With the goal of strengthening the ties between science and industry as a prerequisite for greater competitiveness, an info event was held at the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia dedicated to the opportunities offered by the EU COST Program (European Cooperation in Science and Technology). The event was organized in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and Science, aiming to encourage companies from the real sector to join research networks and foster broader collaboration at the European level.
The opportunities provided by COST were presented by Zoran T. Popovski, Vice President of the program, and Aleksandar Tutnovski, National Coordinator.
COST is the largest EU platform for networking scientists and innovators. Through this program, Macedonian companies have the opportunity to join EU research networks, gain access to knowledge and technology, and develop innovative solutions through collaboration with the academia.
Through presentations and concrete examples, company representatives were introduced to ways of participating in COST actions (projects)—such as short-term scientific missions, training schools, conferences, communication activities, and other forms of support.
Although Macedonia has been a COST member since 2002, interest from the business community remains modest. COST representatives emphasized that events like this are key to increasing opportunities for deeper cooperation between science and the real sector, which should ultimately lead to enhanced competitiveness for companies.
COST was established back in 1971 and includes 41 member countries, along with partners from around the world. Today, it connects around 60,000 scientists globally.