Jubilee of the NIS Company’s “Common Cause Community” Program

We had the extraordinary honor of attending the ceremony on the occasion of 15 years of the socially responsible program “Common Cause Community” of the NIS company.
Thanks to this program, the Science and Technology Park Niš will implement and launch a Laboratory for Audio and Visual Production which will enable us to record quality podcast content, that will be intended for all those interested in startups and technological entrepreneurship, as well as those who are eager for the most up-to-date information from all fields of the IT industry.

In 2023 alone, 6 million dinars were invested in the territory of the City of Niš for the implementation of projects aimed at the field of science and education, with the goal of contributing to the improvement of the conditions for education and increasing the capacity for the work of scientific institutions, through support to the Elementary School “Njegoš” in addition to STP Niš.
The NIS company and the City of Niš have been partners in the “Common Cause Community” program since its inception in 2009, and within the framework of this program, the NIS company has supported 81 projects in Niš so far, the implementation of which has had 86 million dinars invested in.

The Cornerstone for the Construction of the New STP Niš Facility has been Laid

With the laying of the cornerstone today, the construction of Phase 2 of the Science and Technology Park Niš, which is entering a new chapter of its development, has officially started.

The participation of high-ranking officials at this important event, including the Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia Ana Brnabić, the Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation Jelena Begović, the Minister of Public Investment Marko Blagojević, the Mayor of Niš Dragana Sotirovski, and the Regional Director of the EBRD for the Western Balkans, Matteo Colangeli, highlights importance of this project for the local and national economy and development.

The Prime Minister stated “Phase 2 of the Science and Technology Park Niš is an extremely important project for the future of all of Serbia, not only Niš.” We dream big dreams which we presented within the Leap into the Future – Serbia 2027 program. This project occupies an extremely important spot. We will invest over 25 million euros in the additional phase. Our task is to complete the works by the end of October 2025.”

For this occasion, a presentation of the development plans for the Science and Technology Park Niš was presented, as well as a review of the results achieved so far, which have brought us to this moment in less than three years of work. The managing director of the Science and Technology Park Niš, Milan Ranđelović, PhD, pointed out that the construction of the new facility, through the realization of an investment of almost 25 million euros, will triple the capacities to as much as 30 thousand square meters – of which about 15,000 are office and laboratory space. With this, the conditions will be created for STP Niš to have over 80 companies with more than 1000 employees in the park, providing support for the development of the innovation district around the Science and Technology Park, as well as the innovation ecosystem of the entire region.

Increasing the capacity of the Science and Technology Park Niš will contribute to the further development of the innovation ecosystem in the region, attracting investments, opening development centers of large technological companies, and creating new jobs in the field of high technologies. Moreover, this also represents a significant step towards the improvement of scientific and technological cooperation at the international level, considering the participation of the EBRD and the support that this institution provides to projects in the region.

UNDP Awarded 5 Innovative Solutions – Among the Awarded are 2 STP Niš Members

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) has chosen 5 innovative technological solutions that can improve the urban environment and improve the quality of life in cities, among which were our members Beehold and Just Start with the application City & Me!

Among the selected solutions is the company Beehold – a digital assistant based on artificial intelligence whose goal is to improve beekeeping practices, protect bee populations and improve food safety and availability. In addition to the above, the Science and Technology Park Niš (STP Niš) will be a partner in the “City and Me” project, implemented by the startup company Just Start, which will focus on the implementation of smart city solutions in the cities of North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. The project is directed towards improving the urban environment and improving the quality of life in these cities through innovative technological solutions. STP Niš takes significant steps in the development of smart city solutions through the preparation of a feasibility study.

Through this project, the potential for the development of a larger number of local areas is highlighted, as it represents a platform with the help of which citizens can actively participate in solving local problems and support green initiatives.

The call was open for projects in the fields of security, food availability, sustainable tourism, and new digital services, solutions and platforms, and was supported by the Government of the Republic of Serbia as part of the official development assistance it provides to North Macedonia, Albania, Montenegro, and Bosnia and Herzegovina, in order to strengthen the economic potential in these countries.
The prize fund is 198,050 dollars intended for the effective implementation of these smart city solutions.

 

Italy-Serbia Innovation Forum: Science and Technology Park Niš Signed a New Memorandum of Understanding

Organized by the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Serbia, a two-day forum was held under the name “Closing Deals for the Sake of Innovation”, which was opened yesterday in Belgrade by the Ambassador of Italy H.E. Luca Gori, Prime Minister of the Lombardy Region Attilio Fontana, and Minister of Science, Technological Development and Innovation Jelena Begović, PhD.

At the forum, a memorandum between the Area Science Technology Park in Trieste and four Science and Technology Parks – Niš, Belgrade, Novi Sad and Čačak, an agreement between Arexpo S.p.A. and the Science and Technology Park Novi Sad, as well as one between Insburia University and the Universities of Belgrade, Novi Sad and Niš, were signed.
The goal of the forum is to strengthen the cooperation between Italy and Serbia in the field of innovation, through the connection of Italian and Serbian companies, startups, incubators, accelerators, as well as the academic communities of the two countries, and the fields covered by the Forum were agrotechnology, the application of artificial intelligence in industrial processes, green transition, smart cities, and sustainable mobility.

“Today’s memorandums are an excellent opportunity to continue to cooperate together and exchange experiences”, said the president of Lombardy, Attilia Fontana, speaking about the scientific and research cooperation between the two countries.

He emphasized the importance of the close relationship between the economy and the scientific community, pointing out that the forum is an important platform for the development of new projects and initiatives that can significantly contribute to the progress of both countries.

In her address, Minister Jelena Begović pointed out that this event is an indicator of the deep interest and commitment of both countries towards innovation and development. She underlined the importance of such international collaborations, which not only bring institutions and companies together, but also provide a vital environment for the exchange of knowledge and ideas.

The “Closing Deals for the Sake of Innovation” forum also included expert sessions focusing on key challenges and opportunities in areas such as digitalization, biotechnology, and renewable energy sources. Participants had the opportunity to hear about the experiences of industry leaders, as well as learn about the latest trends and research in these fields.

Concluding the forum, the organizers expressed their satisfaction with the high level of interest and active participation of the participants, which contributed to the success of the event and laid the foundation for future cooperation and projects between Italy and Serbia.

Capacity Building Program of Regional Innovation Startup Centers in Cooperation with Science and Technology Parks

In cooperation with as many as 9 regional partners, at the initiative of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, and with the support of the Innovation Fund, STP Niš started the implementation of increasing the capacity of regional innovation startup centers, in cooperation with science and technology parks.

The goal of the program is to attract entrepreneurial (startup) teams, their education and help in business development. and commercialization of innovative ideas, provision of work space, mentoring, financial support, consulting in the field of legal, financial, and administrative affairs, as well as assistance in the development and testing of prototypes.

In addition, the Program develops the competencies of regional innovation startup centers for inclusion in the integrated system of support for innovation, with the aim of achieving self-sustainability for further work.
Together with centers from Zubin Potok, Pirot, Kruševac, Paraćin, Leskovac, Novi Pazar, Vranje, Bor, and Sokobanja, we will work on strengthening the innovation and startup ecosystem in the Southern and Eastern Serbia Region.