Relationships between scientific and business community get stronger - Innovations in more intense focus of Serbian businessmen, funds more available

Serbian businessmen, both large companies and small and medium enterprises , have increasingly been recognizing the importance of investing in innovation and technological development , so there are numerous examples of research projects that have found its usage in practice . Greater opportunities for financing innovation, and more available funds through a variety of sources - public and private funds , as well as international projects and different models of co-financing , available to companies that develop new technologies , products and services contribute more to closer relationship between science and economy.

The initial prize fund this year is RSD 4.5 million and competition has been sponsored for the 12th year by the Ministry of education, science and technological development of the Republic of Serbia, with the support of the Faculty of Technical Sciences in Novi Sad , Serbian Chamber of Commerce , Technology and Metallurgy from Belgrade and Radio television of Serbia .

Ten days earlier "Science and Technology Park in Belgrade" (NTP) also published the second public call for technologic- developmental companies which want to compete for membership. The call is for micro, small and medium enterprises involved in development of innovative products, processes and services , as well as large companies that want to locate here their research and development departments .

EU support for SMEs

In addition to infrastructure support , implementation of innovation in economy requires certain financial instruments such as the Innovation activity Fund , which in the context of its mission helps development of innovation and small businesses . In late March, the Fund, with the Serbian Chamber of Commerce ( PKS ), signed a Memorandum on cooperation to strengthen joint support to development of innovation, innovation development, as well as linking scientific and research sector to the economy .

Also, at the end of 2015 project of support to innovations in Serbia which the Fund was implemented by 2011, totaling EUR 8.4 m , funded from the Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance of EU , in cooperation with the World Bank has ended . At the meeting held upon the completion of the project it was estimated that Serbia has potential for innovation, in SME sector and other areas , but there is more work to do in that direction.

New technology as competitive advantage

This year's winner of the award for innovation is Belgrade-based Ladjar transport which in December 2015 opened a factory for production of coal briquettes in Ub. The prize was delivered for a unique application of new technologies in production of this fuel, and for construction of the plant with the capacity of 150,000 tons, it allocated app. EUR 1.5 m.

Among the finalists of the Aurea competition there were more innovative projects such Euroheat from Kragujevac produces plate-and- drum heat exchangers or Pozarevac-based Digital Logic which is working on the production of groundbreaking NFC reader which will be able to operate for 10 years without electricity or a single cable.

Governments invests in innovation

According to prof. dr. Branko Bugarski, assistant minister of education , science and technological development in charge of technology development , technology transfer and innovation system , this ministry, through public calls and funding innovative projects which have as direct result creation of new products , technologies , processes and services , or significant modification of existing ones in accordance with the market needs, in the period from 2006 to 2014 poured EUR 9.8 m . A total of 383 innovation projects, as well as projects for infrastructure support to innovation activity have been supported. This way, application and commercialization of research results is supported as well as usage of modern technologies and provides support for

M. A.