Srna Sudar, Director of the Technology Transfer Office at the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro (STP MNE) recently completed a fellowship at DLR Projektträger (DLR-PT) in Germany within the framework of the POLICY ANSWERS project. The fellowship aimed to build Montenegro’s innovation and technology transfer capacities by learning from some of Europe’s most advanced ecosystems.

Over the course of the programme, Srna engaged with policy officers, innovation managers, and university-based innovation centres across Bonn, Cologne, Sankt Augustin, and Berlin. The fellowship provided first-hand insights into German and EU best practices in areas such as intellectual property (IP) management, start-up incubation, and innovation policy design.

Key lessons included the importance of integrated support systems for technology transfer, dedicated proof-of-concept funding to bridge research and market needs, and structured start-up pathways that guide entrepreneurs from idea validation to scaling. Particular inspiration came from the DLR Startup Factory and the EXIST programme, both of which offer models that could be adapted to the Montenegrin context.

The fellowship resulted in a tailored roadmap for STP MNE, including:

Drafting clear IP policies and inventor compensation mechanisms,
Introducing TRL/MRL assessments for market readiness,
Developing an incubation and acceleration programme,
Advocating for a Montenegrin version of EXIST to support academic entrepreneurs, and
Building stronger partnerships with German and EU institutions.

Please find below the fellowship report:

report_fellowship_STP_DLT_Srna Sudar Download