In the annual report of the European Commission (EC), the Ministry of Science is the best-rated department in the Government, and Minister Sanja Damjanović points out that Montenegro is the only country in the region that received such a high rating in this area.
"These results did not come overnight, but are the result of thorough, daily and dedicated work in cooperation with the best people from the ranks of the academic and innovative community in a country with just over 600.000 inhabitants. I must admit that these ratings are not unexpected, given that we have achieved notable results not only on the domestic but also on the international market," said Damjanović for "Vijesti".
In the part that concerns Chapter 25 Science and Research, the EC noted not only a good degree of preparedness, but also good progress. In the introductory part, it is stated that good progress has been achieved in relation to two recommendations from last year - the adoption of the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) and better participation in the "Horizon 2020" program.
Last June, Montenegro became the first country in the region to adopt the S3 Strategy, which covers the period until 2024, and the areas that are its priority are agriculture, energy, health, education and information and communication technologies.
The EC notes that S3 has strong political support and has the potential to generate economic growth by developing the country's competitive advantages with innovative approaches.
The minister says that in this way, Montenegro proved that it is ready to implement development policies in the same way as EU member states. "On this issue, until recently, Montenegro was at the very back, and now we managed to overtake the entire region, because Montenegro is the first EU candidate country to adopt this important strategy, on which about 400 people worked, of which about 50 percent from the real business sector", she said.
The Brussels administration noted that Montenegro has a growing scientific base and that the level of investment in it has been increasing since 2017.
It should also be noted that in May, Montenegro was included in the European table of success in innovation as a modest innovator, and in January, the University of Montenegro received an award for excellence in human resources in research.
The document also says that two new centers of excellence (covering the fields of food science and biomedical science) started operating in January, with funding of 1,8 million euros earmarked over three years. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the EC notes that the Department of Science has issued a call for research projects in the field of health and social-economic recovery (200.000 euros).
It is also noted that together with the center for innovation and entrepreneurship "Technopolis" and the newly established Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, the Ministry coordinated the work of 3-D laboratories in the academic and private sectors for the joint production of personal protective equipment.
Through the EU Pre-accession Assistance (IPA) instrument, 13 projects were selected within the framework of the scheme for the joint allocation of grants for innovative project ideas, and in March 2020, contracts were signed for equipping three laboratories in "Technopolis", as well as construction works at the Science and Technology Park. Montenegro.
And Montenegro's participation in the framework program "Horizon 2020" shows a very good trend for 2019, receiving 3,2 million euros of direct EU contribution and reaching a success rate of 13,9 percent compared to 12 percent, which is the European average.
"We raised competitiveness at the national level because we implemented high standards as well as international evaluation of all projects. All this resulted in the fact that Montenegro became competitive on the European stage, that is, in the most prestigious EU framework program 'Horizon 2020'. Montenegro's success rate in this program is above the EU average according to the EC's assessment," says Damjanović.
This chapter is also the first that was opened and temporarily closed, back in 2012.
They also took on the challenge of fighting cancer
As the smallest country in the region, Montenegro initiated a major pan-European research and medical infrastructure based on the most modern technologies - the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies (SEEIIST), which targets one of the most important social challenges - the fight against cancer. It is the most successful method of cancer treatment.
"We are proud that this project is the only major research infrastructure in this area that is explicitly included in the Economic Investment Plan for the Western Balkans. All this shows that SEEIIST is a project in the heart of Europe, and a beacon for the region of Southeast Europe where 40 million people live. With strong international expert and political support, we managed to apply with this project for the positioning of this project on a unique list of European infrastructure projects - ESFRI roadmap", said Damjanović.
If SEEIIST finds itself on this list, it will have the opportunity to use serious EU structural funds, given that it is an investment of around 200 million euros.
The minister says that it would actually be a unique case because no project from the region of Southeast Europe has ever been on this list. "I am very much looking forward to these successes of Montenegro".
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