Montenegro is constantly advancing and developing all its capacities to create the best possible conditions for the development of fast-growing companies and further development of the digital industry, and modern infrastructural support and new legislative frameworks are a big step in that direction. By creating favorable conditions through support for faster development, Montenegro opens new opportunities and that is the conclusion that everyone present could bring to the event organized by the Ministry of Science of Montenegro and the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Technopolis.
This event was organized to present new support defined by the new regulatory framework, as well as the development of infrastructure segments of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro and IEC Technopolis. Besides that, two reform laws in the field of innovation and technological development voted within the Third Package of Socio-Economic Measures were presented during the event: “Law on Innovation Activity” and “Law on Incentives for Development of Research and Innovation”. With these laws, the Government of Montenegro has created a basic measure for strengthening the IT economy and the functioning of the national innovation ecosystem and provided a wide range of benefits and incentives that apply equally to domestic and international companies. Also, the “S3 strategy of smart specialization”, a national and regional innovation strategy that sets development priorities, was presented, and which aims to build a competitive advantage by connecting its forces in research and innovation with the needs of the economy, responding in a coherent way to growing opportunities and development markets.
Montenegro opens new opportunities
At the very beginning, the Minister of Science of Montenegro, dr Sanja Damjanovic, spoke to the audience, talking about the opportunities that Montenegro provides to development teams, companies and startups, and by whose creations have opened up new opportunities.
“The Government of Montenegro strongly supports the development of an innovative economy, and its key foundations for this development are: modern infrastructure, a modern incentive legislative framework for technological development and our human capacity,” said Damjanovic.
She especially praised IEC Technopolis, saying that its path was not easy at all because Montenegro did not have a functional innovation ecosystem.
“The incentive legislative framework is exactly what it lacked in Montenegro. The government, together with the innovative community, managed to pass two great laws that will bring a revolution in the domestic market. One of the great measures within the mentioned laws is releasing of startups from paying taxes in the first 5 years of existence, but also a measure that no one in Europe has, and that is the release from profit tax in case of reinvestment or investment in innovations and startups “, Damjanovic explained.
She pointed out that Montenegro is aware of the dynamic development due to the use of technologies, the industrial revolution, the digital revolution, but also the needs of young people and that they can’t stay aside, which is why it built a strong innovation ecosystem in the previous period.
“With great laws, with our human capacity, we are transforming Montenegro into a country of new opportunities, as an attractive destination for technological entrepreneurship and the development of new technologies. Montenegro can do what Estonia did. What I see in front of me is a new Montenegro, which will become a country of new opportunities considering its additional potentials “, concluded Damjanovic.
Developing of the innovative ecosystem in Montenegro
About the development of the innovation system in Montenegro and the importance of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro in that process, Mr. Velibor Bošković, Executive Director of the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, spoke.
“In the previous period, IEC Tehnopolis paved the way for the Science and Technology Park in Montenegro, whose central unit in Podgorica is within the campus of the University of Montenegro. We can proudly say that the Science and Technology Park will be officially opened at the end of next year and will be home to 30 to 50 innovative, fast-growing, technology-oriented companies with a capacity of up to 500 employees in this important development facility”, Boskovic said.
He explained that the Science and Technology Park has a very important role in the development of the Montenegrin national innovation ecosystem as its central unit, which through joint work and coordination of all activities, and in cooperation with Technopolis, represents a strong framework for startups, innovative companies, and export-oriented companies.
“Our people are our greatest potential and by constantly investing in them we can achieve important results that can present Montenegro as an attractive destination for investment not only in tourism, construction, energy but also in the IT sector and the development of new technologies,” said Boskovic.
Ambiance for the development of entrepreneurship in the municipality of Niksic
The Municipality of Nikšić, as an active partner in the development of the entrepreneurial environment, has given and will continue to give its contribution in the realization of all future planned activities, explained the Vice President of the Municipality of Niksic, Sonja Nikcevic.
“Today, we can proudly say that thanks to Technopolis, numerous regional development initiatives have been realized and the foundations have been created for more dynamic future development and investment attraction, both in our city and in Montenegro,” said Nikcevic.
She added that the Municipality of Niksic appreciates everything that IEC Tehnopolis has achieved in its work so far, and for that reason, as a support of new creative ideas, it has given Tehnopolis the space in the Home of the Revolution in a very attractive location.
New support for faster development of the innovative economy
At the very end, the Executive Director of IEC Tehnopolis, Ratko Batakovic, spoke to the audience, who expressed great satisfaction with the organization of such an event, where a whole set of opportunities for young creative individuals, teams ready to develop their businesses believing in their idea was presented.
“All activities and all events that we organize in Technopolis and other places are primarily aimed at supporting business development, the competitiveness of our economy through the promotion of new technologies, and the application of innovations from all areas of the economy. This year, we are witnessing major and rapid changes in the economic environment, so our additional obligation is to provide as much bigger, high quality, substantial, and opportunely as possible in the set of support measures we provide to business idea holders,” said Batakovic.
He said that Tehnopolis is currently equipping and preparing for the commissioning of three laboratories: Biotechnology Laboratories – Biolab Technopolis, Industrial Design Laboratories – TECH LAB Technopolis and DATA Center, which will significantly accelerate the development of many segments of the economy and local and national, from agriculture, tourism, metal, wood industry.
“A person who now comes to Technopolis will get a test of his idea and some of the support measures through pre-incubation, incubation or virtual incubation, after that he/she will get all consulting services in terms of production technology and technical or financial support measures he/she can get from local and national to European level: information of available funds and models for lending and financing, support for creating business plans or filling out application forms. That person will receive support for market analysis and training needed to acquire various knowledge and skills to be equal and successful in the market, as well as the opportunity to find their place in the market through our networks of partners, associates and platforms and business forums, ” Bataković said.
He added that all segments and services will be available primarily to residents of the business incubator IEC Tehnopolis, but also representatives of the business community in Montenegro and the region, teams with innovative ideas, students, business support organizations, academic and science sector, as well as other interested parties.
After the introductory speeches, those present had the opportunity to see a video showing the future infrastructure capacities of IEC Technopolis, which will be the focus in the coming period, and which will be located within the reconstructed part of the Home of the Revolution.
At the very end, all attendees visited IEC Technopolis and all its infrastructure segments, which in the future will be an environment for the digital skills adoption of young people and further development of the innovative ecosystem. These infrastructure segments will be an innovative platform created by IEC Technopolis based on a hybrid model that uses advanced technologies to support the development of ideas and innovations with potential for commercialization, development of promising startups and spin-off companies with a focus on technology-oriented companies, develop innovative services existing small and medium-sized enterprises for innovative products, services, and processes.
