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Institute Transformation

Path to modernization, excellence in science and innovation

Through the "Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project – SAIGE", our Institute is undergoing a comprehensive transformation. This process is part of a broader reform program of scientific institutes in Serbia, in partnership with the World Bank and the European Union, under the auspices of the Ministry of Science, Technological Development and Innovation of the Republic of Serbia.

ICTM is in the third group of institutes, which, within the SAIGE project, aim to strengthen their capacities, improve their work and modernize organizational structures, with the help of international expertise and support, training and professional development. The transformation process also seeks to enhance research excellence, stimulate innovation and technology transfer, and strengthen national and international cooperation. ICTM began this process in November 2022.

Vision

According to the transformation plan:

"The transformation vision of the ICTM is to turn into an institute with strong linkages with the national and international industry through its cutting-edge R&D innovation technology transfer activities that bring high-value-added solutions to the market and society."

Goals

The main goals of our transformation are:

  • Increasing scientific excellence: Improving the quality of research and productivity.

  • Developing technology transfer: Establishing a system for research commercialization and intellectual property protection.

  • Financial diversification: Increasing external funding sources to reduce reliance on state budget funds.

  • Internationalization: Strengthening cooperation with national, regional, and international partners.

Transformation Process

Our path within the transformation process includes:

  • External evaluation (May-June 2022): After the initial internal evaluation, which identified the need for systematic changes, independent international experts provided recommendations for alignment with global standards in the functioning of scientific institutes.
  • Transformation plan (September 2022): This document, prepared by the international expert house (INOMER) and aligned with the ICTM leadership, laid the foundations for the Institute's reform and provided a roadmap for ICTM's transformation over the next three years.
  • Implementation of the transformation (since November 2022): The transformation formally began with signing of a Memorandum of Understanding on cooperation and support for the institutional transformation process with the Ministry of Education, Science, and Technological Development of the Republic of Serbia. Implementation activities are in line with short-term, medium-term, and long-term goals.

Short-term plan (3 years): Organizational reform, adoption and implementation of the Strategy and Action Plan, establishment of mechanisms and improvement of technology transfer, establishment of key mechanisms to support researchers, improvement of internal communication, connecting administrative and research staff, strengthening human capacities.

Medium-term plan (3-5 years): Sustainability initiatives established during the transformation, strengthening institutional mechanisms, expanding already successful initiatives, strengthening international collaborations, progress in technology transfer and development opportunities for commercialization of scientific achievements, improving administrative staff capacities, enhancing success in competitive calls.

Long-term plan (5-10 years): Transformation into a sustainable, innovative, and competitive institute at the international level; increasing own sources of funding through projects, consulting services, and industrial partners; full institutional recognition of technology transfer; raising research capacities; increasing researchers' impact in international scientific circles; defining a long-term institutional development strategy – adapting institutional structure to future challenges and the needs of the research community.

    Key Initiatives

    • Organizational changes
      • A Transformation Team was formed to coordinate all activities related to the transformation process. The coordinator of the Transformation Team is Dr. Matija Zlatar.
      • Assistant directors for technology transfer, fundamental research, finance, and international cooperation were appointed.
      • Established: International Advisory Board (IAB)
      • Established: International Cooperation and Project Office (ICPO)
      • Established: Technology Transfer Body
    • Adoption of the Strategy and Action Plan (2024): This document, aligned with the transformation plan, sets the foundation for the Institute's development over the next five years.
    • Internal Conferences "A Step Forward" (2023 and 2024): These internal conferences represent an important annual platform for presenting transformation results, exchanging ideas, and strengthening internal cooperation. In addition to contributing to the motivation and connection of research and administrative staff, these events play a key role in creating an innovative work environment.
    • Internal Calls for Projects
      • Proof of Concept (PoC): Eight successful projects involving 31 researchers were implemented, demonstrating high innovation.
      • Seed Research Grant: A program that supported eight young researchers in developing and testing their innovative ideas.
    • Scientific Excellence
      • The number of publications in scientific journals increased from 249 (2022) to 269 papers in 2024.
      • The number of publications in the top 30% journals increased from 103 (2022) to 138 (2024).
      • Three of our researchers are on the prestigious Stanford list of the most influential scientists.
    • Policies, Procedures, and Training
      • New institutional policies were adopted (Regulations on Intellectual Property, Regulations on Open Science, Regulations on Projects, Regulations on Awards and Recognitions, Regulations on Personal Data Protection, Regulations and Procedures related to Work Safety...).
      • Regular training for project writing and soft skills development is conducted, significantly enhancing the capacities of researchers and administration.
    • Collaboration and Infrastructure
      • Memoranda of Understanding were signed with national and regional partner institutions, including cooperation within the MediCoRe Hub.
      • Participation in the BIO4 campus.

      Near-Future Plans

      • Valorization of research results: Exploring commercialization possibilities and strengthening capacities within technology transfer.
      • Capacity building: Continued training for project writing, development of soft skills, improvement of administrative staff capacities, and connecting the research and administrative teams.
      • Strengthening cooperation: Establish new networks with researchers in the diaspora and international and regional partners, and increase success in competitive project calls.
      • Increasing the visibility of the Institute
      • Sustainability of the transformation: Strengthening organizational reforms, continuing previously initiated initiatives, including funding internal projects and maintaining the annual internal conference "A Step Forward".

      SAIGE Support and Consultants

      We are grateful for the "Serbia Accelerating Innovation and Entrepreneurship Project – SAIGE" support.
      • International Institutional Consultant: Dr. Richard Adams
      • National Institutional Consultant: Dr. Sanja Vraneš
      • International Advisory Board:
        • Srećko Stopić (RWTH Aachen University, Germany)
        • Miron Adrian Dinescu (National Institute for R&D in Microtechnologies – IMT Bucharest)
        • Zara Petkova Cherkezova-Zheleva (Bulgarian Academy of Sciences)
        • Nikola Lončar (Gecco Biotech B.V., The Netherlands)
        • Milan Stojanović (Columbia University, USA)
      • Technology Transfer Consultants: Davorka Moslavac Forjan, Dr. Jelena Gvozdenović-Jeremić
      • Project Writing Consultants: EUTA
      • Strategic Planning Consultants: IPMA Serbia
      • Training (soft skills): WeGlobal
      With sincere gratitude, we appreciate the support of all our consultants, as well as the entire team of the SAIGE Project Implementation Unit, which is crucial for achieving our ambitious goals.