Minister Begović for BIZcast: BIO4 Campus as the Driving Force of Science and Innovation in Serbia
18/04/2024
Source: B92.net | Author: Katarina Korać
“BIO4 Campus Represents the Convergence of Biomedicine, Biotechnology, Bioinformatics, and Biodiversity,” said the Minister of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, Jelena Begović.
The guest of the latest episode of BIZcast is Minister of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, Jelena Begović.
The construction of the BIO4 Campus has officially begun, with the €450 million project expected to be completed by 2026. The Minister of Science, Technological Development, and Innovation, Jelena Begović, shared insights into the innovations this project will bring.
What is the BIO4 Campus? “For us, it is a concentration of people and infrastructure aimed at creating new knowledge, products, and services to improve the quality of life for our citizens. At the same time, it provides the opportunity to extend beyond Serbia’s borders, as our country is relatively small, and place these innovations on global markets. BIO4 Campus represents the convergence of biomedicine, biotechnology, bioinformatics, and biodiversity. It is a unique multidisciplinary project in the wider region, envisioned to house scientific institutions and faculties,” the minister stated.
She also revealed the future tenants of the BIO4 Campus, located opposite the existing “Torlak” military complex in Kumodraž.
“Of course, we have three components. The first is academia, which includes seven faculties of the University of Belgrade. Some will fully relocate, while others will move specific departments related to these four pillars. Additionally, nine scientific institutes from Belgrade and Novi Sad will be part of this network and will become tenants of the BIO4 Campus. The second component is the private sector, where we are already negotiating with major global companies to establish their R&D centers at the BIO4 Campus and collaborate with our experts. The third, crucial for economic development, is startup companies,” Begović revealed.
“This is not just infrastructure; it is about people. It represents a transformation of the education system, which must become more flexible and provide students with the best opportunities to learn in the most effective ways and later apply their knowledge in the industry,” Begović added.
The minister also spoke about science and technology parks in Serbia.
“These are places where innovative companies, especially startups and young businesses, which cannot immediately enter the market or sustain themselves, are given opportunities. They often have bold, promising ideas that, once sufficiently developed, can enter local or global markets and compete with other companies,” Begović said.
Innovation is connected to virtually every sector, driving developments in the economy, medicine, agriculture, education, and more. But how will new technologies affect business?
“The innovation ecosystem has brought significant changes to economies worldwide. We now have innovative economies, such as bioeconomy, which is something we aim to develop within the BIO4 Campus. This has also changed how companies are formed. Traditionally, companies did not emerge within universities or research institutes; scientific results often ended up in drawers. Now, we want to extract the vast knowledge already present in Serbia and transform it into tangible products. On the other hand, startups are now capable of becoming ‘unicorns’—companies valued at over a billion dollars—within seven to eight years. Often, these are founded by groups of students,” the minister explained.
A frequently discussed topic today is the emergence of artificial intelligence. Innovations and medicine, as closely related fields, will introduce new developments to Serbia.
“If we train artificial intelligence to provide information or assist us, it can do so quickly and guide us in the right direction. This is already happening, for example, in the development of new drugs. If we can reduce the drug development process from 15 years to 7, it means that a patient could receive a new treatment in 7 years instead of 15,” Begović concluded.
