Damjanović presented the SEEIIST project at the JRC workshop in Zagreb

The Minister of Science, Dr. Sanja Damjanović, presented the regional project - the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies - at the workshop "Readiness for investments in innovative projects in Southeastern Europe", which is being held on July 4 and 5, 2018 in Zagreb.

The workshop was organized by the Joint Research Center of the European Commission in cooperation with the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and Shipbuilding of the University of Zagreb, the Center for Technology Transfer and the Croatian Agency for Small and Medium Enterprises, Innovations and Investments (HAMAG-BICRO), with the aim of exchanging best practices when it comes to support for innovative projects.

Damjanović, as announced by the Ministry of Science, introduced the participants to the political and scientific steps that preceded the signing of the Declaration on the establishment of an international institute in Southeastern Europe and were necessary in order to establish this regional center of excellence, which, as she emphasized, would make this Region made it attractive for young people and prevented the drain of talent.

"In the context of the main topic of the workshop, which refers to investment in science for the countries of Southeast Europe, the minister said that last year the international Institute was just an idea, and now it is a serious regional project, worth investing in. Option for an international institute , Hadron cancer therapy with research in biomedicine using protons and heavier ions, which was unanimously voted for by the Management Board of the Institute, is based on the most modern technologies, and the project would be unique in the world because 50 percent of the time would be set aside for research, i.e. testing new elements for the treatment of cancer, which would be attractive for the scientific community of Western Europe, said Minister Damjanović. In the spirit of science for peace, the SEEIIST project would significantly contribute to the development of modern medicine, and would also encourage the development of a modern digital system that would enable the creation of an international clinical and scientific networks. In this way, an international council of oncologists would be enabled, which represents a great benefit for patients in all countries of the region," the Ministry of Science announced.

It is added that the Center would promote basic research, stimulate innovation, influence the creation of new jobs and contribute to the economic development of the region.

"The minister emphasized that such a regional center would also encourage the development of complementary technologies and influence the strengthening of the national scientific system in each of the individual countries, thus contributing to the Region becoming competitive with the rest of Europe. She announced the next steps regarding the implementation of the project, the so-called preparatory phase of the project, which includes the development of the Main Project and the Business Plan, which will be one of the topics of the next meeting of the Institute's Board of Directors, which will be held on July 13 in Skopje," it is stated.