A regular meeting of project partners within the 2CODE project (Improving cooperation for the development of cross-border business environment) was held at the INTERA Technology Park in Mostar.
On behalf of IEC Tehnopolis, the leading partner in this project, the meeting was attended by Aleksandar Janicic, Manager for project activities and development of entrepreneurship, Anja Grabovica and Marijana Jovovic, the project assistants.
During the first part of the meeting, the partners’ progress reports for the second project reporting period, the joint progress report of the project consortium during the first reporting period and the current status of project implementation, key activities and so far results, as well as the action plan for the third project period were presented.
The meeting focused on the process of establishing an IT cluster in Montenegro, whose activities will be presented at a press conference in Niksic in February 2021. In addition, there was a word about cluster cooperation in the cross-border area, as well as the signing of a memorandum of cooperation in the cross-border program area in order to sustainably develop these ICT communities.
A special aspect of the meeting was related to the activities within the Code Hub network of coworking spaces. These spaces will be improved through the purchase of new furniture and equipment, but also through the creation of a special offer of these spaces for digital nomads. This segment is especially important for the Code Hub network of coworking spaces, given that a new Law on Foreigners was passed in Croatia in November, which regulates visas for digital nomads, but also that an initiative was launched in Montenegro with the same goal. In addition, during the first quarter of 2021, the project partners will develop a work program for the Code Hub coworking space network, which aims to create further sustainability of space, improve cooperation and further work on attracting digital nomads and developing the mobility segment.
At the very end, the meeting discussed the establishment of innovative laboratories in Niksic, Mostar, Tuzla and Zadar. These laboratories will be established during 2021, and the first of them will have been established by the end of February 2021 in Zadar.
The 2CODE project is co-financed through ERDF and IPA II funds of the European Union, within the Interreg IPA cross-border cooperation program Croatia-Bosnia and Herzegovina-Montenegro, for the financial period 2014-2020. The leading partner in the project is the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Tehnopolis, while the project partners are: the Foundation for Innovation and Technological Development from Mostar (INTERA TP), the City of Zadar, BIT Center Tuzla and the University of Zadar.
