Damjanović: SEEIIST project – an added value to Europe as a whole

Minister of Science of Montenegro Dr. Sanja Damjanović hosted a meeting with ambassadors and representatives of foreign embassies to Montenegro at Vila Gorica, asking for support of these countries for the idea to launch and include the regional development project of the South East European International Institute for Sustainable Technologies (SEEIIST) on the European Roadmap for research infrastructures, i.e., ESFRI Roadmap.

On this occasion, Minister Damjanović indicated that SEEIIST project was undoubtedly the most serious scientific-technological and medical project in South East Europe, targeting one of the major social challenges – fight against cancer.

At the same time, the fight against cancer is a mission of the European Commission, which gives the project a strong European perspective.

Minister Damjanović reminded that the project had entered the second stage in development last year, thanks to the financial support of the European Commission, as well as the support of 18 European clinics and institutions, including CERN, from 14 European countries.

“We are using competitiveness as an instrument to provide for an EUR 200 million investment and the next important step will be to include the project in the single roadmap of European infrastructural projects, i.e., ESFRI Roadmap. Inclusion in this roadmap would help us demonstrate a strong pan-European character of the project, showing that this is not only a benefit for the region, but for Europe as a whole” Damjanović said.

One of the requirements for the SEEIIST project to be included in the roadmap is the political support of at least three countries from the region, but since the EU funds support is involved it is very important to have all the other countries to support the project as well, because the SEEIIST project would help Europe regain a leadership position in this area.

The meeting was attended by the ambassadors of Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Kosovo, Germany, Northern Macedonia, Slovenia and France, as well as by the representatives of the Embassies of Hungary, Romania and Slovakia to Montenegro.