The outflow of talent is one of the biggest problems of the countries of the Western Balkans, said Minister of Science Sanja Damjanović during her stay in Brussels.
As announced by the Ministry, Damjanović met today with the newly elected director general of the Directorate for Science and Innovation, Jean-Erique Paquet, with whom she discussed the possibilities of financing the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies in Southeast Europe (SEEIIST).
It is stated that Damjanović informed Pake about the previous activities on the establishment of the initiative, emphasizing that in the previous year, especially since October, a lot of results have been achieved in strengthening this idea and transforming it into a regional project.
"She particularly emphasized the support and readiness of the Government of Montenegro to accept this idea as an exceptional generator of the development of the entire region, not only in the field of science, but also in the economy," the announcement says.
Damjanović said that the region of the Western Balkans has an excellent past and tradition when it comes to science, and that the Institute is a way to restore that past in the best possible way.
"One of the biggest problems of our region is the outflow of talent. For decades, we have not managed to keep the best among the best in the countries, for the reason that there is no so-called "first class research" in the region, as well as a top scientific infrastructure that would allow scientists to work in conditions like their colleagues abroad", stated Damjanović.
According to her, this project can change that image and, not only keep the existing ones, but also bring back a large number of those who left the region.
"In this way, they would solve our multiple problems, but also some of your big challenges, they would reduce the gap that is now somewhat obvious between the Western Balkans and the rest of Europe," Damjanović said.
Pake, as stated in the announcement, pointed out that he is aware of the problems the Balkans have been facing for decades, especially considering the fact that he spent some time in the Directorate for Enlargement in the position of Director for the Western Balkans.
"This is a great project that I have heard a lot about from my colleagues, but also from my predecessor Robert Jan Smits, and I am ready to help find a way to finance this initiative," Pake said.
The Ministry announced that, in addition to Damjanović, the meeting was attended by the former general director of CERN and the initiator of the SEEIIST idea, Hervig Šoper, TIARA project coordinator Aleksan Roj and ambassador Bojan Šarkić.
According to reports, Roj pointed out that the financing segment in the next year is crucial for this project.
As a solution, he proposed financing the project through EU calls for research infrastructure, as well as providing initial funds as a kind of bridge, until the call for research infrastructure is finalized.
Roj also cited a number of examples that the EU can follow and that it has applied for similar projects in the past.
Shopper particularly emphasized the importance of the present moment because, as he said, he believes that this project really succeeded in animating the scientific and political community in the right way.
"Hadron cancer therapy was unanimously chosen by the region as an option for the future institute, and now is the right moment to recognize the EU's efforts so far," said Šoper.
Pake, as stated, indicated that he agreed with the stated views and promised that in the coming period, he would hold a series of necessary discussions with colleagues from other sectors, in order to find a way to start this initiative.
"After the meeting with Pake, Damjanović met with the head of the unit for Montenegro in the General Directorate for Neighborhood Policy and Enlargement Negotiations, Tomas Hagleiter, with whom she discussed the possibility of financing this project through the IPA structure, with a special emphasis on the regional IPA component." the statement said.
It is added that later today, Damjanović will also meet with the general director of the JRC Joint Research Center, an institution that is currently providing support to Montenegro in the establishment of the Smart Specialization Strategy.
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