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The JRC will organise an info day on 22 October at the Science and Technology Park in Podgorica, in cooperation with the Montenegrin Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation.
The JRC has a long-standing commitment to cooperating and supporting the process of European integration of associated countries to Horizon Europe, actively engaging with the scientific community of these countries through direct assistance in promoting evidence-based policymaking for better governance, facilitating the application of EU standards and norms in technical fields or advancing administrative capacity-building. This has been particularly the case since summer 2024 following the political developments related to EU accession, when the JRC designated support for Enlargement as a key priority.
Among the Western Balkans associated countries to Horizon Europe, Montenegro is an example of good practices in many ways and has actively been involved in strengthening its R&I sector, making a closer partnership with the JRC strategically important. Notably, the JRC has strongly engaged with Montenegro in the area of Smart Specialisation, where the country is performing particularly well, and which allows it to be seen as an example in the Western Balkans.
Therefore, this info day aims at providing a platform for knowledge exchange, showcasing the JRC’s scientific programmes open to Montenegro as an associated country to Horizon Europe, and, more broadly, at promoting networking and collaboration opportunities. Two thematic sessions on Smart Specialisation and on Water will also be organised, given the priority given to these processes/topics by the country. The event will bring together experts from the JRC and Montenegro’s academic, research and industrial sectors.
Agenda
09:00-09:30: Arricals and welcome coffee
09:30-09:45: Keynote speeches:
- Ivana Janković Mijanović, Director-General for Innovation and Smart Specialisation at the Montenegrin Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation
- Sabine Henzler, Director for Strategy and Impact, Joint Research Centre (JRC), European Commission
- Vladan Božović, Professor in Chemistry, Biochemistry and Biotechnology at the University of Donja Gorica (UDG) and former representative of Montenegro to the JRC Board of Governors
09:45-10:30: general presentation of the JRC and of the opportunities for Montenegro as an associated country, followed by a Q&A session.
Emanuela Bellan, Head of the “Member States Partnerships and International Relations” Unit at the JRC
10:30-11:15: presentations of success stories from Montenegrin researchers, aimed at highlighting impactful projects and research activities in collaboration with the JRC.
Coffee break
11:30-12:15: first thematic session on Smart Specialisation: “JRC analytical assistance for Smart Specialisation processes in the EU Enlargement region: a focus on Montenegro”
Manuel Palazuelos Martinez, Leader of the Smart Specialisation team at the “Territorial Development” Unit at the JRC
12:15-13:00: second thematic session on water: “EU water policy, monitoring and innovation in Montenegro and the Western Balkans”
Teresa Lettieri, Team Leader and responsible of the JRC Environmental Biotechnology Lab at the “Ocean and Water” Unit at the JRC