At the panel dedicated to BIO4 Campus, held as part of the third international conference AI_4_LIFE: Biotech Future Forum, the conclusions of the research of the company “Startup Genome” on the innovative ecosystem of Serbia were presented, while the speakers emphasized the importance of international cooperation and stronger cooperation between science and business.
The director of BIO4 Campus Smiljana Krivokuća was the moderator of this panel, and the discussion was attended by the manager of scientific engagement for Europe at the company “Filip Morris” Dr. Ignacio Gonzales Suarez, the dean of the Faculty of Pharmacy in Novi Sad, Dr. Nataša Jovanović Lješković, the manager for international business development at the company ” TECNALIA” Dr. Goran Bijelić and researcher at the company “Startup Genome” Forest Wright.
According to the research of the company “Startup Genome”, Belgrade ranks second in the research, right after Strasbourg, in terms of the amount of relative activity of startups and the number of agreements and cooperation they achieve.
“Belgrade can become a global player. What we see most often in life sciences ecosystems is that startups go abroad and then compete in the global market, and while this can be seen as a loss at the local level, they often gain access to investors with global experience who help them move forward,” Wright said.
BIO4 Campus, which represents the largest single investment in Serbian science so far, is also the largest attempt to bring economy and science closer together and promote entrepreneurship in science.
“Speaking about the BIO4 Campus, I think there is a need to find international partnerships. The challenges we face in the field of research and development are global. There is no such thing as local innovation,” said Dr. Bijelić.
González Suárez also highlighted the example of the company “Philip Morris”, which he says has achieved a complete transformation and is trying to innovate at the very “edge” of science.
“What the company is suggesting is that we take a step back and instead of continuing to fix something that’s already broken, find ways to reduce the risk of that happening.” I have always believed that change comes from within,” said Dr. Gonzalez Suarez.
Upon completion of construction, the campus will become a regional center for development and research and a “gathering center” for world talents, which the Government of the Republic of Serbia has identified as one of the most important strategies for enhancing Serbia’s technological competitiveness at the global level.
Dr. Jovanović Lješković pointed out that Serbia has great potential, but that it is necessary to strengthen cooperation between science and business.
“What I would like to point out in the case of the Netherlands is that in their system all parties have full support, good interaction and good connection in the ecosystem of natural sciences. “Not every scientist has to be an entrepreneur, but if there are talented people, they must be supported and accepted,” said Dr. Jovanović Lješković.
BIO4 Campus, as a research and development center, will bring together key actors in the fields of biomedicine, biotechnology, bioinformatics with artificial intelligence, environmental protection and biodiversity conservation. Scientific institutes, faculties, startups will work within its framework, and the construction of space for large pharmaceutical, biomedical and biotechnology companies is also planned.
The international conference AI_4_LIFE: Biotech Future Forum was organized by the Government of the Republic of Serbia in cooperation with the National Assembly of the Republic of Serbia, the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, the Office for IT and eGovernment, the Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the World Economic Forum and the United Nations Development Program ( UNDP).
Source: Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation
Source: energetskiportal.rs
