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On 21 October in the morning, in the framework of the Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation,which was held in Podgorica on 20 and 21 October, the Joint Research Centre (JRC) organised a presentation session to provide an overview of their available Research Infrastructures, and their services rendered to the Western Balkans.
The JRC is committed to fostering innovation by opening its research infrastructures to a broad spectrum of researchers, from public institutions to private enterprises, including SMEs and industry. These unique facilities represent a powerful asset, particularly for the Western Balkans, where limited resources often hinder efforts to close the scientific and technological gap with more developed EU regions. To help address this disparity, the JRC’s Open Access to Research Infrastructures programme provides a concrete opportunity for the region. This programme and the opportunities is can offer to the Western Balkans was showcased in detail during an interactive presentation session. Below are a few insights from this session:
- Through open calls, universities, research institutions and public organisations from the Western Balkans can apply to access JRC facilities. Successful applicants benefit from hands-on experiments, training and capacity building, directly enhancing the region’s scientific and innovation capabilities.
- Since 2017, this has translated into real impact: 25 scientists from 13 institutions across the Western Balkans have had the opportunity to advance their work using the JRC facilities. Experiments were carried out across several Western Balkan economies, involving both users and institutions as follows: North Macedonia 5 users from 1 institution (University Ss Cyril and Methodius – IZIIS) and Serbia 10 users from 2 institutions (University of Belgrade and University of Novi Sad).
- Access to the JRC research infrastructures by institutions from the Western Balkans is free of charge, and it supports the travel and subsistence of researchers from the region visiting the JRC.
By fully leveraging the JRC’s Open Access to Research Infrastructures programme, the Western Balkans can therefore enhance their research capabilities or strengthen collaboration with the wider European research community. This initiative not only breaks down barriers but also fosters capacity building, empowering the enabling the region to unlock its full potential in research and innovation.