Minister Damjanović on results of the Ministry of Science in the first year of Government

Minister of Science Dr. Sanja Damjanović presented the most important results of the Ministry of Science in the first year of Government of Montenegro at today’s press conference in Vila Gorica.

- As you know, Montenegro is participating in the most important EU research and innovation programme, Horizon 2020, worth about EUR 75 billion to be invested by the EU. After three years of negative effect of participation, in 2017, Montenegro has achieved a net gain from this programme for the first time, Minister Damjanović said at the beginning of her presentation.

During this year, the Ministry of Science has undertaken a number of new measures and instruments: the National Project Office for has been formed within the Ministry of Science, which was a missing element in the ecosystem, the system of national contact persons for the Horizon programme has been strengthened and funds have been provided for their active work. Through the IPA Human Resource Development project, intensive trainings have been implemented for about 100 researchers.

- The internationalization process that we have started this year has led to an increase in project applications, which will be crucial in assessing the work of the Ministry of Science by the European Commission, the Minister stressed.

In her address, the Minister also reflected on the problem of brain-drain, present in Montenegro, as well as in the entire region of Southeast Europe.

- We are therefore building a strategy to retain people in our country, creating an attractive environment for quality research. In this context, in 2017, we have started a new process of internationalization through the accession of Montenegro to the leading European scientific institutions. For the first time, Montenegro has become a member of the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), the largest laboratory of this type in Europe, just this week. Earlier this year, we have joined the largest CERN experiment, CMS. Our young researchers are already working on this project. This is not a trivial process, because it brings large benefits: through a small financial contribution, it is possible to use multimillion infrastructures and high technologies. If we enable young people to participate in international projects with the leading European teams, while doing the biggest part of the research from Montenegro, we will slow down the brain-drain, while at the same time increasing the number of research positions in our institutions, Minister Damjanović said.

Using the model of these European organizations, Montenegro has launched the Initiative for the Establishment of a Large Scientific Infrastructure – the International Scientific Institute in the Region of South East Europe, which would, as the Minister emphasized, provide a great impetus to the new cycle of economic development and scientific and technological recovery of the entire region. This project would greatly reduce the brain-drain from the region, but would also help the region to become competitive to the rest of Europe, attracting highly skilled professionals.

- Progress has been made in the political agenda – eight countries of the region have signed the Declaration of Intent, as well as on the scientific plan – by preparing preliminary design studies for the two options of the Institute, which was done by the teams of leading European scientists and experts in the respective areas of technological development. The next step in the establishment of the Institute is a major Scientific Forum to be held at the end of January in Trieste, with the participation of high representatives of the European Commission, the UN, the International Atomic Energy Agency, the European Physical Society and CERN, the Minister said.

According to her, the Government of Montenegro is turning to innovations and the Ministry of Science has already launched a series of activities in this regard.

- The support of the European Commission has been obtained for the preparation of a National Policy for the Development of Start-Ups, which will be implemented in 2018, creating a stimulating environment for young people who see a chance for self-employment in innovative entrepreneurship. This year, we have announced the first call for innovative projects and we are glad that we had a large number of company applications. Our role model in the development of start-up policy is Malta, which has managed to activate significant potential of young people and gain importance on the global market, Minister Damjanović said.

Finally, the Minister said that a new Strategy of Scientific Research Activity, significantly different from the previous one and primarily aimed at young people and creating a new generation of researchers in our country, would be adopted by the end of December.