Archives: Актуелности

Global Entrepreneurship Week at STP Niš: Focus on Exports to the Far East

Global Entrepreneurship Week, which is already underway and will last until Wednesday, November 20, at the Science and Technology Park Niš, brings opportunities for the development and growth of domestic innovative companies and startups. This event is organized by the Science and Technology Park Niš and NALED, with the support of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Philip Morris company.

The opening of the event was marked by the signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation between the Science and Technology Park Niš and NALED, which establishes a partnership in the implementation of activities in the field of the establishment and operation of the Pop-up Export Hub, the engagement of experts to support its functioning, as well as cooperation in the field of technology transfer. The Pop-up Export Hub in Niš is an initiative of the “StarTech” project, designed with the aim of supporting innovative and high-tech companies, primarily members of STP Niš, in positioning themselves in foreign markets.

The Director of the Science and Technology Park Niš, Dr. Milan Randjelovic, emphasized the importance of this initiative: “This is a great opportunity for all innovative companies and startups to receive support in marketing their products on foreign markets, with a special focus on the countries of the Far East. Through this event, we want to strengthen the domestic economy and enable our companies to better position themselves on the international stage, using concrete advice, practical tools and opportunities to connect with experts and potential partners.”

The Pop-up Export Hub was formed with the aim of organizing annual campaigns dedicated to specific markets through thematic Export Weeks. The campaigns include workshops and exchange of experiences with experts, trade experts and other businesses. Through these workshops and sessions, practical guides with key information and procedures for exporting are created.

The opening program included presentations by prominent representatives of institutions and companies: State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy Vladimir Arsenović, Mayor of Niš Dragoslav Pavlović, Director of STP Niš Milan Randđelović, Manager of Philip Morris Jelena Preradović Stevanović, and Director of Competitiveness and Investments at NALED Dušan Vasiljević.

The first day of the event included a panel discussion with experts as well as networking opportunities, while workshops are scheduled for November 19 and 20 that will cover:

• market research and analysis,
• customs procedures and legal aspects,
• protection of intellectual property in exports.

Within the framework of this project, special emphasis is placed on improving exports and providing practical advice on adapting products to specific market requirements.

There will also be a panel discussion titled “Challenges and Opportunities: How to Access Capital for SMEs”, where participants will be able to learn more about key topics of access to finance and alternative sources of capital for SMEs. The panel is designed as an important contribution to supporting entrepreneurs in their development and adaptation to global markets.

This event provides a unique opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences, laying the foundation for a stronger export potential of domestic companies.

The City of Niš organized a workshop called “Local Methodological Workshop – Urban Heat Islands” as part of the “Be Ready: Urban Heat Islands Resilience, Preparedness and Mitigation Strategies” project.
This workshop is the first in a series of activities within the “Be Ready” project, which focuses on assessing the risk of urban heat islands, and the phenomenon itself forms due to the high level of construction – sidewalks, roads, and buildings that retain heat, which leads to an increase in temperature in urban areas.
The project includes the development of methodology, preparation of reports on the vulnerability and risk of heat islands, as well as the presentation of innovative measures to reduce their effects. In cooperation with partners from 12 European countries, the City of Niš and the Science and Technology Park Niš will work on the implementation of activities, after which the capacities for climate change mitigation and management will be developed. This way, we will lay the foundations for the future development of green infrastructure and harmonization with the policies of the European Union in the field of environmental protection.

The workshop in Niš brought together representatives of the public, civil, and business sectors, as well as academia, who discussed the goals and activities of the project and the expected results, and exchanged past experiences and data on the fight against climate change.
The project is supported through the INTERREG Program of the Danube Region and co-financed by the European Union.

The Science and Technology Park Niš participated in a workshop dedicated to urban heat islands and the methodology for assessing vulnerability and risks caused by this phenomenon, organized as part of the EU project Be Ready (UrBan hEat islands REsilience, prepAreDness and mitigation strategY). At the event, STP Niš was represented by Milan Krstev, an associate on the project, who joined partners and experts from the region dedicated to jointly solving the challenges of climate change. He presented the methodology for assessing the vulnerability and risk of the emergence of urban heat islands and emphasized the importance of the presence of many actors, because this complex problem requires broad cooperation.

Krstev pointed out that “The availability of data is key, because Podgorica has the task of assessing the risk of heat islands, which is only possible with the support and data of various organizations and institutions”, and added that the awareness of the phenomenon and existence of heat islands varies between countries, and that it is not only urban cores that are susceptible, but also other areas without green infrastructure. This methodology not only enables risk assessment, but also provides tools for planning measures to mitigate the impact of these phenomena on the local population and the environment.

The aim of the workshop was to establish a platform for knowledge exchange on models for analyzing and monitoring the impact of urban heat islands, including assessment of possible scenarios and policy guidance. This way, participating countries can collectively contribute to mitigating the negative effects of climate change.

The project coordinator, Branka Knežević, emphasized the importance of the Be Ready project in raising the awareness of cities about the heat island phenomenon, as well as in strengthening their readiness to respond to these challenges. “The main goal of the project is to provide cities with instruments and tools to reduce the heat island effect. Risk assessment is the first step, and we hired experts for support in the implementation of this assessment”, Knežević stressed.

In addition, the workshop emphasized the importance of international cooperation through projects like this one, as well as through European missions, including the Mission of 100 climate neutral cities by 2030. At the workshop, the importance of greening, development of alternative modes of transportation, protection of urban areas, and implementation of pilot projects to mitigate the effect of heat islands was emphasized.

The Be Ready project is supported through the Regional Cooperation Program in the Danube Region and co-financed by the European Union. The implementation of the project began on January 1 of this year, while the leading partner is the City of Sofia Development Association from Bulgaria. Partners from cities across the region, including Niš, are developing action plans that include innovative spatial planning, improving regulations, developing awareness and implementing infrastructure measures to mitigate the consequences of climate change.

The South East European Innovators Challenge (SEEIC) is the first regional forum dedicated to innovation and startup communities in Southeast Europe. Held in Sofia Tech Park, this event brought together representatives of technology parks and innovation zones from Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, and Turkey, as well as representatives of academia, business, international investors, and government and local institutions. The main mission of SEEIC is to stimulate the cooperation of the scientific and technological ecosystems of the region and encourage the development of innovations, which will make Southeast Europe an attractive destination for investments.

As part of the conference, a competition for startups was also held, where startups from STP Niš – Nais Robotics and City and Me presented their projects to the committee. In the final part, City and Me took home the award of the Municipality of Sofia for its innovative contribution to urban challenges.

The managing director of the Science and Technology Park Niš, Milan Ranđelović, PhD, participated in a panel discussion dedicated to the vision of the development of innovation in the region, together with the leaders of other technology parks in Europe, as well as representatives of the city of Sofia, where further steps for the improvement of the regional innovation infrastructure were discussed, and on that occasion, a Memorandum on Cooperation with technology parks and innovation zones from Serbia, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Montenegro was signed. This agreement aims to strengthen regional ties and open new opportunities for innovative projects across Europe.

In addition to competitions and panel discussions, SEEIC was an opportunity for the founders of the SEEIC Alliance to deepen the conversation about cooperation and future joint projects via a round table and an open discussion on strengthening the innovation ecosystem of Southeast Europe.

The conference was also attended by representatives of innovation startup centers and incubators from the Southern and Eastern Serbia Region as part of a study visit organized by STP Niš through the project Regional Innovation Startup Center Capacity Building Program. During this visit, the participants had the opportunity to familiarize themselves more with the innovation ecosystem of Bulgaria, as well as with the capacities and activities of Sofia Tech Park. As part of the program, a reception was held at the Embassy of Serbia in Bulgaria, and the participants also visited the Creative Technology Hub Resonator, where they exchanged experiences with local experts and gained insight into innovative practices that encourage the development of the startup ecosystem in the region.

At the Book Fair in Belgrade, the promotion of the book “Priručnik za Startapere”, the Serbian edition of the well-known work “The Startup Owner’s Manual” by Steve Blank and Bob Dorf, was held. The event brought together people from the world of entrepreneurship and innovation, who had the opportunity to hear the inspiring experiences and practical advice of the panelists: Kosta Andrić, CEO of ICT Hub, Miša Živić, founder of the Leanpay company, and Milan Ranđelović, PhD, the managing director of the Science and Technology Park Niš.
During the conversation, the interlocutors shared their personal experiences from the entrepreneurial world, bringing focus to the most common challenges startups face at the beginning of their journey. The discussion covered topics such as market validation, finding the right business model, and the importance of rapid product iteration based on user feedback.

Speaking about where the idea for publishing this book in our language came from, Milan Ranđelović, PhD, pointed out that Priručnik za Startapere, which is an adaptation of the bestseller The Startup Owner’s Manual, serves as a practical guide for entrepreneurs and that the first steps in the startup world are much easier if guided by the tips and guidelines from the book. The book covers the steps of the Customer Development methodology in detail, providing entrepreneurs with the tools to define the market, test the product, adapt the business model, and achieve sustainable growth. Ranđelović emphasized how important it is to understand the needs of users and adjust products through an iterative process, which is the central theme of this manual.
In the last few years, significant progress has been made in the development of the innovation ecosystem in Serbia, with an increasing number of startups facing the challenges of product development and market validation. Speaking about the stage in which the Serbian innovation ecosystem is now, Kosta Andrić emphasized that a level has now been reached that requires a larger number of more mature startups that have already entered the market and achieved traction. Leanpay, as an example of a startup that went through all stages from development to growth, represents an excellent example of how to test hypotheses, adjust the product based on user feedback, and gradually grow to the point where investments can significantly accelerate further development, which was discussed in more detail by Miša Živić, director and founder of the Leanpay company.

This book, with concrete examples and practical advice, provides guidance through all stages of startup development, from an idea to market entry and further growth.
This publication of the Science and Technology Park Niš represents a step towards strengthening the domestic startup community, enabling entrepreneurs to improve their skills and knowledge in order to successfully respond to market challenges.