A BIO4 Campus delegation traveled to FAO Headquarters in Rome on June 16 to present Serbia's bioeconomy ecosystem and the BIO4 model at a meeting of the FAO Group of Friends on Bioeconomy for Sustainable Food and Agriculture.

Nenad Paunović represented BIO4 Campus, presenting the Campus's development as a national hub for research, education, and innovation in the bioeconomy. He highlighted BIO4 Campus as a cornerstone of Serbia's emerging bioeconomy ecosystem, bringing together biotechnology, biomedicine, biodiversity, and bioinformatics to support sustainable growth and societal development.

An international forum on bioeconomy strategy

The meeting gathered ambassadors, FAO experts, and member-state representatives from more than 35 countries, each bringing perspectives from their own national contexts. The agenda included an FAO presentation on metrics and indicators for sustainable bioeconomy, followed by discussion on emerging policy approaches and international trends — insights directly relevant for Serbia as it works to strengthen its bioeconomy framework and build stronger tools for measuring impact and shaping evidence-based policy.

The meeting was co-chaired by Carla Barroso Carneiro and Martin Selmayr. BIO4 Campus acknowledges their leadership in fostering international cooperation on bioeconomy, and extends special thanks to the Permanent Mission of the Republic of Serbia to the FAO and Ambassador Ivana Nikolovski Skočajić, whose support made Serbia's participation in this forum possible.

Serbia's growing international presence in bioeconomy

Participation in the Group of Friends meeting reflects the growing international recognition of BIO4 Campus and Serbia's broader commitment to building a sustainable, knowledge-based bioeconomy. The exchange confirmed how central bioeconomy has become as a strategic pathway toward sustainable food systems, resource efficiency, and innovation-driven development.

BIO4 Campus looks forward to continuing this collaboration with partners around the world.