Ongoing projects

UnicornQuest - Designing, sharing, and replicating policy tools for Unicorn forests

From January 2024, Serbia can participate in projects within the INTERREG EUROPE Program. Thus, the Vojvodina Development Agency became a partner in mid-2024 on the project “UnicornQuest—Designing, sharing, and replicating policy tools for Unicorn forests | Interreg Europe—Sharing solutions for better policy.”

The project will last four years, with a total budget of €2,301,950 and 13 project partners. The lead partner is the Alentejo Pact Science and Technology Park from Portugal.

The project aims to create specific policies and tools to attract startups, known as “Unicorns,” and retain them in Europe. This requires the creation of appropriate instruments that will ensure an attractive business environment.

RAV will participate as a “discovery partner,” which means it will have the opportunity to exchange experiences and gather knowledge from other European regions in this field and directly access nine new policy creation instruments.

Other participating countries include France, Ireland, the Netherlands, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Romania, and Latvia. Among many interested partners from countries eligible to apply for this program in 2024, RAV was chosen as an institution that creates regional development policies and collaborates with the economic and public sectors. This enables RAV to influence the adoption of new instruments and measures that will contribute to developing an attractive business environment for tech startups.

 

Value Chain Development Program for Industries in AP Vojvodina

Business assessments of companies in Vojvodina using the EFQM methodology with technical support from the USAID project “Big Small Business.”

EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management) model is a management framework for evaluating and improving organizational performance. It was developed as a tool for quality management and continuous improvement of business processes.

The EFQM model focuses on critical aspects of business, such as leadership, strategy, human resources, partnerships and resources, methods, results, and customer satisfaction.

The core principles of the EFQM model include continuous learning and improvement, a focus on results and customer satisfaction, and leading the organization with a vision and clear goals. The model is applied worldwide, both in the public and private sectors, to achieve operational excellence and long-term sustainability.

„Brownfield is Better than Greenfield- ReInd-BBG“

The project implementation begins on January 1, 2024, as part of the Danube Transnational Program. The project aims to revitalize brownfield locations, i.e., old industrial and business facilities, to minimize the use of open land for new factory constructions.

RAV participates as a project partner, primarily assisting in promoting investment locations and attracting foreign investors, among other project activities. 

The project will last for 30 months and will be led by the lead partner, the Slovenian Chamber of Commerce, collaborating with 16 different partners from participating countries in the program.

ADRURAL

The ADRURAL project is part of the Interreg IPA ADRION program, which aims to improve the quality of life in rural communities across the Adriatic-Ionian region by applying innovative smart solutions. The primary goal is establishing a transnational cooperation network that empowers rural communities through innovation.

The project spans various geographic and socio-cultural contexts, focusing on supporting women, youth, and vulnerable groups in these communities. The project team will identify rural areas’ key social challenges and develop innovative approaches to address them through cross-border cooperation.

AD Rural includes five work packages dedicated to rural community development: establishing a knowledge-sharing network, testing innovative tools in pilot communities, supporting local initiatives through a digital network, long-term sustainable strategy planning, and ensuring the project’s results are adaptable to other settings.

The Vojvodina Development Agency (RAV) actively participates in all phases, mainly developing the AD Rural network, organizing events, and implementing innovations in Vojvodina’s rural communities through pilot projects.

The project, which has a budget of €1,757,463.87, will run for 36 months, from September 1, 2024, to August 31, 2027.

Project partners include: Regional Union of Municipalities of Ionian Islands (Lead Partner, Greece); Reframe Food (Greece), DIH “Agrifood Croatia” (Croatia); Central European Service for Cross-Border Initiatives Balkans (Serbia), Vojvodina Development Agency (Serbia), ITC – Innovation Technology Cluster Murska Sobota (Slovenia), Foundation for Sustainable Economic Development PREDA Plus (North Macedonia), Limited Liability Company, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Technopolis (Montenegro), Foundation for Innovation and Technology Development (Bosnia and Herzegovina), and Chamber of Commerce Industry Craft and Agriculture of Venice Rovigo.