The Institute Mihajlo Pupin (Pupin) is a leading Serbian R&D institution in information and communication technology, the biggest and oldest in the whole South-Eastern European area. The institute was founded in 1946. A Science and Technology Policy Research Centre was formed at the “Mihajlo Pupin” Institute in 1986 as a response to the recognition that a better understanding of the importance of S&T for overall development is essential to successful work in new technologies. To enhance the effectiveness of investment into R&D and innovation activities, the centre’s experts have focused their efforts on studying and synthesising development strategies, policies, plans and programs to meet the needs of governmental agencies, regional and local administration, firms, as well as the institute’s own needs.
The centre’s programme includes (1) Study of scientific and technological development; (2) Synthesis of optimal structures, institutions, policies and actions which provide appropriate and effective S&T solutions to human, social and economic problems; (3) Design of strategies and formulation of plans and programmes for the technological development of larger organisations, economic and non-economic sectors, regions and states; (4) Collection, processing and dissemination of information which might recognise the emergence and likely consequences of new technologies; (5) Education and training of researchers to deal with the synthesis of strategies and plans of S&T development.