LocationsMinistry of Science and Technological Development and UNDP sign a Memorandum of Understanding
June 30, 2022
Minister of Science and Technological Development, Prof Dr Biljana Scepanovic and UNDP Resident Representative for Montenegro, Daniela Gasparikova, signed a Memorandum of Understanding earlier today in order to continue and further strengthen cooperation in the field of innovation and smart specialisation.
"The Ministry of Science and Technological Development and the Government of Montenegro recognise science and innovation as pillars of smart growth and key drivers of the country's economic development. With the intention to build an economy based on science and innovation in line with EU standards and models of successful world economies, Montenegro has launched a comprehensive reform of the innovation activity system, which implies transformation at all levels, and in this it has achieved significant success so far," Minister Scepanovic pointed out.
She emphasised that a very important role was played by the strategic partnership with the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), which has provided significant support and assistance to the Ministry of Science and Technological Development from the very beginning of their cooperation.
"I am extremely pleased that today, in addition to signing the Memorandum of Understanding, we are also presenting a new, improved website dedicated to the Smart Specialization Strategy, which has been improved both visually and functionally. A large database from the previous S3 site was used, and in this way, we tried to maintain the continuity of this process. And in this regard, we owe great gratitude to UNDP, not only for their financial support that made the implementation of this and numerous other activities possible, but also for the professional support that greatly strengthens the cooperation between the Ministry of Science and Technological Development and the United Nations Development Program, and therefore strengthens the foundations of the development of innovative activities in Montenegro", Minister Scepanovic concluded.
Gasparikova said that UNDP has been supporting the development of the innovation ecosystem in Montenegro since 2019, when the Smart Specialization Strategy (S3) was adopted, as a strategic framework for the development and implementation of innovations creating preconditions for a stronger connection between science and the economy.
Thanks to the Embassy of the Kingdom of Norway and its financial support through the "Norway for You" project, in addition to supporting the establishment of the legal framework, UNDP has also supported the work of the Council for Innovation and Smart Specialisation, a key advisory body in the field of innovation. Furthermore, support was provided for establishing and setting up the Innovation Fund of Montenegro, which is currently working on developing a new Strategic Plan for the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro.
"UNDP strongly supports young innovators as well as the entire innovation community, which is the clear mission that we have set as one of the priorities of future action. We want to support the greater participation of women in STEM fields, in order to reach the European indicators of gender equality in science, and we also want to strengthen the presence of women in high decision-making positions, when it comes to the implementation of the S3 strategy in the coming period", said Gasparikova.
Finally, Gasparikova emphasised that the Ministry of Science and Technological Development and the Government of Montenegro remain well-recognised partners of UNDP. "Our common goal is to help the scientific and research communities on their way to the European map of innovators, but above all to make the Montenegrin environment attractive both for innovators and the innovation community, as well as for investors who see innovation as a business opportunity as well as an opportunity to support the development of society as a whole. That is why today's signing of the Memorandum of Understanding is another important step towards the achievement of this joint goal," Gasparikova concluded.
After the signing ceremony, the Ministry presented the new S3 website, www.s3.me, which was developed with UNDP's professional and financial support.
The S3 website is envisaged as a platform for all participants in the process, where both achievements and new ideas will be continuously presented, and a healthy, sustainable and digitised Montenegro will be promoted.
As part of the presentation of the website, "Smart Stories" video testimonials, which promote successful experiences within the S3 support framework, were screened. Success stories are important not only for the innovation community, but for society as a whole and testify to how the implementation of S3 has a clear and direct impact on individuals as well.
