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Author: WeBalkans

The robotic arm that leads to well-fed fish

Written by WeBalkans on . Posted in Stories.

An EU-supported lab enabled brothers from Montenegro to develop a device for managing the amount and quality of fish food.

Bogdan and Goran Maksimović are brothers from Nikšić in Montenegro. The younger man, Bogdan, is an IT expert while his older brother Goran is an electrician and passionate fisherman. When they joined forces, they created an innovative fish feeder. “Today’s process of feeding fish is rather obsolete: the same as it was 50 years ago. People don’t even know how many fish they have in a pond, let alone how much food they require, so we devised a system which can help with saving food, and therefore money,” says Goran.

Goran further explains that having no idea how much food fish need can cause also other problems as excessive food can pollute water and lead to the death of the fish. “Now, all these problems are solved,” Goran says. The fish feeder device he designed with his brother can be used to programme and monitor how much food is given to fish. Based on that information, the device can also calculate how much food they need per day. The machine runs with a solar panel, so it is energy efficient and mobile, and can be used in ponds in distant places such as high mountains.

“We had to introduce and explain from scratch concepts such as innovation, start-ups and technology. But we managed to create a kind of epicentre of good energy, ideas, projects and abilities, and we are very happy about that.”

A place for innovation

The fish feeder device was developed and tested at the Nikšić Tehnopolis Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre, which is a centre for the development of start-up companies and entrepreneurship. Recently, the EU-funded project entitled “Improving infrastructure for research and innovation that can be used to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)” supported Tehnopolis in setting up a new industrial design laboratory, a biotechnology laboratory and a data centre. The 3D model for the fish feeder was developed at the industrial design laboratory, which is equipped with the most modern 3D printer, CNC machines and a robotic arm.

Đorđije explains that their target group is very wide and includes young children to middle-aged and older adults, students, start-ups and entrepreneurs, development teams, micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, agricultural producers, institutions, investors, local and regional partners and others.

“Currently, about 40 innovators use the data centre, the biotechnology laboratory and the industrial design laboratory at our centre, all funded by the EU.” 

About the project

The EU-funded “Improving infrastructure for Research and Innovation that can be used to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)” project supported Tehnopolis with the development of the infrastructure capacities of the biochemical laboratory, the laboratory for industrial design, and the data centre. The project resulted in the creation of an innovative platform to support new services and products in Montenegro, and the competitiveness of existing SMEs, while also helping develop brand new, technology-oriented SMEs. The project’s total budget was €818,000.

So far, Tehnopolis has implemented around 30 projects, of which 16 are still in process. Over 90% of funds for these projects have been provided by the EU, which has supported Tehnopolis with about €4 million through various programmes in the last five years. “Currently, about 40 innovators use the data centre, the biotechnology laboratory and the industrial design laboratory at our centre, all funded by the EU,” says Đorđije.

“We are also developing our human resources to ensure that we have people with the right skills to work with this equipment. This means that in the near future we will be able to provide even greater support to farmers, innovators, and SMEs who want to improve their production process and become competitive on the market,” he concludes.

EU funds technical assistance for the Durrës wastewater management project in Albania

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The Western Balkans Investment Framework (WBIF) technical assistance for the Durrës wastewater management project was launched on 25 May in Tirana, in the presence of the main stakeholders, including the Durrës Water and Sewerage Utility, the National Agency for Water Supply and Sewerage and Waste Infrastructure, the State Agency for Strategic Programming and Assistance Coordination, and the EU Delegation in Albania, as well as representatives of the WBIF, the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), and Infrastructure Project Facility 11, who will implement the project.  
The project aims to improve the living and coastal environmental conditions of the 350,000 inhabitants in the Durrës region. The project will achieve this aim by separation of the stormwater and sewerage network in the region, reduction of stormwater inflows in the wastewater treatment plant to maximise the wastewater volumes and the biological load of the existing wastewater treatment plant, using it to total capacity, and avoiding bypass during rain. It will improve the quality of surface and underground water bodies in the region and in the Adriatic Sea, thus positively impacting biodiversity (climate change adaptation) and tourism (economic development).  
The wastewater collection networks in Durrës city are old, made of concrete pipelines which are prone to infiltration, lacking proper sloping and often becoming subject to blockages. Most of the sewage collection systems are combined, and collect wastewater together with rainwater. Substantial volumes of wastewater flow to the sea result due to poor connection, wastewater infiltration, and overflows during dry and rainy weather.  
Through the WBIF, the European Union has provided a technical assistance grant of €500,000. The estimated total investment cost of the Durrës Wastewater Management Project is around €40 million and is planned to be financed through an AFD loan and local sources.

Kosovo project among the winners of the 2022 European Heritage Awards

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The European Commission and Europa Nostra have announced the winners of the 2022 European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards. The annual EU prize for cultural heritage rewards 30 excellent initiatives and outstanding personalities from 18 European countries, representing the latest developments and priorities related to heritage policy and practice in Europe.

  The award categories include conservation and adaptive re-use, research education, training and skills, citizens’ engagement and awareness-raising, and heritage champions.  

This year, the “Lumbardhi Public Again” project from Prizren, Kosovo, was among the winners in the citizens’ engagement and awareness-raising category.  “Lumbardhi Public Again” is an initiative to save the Lumbardhi Cinema from privatisation and demolition, and to reclaim it as a cultural heritage site open to all. The cinema, consisting of indoor screens and an open-air cinema, was built in the 1950s and enjoyed huge popularity in the city of Prizren until the late 1980s. Following their campaigns in 2007 and 2014, the DokuFest and EC Ma Ndryshe civil society organisations launched the Lumbardhi Foundation in 2015. Over the course of seven years, the foundation has achieved its founding aims. Reviving the cinema in collaboration with CHwB Kosovo and a number of local and international partners, including the EU,  through emergency and restorative interventions, has enabled close to 1,000 public programmes reaching out to more than 100,000 users and visitors.

ADRION Programme opens a new call for universities, research centres and business institutions

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The Adriatic-Ionian (ADRION) Programme, working in the Adriatic-Ionian area, has opened a new call targeting universities and research centres, as well as business institutions. The goal of this fifth extraordinary call for proposals is to raise competence and skills in domains considered of strategic relevance for the area, bridging to the new programming period, and sustaining marine/maritime, environmental and social innovation topics.

 

The call focuses on the following topics: the blue economy, social innovation, renewable energy, and the circular economy. It aims to develop preparatory measures for the activation of joint Master’s level programmes to run until 2027. Projects matching the goals of the call should be strategic and will receive grants as part of the 2021-2027 Instrument for Pre-Accession Assistance (IPA) ADRION Programme.

 

Projects proposals will have an EU contribution (European Regional Development Fund and IPAII) up to a maximum of €1 million.

Winners of the Regional Butterfly Innovation Award announced in Tirana

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Regional Butterfly Innovation Awards were given to six winning innovation ideas from the region at a ceremony in Tirana on 28 June.

 

-The winners of the first Regional Butterfly Innovation Awards are:

-Industry Innovation Award: Orjon Rroji, Albania

-University Innovation Award:  TiPy-AIR University of Banja Luka, Bosnia and Herzegovina

-Green Innovation Award: GoBeyond, Kosovo

-Youth Innovation Award: GuesTool, Montenegro

-Women’s Innovation Award: WISE Group, North Macedonia

-STEM (science, mathematics, engineering and technology) Innovation Award: BIOIRC, Serbia

 

All winners will get an opportunity to promote their solution through the RCC’s network of contacts and media presence, receive technical mentorship support with €5000 and a chance to meet potential additional investors. The award ceremony, co-organised by the RCC and the European Commission, took place on the side-lines of the Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Steering Platform on Research and Innovation and Education and Training, hosted by the European Commission.

 

The award ceremony is a highlight of a longer process that was officially launched last December during the Butterfly Innovation and Business Forum. The Regional Butterfly Innovation Award is funded by the European Union.

EU and EBRD help Bosnian SMEs to Go Digital

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The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) is extending a €5 million loan to ProCredit Bank in Bosnia and Herzegovina, backed by grants from the European Union (EU), under the recently launched Go Digital in Bosnia and Herzegovina programme. The proceeds will be used to help small firms invest in the digitalisation of business processes and to improve productivity, operational efficiency and resilience.

 

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will be able to apply for funds to invest in hardware and software for digital transformation projects in the area of digital communications, information and IT security, digital company management and digital production processes and services. The aim is to boost the digital transformation of SMEs and make them more competitive in EU markets and compliant with the standards required by EU directives.

 

In addition to loans, SMEs will benefit from grant incentives worth up to 15% of the total loan amount. These incentives are funded by the EU.

 

The EU has secured grants of €9 million for incentive payments, advisory services and programme technical assistance for the joint EBRD-EU Go Digital in Bosnia and Herzegovina programme, while the EBRD has secured €40 million in loans. The programme will be accompanied by activities from Germany’s international co-operation agency, GIZ, which will work with the government and stakeholders to help build an ecosystem for digitalisation, automation and innovation in Bosnia and Herzegovina, including digital innovation hubs, in line with EU best practices.

 

The programme contributes directly to the European Commission’s Digital Agenda for the Western Balkans, which aims to support the transition of the private sector and help businesses fully secure the benefits of the digital transformation of the economy.

EU donates IT and laboratory equipment to Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Indirect Taxation Authority

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The European Union has donated 1,250 laptops, desktop PCs, servers, firewalls and other high-quality laboratory equipment to the Indirect Taxation Authority (ITA) in Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH). The equipment is worth a total of €2.3 million and will help the ITA to improve its everyday business, apply qualified digital signatures, customs and taxation simplified procedures and further improve the performance of the customs laboratory.

 

The Head of the EU Delegation and the EU Special Representative in BiH Ambassador, Johann Sattler, visited the Indirect Taxation Authority Customs laboratory in Ramići near Banja Luka on 21 June and, together with Director Miro Džakula, toured the ITA BiH premises and inspected the donated equipment.

 

From 1 August, the ITA BiH will start using a new computerised transit system at national level. The implementation of the new law on customs policy from 1 August will enable the application of simplified customs procedures.

EU launches new guidelines to support civil society in the Enlargement Region

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Some 200 representatives from civil society organisations, the European Commission, EU Delegations, Western Balkan authorities and international organisations attended the Civil Society Forum in Skopje on 8 and 9  June. The main objective of the meeting was to launch the revised “Guidelines for EU Support to Civil Society in the Enlargement Region 2021-2027”.

 

The Forum reaffirmed the important role that civil society organisations play in their societies and in the EU integration process. Such organisations can contribute to necessary reforms, help involve citizens and support the economic, social and political transformation of the region. In times of crisis, civil society organisations are essential in helping monitor impact, reduce misinformation, and defend the interests of marginalised communities.

 

The EU will use the guidelines for monitoring at regular intervals. This will help the EU, as well as other stakeholders, to identify and act on areas where there is room for improvement.

 

The guidelines are accessible here

EIB promotes socially inclusive employment and entrepreneurship in Serbia

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The European Investment Bank (EIB) – the lending arm of the EU – and UniCredit Bank Serbia have officially launched a €30 million credit line aimed at supporting the employment, professional training and long-term retention of people from vulnerable social groups. These funds will enable UniCredit  to on-lend to Serbian companies that are committed to improving the social impact of their businesses and creating long-term employment and entrepreneurship opportunities for women, young people and those segments of the population that face higher entry barriers to the labour market. Representatives of the government of the Republic of Serbia and the EU Delegation to Serbia attended the launch ceremony, expressing support for socially-oriented financial instruments of this kind.

 

In addition to funding, Serbian companies will receive a performance-based financial reward if they meet specific targets to foster leadership, employment and professional development opportunities for women, young people and others, including people with disabilities and refugees that often face additional barriers to accessing such opportunities. The financial reward is provided as a grant under the EIB’s Economic Resilience Initiative (ERI), aimed at boosting job creation and sustainable private sector growth. This is the first EIB private sector loan in the Western Balkans under the ERI, which will contribute to the most important goals in promoting sustainable development. The EIB will also provide technical assistance for the preparation and implementation of projects in order to achieve these goals and have a wider social impact.

The EU and the Western Balkans strengthen ties in first ministerial meeting on culture

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On 27 and 28 June, the Ministerial Meeting of the Western Balkans Platforms on Culture, Research and Innovation, Education and Training took place in Tirana. The meeting with the culture ministers was the first organised with the Western Balkans. Commissioner Mariya Gabriel officially launched the platform.  
The Commissioner called on the ministers to take full advantage of the meetings to work together to develop cooperation between the EU and the Western Balkans and to contribute to the integration of the region in the EU. “Exchange of best practices, knowledge and experiences will take our common work in the field of culture to the next level,” said Mariya Gabriel in her opening remarks.  
In this first meeting, Commissioner Gabriel and the culture ministers of the region discussed the role of youth in the promotion and protection of cultural heritage. The discussion covered topics including the shortage of skilled professionals, how to make heritage professions attractive to young people, fighting illicit trafficking of cultural goods, and the role of cultural heritage in a sense of belonging to Europe.  
The European Commission, the French Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Albanian Minister of Culture co-chaired the event.