MINISTARSTVO PROSVETE

Their core work

Serbia's Ministry of Education and Science serves as the national authority responsible for research and innovation policy, including managing Serbia's participation in EU Framework Programmes. In H2020, the ministry focused on strengthening Serbia's research capacity through National Contact Point networks and widening participation initiatives. Their most significant investment has been co-building ANTARES, a Centre of Excellence linking advanced ICT with sustainable agriculture and food security — signaling a strategic national priority at the intersection of digital technologies and agrifood systems.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

The ministry's early H2020 engagement (2015) centered on institutional infrastructure — building National Contact Point networks, improving participation quality, and connecting Serbian researchers to European programmes. From 2016-2017 onward, the focus shifted decisively toward thematic research investment, particularly the ANTARES Centre of Excellence combining ICT with sustainable agriculture. This evolution from "learning to participate" to "investing in domain excellence" reflects Serbia's maturation as an EU research partner.

Moving from horizontal support activities toward targeted investment in agriculture-ICT convergence, suggesting future collaborations will center on smart farming and food system digitalization.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — consistent with their role as a national ministry supporting rather than leading research. They operate in large consortia (67 unique partners across 30 countries from just 5 projects), indicating a broad but relatively shallow network typical of government bodies in CSA-type projects. Working with them means accessing Serbian institutional support and policy-level backing, not hands-on research execution.

Remarkably broad network for a small portfolio: 67 unique partners across 30 countries, reflecting the pan-European nature of NCP and widening participation projects. No single geographic cluster — connections span the full EU and associated countries landscape.

What sets them apart

As a national ministry rather than a research performer, they bring something most consortium partners cannot: direct policy influence and institutional authority over Serbia's research priorities. Their dual track — NCP infrastructure plus the ANTARES Centre of Excellence — means they can both facilitate access to Serbian research networks and channel national investment into specific thematic areas. For anyone building a consortium that needs a Serbian institutional anchor or Widening country representation, they are the natural entry point.

Highlights from their portfolio

• ANTARES
  Two-phase Centre of Excellence (2015-2025) with EUR 282K combined funding — by far their largest investment, bridging ICT and sustainable agriculture in Serbia.
• Strength2Food
  Their only RIA project (vs. 4 CSAs), indicating direct involvement in food chain sustainability research rather than purely coordination work.
• NCP_WIDE.NET
  Foundational project for Serbia's NCP ecosystem, focused on building trans-national cooperation capacity for widening countries.