Open Science Days

The Ministry of Science organised a big promotional event called OPEN DAYS OF SCIENCE from September 19 to 24 in four locations in Podgorica. Organisers managed to slide the door of science open and to give all interested
citizens the opportunity to peek into this magic world. The programme included the major IT event Knowledge Factory, the EU Science and Innovation Day and the Researchers’ Night, as well as a large number of side events. The aim of the OPEN DAYS OF SCIENCE is to stimulate the development and affirmation of science in Montenegro, to establish a tradition of investment in knowledge and development potential, and to bring science close to citizens of all ages and levels of education.

European Research and Innovation Day

On September 22, the Ministry of Science organised a European Research and Innovation Day, aiming to inform the research community about developments in the main European instruments for financing research and innovation – FP7, CIP and EUREKA. Ms Tania Friederichs (DG R&I) presented the achievements of Montenegro in FP7 and introduced the new EU policy orientation in preparation of Horizon 2020. The agenda comprised topics on Marie Curie Actions and REGPOT as areas of FP7 with significant capacity building opportunities. Mr Svatopluk Halada
(EUREKA Secretariat) presented basic information about EUREKA, while a detailed training for potential project managers was held the following day.

Government of Montenegro Adopts Feasibility Study for Setting Up Science and Technological Park

On September 29, 2011, the government of Montenegro adopted the feasibility study for setting up a Science and Technological Park (STP), developed by a consortium of five organisations with extensive experience with setting up STP in the region and lead by WUS Austria.
The study gave strategic guidelines and defined the cornerstones of the STP profile. The future park shall include characteristics of a technology park, an incubator and a business park, and initiate R&D in the different regions of
Montenegro. The STP shall foster both academic and industrial R&D and build the basis for academic-industrial interaction.

Flash News from the Ministry of Science

• The annual call for co-financing scientific-research activities was announced in May 2011. The call for financing new national scientific research projects is endowed with EUR 5,000,000.– and co-financed by
• seven ministries.
• The Ministry of Science, the Directorate for Development of SMEs and Scientific and Technological Park Tecnopolis in Valenzano (Bari, Italy) signed an agreement on cooperation in the field of innovation in scientific and business sectors on July 19, 2011.
• Six Montenegrin research teams have been accepted to be involved in the current European COST actions. Montenegro expects to obtain the conditions for formal COST membership application this year.
• In June 2011, Montenegro applied for EUREKA membership. The first call for EUREKA projects will be published in 2012.
• Five bilateral projects have been accepted for financing at the Joint Meeting of the Austrian-Montenegrin Committee, held in Vienna on June 24.
• All 25 bilateral Montenegrin-Slovenian projects have been positively evaluated.

Research Managers’ Workshop: “Knowledge Transfer:Tools and Mechanisms for supporting Innovation”

The WBC-INCO.NET project has successfully organised a one day workshop for RTD stakeholders from the WBC in BeËiÊi under the title “Knowledge Transfer: Tools and Mechanisms for supporting Innovation”.
The organisation was supported by the local partner DDSME and the task leader SEERC from Thessalonica, Greece. The workshop was attended by 31 participants and 27 travel grants were awarded.