The Next Stage of Startup Development – Strategy Until 2030 in Preparation
Work on the new five-year strategy for the development of the startup ecosystem has officially begun with the presentation of the results of the previous strategic document, under which 86% of measures were fully implemented. One measure was partially implemented, while one remained unrealized, it was announced at the first meeting of the working group for drafting the new strategy, held at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technological Development.
The analysis of the effects of the Strategy covering the 2021–2025 period confirms that Serbia’s startup ecosystem has been significantly strengthened over the past five years. The Register of Entities of the National Innovation System has been established, with 352 registered startups; a network of five science and technology parks has been developed; and tens of millions of euros have been invested through various support programs such as Smart Start, StarTech, Katapult, and venture capital funds. Thanks to these programs, more than 120 startups receive financial support each year.
“In drafting the new strategic document, with NALED’s expert support, we will review all changes that have taken place in the environment and further improve support measures. Startups remain one of the key priorities of the Government of the Republic of Serbia and the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technological Development, and our primary goal is to make systemic support even more accessible and efficient for all participants in the innovation ecosystem,” said Ana Marinković, Assistant Minister at the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Technological Development.
The largest number of measures from the previous Strategy focused on improving business conditions. In addition to establishing the Register, a major boost to the ecosystem was the introduction of tax incentives for employees engaged in research and development, used by 170 employers for 12,500 workers. Additionally, more than 50 civil servants were trained to support startups through the Innoleader program, while another 29 projects for the needs of public administration were implemented through two cycles of the GovTech program.
In terms of capacity building, 45 master’s programs with a high-tech component were developed, as well as 125 study programs covering entrepreneurship-related topics. Around 1,100 students attended these programs, and more than 300 teachers completed relevant training. More than 150 mentoring sessions and 60 events were organized, and new accelerator programs were developed, including Katapult and Launcher. Serbian startups were also presented at international conferences and fairs, and Serbia was included in relevant global databases on startup ecosystems, such as Startup Genome and Dealroom.
“NALED will support the development of the new Strategy within the StarTech project, which we are implementing with the support of Philip Morris. Through expert analysis, organizational support, and open dialogue with the startup community and institutions, we aim to jointly define priorities for the next stage of ecosystem development. Our focus will be on creating concrete measures that respond to the real needs of the market and contribute to building an even more favorable environment for startup development in Serbia,” said Irena Đorđević Šušić, Head of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Unit at NALED.
During the summer, the working group will actively work on defining activities aimed at enabling Serbia to make a key step forward on the European Innovation Scoreboard and move from the category of “emerging innovator” to the group of “moderate innovators.” This transition has also been set as one of the key success indicators within Serbia’s Reform Agenda, while the final text of the new Strategy is expected in the autumn.
