Archives: Актуелности

One of the most important guides for startup development in the world, “The Startup Owner’s Manual” by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf, is now available in bookstores across Serbia – Vulkan, Delfi, and Sluzbeni Glasnik.

This book is not just theory – it is a practical manual that takes you step by step through the key stages of startup development: from talking to the first customers, through product and market validation, to building a sustainable business model.

It is intended for everyone who wants to build the future of innovation in Serbia, both founders and startup teams who want to avoid the most common mistakes, as well as academia looking for a way to turn knowledge into practice, innovation parks, centers, and organizations that support the development of new ideas.

Translated and published with the support of the Science and Technology Park Niš, this book brings the proven Customer Development approach and knowledge that has shaped thousands of successful startups around the world – now available in Serbian.

Look for “The Startup Owner’s Manual” in the bookstores Vulkan, Delfi and Sluzbeni Glasnik and take the first step towards the right startup path.

A four-day MASHAV capacity building training was held at the Science and Technology Park Niš from 8 to 11 September, organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia and the Embassy of Israel. The goal of the program was to strengthen the capacity of the operational staff of science and technology parks and startup centers, with a special focus on teams that work directly with startups and innovative companies.

During the workshops, Israeli experts from the Agency for International Cooperation and Development shared their experiences in the development of incubators and accelerators, mechanisms for attracting and supporting startups and technology-development companies, designing targeted programs and their scaling, as well as internationalization and establishing joint programs with foreign partners through practical work and interactive discussions. Special emphasis was also placed on the issues of financial sustainability, branding, and communication of science and technology parks and regional innovation startup centers, as well as on the digital transformation of tools and infrastructure for supporting members.
The Ambassador of Israel to Serbia, H.E. Avivit Bar-Ilan, presented certificates to the participants and, on that occasion, learned about the work and plans of STP Niš.

This training confirmed once again that international cooperation is key to strengthening the innovation ecosystem of Serbia and the region. Through the application of good practice examples, prerequisites are created for teams to receive comprehensive support on their development path.

One of the important stops in our collaboration calendar was Kranj itself. In August, through a two-day peer review visit together with partners from Romania, we had the opportunity to exchange experiences and learn about the innovative climate adaptation measures that this city is pioneering. Milan Krstev, Project Assistant at the Science and Technology Park Niš, together with Ovidiu Costea, Project Manager from the city of Galați (Romania), took part in this visit within the framework of the Be Ready project.

During the stay, partners focused on Kranj’s most concrete experiences: through a presentation of the process of implementing blue measures in the old city center, challenges, advantages, and drawbacks of this approach were openly discussed.

The visit also included a study tour to the pilot project site, organized by Aleksandra Ažman, Project Manager from the City of Kranj, with the participation of the Mayor of Kranj, Matjaž Rakovec. The highlight of the visit was a joint evaluation and discussion, which enabled partners to exchange views and propose further improvements.

Special attention was drawn to the pilot action located in the very heart of the old town center – an innovative “cloud” made of waterproof wool, equipped with a water-vapor distribution system. Installed with the purpose of cooling the area during hot summer days, it helps mitigate the effects of urban heat islands, offering refreshment to citizens, their pets, and tourists, while also standing out as an example of innovative public space design. Citizens embraced it with enthusiasm, and the younger population quickly recognized it as a new gathering spot.

This visit allowed all partners to witness first-hand the results of the implemented activities, exchange best practices, and formulate recommendations that will contribute to improving future measures in tackling the challenges of climate change and the phenomenon of urban heat islands.

The President of the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, Ana Brnabić, together with the Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, Academician Bela Balint, and members of the Committee on Education, Science, Technological Development and Information Society, visited the Science and Technology Park Niš.

As part of the visit, a meeting was held at which the results of the Science and Technology Park to date and future development plans were presented, with a special emphasis on the expansion of the innovation district – TehNis. The meeting was also attended by the Mayor of the City of Niš, Dragoslav Pavlović, and Prof. Vladimir Volarević, PhD, one of the initiators of the establishment of the Institute for Regenerative Medicine, which will be located in the new STP Niš facility. On this occasion, the importance of continuous investment in infrastructure and support for innovative companies was emphasized, as well as the strategic importance of the planned Institute for strengthening scientific and research in the field of biomedicine. The possibilities of deepening cooperation with academia and initiating additional activities that will enable Niš to position itself as a leading regional innovation center were also discussed.

Afterwards, the delegation visited the construction works of the new building of the Science and Technology Park Niš, where they were introduced to the dynamics of the works and the future content of the facility. On this occasion, Ana Brnabić emphasized that the construction of the second facility is the result of the exceptionally good work of the first, emphasizing that the Science and Technology Park Niš is one of the most successful parks and with the best vision of the entire infrastructure of science and technology parks that we have in Serbia today. She added that the development of STP Niš is one of the key examples of how strategic investment in infrastructure and knowledge can significantly contribute to the growth of the local economy, creating new opportunities for the development of innovative companies and strengthening the innovation ecosystem of the entire region.

After the completion of construction works, STP 2 is planned to accommodate around 1,500 experts dedicated to the development of innovative projects. With the construction of the new facility, the total capacity of the Science and Technology Park Niš will exceed 30,000 square meters, with more than 15,000 square meters of office and laboratory space.
The Managing Director of the Science and Technology Park Niš, Milan Ranđelović, emphasized that the new building will significantly contribute to the development of the innovation community: “If we were to translate that into the number of companies, we expect that we will have the ability to host around 30 new companies, and counting both the first and second facilities, we will have the capacity for close to 1,500 employees who will work in the innovation sector in Niš on the development of innovative products,” said Ranđelović.

“I think that Niš has really made such an effort that it will not embarrass Emperor Constantine. This will be in the records centuries, even longer. When I asked how much useful space there will be for research and performing various analyses, I was told that it is at least at 95 percent. I wish success and the works to be completed as quickly as possible,” Minister Balint emphasized.

The plan is to complete the work on the expansion of the NTP 2 capacity by the end of this year, while the new facility will be put into operation and members will begin moving in in the first quarter of next year.

 

The Demo Day marking the end of the first phase of the Launcher program, intended for early-stage startups and innovative teams from all over Serbia, was held at the Science and Technology Park Niš. Over the past several weeks, 20 selected teams have been working on problem validation, solution development, and market testing, and, at the final event, they had the opportunity to present their projects to an expert commission, partners, and representatives of the innovation ecosystem.

The Launcher program has attracted great interest this year as well – 108 teams from all over Serbia applied to the public call. After evaluation, 20 teams entered the first phase, and the seven best teams were selected to continue to the second phase of the program, with mentoring and financial support.

This year, for the first time, the Launcher program was successfully implemented in Kosovo and Metohija, with the aim of providing support to local teams that want to turn their ideas into successful innovative projects. A demo day was also held in Kosovo and Metohija on July 2nd, and two startups – GrowthQ and BusLink – made it to the second phase of the program, thus confirming the high quality of their innovative solutions.

The teams that secured passage to the second phase and grants are:

• Eyestock – a smart mobile application that uses the phone’s camera and advanced AI technology to automatically recognize and count food and beverage stocks. It enables significant time savings, reduces errors, and increases profitability in the hospitality industry.
• Smart Greenhouse – a software platform for greenhouse production that uses sensors and artificial intelligence to analyze growing conditions and provide recommendations in real time, thereby increasing yields and reducing costs without the need for technical knowledge.
• MARINA INT – a web application that connects tourists and nautical service providers without intermediaries. It enables personalized trips, direct communication, lower prices, and contributes to the development of marinas in Serbia and the region.
• DoPerMed – smart socks that, with the help of electroactive polymers, actively massage the legs during movement and allow users to adjust the compression via an application. The solution improves circulation, comfort, and everyday quality of life.
• Fino App – an app for American influencers that automatically integrates revenue data from platforms like YouTube, TikTok, and Twitch, simplifies tax calculations, and acts as a smart financial assistant thanks to a planned AI module.
• GrowthQ – an AI app for automated content creation and scheduling on social networks. It uses n8n automation tools and enables small businesses to have an effective digital presence with minimal engagement.
• BusLink – a comprehensive bus transportation management software system that includes route planning, ticket sales, GPS tracking, and financial reporting. Through AI route optimization and anomaly detection, the system improves safety and efficiency.

The teams received a total financial support of up to 1,150,000 dinars per team, which includes a basic grant of up to 1,000,000 dinars for further development of the solution and market validation and an additional grant of up to 150,000 dinars for attending an international startup conference of the team’s choice. They will have mentor support until the end of the year to prepare their projects for market launch.

In addition to financial support, the teams from the second phase were able to use the specialized services of the EDIH S4AI_Hub, with the support of the European Union. Services include digital maturity assessment (DMA), education, solution testing, access to funding, and connection to the European network of digital innovation hubs.

The success of this year’s teams confirms that quality ideas come from all parts of the country and that, with the right support structure, they can grow into sustainable businesses with international potential. Launcher continues to be a support program focused on fostering entrepreneurship, digitalization, and economic development based on knowledge and innovation.

*The Launcher program is implemented by the Science and Technology Park Niš, in partnership with the Startup Center Niš, the Regional Innovation Center Zubin Potok, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Niš, and the Faculty of Diplomacy and Security, with financial support from the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, the City of Niš, and the company Fazi, and is co-financed by the European Commission through the S4AI_Hub program.