The Cross-border Innovation Support Program enables innovators, startup teams, small and medium-sized enterprises, as well as researchers from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro to access innovation laboratories, mentorship and infrastructure for prototype development.
Participants have access to laboratories in Mostar, Tuzla, Nikšić and Zadar, where they can develop and test innovative solutions regardless of their location within the region.
You can apply HERE
What is the Cross-border Innovation Support Program?
The Cross-border Innovation Support Program is a regional initiative that connects innovation centers, laboratories and experts from three countries with the aim of accelerating the development of innovations and prototypes. The program provides direct access to resources that shorten the path from an idea to a functional product.
The goal of the program is to accelerate the development of an idea into a functional and tested prototype through practical work and expert support.
Individuals and organizations developing innovative solutions with potential for development or prototype improvement are eligible to apply for the program.
Eligible applicants include: individuals (innovators), startup teams, small and medium-sized enterprises, researchers and development teams.
Participants must come from: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia or Montenegro.
The program is intended for projects with clear potential for technical development, testing and scaling.
What do participants gain through the program?
Participants receive a combination of infrastructure, expert knowledge and regional connectivity that enables faster and higher-quality innovation development.
Main benefits include:
• use of laboratories in Mostar, Tuzla, Nikšić and Zadar
• expert support from mentors in technological and engineering fields
• development and testing of prototypes in real conditions
• networking with innovation centers and partners across the region
The program reduces development costs and shortens the time needed to create a functional prototype.
Why is this program important for innovation?
The program is important because it addresses key barriers to innovation development in the region, including: lack of access to specialized laboratories, high prototype development costs, lack of expert mentorship and weak connectivity between innovation ecosystems in the region.
Through shared infrastructure and cross-border cooperation, the program enables faster innovation development and easier market entry. Participation in the program does not only mean access to equipment, but also entry into a network of people who understand innovation development.
Participants gain concrete resources for idea development, support from experts who help avoid technical mistakes, the opportunity to test ideas outside their own market, as well as access to a regional community of innovators.
This program is especially valuable for those who have an idea but do not have the infrastructure to turn it into a product.
All details of the public call can be found at the link, while the program document contains more information about the infrastructure available in each of the labs included in the program.
The program is part of the CODES project implemented through the Interreg VI-A IPA Croatia – Bosnia and Herzegovina – Montenegro 2021–2027 Programme, co-financed by the European Union.
