UNIVERZITET U ISTOCNOM SARAJEVU

Their core work

The University of East Sarajevo is a public university in Bosnia and Herzegovina focused on building innovation management capacity in the Western Balkans region. Their primary H2020 involvement centers on supporting SMEs in the Republic of Srpska through technology transfer and entrepreneurship training (the recurring EUNORS project). They also contributed to international health research through the MAST4HEALTH project on metabolic liver disease treatment, suggesting some research capacity in biomedical sciences.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their H2020 portfolio shows remarkable consistency rather than evolution. The EUNORS project on SME innovation capacity ran across three successive phases from 2017 to 2021, indicating a sustained institutional commitment to regional innovation support. The early period included a health research outlier (MAST4HEALTH), but the university's recurring focus has been squarely on technology transfer and entrepreneurship — this is clearly their institutional priority for EU engagement.

Firmly committed to regional SME innovation support; expect continued focus on technology transfer and entrepreneurship in the Western Balkans rather than diversification into new research domains.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — they join consortia rather than lead them. With 18 unique partners across 8 countries from just 4 projects, they have a relatively broad network for their scale, likely built through the multi-partner CSA and MSCA-RISE formats. They are a reliable supporting partner, particularly valuable for projects needing Western Balkans coverage or Widening Country participation.

Connected to 18 partners across 8 countries, a respectable reach built primarily through the EUNORS and MAST4HEALTH consortia. Their network likely spans both Western Balkan institutions and established EU partners who bring them into projects for regional expertise.

What sets them apart

As a university in Bosnia and Herzegovina, they offer access to the Western Balkans innovation ecosystem — a region underrepresented in H2020 but increasingly relevant for Widening participation. Their deep, recurring focus on SME capacity building in the Republic of Srpska makes them a credible local partner for any project needing grassroots innovation support in the region. For consortium builders, they bring geographic diversity and direct links to Balkan SME networks.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EUNORS
  Ran across three successive phases (2017-2021), demonstrating sustained EU commitment to enhancing SME innovation capacity in the Republic of Srpska — rare persistence for a small Widening Country institution.
• MAST4HEALTH
  Their largest single grant (EUR 13,500) and only non-CSA project — an MSCA-RISE staff exchange on mastiha treatment for liver disease, showing unexpected biomedical research capacity.