Up to now Serbia received €8,4 million from IPA funds as a support for projects of innovation.
A large number of projects registered at the Innovation Fund shows that there are extremely good ideas and entrepreneurs while the science in such projects is “immediately applicable”, the Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development, Tomislav Jovanović, said today at the opening ceremony for the allocation of funds for project development.
Committee of independent experts chose ten projects in different areas out of the Early Development Programme, and two out of the Co-financed Innovative Programme, as announced at the ceremony held at the Aero club.
Great response
Jovanović specified that in cooperation with the Innovation Fund, European Commission, and World Bank €1,3 million has been allocated for these twelve projects, and he added that up to now, Serbia received €8,4 million from IPA funds as a support for projects of innovation.
When we first started this project two years ago, we weren’t sure of the response from the sector, but today we can see that all of the funds are being used and that interest within the business community grows, said the head of the European Union Delegation, Michael Davenport.
There are far more projects that should stimulate the Innovation Fund to continue its work, while stimulating the Government of Serbia to continue financing them, he noted.
Davenport said that the even greater focus on creating a sustainable platform for economic growth will be urged during the Accession Negotiation process.
Using the funds
A message to all of you is to try to use the most of the funds available and to participate in other EU programmes; developing innovative ideas and expanding the business to new markets is the real benefit of Accession Negotiation process, Davenport assessed.
It’s important that Serbia considers competition on its way to EU, as well as to consider the means for becoming more competitive than EU member states, asserted the head of the World Bank Office, Tony Verheijen.
He reminded that the World Bank Office partially withdraws and that it will no longer manage the money designed for financing innovative projects as it has done up until now.
It is the proof of Serbia developing, Verheijen pointed out.
