At the Faculty of Economics of the University of Montenegro, "CROSS-REIS INFO DAY" was held today, with the aim of better familiarizing the professional and academic public with the planned activities and expected outcomes of the CROSS-REIS project. Namely, the CROSS-disciplinary network for research excellence in Regenerative Economy Innovation eco-Systems - CROSS-REIS project was financed by the European Union, within the Horizon 2021-2027 program of the European Excellence Initiative. It started on 01.01.2024. and will last until 31.12.2028. years. The holder of this project in front of the University of Montenegro is the Faculty of Economics Podgorica, while the project is supported by the Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro and EKO FOND (Environmental Protection Fund). The mentioned project involves the cooperation of higher education and scientific research institutions from eight countries: Serbia, Montenegro, Albania, Croatia, Slovenia, Spain, Norway and Italy.
After the dean's opening address, prof. Dr. Mijat Jocović, who expressed his satisfaction that the project is being implemented by the team of the Faculty of Economics, University of Montenegro, was followed by the presentation of the project manager, prof. Dr. Ana Lalević-Filipović. On that occasion, the importance of the implementation of CROSS-REIS projects was pointed out, emphasizing that the said project aims to improve excellence in science and promote the cooperation of higher education and research institutions, as well as the creation of an eco-system of innovative regenerative economy, which will provide innovative proposals for solving the problem of climate change and scarcity of resources. Prof. Lalević-Filipović also pointed out that CROSS-REIS strives to improve and encourage the transition of society towards a regenerative economy paradigm and the creation of a sustainable future through collaborative research and innovation in three contemporary research areas: circular economy, waste management and urban biodiversity.
On this occasion, Prof. Lalević-Filipović emphasized that the expected outcomes of the project include the launch of a specialized scientific magazine "Regenerative Economics", the establishment of a regional economic forum for regenerative economy and the creation of an integrated database for monitoring the development of the regenerative economy at the state and regional level, organizing Business Forums, conferences, trainings , workshop, and publication of research papers. About the planned activities of the Faculty of Economics team until the end of 12/31/2024. year, the present audience also had the opportunity to get to know each other, as well as to find out how all the set goals will be realized.
An overview of the CROSS-REIS project through the prism of the institutions that supported it was presented by Draško Boljević, director of ECO FUND, and Dr. Milan Gazdić, director of the Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro.
Within the aforementioned event, a round table entitled "From linear to circular economy - How far has Montenegro come?" was held, attended by: Milan Gazdić, Ph.D., director of the Environmental Protection Agency, Anđela Gajević, M.Sc., director of the Directorate for Improvement of competitiveness in the Ministry of Economic Development, Tanja Radusinović, director of the sector for projects in the Chamber of Commerce of Montenegro, Boban Stanić, executive director of Remid VIS and Ilija Kaluđerović, founder of the "Green Wave" initiative. The moderator of the round table was Assoc. Dr. Milena Lipovina-Božović, who pointed out that Montenegro, as a country that strives for sustainable development and protection of its natural beauty, has begun to recognize the importance of moving to a circular model, but that, along with existing policies and initiatives in the direction of recycling and waste reduction, much more effort is needed, especially in the area of infrastructure, improvement of legislation and education.
Mr. Anđela Gajević pointed out that the Ministry of Economic Development is the creator of numerous policies, among which is the policy for the development of the circular economy. She pointed out that the postulates of the circular economy should be included in the umbrella strategic documents, in order to define activities that will contribute to raising the awareness of decision makers and the economic sector in the process of transition from a linear to a circular business model. She also pointed out that it is a process that requires the connection of all key actors, in order to create a new business model with a synergistic effect, which will contribute to the competitiveness of the Montenegrin economy.
Dr. Milan Gazdić pointed out the importance of the Environmental Protection Agency of Montenegro in the creation and implementation of policies that are crucial for the preservation of the natural environment, as well as for the promotion of sustainability as a fundamental principle of business today. He emphasized that there are also specific challenges that can affect a faster transition to a circular economy, such as waste management and pollution control, but also the lack of infrastructure for recycling and waste storage.
Tanja Radusinović apostrophized the activities of the Chamber of Commerce through the establishment of the Circular Economy HUB, as a single point for circular initiatives and solutions. She especially emphasized how members are helped through this mechanism that helps members to understand and implement circular economy practices through the exchange of knowledge and expertise, access to domestic and international circular practices and experiences, and current activities and events concerning the circular economy.
Boban Stanić introduced the attendees to the innovative approaches in his company, and talked about the way in which the principles of the circular economy are integrated into the operations of Remid Vis. He particularly referred to the implementation of seemingly unusable materials and products in the production process, with which they managed to create new added value. Ilija Kaluđerović spoke about all the projects implemented so far, and the "Green Wave" initiative, one of the most important environmental projects in Montenegro. He referred to the importance of raising awareness and educating the general public, and informed those present about the results of mentoring work and workshops with a significant number of young people involved in this process.
Assoc. Dr. Jovan Đurašković announced the preparation of the MICEB 2024 conference "Green entrepreneurship and innovation", which will be held on 12-13 September 2024 and informed the audience that the main speakers at the conference will be eminent professors and experts in this field: Aura Reggiani, Ron Boschma and Maya Karkour.