Minister Damjanović meets Commissioner Mariya Gabriel: Montenegro commended for progress in the field of research and innovation

Minister of Science Sanja Damjanović visited Brussels yesterday, at the invitation of Mariya Gabriel, the Commissioner for Innovation, Research, Culture, Education and Youth. Apart from participating in the European Research and Innovation Days, where which she moderated a session dedicated to the Western Balkans, the Minister held a series of bilateral meetings.

Minister Damjanović met Commissioner Mariya Gabriel, with whom she discussed the topic of the Innovation Agenda for the Western Balkans, as well as the future of the SEEIIST project. Commissioner Gabriel commended the exceptional results achieved by Montenegro in the previous period in the field of research and innovation, reflected in the adoption of the Smart Specialisation Strategy, development of an innovation ecosystem, increased participation in H2020, and initiation of the SEEIIST project. The interlocutors emphasised the importance of the Innovation Agenda, and the Commissioner announced that the document would be incorporated into the Economic and Investment Plan prepared by the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR), which will be presented on 6 October. Commissioner Gabriel expressed strong support to the SEEIIST project, stressing that she absolutely understood the importance of establishing a research infrastructure in the Western Balkans in order for the region to retain its talents and manage attract a certain number of those who had already left the countries to return. Finally, the Commissioner pointed out that the new Framework Programme for Research and Innovation “Horizon Europe” would have many more mechanisms for financing the SEEIIST project, having in mind the mission dedicated to cancer, but also the fact that it is one of the biggest health challenges today, where innovation in the treatment of patients is necessary, which makes the project important not only for the region, but also for Europe.

On the same day, Damjanović met with Jean-Eric Paquet, Director-General of DG Research and Innovation, and Johannes Klumpers, Head of Research and Industrial Infrastructures Unit at European Commission. The meeting was an opportunity to summarise the results of the SEEIIST project to date, as well as to analyse the possibilities for further funding. Paquet commended the progress of the project and pointed out that it was extremely important that SEEIIST had applied for the recently completed call for proposals for the ESFRI roadmap, a map of European research infrastructure. He confirmed that the project had demonstrated competitiveness in the European context with its results achieved to date and that this was the most important fact for the Commission, announcing the continuation of support for the project.

Finally, Minister Damjanović also talked with Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission, as well as with Ruta Zarnauskaite, Head of Unit, Horizon Europe Association. Ratso thanked Minister Damjanović for the fact that Montenegro became the first country in the Western Balkans to express interest in joining the new Framework Programme “Horizon Europe”, pointing out that she expected that the agreement for accession of all interested countries in the Western Balkans would be ready soon, in order for Montenegro and other countries in the region to be able to access the calls for proposals from the outset – the first such call for proposals under the Programme was announced for December this year.

The meetings with Commissioner Gabriel and Director-General Paquet were also attended by the Head of Mission of Montenegro to Brussels, Ambassador Bojan Šarkić.