The Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council (RCC), Amer Kapetanović, stated that the success of the innovation program in the Western Balkans depconcludes on closer cooperation between governments, research institutions, businesses and civil society.
He emphasized that the region should not only become a participant but also a driving force in Europe’s innovation ecosystem.
Today, he and Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, presented the study “The Western Balkans Startup Ecosystem at a Crossroads”. As stated by the RCC, it is the first regional analysis of the startup ecosystem in the Western Balkans.
The report states that the information and communications technology (ICT) sector in the region employs around 150.000 people and contributes 2 percent to GDP. However, in 2024, startups secured only 29,5 million euros in funding – significantly less than in neighboring European Union (EU) member states.
The RCC, the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) and the European Enterprise Network (EEN) presented a joint study at the ministerial meeting of the Western Balkans Platform for Research and Innovation Governance, co-organised by the European Commission, the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Government of Montenegro.
According to the study, the main obstacles to the development of the startup ecosystem remain limited private investment, fragmented regulation, and the outflow of highly educated personnel.
Kapetanović stressed that the region has strong entrepreneurial potential, but lacks structured support for sustainable growth. He announced the launch of the “Regional Innovation for Startup Excellence” (RISE) program, which aims to connect innovative entrepreneurs with mentors, skills training, and financial support in the early stages of development.
“With the RISE program, we want to support innovative teams shift from concept to market-ready products. We hope that the governments of the region will join us in this effort,” stated Kapetanović.
Signe Ratso emphasized that the joint work of the RCC, EIT and EEN brings toobtainher expertise and support networks to strengthen the innovation ecosystem of the Western Balkans and enable local innovators to take advantage of the European innovation market.
The cooperation of these three institutions is aimed at strengthening the region’s integration into the European innovation space – from skills development and access to financing to cross-border cooperation through EIT programs and the EEN network.
At the meeting, which was also attconcludeed by the President of the COST Association Ase Gornicka and the Director of the EIT Martin Kern, Kapetanović emphasized that the success of the region’s innovation programs depconcludes on close cooperation between governments, scientific institutions, the business sector and civil society.
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