UNIVERZITET U KRAGUJEVCU

Their core work

The University of Kragujevac is a Serbian public university that has built research activity around computational biomedical engineering, covering multiscale modelling of cardiovascular diseases, bone tissue, cancer, and related clinical applications. In H2020, they coordinated a Widening-programme capacity-building project aimed at strengthening Serbia's scientific and innovation infrastructure, particularly in biomedical informatics. Earlier in the programme they participated in science communication initiatives targeting public engagement with research. Their EU work positions them as a national anchor for building biomedical research competence in the Western Balkans.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (2014–2015), the university's EU-facing work was entirely in science communication — public events and campaigns to raise awareness of research careers and build trust in science. By 2020, the focus had shifted sharply toward computational biomedicine: multiscale modelling of diseases, cardiovascular systems, bone and cancer tissue, and medical informatics. This is not an incremental broadening but a near-complete pivot in subject matter, likely reflecting internal investment in biomedical engineering departments during the intervening years.

The university is positioning itself as a regional node for computational biomedical research, and future collaborations will most likely fall in disease modelling, medical informatics, or digital health rather than outreach or communication.

How they like to work

They have filled both roles in H2020: a minor participant in a science communication project and a full coordinator in a Widening capacity-building initiative. Taking the coordinator role on SGABU — a multi-partner, multi-year project — suggests they have administrative and scientific management experience despite a small EU portfolio. With only 9 partners across 5 countries in two projects, they operate in small, targeted consortia rather than large pan-European networks.

The university has collaborated with 9 unique partners spanning 5 countries across two projects. Their network is geographically limited for now but anchored in a coordinator role, suggesting they are building outward rather than inward.

What sets them apart

Among Serbian universities, Kragujevac is notable for having coordinated an H2020 project — something not all institutions in Widening countries manage — and doing so in a technically demanding area combining modelling and medicine. For consortium builders seeking a Western Balkans partner with both scientific scope and demonstrated EU project management, they offer a foothold in the region. Their combination of biomedical engineering depth and widening-country status also makes them eligible for funding streams that pure research partners from Western Europe cannot access.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SGABU
  Their largest and most technically substantive project — the one they coordinated — covering computational modelling of cardiovascular disease, bone, and cancer under the EU Widening programme, representing 92% of their total H2020 funding.
• FLIRT
  An early MSCA science communication initiative that shows a very different earlier profile, useful context for understanding how far the organisation has shifted its EU-facing identity.