university–enterprise cooperation

VISION OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGICAL DE-
VELOPMENT OF SERBIA:
“Serbia as an innovative country where
scientists reach European standards, contribute
to the knowledge of the entire society and the
technological development of the economy”
…
Investing in science and technology is, for
Serbia, the only way to create a sustainable
economy and society.
…
The ultimate goal is to create a national
innovation system.
Bozidar Djelic, Minister of Science and Technological
Development
Science and Technological Development Strategy of
Republic of Serbia 2009-2014
The National Strategy for the Economic
Development of Serbia 2006 – 2012, and
the Programme for Business Incubators
and Clusters Development in the Republic
of Serbia 2007 - 2010 were adopted at the
end of 2006 [61]. Both documents define
strategic measures and incentives of the
Serbian Government for improvement of the
entrepreneurial and innovation environment
in Serbia. There was plan to set up at least 15
incubators in Serbia until 2010. During 2006,
the Business Incubator Support Centre was
established within Serbian Agency for SMEE
with main focus on business incubation and
help to start-ups. The establishment of the
Serbian Association of Business Incubators
in December 2006, was of crucial importance
for further development of innovation
infrastructure in the country.
Ministry of Economy and Regional
Development launched the project “Cluster
Development Support” project in 2007.
There were numerous cluster initiatives
supported via this project and there were
24 cluster initiatives operating at the end
of 2008.
There are several technology and science
and innovation centers (e.g. Technology
Transfer Centre at the University of Novi Sad,
Innovation Centre of Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Belgrade, Novi Sad Innovation Centre),
which have started to operate recently or are
in a setting-up procedure (feasibility studies,
expression of interests). Three S&T parks were
established (Institute Mihailo Pupin, Novi Sad
and Nis) within the project “Feasibility Study
for foundation of Science & Technology Parks
in Serbia”. Business Technology Incubator of
Technical Faculties Belgrade was established
also and the research of the innovative
capacities in the Serbian ICT sector was done.
Dynamic and effective interaction and
cooperation among businesses, research
community and education centers are crucial
for economic growth and promotion of
innovation processes.
This cooperation results in specific forms of
concentration of interconnected companies,
i.e. clusters, which exceed local, regional and
national borders. The process of acquiring
new technologies, entering new markets
and creating new jobs is hardly achievable
without institutional support.
Mladjan Dinkic, Minister of Economy and Regional
Development, Republic of Serbia
4.2.1.2 University of Kragujevac
www.kg.ac.rs
The University of Kragujevac is the educational
centre in the central Serbian region of
Sumadija and Pomoravlje. It started its
independent operation in 1976 and now it
comprises of 11 faculties out of which five are
in Kragujevac. University has approximately
1400 students and around 1000 teaching
staff. So far 18 000 students graduated from
the University, 600 earned their master’s
degree and 300 successfully defended their
doctoral dissertations.
The Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences
and the University of Kragujevac
(www.kg.ac.rs/csanu.php) established a joint
Research center in 1992. The Center comprises
ten sections, mostly directed toward research in
areas which have not yet been encompassed by
the typical teaching and research of the university.
The Center’s work is realized through the activities
in research projects, publishing activities and
organization of scientific meetings, lectures and
round table discussions.
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Current state in the WBC region 4