18th Session of the Council for Innovation and Smart Specialization

The session highlighted that the Ministry of Education, Science and Innovation continues to strongly support the research and innovation ecosystem, recalling that in the previous period a competition was announced for acquiring the status of beneficiary of incentive measures for research and innovation development in 2026. Among them are the Law on Tourism and Hospitality and the Final Report on the Implementation of the Rural Tourism Development Program of Montenegro 2023–2025, which form an important basis for improving the competitiveness of the tourism sector and sustainable rural development. The Council also considered the Crisis Plan for resolving disruptions in the supply of petroleum derivatives, a document of strategic importance for strengthening the country's energy security, as well as the Proposal of the Law on the Implementation of the EU Digital Services Act, which further enhances the alignment of national legislation with the modern European regulatory framework in the digital domain. The report on the implementation of the Digital Transformation Strategy of Montenegro 2022–2026 was discussed, along with activities planned for the upcoming period, as well as information on the progress of the MontEDIH project, the realization of the Meet-up events by the Montenegrin Chamber of Commerce and the Innovation Fund, and the Danube DNA project, which contributes to the digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises through regional cooperation and knowledge exchange. Strategic documents in the fields of spatial planning and natural resource management were also presented, including the Information on the implementation of the Spatial Plan of Montenegro and the development of planning documents for local self-governments, as well as the Updated Water Management Strategy, confirming the multidisciplinary dimension of the Council and its role in viewing development priorities through the principle of smart specialization. It was concluded that the Council for Innovation and Smart Specialization remains an important platform for intersectoral cooperation and policy alignment, and that the implementation of the Smart Specialization Strategy is one of the key instruments for strengthening competitiveness, innovation capacities, and sustainable development of Montenegro, as well as a significant contribution to the country's European integration process.