The Government of the Republic of Srpska will continue to increase investment in the innovation ecosystem and the quality of education in the Republic of Srpska, said Zoran Bjelajac, Assistant Minister for Scientific and Technological Development, today at the opening of the international exhibition "Young INOST 2026", where more than 500 innovations from the Republic of Srpska, Russia, Serbia, Romania, Italy, Slovenia and Croatia will be presented.
"The ministry will continue to support the Union of Innovators of the Republic of Srpska this year," Bjelajac said at the "Young INOST" exhibition, which is dedicated to the 170th anniversary of the birth of the Serbian scientist Nikola Tesla.
Bjelajac added that construction of the first Science and Technology Park in the Republic of Srpska will begin this year.
"The Government of the Republic of Srpska is committed to building a strong innovation ecosystem that will enable our young people to engage in innovation at a far more advanced level," he said.
Ana Lojić, the President of the Banja Luka Innovators Association and organiser of "Young INOST 2026", said the event would bring together 1,200 exhibitors presenting more than 500 innovations from the Republic of Srpska, Russia, Romania, Italy, Serbia, Slovenia and Croatia.
"The innovations include electric vehicles, automation systems and IT projects created by secondary school pupils, with potential applications across local communities," Lojić said.
Uroš Bosiljčić, a student at the Mihajlo Pupin Technical School, said that his project, the "Smart Glove" for real-time sign language translation, is intended to help deaf and non-verbal people.
The Deputy Director of the Agency for Information and Communication Technologies of the Republic of Srpska, Duško Barić, said innovation is an important resource for the Republic of Srpska and requires institutional and financial support.
"We want these projects to become more than just exhibits and research papers. With the institutional support of the Government of the Republic of Srpska, these patents and innovations should reach every part of the Republic and their end users," Barić said.
The Director of the Republic Pedagogical Institute, Slađana Tanasić, said the Institute has enjoyed long-standing cooperation with the Union of Innovators of the Republic of Srpska and continues to support the event.