EIT Food Country Representative Serbia

Donor: EIT Food
Partners: Innovation ecosystem in the agri-food sector - researchers, students, entrepreneurs, and startups
Implementation period: March 2026 - December 2028.
Portal: https://www.eitfood.eu/  

The EIT Food Country Representative acts as a local point of contact, operating within the EIT Community Hub to strengthen collaboration and ensure a unified presence of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) in Serbia. It collaborates with stakeholders across the agri-food ecosystem, promotes EIT Food programmes, and identifies new opportunities for partnerships and complementary funding sources.

Additionally, it identifies and supports startups and programme participants, guiding them towards relevant EIT Food initiatives, and organizes at least one annual capacity-building activity aimed at fostering innovation and entrepreneurship in the agri-food sector in Serbia.

Project objectives and expected results

1. Strengthening the national agri-food innovation ecosystem
One of the key objectives of the project is to strengthen the national innovation ecosystem in the agriculture and food sector by connecting key stakeholders from industry, academia, public institutions, and the startup community. The EIT Food Country Representative acts as a local contact point, enabling better integration of national stakeholders into the European EIT Food network.

2. Promotion of EIT Food programmes and increased participation
Promotion of EIT Food programmes (innovation, education, and entrepreneurship), as well as increasing the number of organizations, startups, and individuals participating in these programmes.

3. Support for startups, innovators, and talent
The EIT Food Country Representative plays a key role in identifying and supporting innovative startups, researchers, and talents in the agri-food sector, and connecting them with relevant EIT Food programmes.

4. Capacity and knowledge building in the sector
The project includes organizing capacity-building activities such as workshops, trainings, events, and educational programmes for various stakeholders in the sector.

5. Identification of new collaboration and funding opportunities
The EIT Food Country Representative identifies new partnership opportunities and additional funding sources that can support the development of innovations in the agri-food sector.