(Venue: Hotel Hilton Podgorica Crna Gora, 2 Bulevar Svetog Petra Cetinjskog, Podgorica 81000, Montenegro)
The following agenda is no longer valid – please donwload the file above to access the most updated version
Sunday 19 OCTOBER 2025
| Welcome Dinner | |
| 20:00 – 22:00 | The Welcome Dinner is organised at the Hotel Hilton – Dress code: business attire |
Monday 20 OCTOBER 2025
| Presentation of the report “Emerging Trends in the Western Balkans’ Startup Ecosystem” by the Regional Cooperation Council (Sky Bar / rooftop venue) Moderation: Sinisa Marcic, Senior Expert on Human Capital Development, Regional Cooperation Council | ||
| 08:15 – 08:45 | Interventions Amer Kapetanovic, Secretary General, Regional Cooperation Council Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission | |
| Ministerial Meeting of the Steering Platform on Research and Innovation (Crystal Ballroom, ground floor – Welcome coffee served in the foyer from 8:30) Moderation: Signe Ratso,Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission | ||
| 09:00 – 09:05 | Opening of the Event Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation | |
| 09:05 – 09:15 | Welcome Addresses Maida Gorcevic, Minister of European Affairs Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires, Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union | |
| 09:15 – 09:30 | Innovators’ Ceremony Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation 6 innovators from the region Six innovators from the region | |
| Ministerial Meeting on Research and innovation Moderation: Signe Ratso,Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission | ||
| 09:30 – 09:40 | Keynote Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation | |
| 09:40 – 10:00 | Interventions Amer Kapetanovic, Secretary General, Regional Cooperation Council Ase Gornitzka, President, COST Association Martin Kern, Director, European Institute of Innovation and Technology | |
| 10:00 – 11:00 11:00 – 11:10 | Ministerial Round Table Discussion on Research and Innovation Topic: Research Infrastructures and Artificial Intelligence in Science 1) Research Infrastructures – the engines of the knowledge triangle: experiences and best practice 2) Artificial Intelligence in science Interventions from the EU Member States | |
| 11:10 – 11:20 | Concluding Remarks Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires, Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union | |
| 11:20 – 11:25 | Family Picture (Within the Crystal Ballroom on the ground floor) | |
| 11:25 – 11:40 | Coffee Break (Coffee is served in the foyer of the Crystal Ballroom) | |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Bilateral Meeting with Serbia (Room Jelena, ground floor) | |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Networking Lunch (Restaurant Crna Gora on the ground floor) | |
| Ministerial Meeting on Smart Specialisation Strategies (Crystal Ballroom, ground floor) Moderation: Sabine Henzler, Director, Joint Research Centre, European Commission | |
| 14:00 – 14:10 | Welcome and Keynote Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation |
| 14:10 – 14:30 | Welcome Addresses Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires, Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union |
| 14:30 – 15:30 15:30 – 15:40 | Ministerial Round Table Discussion on Smart Specialisation Strategies Topic: Smart Specialisation in the Western Balkans: new challenges and pathway towards competitiveness 1) Twin transitions in the Western Balkans: main enabling factors and bottlenecks 2) How can Smart Specialisation combine twin transitions’ challenges and competitiveness? Interventions from EU Member States |
| 15:40 – 15:50 | Concluding Remarks Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Andjela Jaksic Stojanovic, Minister of Education, Science and Innovation Bartosz Marcinkowski, Chargé d’affaires, Poland, for the Presidency of the Council of the European Union |
| 15:50 – 15:55 15:55 – 16:15 | Family Picture (Crystal Ballroom on the ground floor) Coffee Break (Foyer of the Crystal Ballroom) |
| 16:15 – 16:45 | Bilateral Meeting with Albania (Room Jelena, ground floor) |
| 17:00 – 17:30 | Bilateral Meeting with Bosnia and Herzegovina (Room Jelena, ground floor) |
| 20:00 | Gala dinner Venue to be announced A transfer service by bus will be organised for delegates from the hotel to the dinner venue and return, departure in front of the hotel. Dress code: business attire |
Tuesday 21 October 2025
| JRC Research Infrastructures and their services rendered to the Western Balkans (Sky Bar / rooftop) Moderation: Sabine Henzler, Director, Joint Research Centre, European Commission | |
| 08:15 – 08:45 | Intervention Fabio Taucer, Adviser for Research Infrastructure Coordination and Valorisation, Joint Research Centre, European Commission |
| 09:00 – 09:30 | Bilateral Meeting with Kosovo* (Room Jelena, ground floor) |
| 09:45 – 10:00 | Coffee Break (Foyer of the Crystal Ballroom) |
| 10:15 – 10:45 | Bilateral Meeting with North Macedonia (Room Jelena, ground floor) |
| 11:00 – 11:30 | Bilateral Meeting with Montenegro (Room Jelena, ground floor) |
| Presentation of COST actions building scientific networks between the region and the EU (Sky Bar / rooftop venue) Moderation: Katalin Alfoldi, Policy Adviser, COST Association | |
| 12:00 – 12:30 | Interventions Ase Gornitzka, President, COST Association Signe Ratso, Deputy Director-General, DG for Research and Innovation, European Commission |
| 12:30 – 14:00 | Farewell Reception (Restaurant Crna Gora on the ground floor) |
* This designation is without prejudice to positions on status and is in line with UNSCR 1244/1999 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo declaration of independence.
WBMinisterial2025 