Ulcinj hosts the Workshop on Mapping Research Infrastructure organised by the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC) and the Ministry of Science of Montenegro

 

The objectives of the workshop were to support the Western Balkans economies in the process of mapping the existing research infrastructure through the presentation of best practices and training, as well as to facilitate exchange of views on enabling researchers from the region to have open access to existing research infrastructure.

In her introductory address, Vanja Ivošević, senior expert of the Regional Cooperation Council, recalled the Multi-annual Action Plan (MAP) for a Regional Economic Area, which, within the framework of the Mobility Pillar, provided for mapping of regional infrastructure and creation of a regional map of research infrastructure. Identification of infrastructure in priority areas of common interest for the region would enable a better strategic positioning of the region and more efficient process of directing investments into research infrastructure.

On behalf of the Ministry of Science, the conference participants were addressed by Branka Žižić, acting Director-General of the Directorate for Innovation and Technology Transfer, who pointed out that mapping infrastructure would not constitute a special achievement in itself if the process failed to identify the services that could be offered by researchers working on those infrastructures to other researchers, as well as to the economic and the civil sector, i.e. if they were not open and there was no adequate platform through which such information would be made available.

Montenegro was the first country in the Western Balkans to pass the Research Infrastructures Roadmap in 2015, using the findings of a study from 2003 in which the conclusions of the first mapping process were consolidated. Due to changes at the policy level, the introduction of new instruments for funding research and innovation, internationalisation – enabling access to international knowledge centres and research infrastructures, as well as the launch of the SEEIIST regional project, the process of revising the Roadmap was initiated, along with a new cycle of mapping research infrastructure. The Montenegrin experience in the process was presented by the Head of the Section for Innovation and Infrastructure of the Ministry of Science, Marijeta Barjaktarović Lanzardi.

Finally, the workshop participants agreed on the development of a concept of a regional research infrastructure database that would enable the researchers, the business community and society in general to search for existing infrastructure, as well as on the development of protocols for opening existing infrastructure in the region, and on networking and the plan of training of research infrastructure managers.