LocationsInternational Conference AI_4_LIFE: Biotech Future Forum Opened
October 27, 2025
Belgrade, 27 October 2025 – The Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr Đuro Macut, officially opened the fourth International Conference AI_4_LIFE: Biotech Future Forum, organised by the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, in cooperation with the Office for IT and eGovernment, the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation, NALED, the World Economic Forum, and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), with support from the BIO4 Campus, at the Ložionica venue.
This conference brings together more than 1,000 participants, including representatives from the business sector, academia, the scientific community, startups, medical professionals, investors, and policymakers.
“Previous forums have shown that through the joint efforts of government, science, and industry, we can build a strong biotechnology ecosystem. Today, Serbia continues to set higher goals, accelerate development, enhance cooperation, and become recognised as a biotechnology nation. A high priority on our agenda is also the digitalisation of healthcare, which is why we have adopted a new law on electronic health records and the national genetic data registry. This positions Serbia within global trends in personalised medicine. We are also proud of the BIO4 Campus, the largest national project connecting science, healthcare, and industry. It already enables our scientists to work on next-generation drug development in collaboration with leading global companies, with plans to soon host over 5,000 students and 1,000 PhDs, becoming a unique centre of knowledge and innovation in the region”, said Prof. Dr Đuro Macut, Prime Minister of the Republic of Serbia.
“For the fourth consecutive year, we are holding the Biotech Future Forum, a gathering dedicated to knowledge, innovation, progress, and technologies that will shape the decades ahead. Serbia has already defined digitalisation and innovation as key pillars for economic growth and societal development. Our priorities include artificial intelligence, biotechnology, and ICT infrastructure. Our goal is to further strengthen our position on the international market as a regional leader in digital transformation. Numerous startup companies are using AI in diagnostics and agricultural genomics, while the state is defining new regulatory frameworks for health data and the digitalisation of the healthcare system”, said Dr Mihailo Jovanović, Director of the Office for IT and eGovernment, adding that the Biotech Future Forum is the foundation upon which biotechnology becomes an integral part of our economic strategies, where we build trust-based regulations and open doors to investment in sectors that transform how we grow food, produce energy, and care for human life.
“The fourth Biotech Future Forum is the best proof of what can be achieved when science, policy, and industry unite around a common goal. The Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution Serbia has successfully built a strong bridge between national ambitions and global cooperation, shaping how biotechnology and artificial intelligence can bring real benefits to society”, stated Kelly Ommundsen, Head of Digital Inclusion and Member of the Executive Committee at the World Economic Forum.
“Biotechnology combined with artificial intelligence allows us to envision medicine tailored to each patient, crops that thrive despite harsh climate conditions, or biomaterials that restore ecosystems. At the same time, new technologies raise challenging questions about regulation, ethics, and equitable access. UNDP supports countries around the world in addressing these questions and building a digital future that is safe, inclusive, and human-centred”, said Haoliang Xu, Acting Administrator of UNDP, adding that in Serbia this includes support for the work of the Office for IT and eGovernment, the establishment of the State Data Centre in Kragujevac, the founding of the Centre for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the use of AI to improve public services, and the expansion of digital literacy in schools and local communities.
This year’s Biotech Future Forum is dedicated to the idea of modelling – from drug discovery and clinical trials to personalised medicine, from new investment strategies in biotechnology to how smart models drive innovation. The forum will also explore how artificial intelligence is shaping healthcare and everyday life, demonstrating the predictive power of models in creating a healthier and smarter future.
