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Programme of Measures Promoting Innovative Start-Ups in Montenegro and accompanying Action Plan adopted

Published on: Dec 31, 2018 3:36 PM Author: Ministry of Science
Ministry of Science  
The Programme of Measures Promoting Innovative Start-Ups in Montenegro (2019-2021), adopted at yesterday’s session of the Government, resulted from six-month cooperation within the framework of the National Partnership for Creating an Innovation Ecosystem and expert support obtained through a project from the H2020 Policy Support Facility Programme – “Towards Entrepreneurial Innovation Ecosystems in Montenegro”. The process of drafting the programme and preparing the draft document was led by the Ministry of Science.

The Programme of Measures Promoting Innovative Start-Ups in Montenegro with the accompanying Action Plan for the period of 2019-2021, prepared by the Ministry of Science of Montenegro, will contribute to the establishment of attractive conditions for the Montenegrin innovation ecosystem, with a focus on innovative start-ups.

It contains measures to eliminate statutory barriers, develop advanced financial schemes, encourage and attract talents in order to intensify the creation of knowledge and new values, entrepreneurial culture and access to markets for innovative and entrepreneurial projects.

In order to promote innovative start-ups over the course of three years, about EUR 4.5 million will be allocated. Of this amount, the state will allocate about EUR 1.3 million for start-ups and stakeholders supporting the ecosystem, while the municipal budgets account for an allocation of EUR 1 million. About 1.7 million is envisaged to be provided through donations for infrastructure and capacity building, of which more than a million has already been contracted through national IPA funds. The implementation of the programme will cost about half a million euros, in the form of engaging professional staff, preparing studies, development of information platform, organising training and promotion.

Building on the infrastructural support that is being established, as well as on the advantages of Montenegro in the regional and broader context, our country has a unique opportunity to establish a model and solid foundations for an entrepreneurial and innovative economy. In this regard, Montenegro has to find its own model for the development of an innovation ecosystem in order to catch up with competitive developed European countries, where the implementation of the Programme of Measures Promoting Innovative Start-Ups in Montenegro is essential.

The impact of the programme will be visible through an increase in the number of innovative start-ups with growth ambition and their quality achieved through more efficient use of the latest knowledge available in the country or abroad. The programme also activates some of the current reform processes that run simultaneously in multiple areas, suggesting ways in which innovative start-ups can contribute to their implementation (S3 strategy, digitisation, creation of an encouraging business environment, strategic attraction of foreign investments, practical lectures at universities, cooperation with diaspora, public procurement of innovations, economic citizenship, etc.).

The programme will enable precise identification of enterprises in the initial phase of establishment that have the potential for fast growth, testing of their business ideas with the support of budgetary programmes, as well as easier transfer of knowledge useful for innovations from the academic sector, both in Montenegro and abroad, to business entities in our country.

Based on the planned fiscal measures, an increase is expected in the number of business entities engaged in research, development and innovation, as well as in the number of those companies that promote digital business. Furthermore, the number of both domestic and foreign private sector investors willing to invest in start-up enterprises in Montenegro would increase. Enterprises from Montenegro will have the opportunity to access foreign markets more easily through the promotion of e-commerce and access to international innovation networks. University activities would guide talents for entrepreneurship – especially those who have not been completing entrepreneurship and innovation educational programmes so far.

One of the main objectives of the programme is to encourage private sector investments, and it is expected that donors will, once they are familiarised with the programme, provide even more significant support to its implementation than currently envisaged.

Marketing campaigns conducted through partnerships between institutions from different sectors and media would promote innovation and entrepreneurship, and numerous events such as competitions, trainings and mentoring would promote entrepreneurship and innovation culture.

In terms of its content, the programme reflects the essence of the Science and Technology Park, and through its implementation this institution would occupy a central place in the Montenegrin innovation-entrepreneurial ecosystem.

The programme has been prepared with the support of European Union experts, through a support project approved by the European Commission to the Ministry of Science within the Horizon 2020 Policy Support Facility Programme – “Towards Entrepreneurial Innovation Ecosystems in Montenegro”. At the national level, the process of preparing the document has involved a large number of representatives of all sectors, members of the “Partnership for Creating an Innovation Ecosystem”.

The Programme of Measures Promoting Innovative Start-Ups in Montenegro is available here.

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