At the IMMC11, you can meet intercontinental, European, regional, and local professionals and scientists, from all stages in their career and from all demographical backgrounds. More than an event, it is a stepping-stone, heralding a new phase of the Medicinal Mushrooms development globally, in the post COVID-19 times. Will your company be part of this development? Have a look at what Belgrade has to offer:
Belgrade, Gate to the Balkans and the Gate to Central Europe
Belgrade has been selected as a vibrant city and a true regional hub for Balkans and Southeast Europe, with first-class travel connections to all European destinations. The capital is situated at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain and Central Eastern Europe meets the Balkans.
Universities
There are nine public universities in Serbia and ten private universities. Belgrade University ranked between 300 and 500 place globally, by the ARWU ranking, as the first in the region. Apart from universities and faculties, there are also public and private colleges. In the school year 2019–20 school, there were 210,480 enrolled students at universities in Serbia, of whom 175,955 study at public universities and 28,632 at private universities. Also, 39,305 enrolled students were at independent faculties and public and private colleges in Serbia.
Serbian economy
Serbia, located in the heart of Southeast Europe (SEE), is at the crossroads of Europe, Middle East, and Africa. The SEE region is home to emerging markets of varying size, all of which have economic development plans focused on bringing their legal, labor and tax codes; educational and medical systems; energy, transportation, and telecommunications infrastructures; and security/defense frameworks up to European standards. Combined, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria and Moldova represent over 60 million inhabitants and a GDP of well over € 400 billion.
Prior to the COVID-19 crisis, Serbia was in a strong economic and fiscal position, with high growth and relatively low debt and inflation. Despite its relatively small size, Serbia’s emerging economy represents significant opportunities for exports and investments across a wide range of sectors, particularly infrastructure, ICT, healthcare, agribusiness, energy, and environmental technologies.
EU Research and Innovation programmes
Serbia participates in the EU Research and Innovation programmes as of 2007. Since then, Serbia has made a lot of progress regarding the national research and innovation policies and in its participation to the relevant EU programmes. Since 2014 Serbia’s performance has quadrupled making it the most successful country from the Western Balkans in Horizon 2020.
Horizon Europe, the runner-up of Horizon 2020, is the new ambitious EU research and innovation programme that will continue through 2027 with regular calls for proposals and a budget of over € 95,5 billion. Negotiations for Horizon Europe have recently been successfully completed for the Western Balkans countries Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, North Macedonia, Montenegro and Kosovo* and with Turkey, Ukraine, Armenia, Georgia and Moldova.
- This designation is without prejudice to positions on status, and is in line with UNSCR 1244 and the ICJ Opinion on the Kosovo Declaration of Independence.