Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation, 20 – 21 October 2025, Podgorica

20:00 – 22:00

The Welcome Dinner is organised at the Hotel Hilton Podgorica, Restaurant Crna Gora, ground floor.
Dress code: business attire

Presentation of the report “Emerging Trends in the Western Balkans’ Startup Ecosystem” by the Regional Cooperation Council (Sky Bar/rooftop)
*Moderation:* Sinisa Marcic, Senior Expert on Human Capital Development, Regional Cooperation Council
08:15 – 08:45	Interventions Amer Kapetanovic, Secretary General, Regional Cooperation CouncilSigne Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission
Ministerial Meeting of the Steering Platform on Research and Innovation (Crystal Ballroom, ground floor; welcome coffee served in the foyer from 8:30 on)
*Moderation:* Signe Ratso,Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission
09:00 – 09:05	Opening Johann Sattler, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro
09:05 – 09:15	Welcome Addresses Maida Gorcevic, Minister of European Affairs, Montenegro Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires i.a., Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
09:15 – 09:30	Innovators’ Ceremony Johann Sattler, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro Six innovators from the region
09:30 – 09:45	Interventions Ase Gornitzka, President, COST Association Martin Kern, Director, European Institute of Innovation and Technology Amer Kapetanovic, Secretary General, Regional Cooperation Council
09:45 – 10:15	Coffee Break (Foyer of the Crystal Ballroom, ground floor)
Ministerial Meeting on Smart Specialisation Strategies
*Moderation:* Sabine Henzler, Director, DG Joint Research Centre, European Commission
10:15 – 10:20	Welcome and Keynote Johann Sattler, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro
10:20 – 10:40	Welcome Addresses Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Montenegro Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires i.a., Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
10:40 – 11:40	Ministerial Round Table Discussion on Smart Specialisation StrategiesTopic: Smart Specialisation in the Western Balkans: new challenges and pathway towards competitiveness Twin transitions in the Western Balkans: main enabling factors and bottlenecks How can Smart Specialisation combine twin transitions’ challenges and competitiveness?
11:40 – 11:50	Interventions from EU Member States
11:50 – 12:00	Concluding Remarks Johann Sattler, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Montenegro Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires i.a., Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
12:00 – 12:05	Family Picture Photo by Samir Lačević on behalf of European Union, 2025
12:30 – 14:00	Networking Lunch (Restaurant Crna Gora, ground floor, coffee served in the foyer from 13:30)
Ministerial Meeting on Research and Innovation
*Moderation:* Signe Ratso,Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission
15:00 – 15:05	Keynote Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation
15:05 – 15:15	Welcome Addresses Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Montenegro Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires i.a., Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
15:15 – 16:10	Ministerial Round Table Discussion on Research and InnovationTopic: Research Infrastructures and Artificial Intelligence in Science Research Infrastructures – the engines of the knowledge triangle: experiences and best practiceArtificial Intelligence in Science
16:10 – 16:15	Interventions from the EU Member States
16:15 – 16:25	Concluding Remarks Johann Sattler, Ambassador of the European Union to Montenegro Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation, Montenegro Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires i.a., Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union
16:25 – 16:30	Family Picture Photo by Samir Lačević on behalf of European Union, 2025
16:30 – 17:00	Coffee Break (Foyer of the Crystal Ballroom, ground floor)
17:00 – 17:30	Bilateral Meeting of the Commissioner with Delegation from Serbia (Room Jelena, ground floor)
17:45 – 18:15	Bilateral Meeting of the Commissioner with Delegation from Albania (Room Jelena, ground floor)
18:30 – 19:00	Bilateral Meeting of the Commissioner with Delegation from Bosnia and Herzegovina( Room Jelena, ground floor)
20:00	Gala Dinner Restaurant Porto (40 Bulevar Stanka Dragojevića, Podgorica 81000, Montenegro). Bus transfer is organised from the hotel and return, departure in front of the hotel at 19:30. Dress code: business attire

JRC Research Infrastructures and their services rendered to the Western Balkans (Sky Bar/rooftop)
*Moderation:* Sabine Henzler, Director, DG Joint Research Centre, European Commission
08:15 – 08:45	Intervention Fabio Taucer, Adviser for Research Infrastructure Coordination and Valorisation, DG Joint Research Centre, European Commission
09:45 – 10:00	Coffee Break (Foyer of the Crystal Ballroom, ground floor)
11:00 – 11:30	Bilateral Meeting of the Commissioner with Delegation from Kosovo* (Room Jelena, ground floor)
11:40 – 12:10	Bilateral Meeting of the Commissioner with Delegation from North Macedonia (Room Jelena, ground floor)
12:15 – 12:45	Bilateral Meeting of the Commissioner with Delegation from Montenegro (Room Jelena, ground floor)
Presentation of COST Actions building scientific networks between the region and the EU (Sky Bar/rooftop)
*Moderation*: Katalin Alfoldi, Policy Adviser, COST Association
13:00 – 13:30	Interventions Ase Gornitzka, President, COST Association Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission
13:30 – 14:30	Farewell Reception (Restaurant Crna Gora, ground floor)