The project of excellent high-technology institute for cancer treatment and research (SEEIIST) “comes to life” as it enters the design phase at a special event in Budva

On the occasion of the start of the second phase of the SEEIIST Project (South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies), a special event was officially opened in Budva today. The SEEIIST Design Phase will last for the next three years, during which a decision will be made on the South East European country in which the Institute will be based.

At the start of the event, the participants were welcomed by the Prime Minister of Montenegro, Duško Marković, and former CERN Director-General, Prof. Herwig Schopper, while the EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science, Carlos Moedas, greeted those present via video link.

Prime Minister Marković expressed his satisfaction with the fact that the Government of Montenegro recognised the importance of this scientific project three years ago. He believes that the Balkans must not wait for modern technological solutions any further and that we need active cores of scientific research thought, new knowledge and credible international partners. EU Commissioner for Research, Innovation and Science Carlos Moedas said he was particularly pleased that with the event in Budva the SEEIIST Project was getting closer to its realisation and congratulated Minister Damjanović and Prof. Schopper on their vision and exceptional commitment, emphasising that it was thanks to them that such a rapid progress to the second phase of the SEEIIST Project was made. Prof. Herwig Schopper, former Director-General of the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), who was the first to propose the initiative to set up the Institute, also made a few introductory remarks, noting that Montenegro was the only country in the region to respond to the initiative. In addition to the importance of the Institute from the point of view of science and research development, according to Prof. Schopper, the specificity of the project was in connecting the countries of the region that still have open issues, which resembles the SESAME Institute’s mission of “science for peace” in Jordan, which has linked conflicting countries in the Middle East and made them cooperate.

In the first part of the programme, those present were also addressed by representatives of international organisations – Ms. Signe Ratso on behalf of the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation of the European Commission (DG RTD), Directors of the International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP) and COST Association, Secretary General of the Central European Initiative (CEI) and Deputy Director-General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) – after which a presentation by Minister Damjanović ensued on the recently obtained legal entity status in Geneva and the current and future steps under the SEEIIST Project. As part of her presentation, Minister Damjanović explained the purpose of the Institute and why it was necessary for this part of Europe to have an Institute like SEEIIST.

Explaining the essence of this significant infrastructural and development project – the most modern and most successful method of cancer treatment (hadron therapy that treats affected tissues while not damaging the healthy ones) and cancer research through the use of new types of heavy particles, which will make the Institute unique in the world, Minister Damjanović, who is also the Chairperson of the SEEIIST Steering Committee, also indicated a special dimension of the Institute, the so-called “science for society” mission, which aims to stop the outflow of talents and bring back the brilliant people who have left the region, while simultaneously attracting everyone else willing to work at the most technologically advanced Institute of its kind in the world. In this regard, Damjanović concluded that the project is bound to succeed and that the location of the Institute will be known by the end of 2020 or in early 2021 at the latest.

In the second part of the programme, the key topics discussed were focused around the experience of tumour treatment with ion beams, various aspects of research into treatment using this method, the clinical experience of hadron therapy at the existing institutes, the proposed accelerator (which will be the 5^th of its kind in Europe, and the 13^th in the world), statistics for cancer patients in the region, and the issue of how to build a community in South East Europe for this large research infrastructure. Significant views on SEEIIST networking were also provided by regional speakers from almost all participating countries.

Closing remarks were, in addition to Minister Damjanović, who thanked the event participants for their attention and her team for their dedicated work, also given by Prof. Schopper, who stated that he was really impressed with the work that was done on this project in the past two years, expressing his belief that the event presented much more than participants expected. Finally, former CERN Director-General thanked Minister Damjanović once again, indicating that she was the one who had done most of the work for the project.

After the event, Minister Damjanović also held two bilateral meetings.

The focus of discussion with the representatives of the Ministry for Innovation and Technology of Hungary was on the continuation of the already successful cooperation, which started after the official visit of Minister Damjanović to Minister Palkovics in February this year. During the meeting, Hungarian counterparts were, inter alia, familiarised with the fact that Montenegro was the first non-EU country to adopt the Smart Specialisation Strategy.

Finally, Minister Damjanović met with the representatives of the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Academician Miloš Trifković, the President of the Academy, and Academician Dejan Milošević, a Member of the Academy. The Minister informed the guests about the ongoing efforts of Montenegro to build a sustainable national innovation ecosystem through the activities carried out on the Smart Specialisation Strategy and the project of establishing the first Science and Technology Park, indicating in particular the importance of large research infrastructures such as the establishment of the South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies.

Take a look at the future appearance of SEEIIST https://youtu.be/hnzWsPH_gg8

Video: Budva–Sanja Damjanović–Conference“Start of the SEEIIST Design Phase” – ADDRESS

Video: Budva – Herwig Schopper, Professor – Conference “Start of the SEEIIST Design Phase” – ADDRESS

Video: Budva – Duško Marković – Conference “Start of the SEEIIST Design Phase” – ADDRESS