New BioSense Institute building by 2019 – Another 120 scientists to be employeed on implementing IT solutions in agriculture

On Thursday, June 29, Minister of Education, Science and Technological Development Mladen Sarcevic, Provincial Secretary for Higher Education and Scientific Research Activities Zoran Milosevic, Director of BioSense Institute, Vladimir Crnojevic, and Director of the Public Investment Management Office, Marko Blagojevic, signed an agreement on financing and managing the project of the construction of the BioSense Institute building in Novi Sad and procurement of scientific research equipment within Phase 2 of the Antares project, reports the website of the Ministry of Education.

The Antares project aims to develop BioSense into a European center of excellence for advanced technologies in the field of sustainable agriculture, thereby bringing about the digitization of the local agricultural sector.

– The connection of science with technological development and the economy is of primary importance – Sarcevic said and added that permanent financing of science was one of the two most important projects of the Ministry requiring greater involvement of the scientific community in Serbia.

This agreement marks the beginning of an investment of EUR 14 million in the period up to 2019, from the funds of the financial agreement “Research and Development in the Public Sector”, which the Republic of Serbia has signed with the European Investment Bank.

The funds are intended for the construction of the BioSense Institute building in Novi Sad and equipping it with the latest scientific research equipment. Let us remind that the European Union previously invested EUR 14 million in modernizing the activities of this institute.

– We have shown that we are strong enough and that, by being united around the project, we could in fact achieve much more – Zoran Milosevic pointed out.

As one of the results of this investment, 30 people have already been employed this year in the field of science, whereas another 120 scientists are expected to be employed in the coming years. In addition to the features dedicated to scientists, the new BioSense Institute Facility will contain a special working area meant for small and medium enterprises, with the goal of accelerating the connection of the local IT sector and agriculture.

This way, local companies will have direct access to modern scientific research laboratories and resources of the Institute, but also to the EU funds, a wide network of potential users and investors, as well as mentorship and training services in the field of doing business and IT.

The access to the scientific research equipment obtained as part of this agreement will be of non-profit nature and enabled to all interested parties, from scientific research organizations to innovative enterprises and entrepreneurs.

– By signing this agreement, which enables equipping the institute with the latest technological equipment, the BioSense Institute will become a part of the top ten such institutes globally and a permanent accelerator for both scientific researchers and companies – Crnojevic said.

The procurement of the scientific research equipment begins in September, and the plan is for the building to be fully completed and equipped in early 2019.

Ministarstvo prosvete Republike Srbije

Pokrajinski sekretarijat za visoko obrazovanje i naučnoistraživačku delatnost Novi Sad

Ministarstvo za javna ulaganja Republike Srbije

BioSense Novi Sad

BioSense builidng

construction of BioSense building

Mladen Sarcevic

Zoran Milosevic

Vladimir Crnojevic

Marko Blagojevic

construction of BioSense Institute building

new BioSense Institute building

scientific research equipment

Antares

European Center of Excellence

advanced technologies in agriculture

digitization of local agricultural sector

scientific community of Serbia

European Investment Bank

EBRD

scientific research laboratory

implementation of IT solutions in agriculture

IT solutions in agriculture