Mr Johann Hesse, First Secretary and Head of Economic Reform and Natural Resources Operation Section of the European Commission Delegation to Bosnia and Herzegovina addressed the participants of the Conference Necessity for development of innovation capacities in Bosnia and Herzegovina held today in Brčko. The Conference was organised by the Independent Development Office (NBR) in cooperation with Chamber of Commerce and the Government of Brčko District as a part of the project Strategic Strengthening of Entrepreneurship & Development Centres (RPC) in North East Bosnia and Herzegovina. The implementatin of this EU funded project started in October 2007 and it will last until May 2009.

Mr Hesse pointed out that this was not solely the European Commission project, but the project recognised by the Delegation as a valuable idea that needed to be supported. “The Delegation allocated the grant for this project to enhance the development of small and medium enterprises at their start-up phase. These enterprises do not know the market very well, and they are not in a position to distribute their products and ideas. Therefore, through business incubators, as one of the project goals, these enterprises would receive business premises, offices or halls, in which they could establish their production. Additionally, business incubators would serve as providers of professional assistance and advice for financial management and business plan drafting”, said Dr. Hesse.

Enver Sarvan, Executive Director of the Independent Development Office (NBR) outlined that the Conference was also an opportunity to define the activities in the innovation area and to adopt, in cooperation with other stakeholders, action plans in order to ensure more favorable position of the innovation issue on all government levels in BiH. “Beside Tuzla and Brčko District, our partners in the Project from the north-east of BiH are Šamac, Čelić and Orašje. The project’s objective is to enhance the “hard infrastructure” (assistance in building and reconstruction of objects) in established industrial zones and development centres. Second part of the Project is  support to “soft infrastructure”, i.e. advisory assistance and current innovation development and manufacture of new products. Important segment of the Project is the research on current status in the innovation sector, in order to produce the analysis in this area.”, concluded Mr. Sarvan.

Main Coordinatior of the Brčko District Government, Mr. Đuro Tankosić also addressed the participants of the conference. During the day, beside experts’ presentation, a round table discussion on "Infrastructure for development of the innovation capacities in BiH” took place.

The value of the Project is KM 588,548, and EU funding amounts to 89% (KM 523,808).