28 Oct 2025
EIT launches EIT Community Hub in Serbia
The European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) has officially launched the EIT Community Hub Serbia. At the official launch event on 28 October 2025 in Belgrade, government representatives, including Marija Gnjatović, State Secretary at the Ministry of Science, alongside Plamena Halacheva, Deputy Head of the Delegation of the European Union to the Republic of Serbia, joined innovators, entrepreneurs, and researchers to highlight Serbia’s growing role in shaping Europe’s innovation map. The Hub positions Serbia as an important regional centre for talent, expertise, and investment, opening new opportunities for local actors to engage in EIT programmes and explore synergies across the Western Balkans.
Since 2014, the EIT Regional Innovation Scheme (EIT RIS) has worked to bridge Europe’s innovation gap. Between 2021 and 2024, Serbian organisations received €6.5 million in EIT support. This funding helped to create or scale over 100 startups, bring nine innovations to market, and deliver education and skills programmes reaching more than 8 700 learners. Beyond entrepreneurship, Serbian universities and research institutions are also becoming active members of the EIT Community. Thirty-two institutions have already taken part in the EIT Higher Education Initiative, a programme that strengthens the innovation capacity of universities, while nearly 4,000 Serbian learners have joined the Deep Tech Talent Initiative.
Led by Ana Ilić, the new EIT Community Hub Serbia will serve as a one-stop shop connecting innovators, universities, companies, and public authorities to EIT programmes, funding opportunities, and networks. By the end of 2025, there will be 24 EIT Community Hubs across Europe.
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