Podgorica recently hosted the inaugural first Montenegro start-up strategy session, uniting key stakeholders from Montenegro’s innovation ecosystem to explore future collaboration and enhance the start-up and innovation community.
Digital Den facilitated the event, which saw participation from major figures in the innovation and start-up sector, including the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT), the U.S. Embassy in Montenegro, the Science and Technology Park, the Innovation Fund, Tehnopolis, the Faculty of Economics at the University of Montenegro, and the University of Donja Gorica.
The Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation, the Chamber of Commerce (PKCG), and the Secretariat for Entrepreneurship and Investments of the Capital City also supported the initiative.
Dutch guest speakers shared insights on enhancing the start-up ecosystem through collaborative efforts, underscoring the need for a coordinated and unified approach among local players to achieve meaningful results.
“The session highlighted the importance of standardized terminology in various start-up support programs and the need for support based on data analysis of service effectiveness at the early stages of innovation development. This method, adopted in some Dutch regions, has improved the profiling of support services, leading to more effective financial and mentoring services and an increase in the number of start-ups that scale and experience rapid growth,” stated Digital Den.
The meeting was viewed as the first in a series of discussions aimed at advancing Montenegro’s innovation ecosystem collectively.
Participants expressed a strong commitment to leveraging Montenegro’s potential and working together to achieve tangible results promptly.
“There is a consensus that these sessions could significantly impact the future and accelerated development of the innovation community, strengthen collaboration and coordination within the local ecosystem, and position Montenegro as a regional leader in innovation,” the statement concluded.
The next session is scheduled for October.
