The Networking Event ‘Building Innovation Partnerships: Research-to-Business – R2B’ took place on 3 October 2013, in Zenica, simultaneously with Zenica International Fair – ZEPS.

The main goal of the event was to gather the representatives of laboratories and companies from the production and processing of materials and wood processing sectors, thus giving them the opportunity to meet and network with potential partners for innovation partnerships. The expectation of these encounters is that they will lead to a mutual research, development and testing of new technologies, products and services.

The Networking Event was organised within the framework EU funded project “INOVO – Institutional capacity building of three innovation centres and research sector in Bosnia and Herzegovina”.

„This event is unique because we are connecting local researchers with local businessmen, another dimension is that company needs will meet the possibilities of researchers, and last but not least we contribute to considering economical development by innovation as a vehicle to competitiveness , “ stated Kastytis Gečas, INOVO Team Leader.

Strengthening connections between the university knowledge and company needs will bring benefits, not only to the economy of the local community, but the whole country.

The organisers of the event were:
– Entrepreneurship and Innovation Centre of the University of Zenica (UNZE)
– Business Service Centre (BSC) of the Zenica-Doboj Canton Government
– Chamber of Commerce of Zenica-Doboj Canton
– REZ – Regional Development Agency for Central Bosnia
– ZEDA – Local Development Agency