Based on the discussions during the second day of the Scientific Forum in Trieste, organized by the Ministry of Science of Montenegro in cooperation with the ICTP “Abdus Salam” Institute, it has been concluded that the countries of South East Europe need a large scientific research infrastructure to develop research capacities Institute, initiate knowledge transfer and directly influence social and economic progress.
Goran Svilanović, Secretary General of the Regional Cooperation Council – RCC, held a lecture on the topic of “Smart Growth as a corner stone of the Regional Economic Area”. Svilanović expressed satisfaction that he had the opportunity to attend the Forum, emphasizing the open support of the Regional Cooperation Council for the Initiative for the Establishment of the International Institute for Sustainable Technologies.
Mark Plesko, a scientist from Ljubljana (COSYLAB), spoke about accelerators and successful technological transfers in the region. Angela Zennaro (CERIC) held a lecture on the links between large scientific infrastructures and the industry. As a city of science, Trieste was presented by Mr. Stefano Fantoni, President of the Trieste International Foundation for Progress and Freedom (FIT).
Today, the Forum’s delegation visited the “Elettra” laboratory (3rd generation synchrotron), which is located in the Science and Technology Park in Basovizza near Trieste, having wide application in medicine, nanotechnology, archaeology, pharmacy and other scientific fields.
The Scientific Forum entitled “Forum on New International Research Facilities in South East Europe” has been supported by UNESCO, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Physical Society and the Trieste International Foundation for Progress and Freedom (FIT). At the Forum, the basic concepts for both options of the International Institute have been presented for the first time. These are the 4th generation Synchrotron Radiation Light Source and the Facility for Tumour Hadron Therapy and Biomedical Research with Protons and Heavy Ions.
In her yesterday’s statement, Minister of Science Dr. Sanja Damjanović stated that the Forum was the culmination of the tremendous effort invested in 2017 in both, political and scientific terms, as well as that a large scientific-technological project was launched that would bring benefits to the entire region, finally making it competitive with the rest of Europe.
There were more than 100 participants at the Forum, including the representatives of the European Commission, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the European Physical Society (EPS), ESFRI, as well as prominent members of the scientific community (CERN, HIT, CNAO, GSI/FAIR, DESY) and representatives of the scientific and business community of the region.
In his yesterday’s official address to the Forum participants, Director-General of DG Research and Innovation at the European Commission Mr. Robert Jan Smits thanked Minister Damjanović for the efforts to transform the Initiative into a regional project, indicating that the European Commission was aware of what science could accomplish for the region.
