BIO4 Campus: Serbia’s Leap Towards a Global Innovation and Biotechnology Hub
14/12/2024
Minister of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, Jelena Begović, stated that the aim for the future BIO4 Campus in Belgrade is to accommodate not only partnerships with major global and domestic companies but also smaller firms, fostering entrepreneurial energy to inspire young people in Serbia to develop their careers and ideas within the country. Begović expects the construction of BIO4 Campus to be completed by the end of 2026.
"I would like us to collaborate not only with the largest companies but also to attract smaller biotech firms that are bold and fast-growing. Bringing their energy to Serbia can inspire our startup companies and academic community members with entrepreneurial spirit to embark on their startup journeys," the minister said.
To date, 13 companies and two global science and technology parks have committed to establishing a presence in BIO4 Campus, with Memorandums of Understanding already signed.
Partners with whom Serbia has signed MOUs for the BIO4 Campus include Roche, Takeda, Merck Sharp & Dohme (MSD), BGI Group, Swiss Rockets AG, AstraZeneca, SK bioscience, Zdravlje, Ginkgo Bioworks, Pfizer, Merck, Medtronic, and Novartis, as well as two science and technology parks, Zhongguancun Science Park and Arexpo.
The most recent MOU, signed this week, was with the Swiss innovative pharmaceutical company Novartis. Minister Begović noted that the two countries have already collaborated on more than 50 joint research projects, with biomedicine as the primary focus of future cooperation.
Minister Begović highlighted that MOUs have been signed with leading global companies such as Takeda, Pfizer, and Bioworks.
"These are the companies we want as partners. We envision them establishing research and development centers here, which will allow our students to choose whether to work in Serbia for these companies developing, for instance, new drugs or diagnostic methods, to stay in academia and work at an institute, or to start their own startups," she explained.
Begović also reminded that the BIO4 Campus is being developed under the "Leap to the Future 2027" project, which, she said, will transform the way science operates in Serbia.
"This means we aim to make science truly functional, ensuring that what originates in the laboratory finds its way to the market as products and services. Through science, we can best identify and create new products that improve the quality of life, not only for Serbian citizens but globally as well," Begović concluded.
The Minister of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, Dr. Jelena Begović, emphasized that startup companies emerge from these ideas, selling products on the global market that stem from Serbian talent. "The concept of the BIO4 Campus is to encompass areas related to biotechnology, biomedicine, bioinformatics, artificial intelligence, biodiversity protection, and biodiversity utilization. It aims to bring together science, the state, the private sector, the startup ecosystem, and all the necessary links for Serbia to continue developing its economy, leveraging its knowledge and science. Not just the economy, but society as a whole," the minister stated.
She added that these foundations underpin the development of the world's most industrially advanced nations. Minister Begović noted that Serbia has joined this movement, aspiring to become, despite not being a large market or country, a definitive hub for creating new technologies and solutions.
"Seven faculties, some fully relocating, others partially, along with nine scientific institutes, will initially involve over 1,000 PhD holders. This number impresses even globally when mentioned; we already have a strong team of scientists ready to transition to the BIO4 Campus. Between 4,000 and 5,000 students will study, intern, and shape their careers within the campus," she explained.
The minister highlighted the goal of making the BIO4 Campus not only a regional but also an international hub.
"That's why it's important to attract foreign students, experts, and our diaspora, creating an international center visible on a global scale," Begović told Tanjug.
The BIO4 Campus will be a unique complex, hosting the Belgrade Science and Technology Park Extension for BIO4 startups, seven centers of advanced research infrastructure (core facilities), a housing center for students and visiting researchers, a congress center, a multimedia science exhibition center, production capacities, and other facilities.
The campus will fully accommodate the Faculty of Pharmacy and the Faculty of Biology of the University of Belgrade. Meanwhile, the Faculties of Agriculture, Chemistry, Technology and Metallurgy, Medicine, and Sport and Physical Education will have relevant organizational units within the BIO4 Campus.
Scientific institutes that will be fully relocated to the BIO4 Campus include the Institute of Molecular Genetics and Genetic Engineering, the Institute for Medical Research, the Institute for Multidisciplinary Research, the Institute for the Application of Nuclear Energy, and the Institute of Chemistry, Technology, and Metallurgy. The Institute for Artificial Intelligence, the Institute for Biological Research "Siniša Stanković," the "Biosens" Institute, and the Institute for Cardiovascular Diseases "Dedinje" will have relevant organizational units on the campus.
The name BIO4 represents four key areas: biomedicine, biotechnology, bioinformatics, and biodiversity. As previously announced, the campus will span approximately 30 hectares, with construction occurring in phases. The first phase will cover 110,000 square meters of laboratory and office space. The BIO4 Campus will be located in Kumodraž, Belgrade.
