A significant event for the Montenegrin innovation ecosystem took place in Podgorica on March 29th of this year. The first part of the event highlighted the importance of systemic collaboration among state institutions, as well as their specific activities in the development of the innovative ecosystem, including the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation, the Innovation Fund, IPC Tehnopolis, and the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, while the second part featured the final of the BoostMeUp vol. 3 program, known as the Montenegro Pitching Competition.
The collective efforts of state institutions are aimed at accelerating the implementation of Montenegro’s innovation agenda, promoting sustainable development, and fostering an economy based on innovation.
In her opening speech, Minister of Education, Science, and Innovation, Ms. Anđela Jakšić Stojanović, emphasized the importance of collective collaboration and support for innovative ideas. Additionally, the Advisor to the Prime Minister of Montenegro for Culture and Youth, Mr. Vučić Ćetković, underscored the government’s decisive support for innovation and science as key drivers of economic progress.
“The Synergy of Institutions for Sustainable Development of Innovation in Montenegro event is one of the most significant for Montenegro’s innovation ecosystem this year,” said Đorđije Malović, Executive Director of IPC Tehnopolis, adding, “It presented the roadmap established by the state in this field. The synergy of three institutions – the Innovation Fund, the STP, and IPC Tehnopolis for sustainable innovation development under the umbrella of the Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation represents an example of one of the most successful systems operating in the country.”
Bojana Femić Radosavović, Executive Director of the Fund, presented the past results and familiarized the public with the functioning and work of the Fund. In her speech, she emphasized the Fund’s role in supporting innovative projects, highlighting their importance for the further development of Montenegro’s innovation ecosystem. She also presented planned Public Calls for support programs in 2024, inviting all interested innovators, teams, and businesses to actively engage and seize the opportunity for support and development of their projects.
DeltaHes team winner of the BoostMeUp vol.3 program
The second part of the event was dedicated to the grand final of the pre-acceleration program BoostMeUp vol. 3 – Montenegro Pitching Competition, where eight Montenegrin startups presented their innovative ideas. Over the past six months, they had diligently worked on developing their ideas, utilizing the material and immaterial support provided by the program. The winning team was DeltaHes – a platform for integrating and optimizing business processes in the industry using machine learning and artificial intelligence. The second place went to the NetAI team, which enables us to create websites in moments using generative artificial intelligence, while the third place was awarded to the Visit Village team, which aims to provide authentic and active farm-based vacations in just a few clicks. All three teams received a prize of €4,000 each to cover the costs of participating in international conferences to promote their startups.
The challenging task of deciding the winners fell to the expert jury composed of Anđela Jakšić Stojanović (Ministry of Education, Science, and Innovation), Đorđije Malović (IPC Tehnopolis), Nevena Janković Borozan (STP Belgrade), Dušan Banović (Crnogorski Telekom), Miloš Miketić (Lovćen Bank), Valentina Radulović (STP Montenegro), Ana Ašanin (Spectro Solutions), Igor Đurović (University of Montenegro), and Kosta Andrić (ICT Hub). The BoostMeUp vol. 3 program is co-financed by the Innovation Fund and implemented by IPC Tehnopolis, the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro, Crnogorski Telekom, the University of Montenegro, and the Science and Technology Park Belgrade.
The event attracted more than 150 participants from the Montenegrin and regional innovation ecosystems, including representatives from the academic, banking, public, and private sectors. The synergy of key institutions at this event provided an unforgettable experience for all participants, simultaneously supporting networking, learning, and inspiration in the field of innovation and technological advancement in Montenegro.
