New Momentum for Serbia’s Economy – CIPS, the New European Hub for Digital Innovation, Launched in Serbia
As part of the pan-European EDIH (European Digital Innovation Hubs) network, the Capital Innovation Point Serbia (CIPS), the new European digital innovation hub, will provide comprehensive support to startups and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Serbia over the next four years — through technical and mentoring support, training, investor networking, and access to cutting-edge technologies.
The aim is to strengthen competitiveness in the field of innovation, open new markets, and foster deeper integration with European innovation ecosystems.
The CIPS project, co-funded by the European Union through the Digital Europe Programme, was officially presented yesterday at an online event attended by project partners, business sector representatives, and the innovation community.
CIPS operates as a national network coordinated by the Science and Technology Park Belgrade, with partners including NALED, the Science and Technology Park Novi Sad, the State Data Center in Kragujevac, and the Faculty of Technical Sciences at the University of Novi Sad. Associated partners are the School of Electrical Engineering at the University of Belgrade and the Institute of Physics.
As part of the EDIH network, CIPS will contribute to strengthening the competitiveness of Serbian companies, opening new markets, and fostering closer ties with European innovation ecosystems. This will provide domestic companies with access to knowledge, tools, and resources that have so far been largely available only in more developed markets — creating new opportunities for a digital breakthrough of Serbia’s economy, as highlighted during the presentation.
The project will offer technical and mentoring support, training in business and technical skills, as well as activities aimed at improving access to financing and supporting business internationalization.
Special focus is placed on strategically important sectors: artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital services, smart manufacturing, agritech, and MedTech — further boosting innovation in areas with high growth potential.
In addition to presenting the project, its opportunities, and benefits, the event also addressed the role of women in digital transformation and included a panel discussion on the importance of supporting the development of deep-tech and AI startups.
