far with their participation in the Horizon 2020 program and there is a reported increase in funding, but they need to be even more active in the future. "In just four years, they received from € 10 million in 2014, $ 30 million in 2018. Over 50% have increased their participation in projects compared to 2017. Of course, we need a lot more. Small and medium-sized enterprises are the backbone of the economy".

 

Ms Gabriel also commented on the benefits of the European Innovation Council and its mechanisms to the participants in the meeting. "Within the European Innovation Council, there will be two funding mechanisms - an idea-to-product researcher. We all know how difficult it is for small and medium-sized enterprises to succeed in this phase. The second: the accelerator. The Aleksator scheme will allow the product and the prototype to claim a niche in the market and create a market for the future, ”the Commissioner explained. In his speech, BSMEPA Executive Director Boyko Takov said that there were a number of programs in which the participants in the meeting could partner to build a common ecosystem in which companies from the Western Balkans would be involved. Find here the original article worked by: Investor.bg team, editor Elena Ilieva