A presentation of the vision of the science and technology park at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering

At the UNSA Faculty of Mechanical Engineering on 29 February, for members of the Government and Assembly of the canton of Sarajevo, and a number of other coins, a staged presentation of the vision of the science and technology park. Also, those present toured the adapted space in which the Center for Entrepreneurship Development will be located at the Center for Advanced Technologies, and the photo-voltage power plant on the roof of the Faculty building.

The Ministry of Economy of the Canton of Sarajevo's space adaptation project, which will be the Center for Entrepreneurship Development in the previous year, supported with million KM. It is a space where startup whose activities are related to the Center of Advanced Technologies will have their free offices for the first year since its founding. In this way, their prospects for market survival will be significantly increased.

The program to support the establishment of startup economic operators has been implementing the Ministry of Economy for many years, since 2019, support for the establishment has received 215 economic operators, of which 75 percent are still operating today.

As stated today, this event has called for the completion of construction works and the beginning of a new chapter in cooperation between the Government of KS and the University of Sarajevo, and all in order to create an attractive modern ambience in which students, scientists and entrepreneurs will have the opportunity to exchange knowledge and experiences.

Dean of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of the University of Sarajevo Prof. Dr. Haris Lulić said the park was the result of cooperation between the Faculty and the Government of the KS, primarily the Ministry of Economy, and that some parliamentary representatives were the bearers of the idea of a photo-voltage power plant and the development of the Center for Entrepreneurship Development.

“This is just the beginning, which will enable the development of a technology park at this location. This will bring a link between the Mechanical and other technical faculties located nearby with businessmen, potential investors. We will raise the innovation of our students, direct them to develop their startups, and eventually change the mission of this faculty, that the student at the end of his schooling be a young, contemporary entrepreneur“  said Dean Lulić.

He added that today's presentation represents the completion of the first phase, followed by other activities on the development of this concept. He said that the second part, the so-called point meeting, the place of student hub, that is, the meeting of students and businessmen, would soon be presented. In the third phase, the construction of transparent laboratories, i.e. closed atrium with a variety of space sites such as modern technology parks in Europe, is planned.

Prime Minister Nihad Uk emphasized today that there is no better synergy than when the academic institution, as the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering with its capacity, is made available, in this case to the Center for Advanced Technologies. As he stated, in this way the acquired knowledge is usefully implemented through concrete application.

“This Faculty was not accidentally chosen to be the seat of the CNT, as it was no coincidence that the KS government was investing in this project. We will continue this in the coming period as well. The vision of the KS Government is to make a hub from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering that will be the generator of the economic development of the canton of Sarajevo, ie our homeland“, saidPrime Minister Uk.

He thanked the initiators – a former MP in the KS Assembly, and the current Chief of the Stari Grad Municipality, and MP Rusmir Pobrić, and especially the Minister of the KS Zlatko Mijatović.

Minister Mijatović stated that today's act is the first step in slowing the institutional infrastructure in the development of entrepreneurship in the canton of Sarajevo.

“We have recognized the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering for a reason, as a source of new values. We have recognized what the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering offers and the vision we have, so I am sure that in the coming period we will work great together and realize many other projects. The Entrepreneurship Development Center acts as the organizational unit of the Center for Advanced Technologies and it is a system that will provide service support to our young entrepreneurs, such as financial, managerial, educational...“, Minister Mijatović stated.

He recalled that the Ministry of Economy since 2019 supports the establishment of startups, he also stated that their sustainability has been good so far, but expressed the belief that with the establishment of the Center for Entrepreneurship Development, these results will be even better.

Rector of the University of Sarajevo prof. dr. Rifat The Curriculum stated that the science and technology park and the solar power plant are only a fraction of what the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering is, and that these projects study programs are aligned with the labor market and the needs of society. He said Prime Minister Uk and the ministers in the KS government give the wind in the back of such projects. He also thanked MPs who are the initiators of ideas.  

MP Pobrić pointed to the importance of the Centre's existence, ie support for young entrepreneurs. On the other hand, as he said, with the modernization of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering and new content, its competitiveness is increasing.

By demanding both the current and previous convening of the Government in support of the idea, Chief Čengić pointed to the importance of green policies, and the education of young people in that field. As he added, he is pleased that in this way UNSA is not only a scientific base, but in this way it helps the executive and legislative authorities in practice as well.