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Under the auspices of the Nordic Council of Ministers, the embassies of Denmark, Finland, Norway ,and Sweden, and in partnership with the Science and Technology Park Niš, on Thursday, February 2, 2023, at STP Niš from 11:00 a.m., the “Nordic – Serbian Partnership for Green Business and Industrial Processes” conference will be held.

The upcoming conference is the fourth and last in a series of events, and is organized under the auspices of the Embassy of Finland and in partnership with the Science and Technology Park Niš. The focus of the conference is on green and sustainable business and on the transfer of the experience on how to improve production processes, incorporate the principles of circular economy, digitalize business, and at the same time increase productivity and efficiency and consume fewer resources.

For years now, the Nordic countries have been striving to transfer their experiences and best practices to others, and through two panel discussions you will have the opportunity to hear more about the Green transition and trends – Nordic experiences and local practices, and there will also be more talks on the topic of Green business – Finland’s experiences and local practices.

Location: STP Niš, Conference Hall
Date: February 2, 2023
Time: 11:00

At the panel “Ideas of the Little, Experience of the Big: How Corporations and Startups Cooperate” – a StarTech program implemented by NALED in partnership with the Government of Serbia and with the support of the Science and Technology Park Niš, a number of important questions about startups and their current position were raised, such as and the direction in which they are moving.

The biggest challenge that startups face is the struggle on the market, and the panelists shared with us how large companies can involve small ones and provide them with the necessary support. Through this cooperation, innovators get the opportunity to learn, develop their business models, and spread their knowledge and experience, but also a very important network of contacts. In addition, space is provided for applying innovations in solving numerous challenges in business.

“Small companies, that is, startups that are only starting, need big companies, not only to learn from their experience, but also to place their products on the market,” said Irena Đorđević from NALED.

Panelists Janko Pavlović, director of Digital Works, and Ivan Stanković, director of Syncit Group, shared their experiences on the importance of support and networking with large companies locally and nationally, as well as internationally.

By accepting new, young ideas and supporting startup entrepreneurship, innovation development and the development of the entire ecosystem is inevitable.

The Innovation Fund of the Republic of Serbia has opened Public Calls to support the creativity of new entrepreneurs.

This state organization, specialized in providing support for innovations and encouraging innovation, launched three programs in December of this year.

The three programs offered were launched in order to encourage the development of ideas, scientific research activities and the development of the first prototype.

• THE PUBLIC CALL FOR THE “SMART START” PROGRAM has been opened in order to support the most promising teams in their efforts to validate their business ideas and demonstrate the usefulness of their products/services/technologies through the development of the first prototype or minimum viable product (MVP). The maximum amount of funding that the Innovation Fund awards per individual project is up to 3,600,000.00 RSD (around 30,000.00 EUR). Additionally, all users of the Program will receive 600,000.00 RSD (around 5,000.00 EUR) of additional funds allocated for mentorship support.
  The Fund will consider financing projects from all fields of science and technology and from any industrial sector.
  You can apply to the contest electronically through their portal at this link.
  The application deadline is February 28, 2023, at 12:00.
• THE PUBLIC CALL FOR GIVING OUT INNOVATION VOUCHERS is an incentive intended for companies to use the services provided by scientific research organizations for the development of new products and services related to the innovation process, with the aim of transferring knowledge and creating long-term partnerships between companies and scientific research organizations.
  The innovation voucher covers 60% of the total costs of the service provided by the scientific research organization, that is, a maximum of 800,000 dinars.
  Companies are obligated to co-finance the remaining amount of the total cost of services.
  It is intended for micro, small and medium-sized companies in majority private ownership, registered in Serbia.
  The deadline for submitting applications is from December 15, 2022, until the allocated funds have been used up.
  To apply, first you need to register an account at this link.
• THE PUBLIC CALL FOR THE TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM was announced with the aim of increasing the commercialization potential of academic research through close cooperation with universities, faculties, research institutes and their technology transfer offices.
  This Program includes financial support of up to 2,400,000.00 dinars, which represents 100% of the funds with which the Fund supports the financing of the approved project.
  The application deadline is from December 15, 2022, until the allocated funds have been used up.
  Applications are submitted in English, electronically, via this link.

The information on the necessary documents for applying for these support programs is available on the Innovation Fund’s website.

The Fund’s public calls encourage innovative entrepreneurship and provide a chance to improve the technological and research capacities of our country.

Yesterday, on December 11, the first support program launched by the Startup Center Niš as part of the “Future Cities of Southeast Europe” project, implemented by the Science and Technology Park Niš and the City of Niš, ended with the hackathon that was planned for the very finish of the Green Startup School. The top three prizes at the hackathon were awarded to the teams that devised the best conceptual solutions based on problems in the field of climate change and environmental protection, and presented them before a three-member committee.

During the previous week, ten chosen teams, which consisted of 38 participants, were introduced to the innovation ecosystem, starting a startup, business models, as well as how to present their idea in the best way, through seven modules by experienced lecturers.

The first prize of 3,500 euros was won by the PelleTea team for the production of pellets for heating and mats for animals, the production of which uses waste obtained during the processing of aromatic and medicinal plants as raw material; the second prize of 2,500 euros went to the Bifrost team for the proposed technical solution which produces a biodegradable material made from hemp that can be used to produce disposable packaging, plates, and cutlery, while the third prize of 1,500 euros went to the FlowerTower team for a vertical gardening and composting system that reduces nutrient and water loss.

The winning team has the opportunity to be rewarded with an additional prize of 7,500 euros if they develop and deliver a prototype by December 23.

“The committee analyzed the quality and potential of the teams and whether they meet the criteria that the ideas are relevant to the call and topic themselves, how good the presentation was, what the team dynamics are like and whether the ideas are innovative,” Goran Mladenović, a member of the committee, told us.

“We call ourselves a region with an ‘engineering gene’, so these kinds of support programs are necessary in order for the ideas engineers have to be realized and become businesses that offer many jobs and contribute to the entire community,” Mladenović emphasized.

The Green Startup School is the first support program in our city and region, and the large response of teams, as well as the innovative solutions they presented to us, show that it is important to continue providing opportunities and support to future entrepreneurs, which STP Niš has recognized and will work on developing additional support programs in the future.

This week, the first Green Startup School, initiated by the Startup Center Niš within the project “Future Cities of Southeast Europe” and supported by the City of Niš, the EIT Climate-KIC initiative, and the Science and Technology Park Niš, was opened.

The City of Niš has recognized the problem in the field of environmental protection and, as part of the “Future Cities of Southeast Europe” project, along with Skopje, Maribor, Križevci, and Sarajevo, is working hard on developing and finding solutions.

Nineteen teams applied to participate in the program, of which the best ten teams were selected, which is a total of 38 participants in the Green Startup School. Slavimir Stošović, PhD, a professor at the Academy of Applied Technical and Preschool Studies in Niš and founder of several startups, and Marko Ljubenović, representing STP Niš, were the first lecturers who, during the opening of the school, introduced the teams to the innovation ecosystem, the importance of teamwork, and what is a unique and scalable idea and how to come up with one.

The Green Startup School will last until December 11, and through seven modules, many other experienced lecturers will work with the participants and prepare them for participation in the hackathon that will be held on the last day of the Green Startup School, which is an excellent opportunity to apply the knowledge gained in this program in practice.