INSTITUT MIHAJLO PUPIN

Their core work

Institut Mihajlo Pupin is a Serbian research center specializing in energy systems, demand-side management, and smart grid technologies, with strong applied work in ICT platforms for energy efficiency. They build data analytics tools, digital platforms for energy optimization, and AI-driven production systems for industrial use. Beyond energy, they provide innovation management support to Serbian SMEs through the Enterprise Europe Network and contribute to security-related research including border surveillance and privacy technologies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014–2017, IMP spread across diverse topics: science communication (FLIRT), open education platforms (SlideWiki), SME innovation services (EEN projects), and early energy efficiency work. From 2019 onward, they concentrated heavily on smart energy systems — demand response, renewable integration, energy communities, and digital energy platforms — while adding AI for manufacturing and security/privacy as secondary threads. The shift from generalist innovation support toward deep energy-domain specialization is unmistakable.

IMP is consolidating as an energy digitalization institute, increasingly focused on citizen energy communities, demand response, and AI-driven energy optimization — expect future work at the intersection of smart grids and data analytics.

How they like to work

IMP overwhelmingly joins as a participant (19 of 21 projects) rather than leading, which is typical for a Widening Country institution building capacity through partnership. Their two coordinator roles (LAMBDA, SINERGY) are both capacity-building projects, suggesting they lead when the goal is knowledge transfer rather than large-scale R&D. With 184 unique partners across 33 countries, they are a well-connected hub — easy to work with and experienced in large, diverse consortia.

IMP has collaborated with 184 unique partners across 33 countries, giving them one of the broader networks among Serbian research institutions. Their partnerships span Western and Eastern Europe extensively, with particularly strong ties in energy and ICT consortia.

What sets them apart

As Serbia's leading research institute in energy digitalization, IMP offers a rare combination: deep technical capability in smart grids and demand response, plus hands-on experience running Enterprise Europe Network innovation services for SMEs. For consortium builders, they bring a Widening Country partner that genuinely delivers technical work (not just a flag-of-convenience), with proven reliability across 21 H2020 projects and the ability to bridge Western European R&D with Balkan market realities.

Highlights from their portfolio

• TRINITY
  Largest single grant (EUR 840,845) focused on intelligent market technology for cross-border energy transmission — their flagship energy project.
• SINERGY
  One of two coordinator roles, focused on smart energy management capacity building — demonstrates their leadership ambition in their core domain.
• AI-PROFICIENT
  Significant grant (EUR 423,750) applying trustworthy AI to manufacturing — shows their ability to transfer data analytics skills beyond the energy sector.