A unique event entitled “Synergy of Institutions for Sustainable Development of Innovation in Montenegro – Final of the BoostMeUp Vol. 3 Program: Montenegro Pitching Competition” was held in Podgorica.
The priority goal of the event was achieved – to gather and present the joint action of key players for innovation development in Montenegro, while enabling a broader understanding of the situation, identifying potential areas for improvement, and providing support for further development of innovative projects and practices.
In her opening address, the Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation, Ms. Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, emphasized the importance of collaboration and support for innovative ideas: “By nurturing a culture of collaboration and knowledge exchange, we create synergies that amplify our impact and accelerate the path of innovation development. Each institution in our innovation ecosystem has a unique and irreplaceable role, each contributes to creating a world that supports existing and creates new generations of innovators and entrepreneurs.”
The Advisor to the Prime Minister of Montenegro for Culture and Youth, Mr. Vucic Cetkovic, emphasized that the Government of Montenegro strongly supports the development of innovation and science as key factors of economic progress. He stated that by improving the legal and strategic framework, increasing investment in research and innovation, and strengthening cooperation with the EU and regional partners, a favorable environment will be created for innovation development and commercialization, making Montenegro a globally competitive state open to new challenges of the 21st century.
“Today’s event is one of the most significant this year for Montenegro’s innovation ecosystem,” highlights the Executive Director of IEC Tehnopolis, Djordjije Malovic, “it presented a map of the main road that the state has built in this area. The synergy of three institutions – the Innovation Fund, NTP, and IEC Tehnopolis for sustainable development of innovation under the auspices of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation represents an example of one of the most successful systems operating in the country. Montenegro Pitching Competition as the final of the pre-acceleration program for the development and launch of Montenegrin startups BMU is one of the most striking results of that synchronized system. It has grown into a brand recognized by Tehnopolis and the structured framework of Montenegro’s innovation ecosystem.”
The importance of systemic cooperation among state institutions was also presented, as well as their specific activities in the field of innovative ecosystem development, namely: the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation, the Innovation Fund, IEC Tehnopolis, and the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro. Their joint efforts are aimed at accelerating the implementation of Montenegro’s innovation agenda, encouraging sustainable development, and developing the Montenegrin economy based on innovation.
Eight Montenegrin startups presented their innovative ideas in the grand final of the BoostMeUp Vol. 3 pre-acceleration program – Montenegro Pitching Competition. Over the past six months, they have been dedicated to developing their ideas, utilizing the material and immaterial support provided by the program. The DeltaHes team was selected as the winner – a platform for integrating and optimizing business processes in the industry using machine learning and artificial intelligence. The second place went to the NetAI team, which allows us to create websites in seconds using generative artificial intelligence. In contrast, the third place was awarded to the Visit Village team, which aims to enable authentic and active farm-based vacations in just a few clicks. All three teams received a prize of €4,000 each to cover the costs of participating in international conferences to promote their startups.
The task of deciding the best was not an easy one and was entrusted to the expert jury composed of: Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic (Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation), Djordjije Malovic (IEC Tehnopolis), Nevena Jankovic Borozan (NTP Belgrade), Dusan Banovic (Crnogorski Telekom), Milos Miketic (Lovcen Bank), Valentina Radulovic (STP Montenegro), Ana Asanin (Spectro Solutions), Igor Djurovic (UCG), and Kosta Andrić (ICT Hub).
BoostMeUp Vol. 3 Program is co-financed by the Innovation Fund and implemented by IEC Tehnopolis, the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, Montenegrin Telekom, the University of Montenegro, and the Science and Technology Park of Belgrade.
The event brought together more than 150 participants, including representatives of the Montenegrin and regional innovation ecosystems, ambassadors, and representatives of academic, non-governmental, banking, public, and private sectors.
