Chapter 25 – Science and research

What is being negotiated?

Although harmonization is not necessary, Montenegro has its own national legislative and strategic framework in this area and is led by: the Law on Scientific Research, the Law on Innovation, the Innovation Strategy 2016-2020 with the Action Plan and the Research Strategy 2017-2021 with the Action Plan. Montenegro has created a new strategic framework with the Smart Specialization Strategy – S3 (2019-2024), which builds on Montenegro’s available resources and potential to use them, identify competitive advantages and technological specialization as a basis for future innovative activities.

When was the chapter opened and temporarily closed?

Negotiation Chapter 25 Science and Research was provisionally opened and closed on 18 December 2012 with no benchmarks for opening and closing the chapter.

Institutions / organizations participating in the Working Group?

Institutions and organizations participating in the work of the Working Group are the Ministry of Science, the Office for European Integration, the Statistical Office of Montenegro, the Parliamentary Committee for Education, Science, Culture and Sports, University of Montenegro, University of Donja Gorica, University of the Mediterranean, Union of Employers of Montenegro , Clinical Center of Montenegro, Center for Ecotoxicological Testing, Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, Non-GovernmentalOrganization Center for Hellenic Studies, Non-Governmental Organization PRONA Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Non-Governmental Organization Center for Civic Education.

What is the benefit to Montenegro of this chapter?

Montenegro implements international cooperation programs and projects: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA (since 2006); NATO Scientific Program for Peace and Security – NATO SpS (since 2006); European Organization for Nuclear Research – CERN (since 2007); COST Program (since 2011); EUREKA Program (since 2012); IPA Pre-Accession Instrument (since 2012); International Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology – ICGEB (since 2012); HORIZONT 2020 (since 2014); The United Nations Industrial Development Organization – UNIDO (through UNDAF – Development Assistance Framework for Montenegro 2017-2021) and the Joint Research Center – JRC; LHC experiments at CERN, based on the Memorandum of Understanding for the maintenance and operation of CMS detectors, concluded by the Government of Montenegro and CERN (2017); European Molecular Biology Organization – EMBO and joined the European Molecular Biology Laboratory – EMBL (2018); European Social Survey of the European Research Infrastructure Consortium (ESS-ERIC) (2018).

Montenegro has had a leadership role in the creation of a new large research infrastructure, the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies in Southeast Europe (SEEIIST) – “Hadron Cancer Therapy and Research in the field of biomedicine using protons and heavy ions”. Project support was received from the EU, IAEA, CERN and GSI from Darmstadt for the implementation of the Preparatory Phase of the project and was applied to the H2020 and COST funds for capacity building. A Steering Committee was formed for this project (2017), a Declaration of Intent was established for the establishment of the Institute at CERN by eight countries in the region (2017) and a Memorandum was created for creating the prerequisites for building the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies in Southeast Europe from six countries in the region, at the Western Balkans Summit in Poznan (2019).
An EU project “Policy Support Facility” has been implemented to create a supportive innovation environment for startups and other key players in the innovation system, funded by Horizon 2020, and an Innovative Startup Incentive Program (2019-2021) has been adopted with an Action Plan (2018).

National programs in the field of science and innovation are implemented from the state budget through annual competitions for: awarding scholarships for doctoral research; awarding grants for innovative projects; centers of excellence, grants for research projects, and smaller instruments to support the scientific and innovative community.

The first Innovation and Entrepreneurial Center “Tehnopolis” in Nikšić was established (2016), and the Science and Technology Park of Montenegro in Podgorica (2019) was founded by the Government of Montenegro and the University of Montenegro.

Chapter 25 - Working Group

Zorka Kordić

Negotiatior

Smiljana Prelević

Head of the WG

Vanja Banović

Secretary of the WG

The Working Group was formed in July 2012. The negotiator for this chapter is Zorka Kordic, Assistant Secretary General of the Government – Head of the Coordination, Compliance Monitoring and Monitoring Implementation of Public Policy Strategies, and the Head of the Working Group is Smiljana Prelevic, Secretary of the Ministry of Science. Contact person for the working group is Vanja Banovic from the European Integration Office.

The working group consists of 23 members (6 from state institutions and 17 from the civil sector).

By creating a single European market, the Union has set up framework programs to encourage scientific and research activities and cooperation, whose priorities change according to development needs. The Lisbon Strategy underlines the fundamental objective of the EU: to make the EU market the most competitive and dynamic global market.