Acting Director of the Science Fund of the Republic of Serbia, Prof. Dr. Daria Kisić, met on Tuesday, 31 March 2026, with representatives of the World Bank to discuss future directions of cooperation and the development of the innovation ecosystem. The meeting was held in Novi Sad, at the premises of the Faculty of Technical Sciences.

Discussions focused on strengthening cooperation between science and industry, developing innovation support programmes, and financing models that encourage research commercialisation and the development of intellectual property. Special emphasis was placed on initiatives that connect research teams with the market, including the development of new programmes and support mechanisms for startups, research projects, and collaboration with the private sector.

Opportunities for further development of regional and international initiatives were also discussed, with the aim of strengthening capacities for innovation and knowledge transfer, as well as increasing the involvement of universities and faculties in programmes that promote the development of a competitive and sustainable economy.

In addition to the Acting Director of the Science Fund, Prof. Dr. Daria Kisić, the meeting was attended by the Dean of the Faculty of Technical Sciences, University of Novi Sad, Prof. Dr. Boris Dumnic, and the Vice Dean for Science and International Cooperation, Prof. Dr. Milan Vidaković, as well as senior representatives of the World Bank: Mr. Alexander Hugo Lor, Senior Private Sector Specialist and SAIGE Project Task Team Leader (Washington, D.C., USA); Ms. Junyi Tingting Zhu, Senior Economist (Washington, D.C., USA); Prof. Dr. Viktor Nedović, SAIGE Project Director; Ms. Tijana Knežević, SAIGE Project Coordinator at the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation; and Dr. Helena Hirschenberger, Monitoring, Evaluation and Research, Development and Innovation Transformation Coordinator for the SAIGE project.