AMD research center opened in Niš

With the signing of the Membership Contract, the development center for engineering design of one of the largest global technology companies, the American microchip manufacturer AMD, was officially opened within the Science and Technology Park Niš. In addition to the STP Niš team, the initial meeting, organized with the aim of establishing cooperation, was attended by representatives of the City of Niš, headed by Mayor Dragoslav Pavlović, the University of Niš, as well as representatives of the Faculties of Electronic Engineering and Sciences and Mathematics. The new center will focus on the development of software solutions for leading AMD platforms, including Instinct accelerators and AMD Radeon graphics cards.

The center will cooperate closely with the University of Nis, enabling students to acquire practical knowledge through educational workshops and practice during their studies. This cooperation aims to attract young talents and provide them with opportunities to work on globally competitive technologies, without having to leave their city.
The Science and Technology Park Niš managing director, Milan Ranđelović, PhD, emphasized the importance of opening development centers of global companies in Niš: “The fact that AMD decided on Niš shows that this city still has the resources and strength to be part of the most serious global technological trends. The presence of large technology companies in the Park, such as CISCO and AMD, will further strengthen the economy of the city and the region, providing young people with opportunities to study, work, and live here in world-class conditions.”

Andrej Zdravković, vice president and software director at AMD, also emphasized the importance of this investment for the city of Niš and pointed out that they are looking forward to cooperating with the faculties of the University of Niš: “The presence of AMD brings new technology and opportunities for young engineers to prepare for work in the latest technological trends, while staying in their city. We plan to work together to create programs and lectures in order to move technology closer to world standards.”

AMD is a global company with over 27,000 employees, annual revenue of more than $22 billion, and a market capitalization that has grown tenfold in the past five years, placing it among the 40 largest companies in the world.
The opening of the AMD Research Center in Niš confirms, once again, the importance of the Science and Technology Park Niš as a key factor in the development of innovation and technological progress, not only for the city, but also for the entire Southern and Eastern Serbia Region. This way, STP Niš contributes to the establishment of a knowledge-based economy, the creation of strong connections between the industry, academia, and innovative companies, thereby opening new opportunities for young talents, further strengthening Serbia’s competitiveness on the global technology market.

With Representatives of the Local Self-government on the Goals of the Be Ready Project

As a partner in the project “Urban heat islands resilience, preparedness and mitigation strategy – Be Ready”, financed by the Interreg Danube Program project, the Science and Technology Park Niš organized a working session with representatives of the local self-government on May 9, 2024 in order to collect relevant information that can be useful for the development of methodology and tools for risk assessment related to urban heat islands and the strategy of preparedness and resistance to climate change. The meeting was attended by representatives of the City of Niš, the Local Economic Development Office, the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Niš, and the Faculty of Occupational Safety in Niš, who contributed fully to the analysis of the current state of equipment and materials and their potential impact on the formation of urban heat islands.
The project brings together 19 partners and 9 ASPs from 12 different countries, and the primary goal of the project is to improve the capacity of local and regional authorities and the civil sector in planning, mitigation, and management of climate change and natural disasters with a focus on urban heat islands.

STP Niš as an Important Point on the Digital Silk Road – Signed Cooperation with the Chinese Hangzhou High-Tech Zone

The Belt and Road Initiative is a development strategy proposed by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013. It is focused on trade and development linking China with the rest of Eurasia. A big part of that strategy is the Digital Silk Road, and an important stop on that road is Serbia. This new Silk Road is a way to technologically network China with other participating countries and Western actors in the global technological ecosystem.

Representatives of the Hangzhon delegation visited Niš to sign a cooperation agreement with the Science and Technology Park on April 15, 2024. This way, the cooperation between Serbia and China is strengthened through two cities with a high potential for technological development. During the visit, the delegation toured STP Niš. They got acquainted with the capacities of the park and heard about its mission and vision as well as plans for further business.

STP Niš and the Hangzhou High-Tech Zone signed the agreement to strengthen mutual connection, communication, and exchange for the sake of mutual progress. Using geopolitical and industrial advantages, they will cooperate in order to improve the digital economy, namely working on concepts such as e-commerce, smart city, modern logistics, and payment with smart mobile devices.
We are pleased to have hosted the Hangzhou delegation and look forward to cooperation. We believe that this is another important step on the path through the digital ecosystem.

 

The 8th Forum of Advanced Technologies in June at STP Niš

On Wednesday, April 24, at a media conference, the 8th Forum of Advanced Technologies (FNT) was officially announced, scheduled this year for June 12 and 13 in the Science and Technology Park Niš.

At the conference, the topics, participants, panelists, and ways to transform FNT, which has been profiled as an important regional and international platform for years, were announced. The press and other guests were addressed by the director of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia – RPK Niš, Aleksandar Milićević, the director of STP Niš, Milan Ranđelović, PhD, the representative of the City of Niš, Prof. Vladislav Marjanović, PhD, as well as institutional friends of the Forum who have traditionally supported the organization of this event for years.

The topics of this year’s FNT will be directed towards the most topical innovative news in the field of artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles, 5G networks, development of innovation ecosystems, Web 3 and blockchain technologies. Dedicated to the creative industries, the Forum brings together experts and leading companies from around the world with the aim of deepening the discussion on new trends and challenges in the field of advanced technologies, which not only enables the connection between educational and research institutions, startups, and innovative companies, but also attracts a wide range of participants, including investors, technology enthusiasts, regulatory bodies, NGOs, and industry professionals.

The organizers of this year’s Forum of Advanced Technologies are the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia – RPK Niš, the Science and Technology Park Niš, and the City of Niš, with the support of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation.

 

 

Halfway Done – Program for Establishing Operations of Regional Innovation Startup Centers and Incubators

For the past month and a half, we have been cooperating with regional centers and incubators in order to help them with their business and successfully introduce them to it. The program is to be in two parts, and the end of the first part will conclude with a study trip where they will have the opportunity to gain insight into the work of similar organizations.

As we come to the end of the first part, we would like to do a short recap of the modules that our participants went through. Through the peer-to-peer learning methodology, participants had the opportunity to actively acquire knowledge through lectures, as well as interactive workshops and case studies. Six one-day modules encompass the provision of a complete and dynamic educational process for all participants.

The first module was reserved for introducing teams to the innovation ecosystem. This module helped them to understand their roles and functions specifically, as well as centers and incubators in general, while seeing opportunities for proactivity and innovation. They were introduced to key actors, available resources, and support organizations.

The topic of the second module was the evaluation and selection of users of RISCs and innovation incubators. Thus, incubators and startup centers were trained and equipped to set specific and relevant criteria and analyze the fulfillment of the set parameters. It was presented to them that in the application process emphasis should be placed on the selection of ideas with high potential and on the transparency of the application process.

The focus of the third module was on financial and legal aspects of business. Although they do not form the core of the business, they represent the necessary infrastructure for its functioning. Here, colleagues from startups and incubators were able to get acquainted with the methodology of creating rules, procedures, and responsibilities while aligning it with legal frameworks and best practices. This includes both technical and physical structures.

The second part of the module, reserved for finance, had monetary resources and budgeting as its topic. The importance of aligning finance with goals was discussed as well as different ways of financing to support development and operational goals.

As for the fourth module, it served two closely related concepts. It is about communication on one hand and event organization on the other. Our female colleagues from these fields were here to share their theoretical knowledge with the participants of the program. In addition, their presentations were rich with an abundance of examples from practice and contained exercises that helped in the implementation of newly acquired knowledge.
The teams heard about communication techniques, the importance of internal and external communication, as well as ways to determine target groups and convey certain messages to them.
They had the opportunity to learn about different aspects of organizing events. They talked about promotion, logistics, and, of course, items from the general to-do list that make up indispensable elements of such an undertaking.

The fifth module will introduce participants to strategic planning and sustainability. Special attention will be devoted to the identification and segmentation of target groups, while the second part will focus on the design of the business model, the list of key services, key business indicators, and development strategy. We are excitedly waiting for the next interactive lecture from our colleagues!

The end of the first part of this program will be marked by a study visit to organizations of a similar type. With that, they will directly encounter relevant experiences through interaction with them. They will see how what they learned about during the previous modules looks like in practice. We expect this study tour to mean a lot to the teams. We think it is an ideal way to round off the cycle of modules from the first part!