Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and Technological Development Bozidar Djelic  stated that a draft strategy for scientific and technological development is one of the Ministry’s key achievements in the first year of its term.

At the press conference, at which results of the Ministry’s work in the first year in office were presented, Djelic explained that the draft strategy defines their priorities, including biomedicine, new materials and nanoscience, as well as environmental protection.

He specified that other priorities include energy and energy efficiency, information and telecommunication technologies, as well as affirmation of the national identity.

The Minister announced that the draft strategy will be put up on the Ministry’s web site and invited all interested institutions and individuals to take part in the public debate so that the strategy can be adopted in September.

Other Ministry achievements in the past year include a scientific infrastructure investment cycle worth €300 million, said Djelic, adding that salaries to science workers went up by 30% and the number of scientific papers increased.

He announced that funds will be invested in the improvement of the existing capacity, human resource development, research centres, the construction of a campus for a mathematical grammar school, as well as in technical faculties in Belgrade and other university towns.

There is also a plan to develop a centre of excellence in energy and ecology, new materials and nanoscience, food and agriculture, as well as biomedicine.

As key achievements of the Ministry of Minister of Science and Technological Development Djelic listed grants to 250 researchers, scientific training for 1,200 Serbian scientists abroad, RSD 8 million set aside for PhD studies and RSD 12 million for the Petnica research station.

He pointed out that in the past year the government has managed to strengthen international relations and by signing the agreement on nuclear waste export with Russia, it made an important step towards providing nuclear safety and security.

The government will adopt amendments to the laws on scientific, research and innovative activities and the protection of intellectual property, as well as the law on the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

Serbia must invest in its scientific and technological development as it cannot become a modern and developed country if it exports its best workers, said Djelic, adding that the Ministry has approved the realisation of around 500 basic research projects.