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The European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) has emerged as Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem, uniting over 2,400 partners across more than 70 hubs to drive forward-thinking solutions for global challenges. With a mission to foster sustainable growth and a green future, EIT’s unique approach integrates business, research, and education through its Knowledge and Innovation Communities (KICs), supporting ventures from inception to market success. To date, EIT has supported more than 9,900 ventures, launched over 2,450 new products, and trained upwards of 880,000 learners, with EIT-supported companies now valued at over EUR 72 billion.
EIT in the Western Balkans
Recognizing the potential of the Western Balkans, EIT has prioritised engagement with the region during the 2021–2023 programming period. All EIT KICs, both individually and collaboratively, have rolled out initiatives tailored to local needs. The region’s participation rate in EIT Community activities reached 2.24%, outperforming the Horizon Europe average and underscoring the relevance and impact of EIT’s offerings for Western Balkan innovators.
EIT Jumpstarter: Empowering Early-Stage Entrepreneurs
EIT Jumpstarter is a flagship pre-accelerator programme, providing mentoring, training, and pre-seed funding to early-stage innovators. The Western Balkans have shown strong engagement, with 10–11% of annual applications originating from the region. In 2023, 65 out of 621 applications came from the Western Balkans, resulting in two teams winning three prizes at the Grand Final. In 2024, nine regional teams were supported, with standout performances from Rehem (Serbia), which won third prize in the InnoEnergy category, and WellscanPro (Kosovo*), which secured second prize in Health and was named the most promising Western Balkans team.
Looking ahead, a dedicated Western Balkans cohort within EIT Jumpstarter will launch in 2026, funded by IPA III (EUR 600,000), to further increase annual support. The region’s innovation is also reflected in success stories like NeoPill, a Serbian, female-led start-up that developed a novel dental device using electrolysis to improve oral hygiene for orthodontic patients. NeoPill’s journey from EIT Jumpstarter winner to commercialization exemplifies the programme’s impact, with the company now scaling production after successful pilots in Serbia and Bulgaria.
The 2025 application cycle underscored the region’s growing entrepreneurial dynamism, with 82 submissions from the Western Balkans-approximately 10% of the global total. North Macedonia led with 23 applications, followed by Bosnia and Herzegovina (18), Albania (17), Serbia (16), Montenegro (5), and Kosovo (3)1. Thematic trends revealed a strong focus on Food & Agritech (22 applications) and Healthcare (20), reflecting regional priorities in sustainable agriculture and medical innovation.
EIT InfraBooster: Bridging Research and Industry
EIT InfraBooster is a modular training programme designed for scientific organizations in the Western Balkans and neighboring countries. It builds capacity for developing infrastructure-based services for industry, fostering collaboration, and generating new revenue streams. In 2023, the programme supported 60 participants (68% female) from 17 institutions, resulting in eight new services-four of which achieved commercial success within a year, generating over EUR 10,000 in revenue.
The 2024 edition saw a significant rise in interest, with 112 eligible applications. Thirteen mentoring sessions were held, and eight teams from the region presented their projects at the EIT Jumpstarter Grand Final. The programme’s new rolling application process allows greater flexibility, accommodating participants throughout the year and aiming to reduce dropout rates. The Practitioner module, now with two annual cohorts, continues to support the development of innovative services, particularly in green transition, digital manufacturing, pharma quality, and gene-assisted selection.
Notable outcomes include:
- NanoSense (BioSense Institute, Serbia): A nano- and micro-technology platform enabling breakthroughs in agricultural and environmental monitoring.
- TrueWineID (University of Sarajevo): DNA testing services to authenticate wine grape varieties, enhancing quality control for Balkan vineyards.
- Smart Learning Factory (Ss. Cyril and Methodius University, North Macedonia): Digital transformation solutions for manufacturing SMEs.
EIT RawMaterials Regional Innovation Centre in Albania: A Hub for Sustainable Growth
At the end of 2023, EIT RawMaterials established a Regional Innovation Centre in Elbasan, Albania, officially launched in April 2024. Fully funded by Albanian authorities and located at Aleksandër Xhuvani University, the Centre is dedicated to advancing scientific research, promoting green technology, and modernizing the raw materials sector. It plays a pivotal role in integrating Albania with the European Union’s innovation landscape, supporting local industry, universities, and research centers, and fostering STEAM education for future workforce needs.
The Centre’s activities align with Albania’s Research and Innovation Smart Specialization Strategy and the European Commission’s “Growth Plan,” aiming to enhance the supply of strategic raw materials to the European market and support the country’s broader integration with EU innovation priorities. During a recent visit as part of the POLICY ANSWERS fellowship programme, our colleague Fiorda Llukmani had the opportunity to visit the Centre and speak with the local team. The article about this visit can be found here.
EIT Community Hubs: Expanding Regional Presence
EIT Community Hubs serve as one-stop shops for local innovators to access the full range of EIT Community services and opportunities. These hubs bridge the EIT with regional ecosystems, raise awareness, foster collaboration, and support policy engagement.
Currently, three EIT Community Hubs operate in the Western Balkans:
- North Macedonia (established 2023)
- Montenegro (established 2024)
- Albania (established 2025)
Additional hubs in Serbia and Bosnia and Herzegovina will be established before the end of 2025.
The newest hub in Albania launched on 10 February 2025, with a kick-off event at Europe House in Tirana that attracted 131 participants from academia, industry, and public institutions. Since then, the EIT Community Officer has initiated partnerships with key stakeholders including the Ministry of Economy, Culture and Innovation, the National Agency for Scientific Research and Innovation, and the Albanian Investment and Development Agency.
All three hubs actively promote EIT initiatives like Jumpstarter and InfraBooster while participating in regional events to strengthen the EIT Community’s presence within the Western Balkans’ innovation landscape.
As part of its commitment to inclusive innovation, the EIT is intensifying engagement across the Western Balkans. Under the Deep Tech Talent Initiative (DTTI), the EIT aims to skill one million Europeans in deep tech by 2025. These cutting-edge fields—spanning science and engineering in digital, physical and biological domains—are essential to addressing global challenges. By the end of 2024, 28 organisations in the Western Balkans had pledged to deliver training, with a total of 48 pledgers reported by April 2025, including 12 from Albania, 15 from Serbia and 9 from Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The region is also benefiting from the EIT Community Booster under the New European Bauhaus (NEB) initiative. One standout project, PLACETHEATRE in Novi Sad, Serbia, used participatory street theatre to empower marginalised youth and engage communities in reimagining their urban spaces. Another project, Green Connections in Sarajevo, is creating intergenerational community gardens to foster social cohesion and sustainability.
Through EIT SUPERNOVAS, women across the region are entering and advancing in the innovation ecosystem. In 2024, several participants from Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Montenegro, and Serbia joined investment and entrepreneurship programmes, building a stronger pipeline of women innovators and investors.
Further strengthening regional innovation, the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (RIS) welcomed Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina to its list of eligible countries in 2025. With all Western Balkan economies (except Kosovo) now eligible, the EIT is piloting a new Regional Innovation Booster (2025–2028). This initiative will provide long-term, tailored, and place-based support for high-potential ventures, in close collaboration with national authorities. It represents a step-change in how the EIT engages with emerging innovators, ensuring integration into Europe’s largest innovation ecosystem.